Korean Job Discussion Forums

[withnail]

This post is for all serious newbie EFL teachers out there who are interested in learning about the craft of EFL teaching and the study of best practice in EFL teaching in Korea:

1. Read through as many posts as you can by DDeubl on this site and his own website http://eflclassroom.ning.com/index.php
Bookmark his website and return as regularly as you can. This is an extremely thoughtful and professional guy who can really stimulate your interest in EFL techniques and methodologies.

2. Read extensively from the website of Andrew Finch. http://www.finchpark.com/aef/

This Professor really has put his finger on the most effective ways to teach Korean students and especially young adults by bringing out what they already know.

This is free training! Try to read one article or post from either once a day and reflect upon it and especially what you might be able to take from it for your own situation.

I've been an EFL teacher for coming up on 13 years mostly in London and just two years in Korea. I�ve clocked up a serious amount of experience and know-how along the way but I have to say I have learned a great deal from reading these two guys - both really committed to best practice and extremely well-read and full of great advice.

I really think you can get a lot out of your experience here by becoming more invested in your job. Perhaps you came here with just a BA and a smile with thoughts of saving some money and learning a new language and about a new culture. That�s great.

However we all need intellectual stimulation and the pride that comes from doing a good job. Once you have suffered the various slights and indignities from your hagwon owner or principal, settled in and crucially, amended your expectations about the employer-employee relationship and of course dealt with all the niggling little practical problems there are, I want to encourage you to start to read about teaching English in earnest.

[Fishead soup]

Andrew Finch is awesome. I remember having nothing for my afterschool class so I photocopied a cause and effect activity. "If I went to China I would become and monk. If I became a monk I would eat no meat".

At first I thought the activity would flop because it was to difficult for the students but it went well. The dictation races are good too.

I would use the clothing activities for the low classes.

I would add bogglesworld to that list

[withnail]

That's great. I'm glad to hear that helped you. One more I should mention is the excellent Alex Case
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/

[icnelly]

Withnail has a history if his own here, so read up on his threads and bring em back to life as well. He's got some good advice/info in these!

Newbies: An example of a lesson for a big class

L1 Abuse?

Useless "Voca" Tests

Good EFL Teachers

Warm Ups

Jigsaw Reading

Icebreakers

EFL Bloggers

Pairwork

PPP

Picture Stories

Warmers

Fluency vs. Accuracy when learning English?

[bobranger]

withnail this should be a sticky.. Good Job

[ddeubel]

Withnail,

thanks for the plug, I'm honored. Humbled to be included with Andrew Finch's name/rep. Andrew invited me a few times to speak in Daegu and we both fundamentally believe in what you stated -- to start from what the students already know. Further, to liberate the learner in the sense of giving them confidence (focusing on what they can do/achieve) and helping them to be able to help themselves. (I'd recommend his fine article - Teachers - who needs them?). I do so in the vein of technology and self-study, Andrew does so from the perspective of project and content based learning... I'd also recommend teachers new to Korea, to look at his videos of middle schools - they are on the EFL Classroom 2.0 Prof. Development page.

But more than anything -- Andrew Finch believes (and I too) that the teacher is mostly a motivator, catalyst, prompt, sparkplug -- not flywheel or grunt.

I do think that teachers in Korea really, really need basic teaching skills. By that I mean, learning how to do the small things. These micro skills are crucial. How to use one's voice, how to stand etc... I posted a few on my public blog today. I hope those interested will attend the workshop I'm holding in Gangnam on the 29th. I'll be focusing on only practical things and teachers helping each other.

Like yourself withnail, just trying to share what I've acquired. I try my best and continue to do so -- no hidden agenda or hang ups....

Icnelly -- you know how valued your work is!

Cheers,

DD
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

[mountainous]

good stuff, guys

[woodstock]

Thank you for the post. I've been reading Dave's blog this morning and putting to use his micro teaching skills comments. I'll be on to Andrew Finch tomorrow. It's this type of dialogue that makes this site worth coming to.

[maingman]

ddeubel

! but why are you creditting or listing/posting lists of Unis (in a post you did)for UNIVERSITIES in Korea-when one of those same respondents directly from (or ppl).. at the UNIS IN KOREA themselves,can't reply to an email from a nativee foreign teacher with any "appropriate" coherent sentence structure

[ddeubel]

maingman,

I really don't follow you.

I posted the list because a previous poster referred to it and didn't have a link. It is just a list. I don't take responsibility beyond that. If you have a better list and one that tells others about the English speaking proficiency of the school staff, please post it.

If you mean something else, please clarify..... Just getting info. out there and my own list of Korean websites is mighty handy and bookmarked and used by many....vital to new teachers, so they don't have to do all that legwork...

DD
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

[Hyeon Een]

[maingman]

ddeubel


http://www.hal.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~ssh/korea.html

thanks

[Fishead soup]

[ddeubel]

[maingman]

List of 50 Universities that give free online courses- lectures

video & audio


http://onlineuniversityrankings2010.com/2010/open-edu-top-50-university-open-courseware-collections/