Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mr. positive]

I have an interview with a pretty well-known university next week. I taught TOEFL to university-age students at a hagwon in Boston before, but I've not taught university courses in Korea (I've only taught preschool and K-6 at hagwons here). The position is to teach students "at various levels", so I have several questions about what it means to teach English at a university here:

1) What do university-level English learners here generally need (or do the universities *think* their students need), starting from freshmen and then up?

2) Are all uni students required to take English? If so, how much?

3) How much English class does an average student take throughout their four-year program?

4) Are there different English classes for English majors or those majoring in English ed?


I just want to be able to speak reasonably intelligently about the actual needs of uni students here and how best to teach them. I have an MA in TESOL and have been teaching various ages for six years, and can pretty much guess at what their needs are and how to meet them in the classroom, but I'm hoping some folks who have been there could have a helpful word to share about exactly what uni students need and, perhaps more importantly, how the unis tend to think those needs are best met - although of course half the challenge is often trying to make the school happy AND provide your students with some education! Thanks.

[andrewchon]

Tell the interviewer:
they need to learn things so that they can have scintillating conversations with students/academics of the world. They be knowledgeable world events and latest ideas. They will be representatives of Korea to the world.

But know this: uni students want sleeping time, A+ with no work, cheat at exams/projects openly, snub/ridicule foreigners to their childish delight for you are the first contact with frustrating and demonic thing called Englishee.

[Demophobe]

[OiGirl]

They need to pass high-stakes tests like TOEIC and TOEFL. They need to do well on job interviews. They need to get a good grade to help and not hurt their GPA.

[andrewchon]

demophobe

I think I was much too cynical and didn't help the OP much.

[mr. positive]

I understand that students need to do well on standardized tests and job interviews, but how does this generally translate into the freshman (sophomore, junior, senior) classroom in your experience? Any uni teachers out there that could give a direction to go in?

[OiGirl]

They need to be able to give acceptable written and oral responses to the types of questions that might be asked there. They need some background information and practice in responding to mildly controversial topics (women's rights, the environment, corporal punishment, etc.)