Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

If you teach older students, uni or adult, try teaching that proverb to them.

It came up in one of my lessons last night. Although I know there is a big difference in attitude between Korea and the West, this one really brings home just how different. Add the fact that there are apartments with 'No children, No pets' policies. My students are pretty low level, so couldn't really express what they thought, but it was very clear they thought Western culture was mystifying. The 'best' response I got: "Why children should keep silent?"

[JAWINSEOUL]

That proverb has too many factors working against it to be appreciated by most Koreans. The first, being the limited ability of the students to understand the context of the proverb. Although the western culture may value the validity of it, it�s made partially in jest. We all know humor is the last hurdle in understanding languages.

The other is the dedication of both parents to forgo their lives to focus on their kids. We have all seen men and women work long hours in and out of the home to create an opportunity for their kids to thrive. Keeping them quiet would be a contradiction to their efforts.

I guess that's why I believe to understand Korean you must study Korea. Teachers will see better results if they teach kids about western culture in conjunction with English.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Explain it this way: children should be seen and not heard, like when they're in an English communication class with a Korean teacher.

That should make sense to them.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I take the proverb as coming from the time (pre-Victorian era) when children were expected to be mini-adults, before childhood was romanticized/sentimentalized.

[Fishead soup]

Why not teach?

Spare the rod and spoil the child.

[JAWINSEOUL]