Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stevemcgarrett]

If anyone on this forum has taught both Korean and Japanese high school students, I'd greatly appreciate your response to the following questions:

1. In the main, have you found the same range of attitudes about learning English in both cultures? If not, why not, do you suppose?

2. Do students in both cultures hold the exams in roughly the same degree of contempt and/or dread?

3. Do most students "shut down" in their last semester of high school, generally putting forth little effort to learn?

4. Is classroom management a similar challenge in both cultures, and is discipline handled largely in the same manner?

5. Did you find yourself hard-pressed to actively engage most of your students in both cultures and, if so, did they have a different set of expectations for you as a foreign teacher/native speaker of English?

Finally, if you've taught English to both highly motivated and poorly motivated Korean high school students in the same school, did you find a marked contrast in the way they approached their language study?

Thanks in advance for your input and I'll gladly share my research findings in the near future on this forum if this thread attracts sufficient interest to warrant it.

[sojourner1]

I haven't taught Japanese HS students, but I have Korean HS in hagwon classes at college level and they are all quiet and too well behaved. 16 year olds will be taking a college debate course, but can't converse or simply lack the confidence to. Their writing skills are excellent.

They are amazingly respectful and very well behaved compared to the young kiddies I teach, but the HS students are often like trying to get a bump on a log to talk to you. I understand that they need confidence building and encouragement which can get some of them to open up to you and speak, but none are confident enough yet to be well spoken. I understand them, because I was the same when I was a teen.

[Milwaukiedave]

Heavenly Hash Brownies
For the brownies:

4 eggs, beaten

2 C. sugar

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1 t. vanilla

1 C. margarine

1/3 C. cocoa

1 1/2 C. pecans, chopped

1 (6 1/4-oz.) bag miniature marshmallows

For the chocolate frosting:

1/2 C. margarine, melted

1/3 C. milk

3 T. cocoa

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

For the brownies, combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Melt margarine; stir in cocoa. Add to egg mixture and beat well. Add nuts.

Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350� F. for 25-30 minutes.

As soon as brownies are taken from oven, cover with marshmallows. Return pan to oven just until marshmallows are slightly melted.

Remove from oven and pour frosting over marshmallows. Cool before cutting.

Makes 48 brownies.

For the frosting, combine margarine, milk and cocoa in a bowl. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Use to top brownies as described above.

[Milwaukiedave]

HEAVENLY HASH BROWNIES AND ICING

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 tbsp. cocoa
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans
7 oz. jar marshmallow creme

Cream together butter, sugar and cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in flour and beat until just blended. Mix in chopped pecans.
Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Warm jar of marshmallow creme in hot water. Remove brownies from oven and immediately spread warmed marshmallow creme over top. Cool. Ice with following icing.


HEAVENLY HASH ICING:

4 1/4 c. powdered sugar
6 tbsp. soft butter
4 1/2 tbsp. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Milk

Sift together sugar and cocoa. Cream butter well and add sugar mixture and vanilla. Add enough milk to make spreading consistency. Using a warm spatula, spread over top of cream. Place in refrigerator until cool. Can be frozen.

[Milwaukiedave]

Road-Kill Pasta
Recipe #126543
use any smoked, dead or warmed meat for this easy pasta dish with zing!
by FarmGirl | Edit...My Notes

Requires Premium MembershipMy Notes

ONLY YOU see your private notes, and they print with the recipe.


4 servings 1� hours 40 min prep
Change to: servings US Metric
1 lb pasta (any kind)
1/2 lb asparagus, steamed
1/2 cup smoked turkey breast or bacon or ham or any other road-kill meat (or roast beast, and other toasty, roasty meats)
1/8 cup dark truffle oil
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

[Milwaukiedave]

ROAD KILL STEW

4 lb. road kill (raccoon or opossum, squirrel is too meager) Preferably 2 to 3 days old. Should marinate in road oil and other highway grease at least 1 day
1 lb. whole garlic cloves
3 c. Jalapeno peppers with seeds
1 bucket of green onions
1 gal. flat beer (Pabst is GOOD)
5 c. toadstools
3 tbsp. cumin
3 c. wild weeds
Any deserving vegetables you can think of

[sojourner1]

For those heavenly hash brownies, you are leaving out the most important ingredient, but that one is not available here. LOL.


How did this post go to funny recipes? That is so funny. Thanks for the laugh, I needed it.

[cangel]

I was a JET in Japan and taught at a high academic high school in Fukuoka for 3 years. I now teach at an international high school in Korea although we only have Korean students at this time... I'll try to answer your questions.

1. In the main, have you found the same range of attitudes about learning English in both cultures? If not, why not, do you suppose?

Yes

2. Do students in both cultures hold the exams in roughly the same degree of contempt and/or dread?

College entrance exams are a huge deal in both countries. However, graduating from a well-known HS in Japan is almost as good as graduating from college. The seniors in HS spend almost the entire year studying for the entrance exams and since I was at a very elite school, not too many students b!tched and moaned. but yes, overall, contempt is the basic sentiment.

3. Do most students "shut down" in their last semester of high school, generally putting forth little effort to learn?

Depends on the type of HS. Academic HSs, no. VoTech & agricultural schools, yes.

4. Is classroom management a similar challenge in both cultures, and is discipline handled largely in the same manner?

In academic HSs, no major challenges. In all others, yes, major hurdles... Discipline is sitting seza on the floor, getting verbally abused, and sosmetimes, a nice smack on the back of the head-but never hard (not that I have seen).

5. Did you find yourself hard-pressed to actively engage most of your students in both cultures and, if so, did they have a different set of expectations for you as a foreign teacher/native speaker of English?

Yes because in high academic HSs, the students don't want to attempt the language in fear of making a mistake. The old saying in Japan, "the nail that sticks uo, gets hammered down." My role was basically a human tape recorder as all classes were with a Japanese teacher of English.

Finally, if you've taught English to both highly motivated and poorly motivated Korean high school students in the same school, did you find a marked contrast in the way they approached their language study?

It seems to be a matter of maturity. In my school we have really great English speakers and those with really poor language skills. It's my belief that the poorer speakers are language lazy and don't want to put forth the effort and or do not see the necessity for English. Most of my students come from rich families so that may be a factor.

[Kimchi Cha Cha]

Seven sixteenths of one inch:



That's the distance you'd have to move your pinky in order to not sound like
an idiot.

Hat-tip to Maddox

[Patrique]

NO I HAVE NEVER TAUGHT IN JAPAN.

I USUALLY WOULDN'T HAVE READ THIS POST, BUT SINCE YOU PUT IT ALL IN CAPS I KNEW IT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT.

HAVE A NICE DAY.