Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jsk]

I'm teaching at an adult hagwon in Seoul. This term, I have two evening classes that are fairly small (averages about 10 students each), comprised of about 40% university students, 40% day workers and 20% housewives/retirees. I follow a school lesson plan that teaches pronunciation and grammar and leaves half the class time for conversation practice.

Unfortunately, about half of them (usually the office workers and housewives) have very little energy or motivation for studying English or even attempting to speak it. A couple have dropped out already. I normally would only teach to the motivated students but our hagwon has a policy that requires teachers to retain a certain percentage of students every term. Right now it's only 3 weeks into the term so I think I'm in trouble if more of them start dropping.

I've tried playing some ice breakers but every class starts with them looking tired or depressed. I don't want to abandon the lesson plan to alienate the other half that are there to study. I need some advice to keep my evening classes from falling apart. Any tips?

[Fishead soup]

Only do free talking when the students instigate it otherwise stick to the textbook. If one or two of them insist you set some time for free talking
actually prepare material for it like a "Dear Abby" article with questions.

Dear Abby artcles with lots of idioms are good.

[mj roach]

try "easy true stories"-
'a picture based begining reader'
by sandra heyer
(longman)
pair work using k/e dictionary
to begin with
allow writing sentences
later - speaking w/o writing
each pair 'tells' one picture in turn
open with 'wh' ?s
simple pres/pres-cont answers
to get them started

[SeoulMan6]

Go out for a class party. Seriously. It works. Let them speak Korean at the party and then they will be much better friends and will work together better in class.

Seriously, it works.

[Leslie Cheswyck]

Yes.

[iggyb]

The above are ideas I've tried and that worked.

Another I've used is one I posted about but don't have time to find:

When they will not come up with a topic or keep a topic going, I'd take out a 1,000 won bill and ask them who the person on it was. Of course you'll have to research this ahead of time, but it works, because a fair percentage of the class won't know. Most or even all in some classes will not know the guy's background.

As they stall out --- your write - one at time - a piece of information about him - like just his dates of birth and death. Then see what that generates. Milk it as much as you can by sticking mainly to questions.

That is one key to adult conversation classes anyway: avoid allowing the classes to make a situation where you do all the talking. Even in low level classes...

Each time the class stalls, write another piece of info on the board....act like you knew all this history well before even coming to Korea...

You can do the same with the 5,000 Won bill. Those are two of the most famous Korean philsophers in history and known beyond Korea in Confucian circles.

Next, buy a Korean history book - an academic one like New History of Korea by Lee Ki-Baek.

Read it --- dry but thorough book. Have it in your class as a standby when the lessons you have have gone bust or the students won't talk or come up with a topic.

In that case, whip it out and turn to a section you have read recently or found interesting and do the above process again: Write a name or date or location on the board and ask them why this was important in Korean history.

--- Sometimes it will generate a big discussion if they like the topic.

Sometimes it will generate a good discussion as they get enthusiastic about teaching you Korean.

Sometimes it helps with new classes, because they believe it shows you are really, really intersted in their country.

After a few times, it motivates them to come up with topics of their own, because they feel bad they don't remember enough history from their college and high school days ---- after memorizing it for hours and hours and hours and hours in high school ----- and think they are looking bad in front the foreigner.

It is a good motivator for them to control the class topic when you give them the chance....

If you can get a TV and Video or Internet projector into the class, I have other ideas for it that work well. PM me...

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Go down pub

[Fishead soup]