Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tomato]

I teach in the public schools.
I have to share all the classrooms with the regular classroom teachers, who insist on translating everything I say.
I've been on the job for about a month, and that's about as long as I can stand it.

Some of those teachers won't listen to me, though, because they think I'm an imbecile.
So I need some good solid research documentation to back myself up.
Can anybody help me?

[harlowethrombey]

Are you in a rural area?

Who do you work for? Could they put in a word that they want you to teach only in English for these classes? What about suggesting 1 week of 'the activity for this week is we will do this activity only in English! It's a listening activity!'

Sorry, no idea on documentation, but if you try googling 'Immersion Language Classes/Curriculum' or something like that you might have some luck.

[The Gipkik]

[rationality]

[bassexpander]

[lifeinkorea]

Ask them to teach what "a quarter after" and "half past" is in Korean without using English. Basically, if they can't teach you another language without using English (they used English to request this project right? your native language?) then it's a bit hypocritical to expect you can do it with English, like it's some magical language without barriers.

Reminds me of the times when schools tell me they want me to teach groups of loud noisy children, instead of small groups for less time so they can actually hear each other and the sounds of the language they are learning.

Why don't they tell me this when I am in a crowd of people and have a harder time of hearing them? There is a reason why they are singling me out and talking to me in private, cause that's the way communication is. You don't take everyone in your class or everyone at your office to a store when you buy shoes or go grocery shopping. You meet a few people along the way and have small group conversations.

So, this whole group teach aspect is an experiment, not just the "English only" rule. Not only do you have to use the native language to expedite learning potential, but you need a base environment where students can focus on what they are learning. Otherwise, it doesn't matter what degrees you have, what experience you have, the students will not learn.

[Gillian57]

I found some really nice research on this by searching for French as a second language in Canada. Might want to try that. It basically supports immersion classes in the 2nd language while the 1st language is spoken outside of classes, in homes etc.

[some waygug-in]

With all due respect, French is a lot closer to English than Korean.

Don't go quoting what works for French immersion in Canuckistan, it's a totally different kettle of fish here.

I expect immersion works quite well for all related languages, ask Korean how much easier it is for them to learn Japanese than English.

Furthermore,
I can see where some translation is useful in the class, Korean teachers tend to over-indulge. 80% Korean -20% English is not a good ratio to foster the learning of English. My guess is that the ratio could easily be reversed and have positive results, unfortunately I have no research materials to back this up. This is only my opinion based on years spent here and from time spent learning other languages.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[lifeinkorea]

What's the big deal then in translating what the teacher says? I must be missing something.

[Goku]

I think the best proof that using only English in the classroom only provides more frustration is comparing it to our time in Korea.

Think about yourself, every minute you are in your teachers room listening to Korean only, are you learning any of it? No. Until a co-teacher stops by your desk and tells you what they are talking about, you have no idea what it means.

I spent 15 years of my life listening to my parents speak another language. They mostly spoke English to me but they were from old country so I had no idea what they were talking about except for the few words that I already knew. They never explicitly explained some of the things in English so I never learned most of it. The only words I knew were like "Time to eat, go to the bathroom and wash your hands". If they had an arguement I was none the wiser. Just exposure to a language with no grasp of it's meaning is utterly futile.

[dean_burrito]

[rationality]

[dean_burrito]

double post

[moosehead]