Korean Job Discussion Forums

DanseurVertical · Joined: 24 Nov 2010

Last year I taught middle school English south of Seoul. My school was quite new (now 4 years old) I am unsure why, but the school seems to have a hard time retaining faculty. Of the original five KETs present when I joined on, only the former headteacher continued into this year. One of the five, the youngest, is on leave, as she recently married and is pregnant.

At the time I left, the new headteacher has English conversation skills at about the same level as the former headteacher. This means, their vocabulary is more extensive, but their overall English conversation ability is at the level of a small child. Both are in their 40s, with the former headteacher being somewhat older.

I have taught with one older KET whose English is quite good, yet she has not lived abroad for more than a few months. Her personality is also radically unlike the others. But for the most part, I left Korea concluding that most older KETs have never lived or studied abroad and are massively unaware or in denial of their ability to engage in conversation in English. Further, they seem equally unaware or in denial of their teachings' failure to promote conversation skills, or even to acknowledge the high importance of English conversation.

After meeting so many native Koreans in their early 20s whose conversational English is very limited I left the country wondering, what is going on here with English education?

In the US, before you teach a foreign language you spend at least a year in a country where the native people speak that language. I understand the US is a richer country than Korea, but huge amounts of money were spent to bring me to Korea to teach. Why is the government hiring us to teach instead of encouraging or requiring KETs to live / study abroad?

Modernist · Joined: 23 Mar 2011 Location: The 90s

blm · Joined: 11 Nov 2010

The 3 KET's at my school are all older than me and aged between 47 - 52 years old (1 woman 2 men).

All have great English ability though they don't need to use their conversational skills in the class room much*

To my knowledge one of them has never spent much or any time in an English speaking country (his ability is probably the highest).

Another I know has at least visited Australia as a tourist.

The third attended a Korean English teacher course in Australia that went for a couple of months.

This is a rural school too.

The only noticeable differences in English ability between them and myself is idioms, metaphors, the way they struggle on French/Latin words and speed (admittedly a biggie).

* combination of conversation isn't tested and being older they don't really want to teach conversation to 30 kids. It's tiring.

liveinkorea316 · Joined: 20 Aug 2010 Location: South Korea

I wouldn't bag them too much.

Firstly they are not conversation teachers like you. That is your job. They are English teachers. Which means they inevitable focus on their strengths when they teach which will probably be grammar, vocab, reading, maybe playing a few listening texts.

Secondly, older teachers have taught through an era when there was never any push for conversation ability at all. It was not emphasised, asked for, promoted or anything of the like until about 5 or 10 years ago in public schools.

The are from an era gone by. They will not be forced out until they retire.

If younger generation KET were terrible at English speaking THAT is something I would have an issue with. Older teachers, comes with the landscape and history of this country man.