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genesis9
Joined: 02 Feb 2009
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:36 am Post subject: How well does your co-teacher speak English (SMOE) |
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| I'll be starting in few week and I'm just curious. I'm a bilingual Canadian-Korean and I just want to know if I should speak Korean or English to my co-teacher. |
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danseonsaeng
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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SMOE will advise you to speak English to your co-teacher, but depending on his/her level of fluency, you may need to switch to Korean on occasion.
Try to stick to English, though (just a courtesy). |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Pretend you know little Korean or else all the staff will just treat you like another Korean. |
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Korussian
Joined: 15 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Xuanzang wrote: |
| Pretend you know little Korean or else all the staff will just treat you like another Korean. |
I wouldn't pretend outright, but I wouldn't let on that I understand much Korean. You're an English teacher, so just keep it English the whole time, I say. |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah go to like 1/4 or 1/3 Korean language power. If they think you know it all then they'll leave you SOL. ALso, you dont want to be saddled with paperwork responsibilities by your coteacher, who might be looking for a convenient patsy. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't use Korean at school unless it's a last resort. It is not your job and it's not good for language acquisition. |
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agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop, exactly. Korean co-teachers who translate for NET are not needed as well. |
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nizpaz
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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If you are being employed as a SMOE native teacher then both SMOE and your school will actively discourage you using Korean especially infront of the kids. You're being hired as a Native speaker, otherwise you're taking the job of a qualified KT. Trust me, it wouldn't be PC for you to be using Korean. Although you may look Korean and be proud of your heritage, you're not, (in their eyes) and if you want it any other way, you shouldnt be taking a job on the SMOE program. Parents want a native teacher. You will find yourself fighting to be taken seriously as a native speaker otherwise. It sint about pretending, it's about your position/face in the school.
Now once you've settled in and formed some relationships, you could begin using Korean in private otherwise the odd greeting would be a ok.
And using Korean in the classroom would go against what you're here for in the kids eyes. Use your knowledge for overhearing the crap they spout about ya  and putting naughty kids in their place when they least expect it |
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agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| My co-teacher/sponsor speaks English fluently. |
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genesis9
Joined: 02 Feb 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:57 am Post subject: |
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| nizpaz wrote: |
If you are being employed as a SMOE native teacher then both SMOE and your school will actively discourage you using Korean especially infront of the kids. You're being hired as a Native speaker, otherwise you're taking the job of a qualified KT. Trust me, it wouldn't be PC for you to be using Korean. Although you may look Korean and be proud of your heritage, you're not, (in their eyes) and if you want it any other way, you shouldnt be taking a job on the SMOE program. Parents want a native teacher. You will find yourself fighting to be taken seriously as a native speaker otherwise. It sint about pretending, it's about your position/face in the school.
Now once you've settled in and formed some relationships, you could begin using Korean in private otherwise the odd greeting would be a ok.
And using Korean in the classroom would go against what you're here for in the kids eyes. Use your knowledge for overhearing the crap they spout about ya and putting naughty kids in their place when they least expect it |
I'll definitely take your advice in. Thanks for your help! |
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agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
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| Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
| Don't use Korean at school unless it's a last resort. It is not your job and it's not good for language acquisition. |
Just to follow up on this, Bibbitybop, here's my philosophy.
Why should there need to be two teachers in a class? Two teachers complicates the situation. Frankly, if a coteacher needs to translate for you because you can't demonstrate and show the meaning of a word in a Socratic way, then one should do some reading about proper language teaching. Giving them the answer, via yourself or a Korean co-teacher who translates (which then it ends up being a Korean English class), isn't the way to go. That's what co-teaching does in the worst case scenario.
In the best case scenario, your co-teacher is not there. In the second best case scenario, your co-teacher is there and speaking English and making sure students are continually speaking in English and that she/he herself isn't creating too much TTT (teacher talking time). Students' speaking time is the most important goal.
However, I don't see how, unless you've got perfect condition regarding your co-teachers' pronunciation skills and commitment to speaking solely in English (rather than taking the easy way out by telling them the answer rather than showing them what the language means without Korean words), a co-teacher in the room can help.
The native French teacher in the classroom at my high school in America would've been awesome. Add a non-native French teacher to the same classroom with the native himself/herself and you've got confusion on your hands. The attention is being split between two teachers. This is why I believe a Korean co-teacher in the classroom is relatively useless.
| tob55 wrote: |
| In terms of conversation and instruction, my co-teacher is the common link when they need to be, i.e. if there is something that must be communicated in Korean they do it. |
Bad methodology, I'm afraid. They'll forget it, since they've been told what it is in Korean and haven't learned directly what it means in English. Even if you tell them what it means in English rather than showing them or demonstrating a word's meaning by concept checking questioning, it's worthless. Remember, our classes are conversation based. |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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| My coteacher is there for discipline and to lend a hand. 32 kids can become a handful. She isnt my Korean translation matrix but she does help the lower level or mentally handicapped kids understand better. |
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