Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Whistleblower]

I have been teaching middle school students for the past few weeks and the first time teaching young learners for about a year and a half but the one thing that I have noticed is that students keep their jackets on during the class.

Now I know Koreans prefer to wear their jackets in doors but I have found it rather annoying when these Korean middle school students wear their jackets during the class.

I have been trying to teach students that if they wear jackets in doors it is rather rude towards Europeans and North Americans as it shows a lack of any interest in the class. So far the students have been taking their jackets off from time to time but only after I ask them.

So far, I have been able to deter students from speaking Korean during the class but there is one particular class that is completely silent if I ask them a question.

I would like to know if anyone has any ideas to get students to react if they are spoken to in Korean. So far, I have tried the reversed pyschology tactic, bad habit part on the whiteboard, etc but so far this highly embarrased group of students have not really been that reactive so if anyone has anymore ideas about this would be great.

Unfortunately, some of the students still are learning the old way of learning English (translation from Korean to English) and unfortunately this creates a bit of silence during a conversation but I have been able to weed out the poor Konglish/English expressions by using part of the whiteboard and writing down "Bad English" expressions such as; "so-so", "fine", "Teacher, do 'A'?", etc.

So anymore ideas to get students chatting.

[cruisemonkey]

Crank up the heat.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Follow your nose.

[BigBuds]

I've got a similar problem with them not taking their jackets off but they then complain about the heat and ask me to turn the heating system off.

I just sit their and look at them for a couple of seconds, and then tell them to take their jackets off, and then if it's still too hot I'll turn it off. Of coarse, they complain about that and then only half of them take their jackets off.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Jackets make noise. Other than that, I couldn't give a rat's arse. Some kid had the window opened this week and I promptly went over and closed it saying "It's winter and the heater's on."

[Rusty Shackleford]

I could never understand the jacket thing as a kid. How is it rude or disrespectful? I don't mind, but if they complain about being too hot I make savage unmerciful example.

[sarbonn]

[Tjames426]

The jackets don't bother me. Some of the boys keep their hats on, that bothers me more. However....

My school cranks up the heat. I have a group of young germ spewing students crammed into a room the size of a shoe box. It is not the heat that concerns me in the classroom. It is the "air quality".

I often have the window open at one end of the classroom with the door open at the other. These little germ carriers already have given me something worse than a cold once this winter; I need some fresh air.

[I'm no Picasso]

I don't think they should have any trouble understanding the jacket thing. I know Koreans tend to keep their coats on far more often than Westerners, but it can't be an entirely foreign concept, because my Korean co-teachers demand that coats come off during class. One even starts a stack at the back of the classroom.

There's too much nonsense that goes on with the coats, otherwise I don't mind. But with an all boys middle school with coats that almost all look alike (shiny, puffy, etc.) there's too much "Teacher my coat! He steal!" or slapping each other in the face with the sleeves, using them to hog-tie a smaller student, etc. They're just one more distraction.

That having been said, when my school is having a less-than-generous day with my centrally controlled heater, I'm not making the students remove their coats.

Re: Getting them to talk. This is a gamble, but if you've got faith in your ability to keep the reins on your classes, it's best (I've found) to do something that's student oriented most of the time. Some open ended assignment where they have to write personal answers in English. This gets them motivated to actually figure out a way to say something in English (who doesn't love talking about themselves in middle school?).

Honestly, this is one of the best things I've found for my middle school kids: http://www.grammarmancomic.com/templates.html

You can also have them make their own comics after. I usually bring in a few English language comic books to show them first, which gets them buzzing. I would NOT try this with an over-excitable class, but it has worked absolute wonders for my clammed-shut classes. And usually after you get a class going for the first time, they're not ever as quiet as they were in the beginning again.

Anyway, good luck. Sorry for rambling, etc.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

This is one thing I've long stopped noticing or caring about.

[little mixed girl]

if you haven't been in a school in the states, you may be surprised that a lot of kids keep their coats on during class.
we certainly did it when i was in high school.

if you are talking about a formal dinner, a job interview, going to someone's house or something, then i can understand wanting them to take their coats off, but i don't think it matters much at school.

[Big Mac]

This is also a pet peeve of mine. When I worked in a hogwan I just couldn't understand it. Now that I'm working in a public school I understand. The classrooms are freezing and they need the coats to keep warm. Even I have to teach with my coat on sometimes if I want to keep warm.

I also think that it is rude to be in a classroom with your coat on. It makes it seem like the students don't want to settle in and would rather leave.

When I was a kid, the first thing we did when we entered the classroom was take off our coats and put them in the cloakroom. We were never allowed to wear our coats during class. But of course our classrooms were always warm.

[Kwangjuchicken]

[Drew345]

Usually when I get into the subway if it is hot, I take off my coat and fold it over my arm, or maybe even put it up on the overhead rack. Everyone else keeps their jackets on and zipped up, even if the temperature is obviously very hot. It seems to be some kind of difference in things considered polite or maybe fashionable. I would certainly never be blatantly impolite, but my metro fashion sense is definitely lacking.

[pogoro]

I think also they don't want to remove their jackets because they don't have nice clothes on underneath.
As for talking, I have found that treating them like adults works, to some extent. I am honest with them and tell them that I find their behavior rude; furthermore, they have paid good money to take the class, I get paid to teach them...etc.