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Top FT peeves in Korea
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northway



Joined: 05 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 6:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CentralCali wrote:
Heaven forbid someone care enough to improve a situation that affects not only him but others. First step in improvement is identifying the problems.


Agreed. Identifying problems at work does not necessarily constitute gratuitous bitching.
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Julius



Joined: 27 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NQ wrote:
I don't think my French classes in Canada were fun in any way..why does English have to be fun all the time?


Traditional Korean concepts of proper teaching are all about rote learning and teacher-centred lessons.
Yet when it comes to the waeguk, the kids are allowed to go berserk? I don't get it either.
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Julius



Joined: 27 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

- The way that employers don't read your resume, only glance at your photo
-The psychopathic egostistical competition for female attention among male staff members
- The lack of self-motivated students
- The prevalent view that the teacher is responsible for learning... rather than the student
- The way any and all effective punishments are disallowed
- The fact that losing your temper is viewed as amusing or shameful in Korea, rather than as a warning to take the person seriously
- The way managers and employers rarely give you credit for years of teaching experience
- The way that every last Korean always seems to find a way to think they are higher than you in their imaginary heirarchy
- The way recruiters and employers emphasize all the places and things to see in Korea, yet never grant you any time to visit them once you have signed the contract
- The fact that you have to fight to get even the bare basics of what was promised in your contract
-The fact that the toilet cleaner is the only down-to-earth person in the entire school
- The fact that so many students are in desperate, desperate need of a cuff round the ear, but the system ensures they never, ever, recieve one.
-The way students never flush the toilet after them
-The way teachers are expected to share the toilets with their own students
-The fact that there appears to be only one type of board marker in the entire country, which has a working lifespan of about 3 minutes
- The fact that parents throw their kids at hakwons rather than properly raising or spending time with them
- The way parents, TV, society and the hakwon system encourages students not to take foreigners seriously
- The fact that wages have been frozen for the past ten years
- The way that classes are never reshuffled when it would benefit the students greatly to do so
- The fact that so few eslers in Korea bother to study a TEFL before coming
- The sheer amount of noise and distractions entering the classroom from the street outside
-The way that managers insist on turning off airconditioning precisely on the hottest day of the year
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PatrickGHBusan



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Julius wrote:
NQ wrote:
I don't think my French classes in Canada were fun in any way..why does English have to be fun all the time?


Traditional Korean concepts of proper teaching are all about rote learning and teacher-centred lessons.
Yet when it comes to the waeguk, the kids are allowed to go berserk? I don't get it either.


Hold up for a second.

The kids are not allowed to go beserk unless as a teacher you are completely useless and have no clue about the most basic classroom management techniques, lesson planning methods and how to design engaging content.
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northway



Joined: 05 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PatrickGHBusan wrote:
Julius wrote:
NQ wrote:
I don't think my French classes in Canada were fun in any way..why does English have to be fun all the time?


Traditional Korean concepts of proper teaching are all about rote learning and teacher-centred lessons.
Yet when it comes to the waeguk, the kids are allowed to go berserk? I don't get it either.


Hold up for a second.

The kids are not allowed to go beserk unless as a teacher you are completely useless and have no clue about the most basic classroom management techniques, lesson planning methods and how to design engaging content.


You must be new here. Clearly you know nothing about Korea.












Okay, that's enough snark for today.
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JustinC



Joined: 10 Mar 2012
Location: We Are The World!

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mgafunnell wrote:
I've been to 19 countries and hands down, Korea is the most alcoholic, most degenerate, least grateful country I have ever had the displeasure of visiting. It's a useless country full of miserable people.


What other countries have you worked in? This is a serious question and no snark. I've worked in a few others and wouldn't agree with you, personally, but it is very subjective. I've also visited many others and I think I'd have to agree Korea is a very easy (and cheap) place to obtain booze, maybe the easiest.
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KeepingItReal



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CentralCali wrote:
Heaven forbid someone care enough to improve a situation that affects not only him but others. First step in improvement is identifying the problems.


He had some legit points about what it's like to teach here, but he didn't say anything about improving anything.

It's obvious he's just complaining. He can just go home already. It's not that hard.
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NQ



Joined: 16 Feb 2012

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PatrickGHBusan wrote:
Julius wrote:
NQ wrote:
I don't think my French classes in Canada were fun in any way..why does English have to be fun all the time?


Traditional Korean concepts of proper teaching are all about rote learning and teacher-centred lessons.
Yet when it comes to the waeguk, the kids are allowed to go berserk? I don't get it either.


Hold up for a second.

The kids are not allowed to go beserk unless as a teacher you are completely useless and have no clue about the most basic classroom management techniques, lesson planning methods and how to design engaging content.



I know what you mean. I am a new teacher and I have this routine of doing a slideshow with eliciting answers from kids, then a worksheet and then textbook actvities. I have to do the textbook activities...the coteachers wonder otherwise why I don't. Honestly, it's less work for me anyways so I don't care. But yeah I have to switch my routine up cuz it's clearly not working.

I was taught French in mostly English so maybe that's why most of us didn't go crazy in class. . I'm thinking honestly the main reason why these kids talk so much and misbehave is that they're learning English in English and they don't understand WTF we're saying, which causes them to tune out and start talking
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I was taught French in mostly English so maybe that's why most of us didn't go crazy in class. . I'm thinking honestly the main reason why these kids talk so much and misbehave is that they're learning English in English and they don't understand WTF we're saying, which causes them to tune out and start talking


Are you saying it's impossible to teach kids English in English? Because it isn't. I've done it myself, (from kids of 5 to teenagers) seen others do it and no doubt a lot of people on this board will say the same. The problem, therefore, must either lie with the kids' behaviour or your teaching. Think about what you can do to improve either and work on that. Don't go down the same route a lot of NETS do and start using Korean in the class room, thinking they'll be able to get the kids' attention better. That's kind of why the kids aren't any good at English in the first place.
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NQ



Joined: 16 Feb 2012

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

edwardcatflap wrote:
Quote:
I was taught French in mostly English so maybe that's why most of us didn't go crazy in class. . I'm thinking honestly the main reason why these kids talk so much and misbehave is that they're learning English in English and they don't understand WTF we're saying, which causes them to tune out and start talking


Are you saying it's impossible to teach kids English in English? Because it isn't. I've done it myself, (from kids of 5 to teenagers) seen others do it and no doubt a lot of people on this board will say the same. The problem, therefore, must either lie with the kids' behaviour or your teaching. Think about what you can do to improve either and work on that. Don't go down the same route a lot of NETS do and start using Korean in the class room, thinking they'll be able to get the kids' attention better. That's kind of why the kids aren't any good at English in the first place.


Not saying it's impossible, but it makes it more difficult for them. Another reason I think they talk is because NETs aren't as mean as KETs so they are more relaxed. Finally, the majority of their grade is based on reading and writing and not really listening and speaking, which is what the NET's class is here for.
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northway



Joined: 05 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 4:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NQ wrote:
edwardcatflap wrote:
Quote:
I was taught French in mostly English so maybe that's why most of us didn't go crazy in class. . I'm thinking honestly the main reason why these kids talk so much and misbehave is that they're learning English in English and they don't understand WTF we're saying, which causes them to tune out and start talking


Are you saying it's impossible to teach kids English in English? Because it isn't. I've done it myself, (from kids of 5 to teenagers) seen others do it and no doubt a lot of people on this board will say the same. The problem, therefore, must either lie with the kids' behaviour or your teaching. Think about what you can do to improve either and work on that. Don't go down the same route a lot of NETS do and start using Korean in the class room, thinking they'll be able to get the kids' attention better. That's kind of why the kids aren't any good at English in the first place.


Not saying it's impossible, but it makes it more difficult for them. Another reason I think they talk is because NETs aren't as mean as KETs so they are more relaxed. Finally, the majority of their grade is based on reading and writing and not really listening and speaking, which is what the NET's class is here for.


Simple answer to this one: be meaner! Controlling your classroom is the teacher's responsibility, and classes should be difficult (but not too difficult). A little bit of Korean is okay, but as Mr. Catflap points out, you aren't going to be as effective if you use too much, and too much English is not what stands between you and effective lessons. I hope this doesn't come across too harshly, I've just seen a lot of fresh off the boat teachers run into the same problems and start using shortcuts that eventually lead to said teachers failing to develop effective skills in the classroom.
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Dodge7



Joined: 21 Oct 2011

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 4:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wiltern wrote:
some waygug-in wrote:
If you don't like it, go home. I did.


This. Nothing wrong with people who have complaints about Korea. But, the ones that do, come up with mile long lists like this (and post to it to a message board), yet continue to stay in this country are LOSERS.

Julius....someone got a gun to your head to stay in Korea?

Some of us are FORCED to stay in Korea due to family obligations or money and complaining gets it off our chests. If you don't like it why'd you click on this thread?
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some waygug-in



Joined: 25 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ha ha ha.


Too funny!


I clicked on this thread because I've been there. I understand what some of you are going through.

I used to be the biggest Korea whiner on this site. (and that's saying a lot) *~*

Whining won't get you anywhere, it actually makes things worse. What you need to do is sit down and try to find ways to make things better.
If you can't do that, then it's time to pack up and go home.

Believe me, I know. I'm not trying to diss anyone, just trying to give some
useful advice.
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Julius



Joined: 27 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

- Students that never bring their own pencil
- Students that never bring their own book
- Students that play with cellpones
- Students that take ages to answer a simple question, allowing other students attention to wander
- Managers that pander to unruly students instead of reprimanding them, allowing misbehaviour to flourish
- The fact that nobody seems to have explained fully to students why they should learn English
- The fact that nobody seems to have taught korean kids even the bare basics of good behaviour
- Students that cause endless diversions in order to get attention
- Students that don't follow in the book and never know what page we're on
- Students that answer in a slightly rude tone then claim innocence when called on it
- Students that don't take any pride in their work
- The sheer rudeness of some teenage students
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transmogrifier



Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Julius wrote:
- Students that never bring their own pencil
- Students that never bring their own book
- Students that play with cellpones
- Students that take ages to answer a simple question, allowing other students attention to wander
- Managers that pander to unruly students instead of reprimanding them, allowing misbehaviour to flourish
- Students that cause endless diversions in order to get attention
- Students that don't follow in the book and never know what page we're on
- Students that answer in a slightly rude tone then claim innocence when called on it
- Students that don't take any pride in their work
- The sheer rudeness of some teenage students


I see Julius has moved on to describing every school in the entire world.
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