Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mick]

Taught Lesson 3, Period 2 at public elementary school this morning. Anyone else notice that Peter's voice sounds like a chipmunk?

[drunkenfud]

Yes, I also noticed that the black kid provoked a lot of hilarity and shouts of "Obama baby! Obama baby!"

[some waygug-in]

Why they have the black kid's overdubbed with a girls voice is beyond me.

There are so many slurrs and steriotypes against people of color in that series it is little wonder that Koreans grow up with the attitudes they have.

[KuroBara]

[crsandus]

Peter? I thought it was Paul's voice that was funny from the "I like Spring" lesson. The blonde kid that loves spring because it's nice and warm.

[loggerhead007]

And look at the head on that Julie girl!

[mick]

4th grade Lesson 5 - 'Who Is She?'. The middle aged guy wearing glasses looks like a paedophile.

[pandapanda]

Just to deviate from pointing out how stupid the book is...

What's the expectation of the lesson? Students just to be able to say...

Do you like spring? -> Yes, I do. I like spring.
How's it going? -> Not bad.

Or are they expected to be able to say...

I like spring. It's nice and warm.
I like spring. We have Children's Day.
I like spring. Beautiful flowers are everywhere.
I don't like summer. The weather is hot.
I like fall. It's cool.
I like fall. I can see red and yellow leaves.
I like fall. We have Chuseok in fall.
I don't like winter. The weather is cold.
I like winter. We have Christmas.
I like winter. I can make a snowman.
I like winter. We have a long winter vacation.

(all mentioned in the teachers guide)

[schwa]

From the guide:
Teacher: Hi everybody! How's the weather?
Students: It's shiny.

Fact is, most Korean elementary teachers are cognizant the text is error-ridden. They welcome our corrections. Part of why we're here.

Most of the elementary school kids are just starting to venture into speaking english. A few have amazing abilities from hagwon immersion but the vast majority do not. Weather, seasons, etc are a comfortable way to ease them in. On that or any topic, patience & review are key. Give the average kids easy stuff they can get a handle on, over & over, & deliver it with humor & kindness. They will eventually give genuine personal responses, however inept, & they will try.

My 6th-graders are a challenge but with the right coaxing they're coming round to enjoying english.

[I leave the audio-visual junk to my co-teacher to deal with. Maybe you can negotiate a similar deal? No reason I can see that a NET should be emulating a tool that was designed for the absence of a native speaker.]

[Misera]

[D.D.]

People actually use this crap? First lesson plan is close your stupid books.

[Big Mac]

I wish they could just throw those stupid books out the window.

I have totally re-designed the English program at my school so that I don't have to teach from that stupid book anymore. I've split the classes between high level and low level. I teach high level for half the class and low level for the other half and I switch with the Korean teacher. Luckily my classroom has a little room off to the side that I have been able to make into a mini classroom.

The Korean teacher has to teach a cut-down version (two lessons instead of four) of the public school books to the low level kids, only because they are worried that if they don't teach that material the kids will fail their standardized tests.

I teach reading, writing and speaking in my high level class. The Korean teacher teaches them grammar and phonics in her half. Once a month she does a quick review of the public school material, just so they can pass their tests. The high level kids find that material too easy anyway.

Since 80 per cent of the low level students in my school (the majority)don't know the alphabet I am starting with that and then will work up to phonics and eventually reading with them.

I was blown away that this public school curriculum doesn't even teach them the alphabet, but somehow they expect the kids to miraculously be able to write in Grade 6.

The public school curriculum is crap. Luckily I've been able to convince my school that it is crap and they have allowed me to come up with a better system, while still maintaining a bit of the public school curriculum. Already I have seen huge improvements, especially with the low level students who were frustrated with English before, but now are actually trying.

[MattAwesome]

The curriculum is set to the lowest common denominator. Yes, most of the lessons are easy and anyone that taught at a hagwon would say "i taught kids this age that were writing essays." However, you dont need to follow the book 100% nor, do you need think you are hot shit because you teach elementary kids in Korea. Have fun with your job and the kids will enjoy your lesson no matter what the material is.

On a side note: My kids hate the fat kid (forgot his name). Tommy?

[chris_J2]

The fat kid is Tony. In the front of each textbook, there's a group image of all the characters, with their names.

[chickenpie]