Korean Job Discussion Forums

[vonjunk]

So, I got to know a group of K-ladies from my neighborhood. Naturally, one lady says she's endeavoring to study English. I offered to help and somehow this turned into a group "udi" invitation and I'm set to teach all three ladies.

Having taught ESL for over 4 years (2 years in a Japanese uni, 1 at ECC Japan and 1 in Ulsan, Korea) I've taught a lot of college students, some kids, but only a few middle aged people.

Would anyone have ideas or suggestions which worked teaching middle aged Koreans? Thanks much!

[Zackback]

With students such as these I just reach them on their level. I catch up on the latest Korean pop songs, actors/actresses, make-up, fads and fashions. This allows me to form a real connection with them which makes the whole teaching/learning experience quite intriguing.

--
OK forget what I said above.. It's early in the morning and I thought it read three middle school.....what a let-down.
Anyway, if theses ladies are married talk alot about family things (realtives, kids etc) and the importance of that. Women at that age really get into it if done properly and with tons of kindness.

[vonjunk]

Not a bad idea, but I asked what hobbies they had and got the following answers:
Shopping x2, kids tennis.

Will they be down with the latest Korean fashions, fads, stars, etc from Korean having lived in the US (two ladies over a year, one lady over four years).
In some ways it should be rather easy, as all three have basic abilities, but to fill one hour talking about shopping might kill me
only half-joking.

[Zackback]

Have them take you shopping for some hands on experience. This way it is real life English situations. I mean they don't have to buy you anything but really get into it....and the fact that they are all women would be a blast for me.

For me teaching English here (and I might add hooking up) is like a chameleon. Just do a total change based on your PRESENT condition/situation (what kind of people you are surrounded by). The fact that it is not a totally mixed group helps tremendously.

[vonjunk]

I do like the "field trip" idea to actively use English.
ha ha ha, by the way, why is going from teaching three middle school girls to three middle aged ladies a let down? I do think you're right, they can talk about children, husbands, food, and woman's world things for hours.
Thanks for the advice!

[wishfullthinkng]

[MollyBloom]

First, I would find out what they want to learn and why they want to use it. If they want to become more proficient in writing letters and sending them to the Korea Times, teach them a business letter format. If they are all cougars and want to pick up some studly foreign men, teach them pick-up lines and bar slang.

If they are middle-aged, they are probably married and have kids. You can talk about marriage (different customs in diff. countries) or talk about their children and their lives. Are they all housewives? If so, you can talk about dreams and hobbies. If not, you can talk about careers and jobs. When I did a language exchange with my landlord's wife, she taught me how to cook Korean food, in Korean. If you enjoy cooking, maybe you could teach them some cooking lessons in English.

[vonjunk]

All married ladies...not sure about cougars and not sure how to ask...so, I'll skip that bit for now.

Excellent ideas. Thanks!

[schwa]

As it happens, I just started a weekly class for three middle-aged women today. Elementary teachers. I really didnt want or need the extra class but got coerced into saying okay & it was actually a lot of fun. They made it easy. They just wanted to talk.

I asked what they expected from me & they suggested just bring a topic. They didnt want articles or "teaching," just banter with a foreigner. They brought notebooks & noted down a bit of vocab here & there & some answers to their language questions. Natural & casual. Laughter.

Now I'm looking forward to next week's conversation. Best luck with your group.

[lowpo]

Jazz English has some good topics to get you started.

[Illysook]

Middle-aged American lady here. I'm not married, so ask me about my life partner...the one with 4 feet. If I were a married Korean woman, I would have some of the same problems, concerns, and interests. Treat them like grown-ups, because they are in fact grown ups. Ask them how they met their husbands, have them give each other advice on dealing with children, in-laws, etcetera.

I also like the shopping idea. They will know where to find clothes that fit middle aged women (your body changes shape no matter what your weight...so be sure to tell the rest of us where they go. Plus they will know how to deal with rude store clerks who won't let you try anything on.

In addition to this, you can do field trips to museums, art galleries, and other places that all of you will learn from. The best part of teaching is that you are always learning.

[seoulsucker]

www.breakingnewsenglish.com

For more formal lessons, this site is awesome. Fully prepped lessons with tons of timely topics. Find out what they're interested in, print them up and have discussions.

[ajosshi]

[MollyBloom]

[swinewho]