Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Keepongoing]

I have taught university for many years and I have a teaching philosophy that is pretty consistent. While stating this, I am flexible depending on the situation. Basically, I adhere to a communicative, student centered approach with lots and tasks and some problem solving. I am not a big fan of the audio-lingual method or grammar translation. The main reason for this is because it was all but anathema in graduate school.

I like to achieve certain things in the class room. The first is to get the students comfortable with the class and each other. I feel they learn better in an environment that is safe and comfortable. In the first few days of class, I do a lot of bonding activities.

I have mixed level classes. Many students lived in English speaking countries, whereas others have true low levels of English. To partially remedy this situation, I form groups and place some advanced speakers in each group. I tell the advanced speakers to help and encourage the limited speakers. their helping them will give them a better participation score.

I have some good and bad semesters. This past semester, I saw the most improvement in students English proficiency. In that class, I did not use a book, but use my own materials.

because the class is relaxed and I feel dynamic, the students don't always feel they are improving that much. I know that they are, but they are use to the audio-lingual method that they get in High School. They think they need to memorize a bunch of idioms and vocabulary. While I know the vocab is important, I do not like to teach in in isolation, but rather within the context of whatever we are doing.

One student told me that the students love my classes, but it would be good for me to "intensify" them. This is my question: How do I intensify them? From what she said it meant incorporating some memory work.

What they advocate in graduate schools in the West is very different than what happens when Korean teachers teach.

We had one professor who was at the university for years and all he taught was idioms. They memorized and discussed idioms. To me , this sounds ridiculous. I want them to be able to have conversations of all types in real settings.

At my university, we have autonomy in the classroom. I can do what I deem is good for the class.

Your suggestions are very welcomed. I do not care what your degree is in, I care about your experience

Thank you

[Juregen]

You have to make them understand that speaking a language is not like solving a logical puzzle.

Ask them:"How did you learn to drive a bike?"

You did not learn about the technical aspects of driving a bike in order to drive the bike, you got on the bike and tried and tried again until it worked.

The same with communicative approach to learning a language, you learn by doing and by making mistakes and correcting on the way.

If they don't understand that, then very little else will.

[jlb]

I think vocab is huge in any learning any language. Without a decent vocabulary you're basically dead in the water and have no hope of progressing, despite knowing a lot of grammar.

Perhaps you could introduce some sort of vocab test? Like take the 1 or 2000 most common English words, divide them up and do tests each week or every other week. I think this would actually be a helpful memorization task, and the students would feel like there is something concrete going on in your class.

[SeoulMan6]

You can do a needs assessment and ask them things like when have they / will they use English, what are their strengths and weaknesses, what did they like / dislike about past English classes. This might give you a good idea of what they want. Google it and you can find some forms.

Re: seeing progress. You could do a short pre-course interview (during which they will be nervous and not good) and then do it again later and remind them of the first interview. They'll feel the difference.

Re: "intensifying". You could assign more homework, you could do some activities that require more new vocabulary, you could turn up the pace, you could start with readings that lead to conversation, you could do more activities that lead to "awareness" like conversation strategies.

[withnail]

Re: intensifying

1. How about incorporating the teaching of paragraph writing into your course - starting with the weekly submission of a paragraph journal for peer perusal and discussion in groups.

2 An extensive reading programme.

3. Written language feedback sheets to complete to follow group discussion.

4. A weekly vocab test.

[scorpiocandy]