Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ThingsComeAround]

[happiness]

we dont suck at our jobs, were going against a nationalistic culture that cannot deal with any loss of face (which face it, if you speak a foriegn language, losing face is a daily occurance), and face it, learns for the reasons of tests so they can be placed in socail structures and other riduculous 19th century ideals.

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

This doesn't surprise me at all.

Not because Koreans have amazing English, but because they study tests-- and there isn't a single test out there that can't be passed if you know what the focus is going to be in advance, which Koreans almost certainly always do, and which they prepare for all year long in schools/hagwons/ private lessons. And they will do anything to get a high score. Getting a high score is far far far more important than actually learning English, because most Koreans don't see or don't care about the difference.

Passing the test leads to a good job and a stable life/career. Actually learning how to speak English leads to being able to talk to/communicate with people that you're indifferent to at best. It's kind of a no-brainer. But on the other hand, it means the whole ESL industry/program is stagnating.

But what are they going to do? Defer to some foreigner? Disregard their international ranking and realize that language/learning is social and not an exact science? Come up with a program for foreigners that helps actual communication take place? That's not how they do things in Korea. They want to study, they want to be the best, they want to work hard, but they don't want to lose control.

So here's what you have: wealthy, well-inforned teachers who are aware of the nature of tests using book after book about English in Korea (with each student having their own individual copy) in even the country's poorest areas, versus some Filipinos with one badly-written Tagalog-to-English dictionary per school, and a decent tourist industry. Filipinos are hurting with the writing and the grammar (assuming they can even write), but when it comes to actual communication, they're light years ahead.

We're supposed to be here to provide an 'authentic experience', but hiring the young and clueless means that NETs have no idea how to do this, not even knowing how to stimulate a decent conversation that isn't light years above the student's levels, and to be honest probably not knowing how to start a conversation that isn't purely about themselves or getting wasted or something ironic or regurgitating some pile of bulldung that their university professor told them last year.

So they defer to their co-teachers, who also have no idea what to do with us, and we end up teaching Korean-style-- lots of grammar, lots of vocab, right/wrong answers, stupid games, and no real communication happening, because almost everything that is real English is translated into Korean the second it leaves our mouths... so basically, we talk while the students tune out and wait for the translation.

It's a maddening, frustrating, international con game... and whoever spends the most money wins officially, but loses unofficially.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Steelrails]

[West Coast Tatterdemalion]

Hell, let them keep screwing up. I don't question it. If they want to throw their money away on an inferior product, then it's like commercial Darwinism. Koreans don't really want to learn English(of course, there are exceptions). They just want English for higher test scores. They are taught that Korea is the center of universe, so it must seem very odd for such emphasis to be placed on English. It completely screws with the Uri Nara mantra. Why would they want to speak an inferior languge when they have the bestest, most fantabulous superior language in the history of the world. Folks, the English teaching racket is a game. A con. A swindle. And the unwitting parents are the rubes. Let them keep pouring money down the drain. If they want to do this for a thousand years, let them.

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

[Steelrails]