Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hapigokelli]

I teach 1st grade at a private high school in Seoul.

I had a student come to my desk and talk to me between classes. She's 18 and just moved back to Korea with her family. She has been living in Seattle for the past 6 years. She can't speak, read or write Korean very well so they have put her in 1st grade and are having her take some courses at the MIDDLE school next door. The poor girl isn't stupid, she just cant speak Korean! (I don't know how this is possible, since she lived here until she was 11 or 12.)

She was supposed to be a senior in high school in the states and now she has 2 1/2 years to go. All in all she will have 6 years of high school and won't graduate until she is 20.

Is there any way to help her? I feel that she would be best suited for an international school. (Not that my opinion matters.)

[kabrams]

[hapigokelli]

I think mom and pops wouldn't like that very much. She told me that they want her to go to college in Korea (of course.) So, the GED is out. I told her to try and get her family to let her move in with friends or family in America, finish school, and attend college there. She responded that she's the only child and her parents would never allow it.

[I'm no Picasso]

She probably already knows this option, but Korean language hagwon, if she can afford it. If she gets caught up on her Korean (and since she's not starting from scratch, it shouldn't be that hard), then surely there would be some leniency with the other stuff. A few nights a week of hardcore Korean style hagwon studying might get her back on track shockingly quickly.

I've heard from my students who have spend a reasonable amount of time abroad that they also struggle a lot in Korean history. For obvious reasons.

[eIn07912]

Get her folks to send her back to America. She's been gone so long, the locals probably don't even consider her a "Korean" anymore anyways.

She's likely to be further outcast from society and life in general is going to be hard on her here.

She should finish high school and university in the states. If she wants to come back after that and learn her culture and language then, that would be much more acceptable.

[seoulsucker]

Why on Earth would they want to send her to college in Korea when she had the opportunity that millions of Koreans dream of?

[hapigokelli]

I just talked to her again. It's depressing.

She has no friends. The students and teachers think that she's "weird." She's on the golf team so no one understands why she comes to class anyway. (If you haven't heard, sports players in high school don't have to come to class; they concentrate on their sport.)

Now, I understand that this is partly teenage complaining, ie: everyone thinks i'm weird... but jeez. She seems desperate just to speak to anyone in English.

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Her parents didn't think this out very well...who knows.

I had a MS guy who'd been in NZ 3 years and was not fluent (for his age group), but pretty darn close. He's having to catch up and will graduate later than others. He wouldn't participate in class and wasn't a happy camper. He introduced himself to me, but was a bit pissed-off teenager after that. His English didn't need improving , I left him be with his maths stuff.

The girl, well , I guess you could call her a false Korean beginner then! She'll just have to get back into it. Help her keep a foothold in English. Other than that, dunno. I'd imagine she's in reverse culture-shock.

[eIn07912]

I teach 4th grade. I have 3 girls that just came back from a couple of years in the states.

It's really sad. Two of them are total outcasts. One is really heavy set. Poor girl, she's mocked, then ignored, and treated like a second class citizen around here. She's friends with the other one that's been shunned from the society, and if it weren't for those two having each other to lean on, I'd say something to their parents about getting them out of here.

It's really sad. Most of the time they speak English to each other. When they do speak Korean, it's more along the lines of trying to figure out how to say a sentence in Korean and helping each other with Korean grammar and vocabulary. My heart aches for those two.

The third one has been completely welcomed back into the fold. She looks "Korean" and almost never uses her English. She even purposely messes up English words and grammar that she knows good and well how to use correctly. I can't really blame her though. She's happy. The other two simple aren't.

I find I question what kind of English teacher I would be if I were to encourage the other two to make the strides the third one has. Encourage them to make mistakes with their English and treat English class like a joke like the other kids do. It's the exact opposite of what I want the majority of my students to do, but, even though I would be "hurting" their English skills, it would do more to make their school life more tolerable and perhaps even enjoyable.

[jvalmer]

My guess is her parents a richer than your average parents. High school is pretty late. This is a prime example why I'm against parents taking their kids off to some country for only a few years fully expecting to come back. Don't they realize it will severely impact their Korean skills? And most of the time their english won't be as fluent as they hope it to be. Their English may be strong, but as fluent as a native?

I once taught a girl (for 6 months) in 1st grade middle school who spent grades 1-6 in the states. She didn't know any Korean, but she knew some Japanese, since her mother was Japanese. The school got the Korean language teacher to tutor her every thursday, friday and saturday at the school for an hour. The year after, I was placed in another middle school, but I did see her that summer. A different teacher was tutoring her and she seemed pretty happy and hangs around a core of 4 or 5 friends, but her Korean is still obviously less fluent than the others.. But, her math and science grades were the lowest out of all her subjects. But I guess coming back when your 12, instead of 18 will probably turn out much better.

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Quite frankly, it's not NTs place to approach the parents.

[jvalmer]

[kabrams]

[War Eagle]

I was moved around a lot as a child as my dad was in the military. I know how hard it can be, even though her case is very unique.

I would be happy to explain to you how you can get a copy of Rosetta Stone for free with extensive Korean lessons (months worth). This may help her get a head start if she is willing to put forth the effort on her own. If you are not computer savy and live in Seoul we could arrange a way to get you a copy. PM me if you think it will help.

In the meantime, sounds like you could be a good friend for her. Have you given her your # in case she needs to talk? Just going to a movie or something with her on the weekend might cheer her up a lot.

[Konglishman]