Korean Job Discussion Forums

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

So i'm supposed to teach "american culture" What exactly does this entail? I'm from the UP of Michigan and I dont think they want hear about how much Pasties are DA BOMB eh?! So anyone have any suggestions?

VanIslander · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:41 pm Post subject:

with a coke and a smile Very Happy

and if that doesn't work then use guns, drugs and t.v. reality shows

(freedom, crime and freedom of expression... seriously)

Jacquie · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Location: Chungnam

One thing to look at is American holidays and customs - halloween, thanksgiving, christmas, etc. The way they celebrate these thing here are totally different.

I have also taught about how we do funerals (sounds morbid - but it came up, because over chuseok many students went and visited the graves of their relatives).

You could also look at typical meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner...

These are cheesy, but pretty basic all over America. The everyday life of a student in america could work too - ie. no hagwan, but soccer practice, part time jobs, etc.

Again - cheesy...but perhaps more what they are looking for??

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Get high, get a fake degree, get a young Korean lady from Hongdae by malicious methods, get AIDS and you'll pretty much fit the bill of how Americans are portrayed in the Korean media. Plus, it's really fun to teach high and with AIDS.

Ed Provencher · Joined: 15 Oct 2006

oskinny1 · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Location: Right behind you!

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

It depends on who your students are--adults? kids? That makes a big difference as you'll need to teach aspects of the culture that are interesting for the age group of your students.

I like the textbook "American Ways," which I think is available at any large bookstore here. However, it's quite advanced and is more for adult learners.

Maybe teach culture in a kind of chronological fashion--from birth til death. Make notes about anything that comes up along the way; like our attitudes towards having babies and how they're cared for; nursery schools, all kinds of schools, birthday parties, etc. Just brainstorming here...how we view the elderly, driving, how we define success, attitudes of bosses and employees, teenagers driving and problems caused by that or how a car affects one's social status in high school, teenage pregnancy, etc...

Cornfed · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

Just tell them about fat women popping prozac and scarfing down bon-bons until their underpants don't fit while watching Orca and I imagine you're halfway there.

cj1976 · Joined: 26 Oct 2005

Try walking into the classroom uninvited, then start physically asserting your dominance over everyone. Take all their resources and tell them that you were simply doing it to help them. As an additional task, feed them all coke and hamburgers until the obesity ratio reaches 1 in 3. Then leave.

Faunaki · Joined: 15 Jun 2007

history channel, youtube, simpsons, and lastly buy a simple history book that has korean in it.

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

Privateer · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Location: Easy Street.

Teach them what a western wedding is really supposed to be like.

You could teach them how the school system works and stuff like show-and-tell, prom night, the importance of sports and cheerleading...

EricaSmile84 · Joined: 23 Jan 2008

Maybe for starters you can ask them what they think about American culture.

Then get into the facts.

American:

Meals- Breakfast vs lunch vs dinner vs 4th meal, places to eat, things to cook
Schools- Curriculum, rules, pass/fail
Marriage customs
Funeral customs
The huge amount of diversity in our country (my kids can't grasp the fact that I am American, but have Italian blood)
Music
Body adornment
Different accents/attitudes according to state.
Relationships

Try surfing the net too. You might find some stuff. Give them research projects.

jinks · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Location: Formerly: Lower North Island

I have taught "culture" to freshman university students for four semesters. The brief we have here is English-speaking culture, rather than American culture. When I took over the class the syllabus was mainly focused on political and historical issues. Boring, and beyond most students' language ability. I have been teaching pretty much what Jacqui suggested - the small stuff: holidays, greetings cards, pets and typical meals.
Because my brief is English-speaking culture, I also look at countries where English is a first or second language. This year the school has made the course compulsory for all English majors, so I have extended the course to teach well-known idioms as well.
Keeping it simple is the best advice. I stay away from slang and current music trends, not because the students won't enjoy it, but because I don't think it is universal enough to be included in a general culture course.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

If you're teaching kids, tell them about a typical school day. Focus on the similarities and differences. Use your memories of when you were in the grade they are in now. If you have a relative their age, show some pictures of him/her and their school.