Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mj roach]

Very good advice from Adjuma....Korean people don't talk to strangers.

Start new 'mixed' classes with an 'ice breaker'...

ie...have the students toss a stuffed ball around in a circle and introduce themselves

Making the transition from writing to talking is very difficult ...

For one segment of the lesson, try using something like the 'True Stories'

series by Sandra Heyer (Longman ).

Photocopy the pictures and have the students work in pairs

(mix them up as Adjuma said)

have them look at the 'pictue story' using a K/E - E/K dictionary and

write out 'a' story first.

Writing will give them a chance to form their sentences.

Have each pair/trio 'tell' one of the pictures and you 'feed' vocabulary and

structured sentences as they talk (without making corrections).

Then read the story from the book while they look at the pictures.

Have each group 'tell' a picture of the story again.

Review the first story in future lessons after doing another story

and 'feed' more vocabulary and model complete sentences.

After 2 or three reviews, they will more easily be able to 'tell' the story.

Begin to ask about similar situations in their lives.

Continue to 'feed' their one or two word responses...modeling

complete sentences without making corrections.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Agreed--the only "free talking" you can expect at this level is

A: Do you like cats?
B: Yes, I like.

T: Yes, you do.

B: Ne.

or

A: Cats are clever.
B: Yes, I agree. Dogs are funny.
A: I disagree.

etc etc...

[PRagic]

Another typical example of a Korean owner/boss not hiring someone with an education backgroung, but expecting a 'professional teacher'. Just take it with a grain of salt and drive on.

You are getting paid to do what you are doing and nothing more. You are doing just fine. If they want someone with an education background (e.g. someone familiar with generating cohesive lesson plans for diverse classroom environments), let them pay for it. You will go nuts if you try to become a teacher over night. If they don't 'like you', let them fire you. There are a ton of jobs out there where you will get a lesson plan and/or text on the way in.

[yingwenlaoshi]

[Fishead soup]

The problem is you haven't really broken the ice with them. I used to work at a teacher training center. You should offer to go out with them.
It can be some kind of field trip to a mountain. Or a temple. Koreans love showing the foreigner beautiful Korean things like mountains and temples.
It will be a great chance for them to practice their English.
You can end the meeting with a trip to a traditional Korean folk restaurant
with some Dong dong ju. Who pays will be complicated I suggest everyone puts between 10-20 won before and don't let them pay it all.

I've done this numerous times the classroom atmosphere is always 100% better after doing this. You actually form a real bond some of the teachers I am still in contact with today. This bond is called Jung. To be a succes in Korea you have to give people the impression you have it