Korean Job Discussion Forums

[asylum seeker]

This whole thing they do of asking students whether the NET teacher's class is fun or not is so self-serving.

f they're out to get you, they will always be able to find some kids who won't be satisfied unless you're letting them watch movies and play games all class every class and use that to bash you over the head with, no matter how interesting you're trying to make classes.

It's also hypocritical when most of their own classes are most likely boring rote memory stuff. Most adult English students I've had hated the way they learnt English at school.

[Squire]

It's so difficult to keep the kids interested when you teach straight from (and only from) the book. A lot if us are in that situation. The worst thing is some of the kids genuinely seem enthusiastic about learning English, but even for them the constant wooden dialogues and 'fill in the blank' wears them down

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

[Fishead soup]

[jacksthirty]

There are ways around teaching the book. Can't you teach the dialogue, but do it from a different angle? Do you have to teach, say 2 pages a class?

I did this for a dialogue and it lasted all class. Not everyone did it, but it was a lot less tedious than just doing it word for word.

Give me your email and I'll email you the whole lesson plan. This is just a short sample.

A: Do you have any plans for school festival?
B: Sure. My class is preparing a B-boy party.

Change the text to a code
A-Z B-Y C-X D-W E-V etc

A: WL BLV IZEV ZMB KOZMH......
B: HFIV NB XOZHH..........

Half the class will complete A, the other will complete B.
In pairs they read their dialogue to each other to complete the dialogue. If they can't pronounce a word or spell it (most of them can't) then they can spell the words. When they have finished practice the dialogue.

[Fishead soup]

[jacksthirty]

Text messages? Nice. I'll try that. Sounds like it will save me some hassle!

[sojusucks]

The books are horrible. Even Korean teachers know it, but they have to "teach to the tests" which are usually written by the same level of fools as the authors of those books.

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

The KTs are also busy with mounds of paperwork detailing every minute aspect of every student's life, so they don't really have time to deal with issues with textbooks and the like-- mostly because they know it's futile anyways.

I really wish that some of the KTs would learn how to say 'yeah, I know it sucks... but there's no way out'-- because that's how it is most of the time and for some reason a lot of them don't want to tell you this.

I really wouldn't push this... you've got to try to work with it... think of it as a personal challenge to be more creative with what you already have.

[methdxman]

Many of you guys are new to working and you want to improve things quickly and do things your way. This is usually a good instinct when you're higher up in the food change, but when you're on the bottom of the totem pole you have to step very carefully, especially in a country like Korea. You have to learn this fast to survive in the professional world.

Your job is not to be a rebel right now (even if you have the best interests of the kids in mind). You have to fall in line first, gain their trust, then you can slowly start introducing things.

A westerner's instinctual reaction when they hear something they don't like is to show it on their faces and speech. This is bad, bad, bad in Korea.

Fall in line first, appease your bosses, and you'll have more freedom later on.

[winterfall]

[Fishead soup]