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pandapanda
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
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 Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:06 am Post subject: |
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| With the push towards mandatory desk warming/camps during the breaks surely that could be used more effectively. I for one would welcome the chance to get out of a week or two of desk warming to go to a EPIK/Provincial Professional Development programme. It would be a much better use of our time than watching movies for a week. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:52 am Post subject: |
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I can use chopsticks
cross can't use chopsticks
I guess I got more out of my orientation |
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Pikkle
Joined: 17 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| pandapanda wrote: |
| With the push towards mandatory desk warming/camps during the breaks surely that could be used more effectively. I for one would welcome the chance to get out of a week or two of desk warming to go to a EPIK/Provincial Professional Development programme. It would be a much better use of our time than watching movies for a week. |
I like this idea. I'd totally be in for it. |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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That's an excellent idea, pandapanda. After all, during breaks Korean teachers (at least in Jeollanam-do) have the opportunity to attend week-long intensive English sessions where they not only practice their English speaking and writing, but pick up tips from teacher-trainers. Why not offer something like that? In my three years as a public school teacher in Jeollanam-do, we had one training session, a three-hour block after lunch one day. It was a nice opportunity, but one I wish we had more often.
The thread has gone in all kinds of directions, with lots of good ideas, but I'd like to revisit one other point in the article:
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| One wonders whether a new mandatory training session on "Korea's culture and practices" would be for the benefit of NSETs or Koreans. Koreans spend a lot of time worrying about their image in the eyes of foreigners, and it's no coincidence that unsavory elements of Korean culture are suppressed around foreign teachers in favor of sources of pride such as food or weather. Koreans resent that some teachers come to Korea to travel and have fun, though this motive is perpetuated not only by recruiting companies that advertise Korea thusly, but by presentations that treat teachers not like professionals but as tourists. |
I understand that Koreans are very proud of parts of their culture, but by overdoing it on these points they're treating us more like tourists than as teachers. I get that many teachers are only here for a year or two, but Koreans' own attitudes aren't helping. There are plenty of opportunities for travel and cultural education, and it shouldn't be mixed in with teacher-training. |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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And I'll add---I think I said this on the other thread---that there ought to be opportunities for us to learn the language. For free.
Korean teachers have weekly, sometimes twice weekly, English workshops with us. Of course they rarely attend, but they're budgeted for and mandated. Why not offer us the same opportunities with quality teachers? In Gwangju the EPIK teachers can attend clases at Chonnam National University for free. In Suncheon, where I used to work, there were free classes offered by the Office of Education, although these were awful and demonstrated just how much damage bad teachers can do. (Sad thing was the teachers were local English teachers, which showed me why students aren't learning much).
Maybe in Seoul there are loads of Korean language academies and classes, but down here there aren't any. I think there's one Korean-language hagwon for foreigners in Gwangju, a city of 1.5 million.
People on the other thread quetioned where they'd find time or teachers for this, especially in rural areas. Well, I know when I was in public schools I had at least one afternoon off a week (volleyball), and on other days they scheduled busywork and afterschool sessions. Why not use one of these afternoons to gather native speaker English teachers in the area at one school (say 10 or 12 in a class) and get one of the Korean English teachers to spend an hour a week teaching the basics? Like I said, Korean English teachers have this opportunity, why not us? |
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WavFunc
Joined: 23 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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Smee, I have been studying Korean for more than two years and one of those years was with a tutor.
If I've learned anything in this time is that the issue of foreigners learning Korean is closely tied in with many Koreans being overly forward about sharing certain aspects of their culture with us while denying us other parts. I feel as if learning the Korean language is actually discouraged.
My school is aware that I'm learning Korean and they're also aware of how much I understand. I get the feeling that it isn't something they like or want. I also get the feeling that Koreans as a whole would rather foreigners be discouraged from learning the language or speaking it well.
They want foreigners to speak English. They want to meet us half way, not the other way around. Thats why we're here. We're motivation for them to learn English. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| WavFunc wrote: |
Smee, I have been studying Korean for more than two years and one of those years was with a tutor.
If I've learned anything in this time is that the issue of foreigners learning Korean is closely tied in with many Koreans being overly forward about sharing certain aspects of their culture with us while denying us other parts. I feel as if learning the Korean language is actually discouraged.
My school is aware that I'm learning Korean and they're also aware of how much I understand. I get the feeling that it isn't something they like or want. I also get the feeling that Koreans as a whole would rather foreigners be discouraged from learning the language or speaking it well.
They want foreigners to speak English. They want to meet us half way, not the other way around. Thats why we're here. We're motivation for them to learn English. |
In my high school foreigners who speak and understand Korean really well never last long. There's something in what you say. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Smee wrote: |
And I'll add---I think I said this on the other thread---that there ought to be opportunities for us to learn the language. For free.
Korean teachers have weekly, sometimes twice weekly, English workshops with us. Of course they rarely attend, but they're budgeted for and mandated. Why not offer us the same opportunities with quality teachers? In Gwangju the EPIK teachers can attend clases at Chonnam National University for free. In Suncheon, where I used to work, there were free classes offered by the Office of Education, although these were awful and demonstrated just how much damage bad teachers can do. (Sad thing was the teachers were local English teachers, which showed me why students aren't learning much).
Maybe in Seoul there are loads of Korean language academies and classes, but down here there aren't any. I think there's one Korean-language hagwon for foreigners in Gwangju, a city of 1.5 million.
People on the other thread quetioned where they'd find time or teachers for this, especially in rural areas. Well, I know when I was in public schools I had at least one afternoon off a week (volleyball), and on other days they scheduled busywork and afterschool sessions. Why not use one of these afternoons to gather native speaker English teachers in the area at one school (say 10 or 12 in a class) and get one of the Korean English teachers to spend an hour a week teaching the basics? Like I said, Korean English teachers have this opportunity, why not us? |
In my rural -eup of 40,000 we have that opportunity. In our case the Korean teachers offered and we accepted. There is also a class held by the county office for Korean classes for rural brides, but other foreigners are welcome. The county office class is free, the other class is 10,000 won/month for 2-3 lessons a month.
It might have to do with the squeaky wheel getting the grease. If we want a class we should go out and find someone willing to teach it, not just sitting on our butts going "Gee, I wish someone would offer a Korean class for foreigners." If you cough up the money and ask around I'm sure you can find someone to teach you. |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| Smee wrote: |
And I'll add---I think I said this on the other thread---that there ought to be opportunities for us to learn the language. For free.
Korean teachers have weekly, sometimes twice weekly, English workshops with us. Of course they rarely attend, but they're budgeted for and mandated. Why not offer us the same opportunities with quality teachers? In Gwangju the EPIK teachers can attend clases at Chonnam National University for free. In Suncheon, where I used to work, there were free classes offered by the Office of Education, although these were awful and demonstrated just how much damage bad teachers can do. (Sad thing was the teachers were local English teachers, which showed me why students aren't learning much).
Maybe in Seoul there are loads of Korean language academies and classes, but down here there aren't any. I think there's one Korean-language hagwon for foreigners in Gwangju, a city of 1.5 million.
People on the other thread quetioned where they'd find time or teachers for this, especially in rural areas. Well, I know when I was in public schools I had at least one afternoon off a week (volleyball), and on other days they scheduled busywork and afterschool sessions. Why not use one of these afternoons to gather native speaker English teachers in the area at one school (say 10 or 12 in a class) and get one of the Korean English teachers to spend an hour a week teaching the basics? Like I said, Korean English teachers have this opportunity, why not us? |
In my rural -eup of 40,000 we have that opportunity. In our case the Korean teachers offered and we accepted. There is also a class held by the county office for Korean classes for rural brides, but other foreigners are welcome. The county office class is free, the other class is 10,000 won/month for 2-3 lessons a month.
It might have to do with the squeaky wheel getting the grease. If we want a class we should go out and find someone willing to teach it, not just sitting on our butts going "Gee, I wish someone would offer a Korean class for foreigners." If you cough up the money and ask around I'm sure you can find someone to teach you. |
Yes, it is available in some places. There are classes for rural foreign brides, though of course their Korean is much better than your average English teacher's. And, you can do what some teachers have done and simply hire a private Korean teacher for a couple hours a week.
My point is it shouldn't be up to awful classes through the county, or up to teachers trying to track down a Korean teacher, a system should be in place. |
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Old Gil
Joined: 26 Sep 2009
Location: Got out! olleh!
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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Smee I'm not trying to be snarky here but I'm sure you've seen exactly how systems work here--nobody knows what's going on and if they do you're not going to find out about it until the last possible second. That would mean cancelled classes, no communication and probably three months of learning Army-style ㅂ니다/십니다 with no input from students.
I just don't think anything ran thru a DOE in this country would be worth a crap but it would probably be better than nothing. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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| WavFunc wrote: |
Smee, I have been studying Korean for more than two years and one of those years was with a tutor.
If I've learned anything in this time is that the issue of foreigners learning Korean is closely tied in with many Koreans being overly forward about sharing certain aspects of their culture with us while denying us other parts. I feel as if learning the Korean language is actually discouraged.
My school is aware that I'm learning Korean and they're also aware of how much I understand. I get the feeling that it isn't something they like or want. I also get the feeling that Koreans as a whole would rather foreigners be discouraged from learning the language or speaking it well.
They want foreigners to speak English. They want to meet us half way, not the other way around. Thats why we're here. We're motivation for them to learn English. |
Why would they want us to learn Korean at their expense? We are seen as temporary replacements. The long term goal is to replace ALL of us eventually with Korean teachers who can speak the language. The thinking seems to be why go to all that trouble and expense when we will eventually be turfed out anyway?
We are seen as being here for only a short time, so why would they bother spending all this time and money when most go back home after 1-2 years? Not saying it's a bad idea, just saying it appears how they seem to be thinking. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, gotta sorta agree with Old Gil here (wow)...we're talking clunky bureaucracy and group think. Not a good place for high expectations or idealism.
Cover the basics, let everyone eat together and make friends. Keep it simple and fun. That's half the battle right there. Such an event would do far more to making our stays here good ones than 96 hours of Death by Powerpoint. |
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