Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Blue Flower]

Who writes those awful stories that we have to teach our kids? I have never read such boring, pointless, repetitive drivel in my entire life. I understand why it is repetitive, but surely they could make it much more interesting to read. eg. "Look at the male lion, he is on the grass, the male lion is sleeping on the grass, he is sleeping, sleeping sleeping..." I am embarrassed to read this too them. any suggestions to make it slightly interesting?

[waterbaby]

Believe it or not, the kids love this kind of thing... my kindergarten kids especially love the repetetive drivel because they like to know the words of the story and join in when I'm reading. It makes them feel smart and it makes the class very interactive. The simpler the better and the smarter they feel.

I start by teaching them the vocab using flashcards of words and pictures and doing actions. It's amazing how much mileage you can get out of pretending to be a lion and mauling a child. I use as much action to demonstrate the word or meaning as possible and they seem to remember it. I can do the action and they call out the word or I call out the word and they do the action.

I also teach them chants - very repetetive, but they seem to love it and remember them which also keeps the parents very happy (big part of the job). For ex. "The lion was sleeping... sleeping sleeping sleeping... The lion was sleeping... sleeping on the grass." And throwing in a few actions. How old are your students? I find that this kind of things works well with the under 8's.

You can ask them lots of questions... where is the lion? what's he doing? is it a FEmale lion? Giving them stickers when they answer correctly send the class into a frenzy and everyone pipes up.

I drill the vocabulary using games, like a hammer game where there are 2 teams of kids, 2 inflatable hammers (or mix it up and use fly swatters or soft balls) and say the word and the first child to hit the correct word or picture card wins a point for their team. To me it's so dull and boring, but they get off on it. More stickers for winners of course.

I get about 8 classes out of one tiny story like that. Mind you, I'm talking about kids that can't read English yet.

In my smaller classes (less than 12) I line the kids up at the door a few minutes before they're due to leave and I make each child individually chant or identify pictures correctly before they can leave. If they mess up, they have to go to the back of the line. The kids are always keen to be first to the door and they try really hard to remember so that they can leave a minute before class is finished - it's like the ultimate treat. Better than a sticker!

I hope you're not going to respond and tell me that you're teaching university students... then I would be embarrassed

[Zyzyfer]

Heh, if she's teaching Uni students the "Lion is sleeping" chant, I'd feel really bad for all parties involved.

I second the action thing. You can always draw out speech with some crazy actions.

[eamo]

Change the words yourself. Take it up a notch. 'Upgrade', as the kids say.

"The carnivores feline was reposing on lichen foliage, reposing, reposing..."

Sorry to be smart-arsed but there is a reason why many lower-level ESL stories are so repetative. The kids have a chance to hear words a few times.

[Blue Flower]

[quote="eamo"]"The carnivores feline was reposing on lichen foliage, reposing, reposing..."[quote]

I love that!! Thanks for the suggestions. I wish I was teaching uni students, then I'm sure it would start to get interesting. I'm teaching a real range - 5 - 16. thanks for the stuff about stretching out the story - So far I've just read it to them, and they repeat after me. Woo hoo, fun for them.

[Anda]

Write your own stories. This way you avoid the boring stuff.



I�ve Changed Sir. Story by Andrew / Anda

Tom: Oh no, excuse me, you�re not Mr. Edwards are you Sir?
Mr. Edwards: Oh yes I am but you�re not that rotten boy who used to go
by the name of Tom Fryer that attended Sydney High
School are you?
Tom: Um you haven�t changed have you Sir?
Mr. Edwards: No but I�m not the one that needed to change! You�re the
one that needed to change and badly at that!
Tom: I�ve changed Sir! I�m older now Sir!
Mr. Edwards: I can see that, that�s obvious but are you still a misbehaved
useless young man?
Tom: No Sir I�ve changed I�m older now Sir!
Mr. Edwards: Yes, yes I can see that you�re older, you don�t have to keep
telling me that! What I want to know is are you still
misbehaved and useless?
Tom: Are teachers misbehaved and useless Sir?
Mr. Edwards: Are you trying to be rude?
Tom: No, of course not Sir!
Mr. Edwards: Ha well you shouldn�t be asking such a stupid question then.
teachers are the hardest working most useful members of
modern society.
Tom: Gee Sir I didn�t realize that teachers were that good!
Mr. Edwards: Anyway I asked you if had changed or not. You have done
nothing but avoid the question!
Tom: Well Sir I�m apparently extremely hard working and
practical top of the list so to speak Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You hard working, top of the list! I find that very hard to
believe!
Tom: Oh but Sir I must be! Why Sir you yourself said that I was
hard working along with being very useful!
Mr. Edwards: When did I ever say that you were hard working and useful? I
think you�re lying. I�ve never said that you were any of those
things!
Tom: But you did Sir, honestly you did. Why Sir it was only a short
time ago that you said that people like us were hard working
and useful!
Mr. Edwards: I did not! I said that teachers were hard working and useful. I
never said that you were!
Tom: There you go again Sir. You�re saying that I�m hard working
and useful!
Mr. Edwards: I said teachers not Tom Fryers!
Tom: There�s no difference Sir!
Mr. Edwards: There�s no difference! Speak sense!
Tom: I�m a school teacher now Sir I graduated from King�s
University as a trained qualified teacher Sir! We�re the same
Sir we�re both teachers Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You a teacher, that�s terrible, then it�s true that teaching has
gone to the dogs.
Tom: No Sir not the dogs but the Tom Fryers of this world!
Mr. Edwards: There�s no difference between dogs and Tom Fryers but!
Tom: I suppose so Sir, dogs are mankind�s best friends just like
teachers are Sir.
Mr. Edwards: You Tom Fryer you are one of the most dangerous dogs that I
have ever met. You�re like a Pit Bull Terrier.
Tom: Yes Sir I can see what you mean! Pit Bull Terriers are highly
trained fighters that always win fights with other teachers. I
agree Sir, you are right Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You highly trained?
Tom: Yes Sir I�ve got a master�s degree Sir, from King�s University.
King�s University has a proud history for teachers who have
fought for change in education Sir!
Mr. Edwards: I suppose you�re fighting for longer holidays and a shorter
working week!
Tom: No Sir, so far I�ve only been fighting for the early retirement
of senior teachers
Mr. Edwards: You�re trying to force me out of a job!
Tom: Not really Sir! I�m just trying to organize a paid holiday for
you Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You�re evil, you�re worse than a Pit Bull Terrier!
Tom: You mean better trained Sir?
Mr. Edwards: No, no, no just more dangerous.
Tom: You mean that I�m likely to win Sir?
Mr. Edwards: Yes damn it!
Tom: Gee Sir where will you go for your holiday?
Mr. Edwards: Afghanistan I�ll retrain and use guerrilla tactics to get you lot
out of the teaching system!
Tom: You must be an old Bull Terrier Sir!
Mr. Edwards: Yes I must be mustn�t I?
Tom: Yes Sir! Well I must go now Sir. The best of luck on your
training course in Afghanistan Sir!

[Tancred]

this post is hilarious...i know exactly what you mean...my books in kindergarten consist of such exciting exchanges as:

"Good morning, Frog."
"Good morning, Dog."
"Good morning, friends."

The End.

And then it's like...we're supposed to discuss this...YAWN...somebody call the fun police...

[jaderedux]

I used to teach in a hogwan and got so sick of the story books. I suggested Dr. Suess books. They are colorful, silly but also repetitive and they come for most kindy ages.

Green Eggs and Ham killed. Even some hopeless students like green eggs and ham because it was so damn silly. (I actually started to get sick of GEH after awhile because they loved it so much)

But they actually learned to read. Evidenced by the fact when we went to Fox in Socks they know most the words.

Hop on Pop and One Fish, Two fish, Red Fish Blue Fish rocked for the little ones. I mean 5 year olds! I have heard some detractors because of the "made up" words but they are learning phonics and how to read.

Plus they love reading them aloud. These books are one big chant fest and IT IS MY EXPERIENCE THEY LOVE CHANTS.

Anyway my 2.5 cents.

Jade