Korean Job Discussion Forums

Danielos · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Location: Gumi

Thought I would post this since there was a thread about "slow" learners.

I have a kindergarten student "Russel" who is clearly the fastest learner I have seen. He constantly imitates what you say in class and is always asking what various objects are. I heard from his mother that he is so excited to learn English that when he gets home he tries to remember what he learned that day and practices by himself!

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

I had a student like this.

Maybe she was 12 y.o. but geezz she could speak better than a lot of the teachers there. I couldn't believe how quick she learned.

Dawn · Joined: 06 Mar 2004

I have a six-year-old kindergarten student (barely four western age) who's reading Curious George books with little to no assistance. Have another one who *loves* building words with any kind of letter manipulatives. Last week, I found him spelling out "teacher I have toothache" on one of the magnetic boards. Then, he turns and asks me, "Teacher, why does 'ch' make a /k/ /k/ /k/ sound in 'toothache'?" Shocked

sadsac · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Gwangwang

My wife had a teenager like that. We assisted with her placement at a pretigious girls's school in New Zealand and last year she was dux of the school. Two and a half years of study and she speaks like a Kiwi native. Off to Harvard or Yale in 2005. Smile

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

While the vast majority of my good students are girls, and bad students boys... my two best students are boys.

One, James, is very quick, very interested in English, and could very well have a photographic memory.

The other, Matt, insists on having me say every word while looking at him so he can see the shape of my mouth and imitate it. He is also a very good general student.

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

VanIslander · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 4:53 pm Post subject:

I have one boy, "David", who's known in his school as the brightest and sure enough at the hagwon he never forgets a single thing I've ever taught him. Even a rushed 3-minute lesson I did eight months ago on husky dogs, snowmobiles, igloos and the like, he was able to recall even though I hadn't reviewed the material ever. David surprises me everyday. BUT, a BIG but, he doesn't have a passion to learn English so he doesn't ask questions. So, he's my runner-up for quickest learner.

The quickest learner of English I've ever had is "Mina", a girl whose energy and questions just don't stop. She has a real bull-in-a-china-shop personality that demands to lead the class. Some others don't like her but the force of her presence and positive energy works on everyone except the shy girl who cowers in the corner. Mina MAKES ME teach more than I planned on doing, pulling everyone into a more detailed lesson they they ever want to do when Mina is absent for a day. Her questions are endless and she practices what she's learned in the past whenever she can. She's also learning Chinese characters and I'm sure will excell at that as well.

You don't teach the quickest students, you try to keep up with them.