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Justin Hale
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Location: the Straight Talk Express
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 Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:33 pm Post subject: Why ___ you so happy? |
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I want this OP to emphasize how bad Korean English teaching is.
I teach middle school students and because we're nearing the end of the school year, presently I'm teaching 'grade 2 review, part I'.
The first question, or 문제 (problem) out of 11, is "Why ____ you so happy?" - the easiest - and students must obviously fill the blank with what they think should go there. Yes, 'were' can go there, but we didn't study that, so it's not the correct answer - the answer is 'are'.
25% of my students didn't know. I got answers such as do, will, was.
So, these students have had 2 years of middle school English and they cannot even do this. Most can, but 'most' is less than what I'd expect.
Well, just when you think you've seen it all, guess what happened at the end of class? You couldn't make it up. Korean co-teacher gave them homework - a whole side of A4 on Abraham Lincoln. It was much, much too difficult for these students, even the ones who are good at English. It was material for a high-intermediate class and dry (appropriate for adults, not 14 year olds).
A basic requirement of teaching - something we learn on CELTA, which doesn't equip one to teach in public schools in our countries - is correctly judging the level of ability of your students and giving materials appropriate for that level.
Korean English teachers are astonishingly hopeless, they really are. |
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cubanlord
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Location: In Japan!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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I thought the answer was 'is'?  |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| The sad part is that the co-teacher was probably trying to impress you with his or her "advanced" knowledge of English, hence the article. |
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Justin Hale
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Location: the Straight Talk Express
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| cubanlord wrote: |
| I thought the answer was 'is'? |
Oh dear.  |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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i've been doing English speaking tests for my 1st grade MS students this week, and i find some can't even answer "how are you?"
not a lot, maybe 10% of my kids, and considering we've done the common "Good morning class! How are you?" drill every day since the year began, it's a bit surprising to say the least |
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runlikegump
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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Why will I sit back and chuckle, with that self-satisfied grin of the expat English teacher, while you work on an assignment that is clearly beyond your level, though it will probably allow your mom to brag to her neighbours about how smart her child is, thereby allowing you to progress to the high intermediate level when staying in the ABC and phonics class would make both me and you so happy?
Because it's funny. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I thought the answer was "aren't." Or "puppy." |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:11 pm Post subject: Re: Why ___ you so happy? |
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| Justin Hale wrote: |
I want this OP to emphasize how bad Korean English teaching is.
I teach middle school students and because we're nearing the end of the school year, presently I'm teaching 'grade 2 review, part I'.
The first question, or 문제 (problem) out of 11, is "Why ____ you so happy?" - the easiest - and students must obviously fill the blank with what they think should go there. Yes, 'were' can go there, but we didn't study that, so it's not the correct answer - the answer is 'are'.
25% of my students didn't know. I got answers such as do, will, was.
So, these students have had 2 years of middle school English and they cannot even do this. Most can, but 'most' is less than what I'd expect.
Well, just when you think you've seen it all, guess what happened at the end of class? You couldn't make it up. Korean co-teacher gave them homework - a whole side of A4 on Abraham Lincoln. It was much, much too difficult for these students, even the ones who are good at English. It was material for a high-intermediate class and dry (appropriate for adults, not 14 year olds).
A basic requirement of teaching - something we learn on CELTA, which doesn't equip one to teach in public schools in our countries - is correctly judging the level of ability of your students and giving materials appropriate for that level.
Korean English teachers are astonishingly hopeless, they really are. |
Most of the blame should be aimed at state approved textbooks written by non native speakers. High school and university entrance tests.
Korean teachers try to do make the best of it. Most of them are stuck between a rock and a hard place. |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Why ___ you so happy? |
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| Fishead soup wrote: |
| Justin Hale wrote: |
I want this OP to emphasize how bad Korean English teaching is.
I teach middle school students and because we're nearing the end of the school year, presently I'm teaching 'grade 2 review, part I'.
The first question, or 문제 (problem) out of 11, is "Why ____ you so happy?" - the easiest - and students must obviously fill the blank with what they think should go there. Yes, 'were' can go there, but we didn't study that, so it's not the correct answer - the answer is 'are'.
25% of my students didn't know. I got answers such as do, will, was.
So, these students have had 2 years of middle school English and they cannot even do this. Most can, but 'most' is less than what I'd expect.
Well, just when you think you've seen it all, guess what happened at the end of class? You couldn't make it up. Korean co-teacher gave them homework - a whole side of A4 on Abraham Lincoln. It was much, much too difficult for these students, even the ones who are good at English. It was material for a high-intermediate class and dry (appropriate for adults, not 14 year olds).
A basic requirement of teaching - something we learn on CELTA, which doesn't equip one to teach in public schools in our countries - is correctly judging the level of ability of your students and giving materials appropriate for that level.
Korean English teachers are astonishingly hopeless, they really are. |
Most of the blame should be aimed at state approved textbooks written by non native speakers. High school and university entrance tests.
Korean teachers try to do make the best of it. Most of them are stuck between a rock and a hard place. |
Agreed. When I did my CELTA, the text books that we were using to get some of our material from were well laid out, objectives for each chapter and clearly written. These text books are awful.
I'm allowed to teach on the theme of the chapter but don't have to follow the textbook and it's crumby dialogues. But when it comes to vocab lessons, there really can't be any lead in to get the students thinking about the words because they are so random in each chapter.
And I'm not teaching students "I wish there were no pollution" or this made me equally annoyed "I can't believe it" Maybe 1% of people might say "can't" but surely believing is pretty black and white.
And my particular favourite:
Paul: It's really hot. Can we just turn on the air conditioner?
Mom: No, I'm afraid we can't. Electricity is expensive.
Paul: I wish I could study in a cool place. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Mom: If I were you, I'd take a shower.
The guy wants to study, why does he need a shower? Does he smell? |
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xox
Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Location: Bundang
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:27 pm Post subject: Re: Why ___ you so happy? |
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| Justin Hale wrote: |
Well, just when you think you've seen it all, guess what happened at the end of class? You couldn't make it up. Korean co-teacher gave them homework - a whole side of A4 on Abraham Lincoln. It was much, much too difficult for these students, even the ones who are good at English. It was material for a high-intermediate class and dry (appropriate for adults, not 14 year olds).
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YOUR SCHOOL TOO?! I was so confused when my coteacher got all the 1st grade Middle school class presidents to come to our office to pick up these hand outs.
the week before my coteacher handed out the 'Gettysburg Address' for a speaking test. the students are to memorize the entire thing and speak it with no mistakes! |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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I was shown by a teacher an article she is trying to understand for an interview on how giving students words to memorise is not an effective language acquisition technique. Lots of big words in it and it took two reads to understand the passage. She told me what it was about and asked my opinion we had a good chat about it.
Next day she gives the kids a list of 50 words from the chapter to memorise.
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crusher_of_heads
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Location: kimbop and kimchi for kimberly!!!!
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| Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| mrsquirrel wrote: |
I was shown by a teacher an article she is trying to understand for an interview on how giving students words to memorise is not an effective language acquisition technique. Lots of big words in it and it took two reads to understand the passage. She told me what it was about and asked my opinion we had a good chat about it.
Next day she gives the kids a list of 50 words from the chapter to memorise.
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Seat work.
When in Ontario, I had a really wretched class 16 boys, 4 girls lowere level, with over 33% having various LD's and lots hving a long criminal record as their ievitable future.
I gave them work like that in order to shut them up and keep them from hurting each other or trying the same with me.
Sounds like that teacher has been around too long-that's why I got out of teaching back in Ontario. I have yet to give grunt work |
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GerryTulip
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| If I was to use the subjunctive all the time it would make me sound cleverer. =) |
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