Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iggyb]

I teach Korean teachers.

A frequently heard suggestion/complaint: Give us "useful vocabulary" we can memorize.

I've explained, using references to the methodology books we use in the course, that memorization of vocabulary isn't an efficient use of time - especially time spent with a NSET.

But, I gave them the option of doing supplemental work using my class blog and the most common idioms (especially in American English).

The only idioms book I've ever recommended is Essential Idioms in English. I've used it much over the years. So, I give these teacher-students a lesson a week and post answers on the blog. If they want, they can write practice sentences in the comments, and I correct their mistakes (something else they ask for much in class but which I hesitate doing since it goes against what I'm supposed to be teaching them in the methodology books) and give other example sentences as needed.

To date, out of 4 lessons, I've had --- 1 ---- 1 student do the extra work and that for only 1 lesson.

Yesterday, we had a mandatory mid-term. I gave them a reflection writing assignment focusing on fluency.

I gave them the full class period to write it and had them email it to me at the end of it.

I got 11 out of 23...

Some recommend teaching adults in Korea because they are more motivated than public school youths. I can accept that in general, but it is not uncommon to find that adults are unmotivated and refuse to do work they don't think is necessary for their advancement - and it is highly common to find Korean adults who think the secret to advancing their English level is ---- listening to a native speaker speak......

They all say they want more opportunity to speak. It used to be called "Free Talking" -- now it is "Authentic Communication" -- but what you get is typical for any language classroom: a small number of students who dominate the conversation and most of the class practicing "free silence"....

Basically, in my experience teaching adults in Korea, once the adult learns that language learning is brain-draining, regardless of whether or not your teaching is a native-speaker, they become just as resistant to work in class as younger students...

[edwardcatflap]

What course are you teaching them? Is it as well as, or instead of their normal working schedule? I do some Korean teacher training: methodology, class room language and language skills and all the groups have been great. Lively and well motivated

[Hawkeye Pierce]

Welcome to the world of teaching adults!

Adults can be much more of a challenge, because they are adults and don�t want to be treated like children. They know what they want and expect the teacher to meet their wants, even if that means ignoring their needs. It is much easier to practice areas of needed improvement with younger learners, because the teacher is more of an authority figure. Adults resist doing exercises which may be needed for improvement because they don�t want to do them.

Korea has it s own challenges since even in class, adults are more reluctant than younger students to risk making a mistake in class and losing face in from of their peers. My solution was to give them more dialogues to practice first chorally, then in pairs, and then let them as pairs create their own dialogue on the same topic and work in the vocabulary. But it is best to keep the open class �free talking� to a minimum or else the better students dominate more than I saw in Europe because the lesser students don�t want to risk losing face.

While I agree that learning a language requires effort on behalf of the student, I don�t agree that it need be �brain-draining�. (At least not what is done in class!) Yes, students will learn more from the class if they put more effort into before class. Yes, memorizing vocabulary in class is not an efficient usage of class time. (This is one of my main criticisms of the CELTA school�s use of class time to spoon feed students vocabulary. There is no reason that more advanced students can�t use a dictionary!) However, if the students find the material to be interesting, then using language isn�t �brain-draining�. So, from what I am reading into your posting, (perhaps incorrectly), I would suggest focusing less on maintaining methodological orthodoxy and more on finding interesting materials. I freely admit that it isn�t always easy, since what is interesting to one group may not be interesting to another.

However, learning isn�t all fun and games. A very wise man explained to me that teaching well requires a very personal relationship relationship with the students. A certain part of teaching requires explaining to the student, �If you want to improve [your English], you need to improve ________. I know it isn�t fun, but I want to help you do it.� They need to know that you are in it together, and a good teacher takes as much as much of the �brain-draining� tedium out of learning as possible. (That is not to imply that things like learning irregular verbs are fun�) Always remember when teaching adults that they have lives outside of your classroom, and they usually have less time for homework than younger learners.

[winterfall]

I teach English teachers too, they're really hard. It's the egos. So I usually go out of my way to squash the superiority complex before I try teaching them. If you don't they either challenge your authority in class and or refuse to do the work because it's 'Below' them, they 'Know' this.

Give them words from the GSL list, it covers the 1st 1000 and 2nd 1000. And look up words from the Academic Service List. Even with English teachers, especially if they're older. There's a good chance they don't know all of those words. They're more likely to know the rare, high level vocab that can only be used in very, very specific conditions.

And the GSL and academic word lists are relevant to them. Regardless of what they do they're run into those words eventually. And your talking about 95-98% coverage depending on what they're reading. The rest they can just figure out from the context.

If they insist to give you attitude, the "We know these words" mentality. Administer the Korean Billingual Vocab Size Test. You can download it from Paul Nation's homepage. It tests how many words they know all the way to the 14th 1000 (the 14th 1000 is roughly what you would call fluent). They're stop with their superiority complex once they see the test scores. Usually they're not as high as you and them would expect. And I think there's also a test for the Academic word lists.

I don't quite agree using class time to memorize vocabulary is a waste. If anything your making sure they're actually doing it. If they're not doing their homework, I mean this is the only stop gap measure you've got. Just make sure your following the memory curve. You need at least 10 encounters with a word before you know it. And if the time gaps between word encounters is sufficiently low enough. Like learn a word day 1, and review day 2. They're more likely to remember it.

[iggyb]

Thanks all. Truly...

[Satchel Paige]