Korean Job Discussion Forums

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Many of you remember my post about my 초등학교 being named an English Model School. There are 2 other NSET's at my school, and on MWF we alternate on standing outside for 20 minutes greeting the kids coming into school. Today was my turn.

They were playing children's songs in English, like Jimmy Crack Corn, The Wheels on the Bus, etc. on the loud speakers, and there were about 15 mothers all saying in unison "Hello! Good morning!" like robots. There were streamers on poles. The groundskeepers planted even more flowers, so there are seriously multi-colored mums EVERYWHERE. It looked and sounded like some deranged Willy Wonka-meets-Wizard of Oz movie!

cruisemonkey · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 5:17 pm Post subject:

Sounds surreal!

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

Sounds like North Korea.

Horangi Munshin · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Location: Busan

I do the greet thing twice a week. It's not robotic though. The children answer a simple question like. Can you dance? I go home early on those days Smile

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Your school is not doing enough here are a few suggestions.

Have the Native English speakers wear costumes. I would suggest an occupation/Disney character mix. For example a Mickey Mouse
waitress. A waitress uniform with Mickey mouse ears. Maybe a porky pig doctor. Or a goofy Policeman.

Enforce rules such as NET have to stay in character and throw candy at the students when they speak English in the halls.

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

sojourner1 · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:14 pm Post subject:

When you hear the robots sounding off, you're hearing mimicry. All robot behaving humans is mimicry if not acting in a science fiction show or in a robot costume. It's really no different than a computer or music player producing sound through it's mechanics of preprogrammed instructions. That is the robots can mechanically produce phonetic sounds and put them togethor by a set of instructions to produce speech, but not comprehend or feel what it says.

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

Question: are you and the other nset getting paid for this??

I'm also with smoe and we're also a model english school..complete with the english village. We have a similar program going. I'm the only nset here..and i have to do this ev everyday...and i dont get paid cuz it's part of my "duties" and it's not really classroom instructional hours.

It's not that bad since all the kids just use our equipment and if they memorize or learn to read a certain dialogue card, I give them a sticker in their fake passports. I agree that it's not relaly instructional hours for me, so I haven't made a fuss about it. Plus, they are paying me really well for my 2 extra classes. It's still a pain having to do it everyday though...

HBCCanuck · Joined: 19 Oct 2008 Location: HBC, Seoul

sounds like a freakshow... poor you.

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Whirlwind · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

dance, monkey, dance Smile

cruisemonkey · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:16 pm Post subject:

So... "English Model School" translates to "English Village" (complete with the whole Disneylandesque 'edutainment' philosophy). Rolling Eyes