Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ajuma]

I'm teaching 2nd grade HS girls and most of them are pretty good, but I've got one class that is SUPER low-level. I've searched the board with the usual results (blank page ). Since my usual lesson plans aren't going to work for this class, I'm looking for some games/lessons for these girls. I have no multi-media available...not even a tape player...so I can't do any "cool" stuff. HELP!!

[BS.Dos.]

Try juggling six flaming bowling pins whilst riding a unicycle with a midget strapped to your back. That should do the trick.

Only joking. An old hand like yourself will probably know most of these (4th post down), but it's the best I can do at 22:46 I'm afraid.

I actually played a new game today that another FT told me about that went well (HS). Nothing groundbreaking, just a variation on hangman, but using sentences pulled from their course book. Get 'em into groups and give them one letter guess per go followed by one chance per round to guess the sentence. They get 2 points for successfully reading out the sentence in English and another point for translating it into Korean although, being as you've said that they're at a very low level, you'll probably have to give them extremely simple sentences.

Sorry I can't be of any more help.

[ajuma]

BS.Dos. Thanks for the link! Helpful!

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

It might sound really basic, but you could try getting them to remember and repeat a simple sentence. Keep saying it over and over, and they have to say it exactly without making a mistake.

It sounds easy, but for them it's usually pretty hard... they always want to leave out words or mishear things. The clever ones might even try to write it down.

Then give whoever gets it some kind of reward... for the older kids, glow-in-the-dark stickers for their cell phones seems to work very well.

[Easter Clark]

I've found that a good picture dictionary is great for low-level classes. Make photocopies, tick the words you want them to learn, and after going over them a few times, have all students in each group except for one cover the words (so they can only see the pictures) and the one student asks "Where is _____?" They enjoy trying to be the first to find the word. Then they can change to a new "reader."

Also works great for simple grammar like the present continuous: "Who is (walking)?" etc.

You can keep this up for a while!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I know exactly the kind of class you mean, and teaching them with no A/V aids would really, really suck. Last year I had two classes of grade one vocational HS girls which were the two worst public school classes I've ever taught. One thing they absolutely loved was my Picture Words Bingo set ("for ages 4 and up"), which they wanted to play every week. Searchword puzzles - discovery.com - were also a real life-saver when wondering 'what the hell can I do to keep them interested in something English for 50 minutes'. The problem with any task-based lesson or just about anything that wasn't teacher-centred, however, was how to keep them on task and not start goofing around and acting like kindergarten children. Last year I had my best academic class and my worst vocational back-to-back and it was like going from university to preschool.

[nobbyken]

I use a variation of the sunken treasure ppt review activity, as I too have no A/V media to utilise.

I got an A1 sheet, and got a 5 x 4 grid printed on it.
In each grid I attached with velcro strips some "smiley faces" and the rest with "try again" messages. These messages and smiley faces are laminated in sheets before cutting them out.
I then cover each of the squares with a larger laminated, coloured rectangle of paper. This is also attached by velcro, with the velcro being higher up in square.

I use this in a class which goes for dinner at 6pm, so reviewing with it at 5:40-5:45 is excellent.
If the get a review question, or general knowledge (if today is tuesday, what day is tomorrow?), succesful finders of a smiley face can choose a friend and leave 10 minutes early. Gets people trying, and you can make it really fun for the kids.

[Easter Clark]

Another thing that seems to work with this level is to give them a dialog using the target language. After you've introduced the TL and gone over it a bit, put them into groups of three or four (A-B-C or A-B-C-D) and have each student memorize a different piece of the dialog. After 10 or 15 minutes put all of the A's together, and all the B's together, etc.

Go through the dialog a few times as a class, paying careful attention to who the best kid is in each group. Then choose the best from each group to come to the front and perform it for the class. Be sure to have some sort of reward for the top kids (mine got a whole sheet of stickers, instead of the usual "one")! Just did this last period with my extremely low Grade 2s and it was a great success!

This kind of activity can be varied depending on the level, since you create the dialog to match the ability of your students. I just took mine out of a textbook that I use as my "curriculum."

[crusher_of_heads]

I do what the previous poster mentioned, but in addition to the sitckers I have a whiteboard as a dartboard, and use those pigs/tomatoes that the dude in itaewon sells-unfortunately I usually pass by that hideous monster hanging out by exit 4 to get to him-the dangers I face for the sake of my students

[superpan]

OP,

Hey. I'm in the same boat. I teach first and second year students at a private all girls high school. I have four or five classes that are pretty good, but the rest are atrocious. I also have no A/V capabilites, the book is pretty much worthless, and the vice principle gets mad when I make a lot of copies. Every week I make a new conversation exercise/game/lesson from either browsing the web or off the top of my head. I have a few things that I could send your way, and maybe we can trade some ideas in the future? I can't PM yet, but send me one if you're interested.

[bassexpander]

Superpan, your avatar scares me.

I had a class of super low-level girls at my previous girls' hs gig. They were a lot of fun, actually. We spent half of the time just talking (something the high level girls sometimes wouldn't do, because they were boring science majors). I usually spent the time teasing/talking to them about hairdoos, hair-clips, Korean boys, stuff they'd been up to, other classes, or whatever. I learned that if I paid attention to them outside of the classroom (at lunch, in the hallways, etc.) and made an effort to get know their names and nicknames, they'd talk a streak in class. We had a lot of fun. I told them not to worry about grammar -- just say what they could.

Guess what? They improved.

By the way, five of those girls came to my wedding, and I hadn't seen them in over 2 years.

[BS.Dos.]

^Superpan's avatar is excellent. That's exactly how I used to look and dance in the 80's.

[Dome Vans]

[BS.Dos.]

LOL

When I mentioned it yesterday , I didn't seriously think you would!

[BS.Dos.]