Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Enigma]

I teach mainly adult classes, but in some of these classes I'll often have one or two middle/high school students. I'm currently teaching a high beginner class of about 8 or 9 students, most of whom are in their early 20s, but also includes a high school boy and girl.

I try to keep the class fairly fun and they spend a lot of time working in pairs or threes doing activities, asking each other questions, etc. Everyone in the class seems to have a good time except for the high school boy. I've been teaching him for 4 nights a week for about a month, and yet he's never made eye contact with me or any of the other students. When I put him in a pair or group, he answers the questions like a robot and then kind of shuts off. There's no initiative on his part to do anything other than the bare minimum, I'm assuming because he's more comfortable not having to talk.

His English level is quite good however and he's probably one of the higher students in the class. His younger sister was actually in my class for about 6 months last year and she was very talkative and had no problems interacting with the other students.

I've always been shy, and so high school was especially difficult for me so I definitely feel for the kid. But I'm not really sure what I can do for him. However I feel that ignoring his social issues isn't doing him any favours in the long run.

Have any of you had any similar experiences you could relate? I'd like to help him, but I'm not sure the best way to go about it. I certainly don't want to make him even more self-conscious.

Thanks

[zombiedog]

I had a similar student. I couldn't get him to say or do anything. His level was so low, I think he was just lost. Sadly, he eventually quit. But I've had other students who are shy, I guess I just try to mix up the activities so they all aren't geared to type-A personalities. Readying comprehension and listening activities sometime work for the shyer students.