| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
creeper1
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:34 am Post subject: away |
 |
|
The comment I quoted was one of the more negative ones and probably a disservice to the good teachers (like myself) who made a difference.
I've been in China for a while now so this isn't of so much interest to me anymore. However THE COMMENT WAS NOT MADE UP OR TRANSLATED FROM A KOREAN website.
The original is here.
http://www.waygook.org/index.php/topic,48172.20.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
shostahoosier
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:09 pm Post subject: Re: Reading |
|
|
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
During this bad economy many have no choice but to do just that. Also many are still paying off debts. So, spending thousands to upgrade skills is not an option for all. Glad your'e rich and had a free ride in life. |
Networking doesn't require thousands of dollars...just people skills. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Airborne9
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: Reading |
|
|
| nautilus wrote: |
| creeper1 wrote: |
I saw this posted on another site.
| Quote: |
"Most people these days (NETs and Koreans alike) know by now that EPIK/GEPIK teachers' jobs are a joke that mostly consist of coming to school and either: A. desk-warming or B. playing games and/or struggling to control a classroom full of kids who won't listen. To think that we actually teach English is laughable and this decision has been long overdue.
Getting rid of the majority of GEPIK (and maybe EPIK later on) is probably the smartest financial decision the Korean government can make with this kind of economy. I'm sorry for anyone affected by this but it's the truth. " |
|
That quotation is not on any other site on the internet.
I suspect that is your translation of something you saw in a korean newspaper or on a korean site.
In any case the problem is not foreigners and FT's, it is the way they have been under-utilised or misused by the Korean authorities.
Why is it that numerous other countries have successful english teaching programs in their government schools, and continue to do so?
Many Korean teachers are infected with racism- a historic legacy of this country- and that is why they did all they could to hamper and obstruct foreign teachers and remove funding for GEPIK/EPIK and SMOE.
The problem was never lack of money, it was the way in which money was mis-spent. In 2008 Gyeonggi was awash with government funding. more won than they knew what to do with.
It was mostly wasted on unecessary and impractical "english classrooms" (at 60M won a pop) and a computer for each student- which were quickly destroyed and trashed.
Then there were the unneeded and expensive "school guards" (many of them precisely the sort of creepy and agressive old men you would want to keep your child away from).
Then there were the daft odd bits of infrastructure- fountains and whatnot that fell apart within weeks of their construction.
Wave some government money in the air and koreans go bat crazy to get a piece piece of it.
This culture of gaining "positions" and siphoning off benefits has been prevalent in Korea for centuries. foreigners need not apply. |
I agree with this quite a bit. I think that many NETs have been quite hard working and effective, but on the other hand there have been probably more who have been not. I think with the lack of organisation in GEPIK and the role and responsibilities of the NET never been fully defined, how effective an NET was had a lot to do with the way each school decides to use their NET and the initiative and quality of NET themselves.
Because of the ongoing recessions back home there are a lot of people with good "qualifications" looking for work and would indeed be probably be willing to work for less. If they re-organised GEPIK with a clear role and responsibilities for NETs it could have become better.Dont get me wrong, I think that The provincial government is right to cut the jobs, the cost outweighed the results many times over. But i think that they maybe wasting an opportunity to rebuild.
Just another question, why are middle schools and high school being cut first?
Last edited by Airborne9 on Wed Dec 19, 2012 5:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shostahoosier
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:08 pm Post subject: Re: Reading |
|
|
| Airborne9 wrote: |
Just another question, why are middle schools and high school being cut first? |
I wondered this too.
I'm guessing that maybe high school and middle schools have larger budgets so maybe they figure they'll be able to pay for the cost of a NET on their own.
Also, maybe inner city elementary schools are larger so they get the money too, whereas rural elementary schools have small classes and not a lot of resources, so maybe they're being thrown a bone?
(all guessing on my part) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MoneyMike
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I assume they're leaving the elementary longer because kids tend to learn languages better at a younger age. Thus, keeping as much focus on English education in elementary school rather than middle/high school makes sense somewhat.
Just a thought, don't know if that's the actual reason. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shostahoosier
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| MoneyMike wrote: |
I assume they're leaving the elementary longer because kids tend to learn languages better at a younger age. Thus, keeping as much focus on English education in elementary school rather than middle/high school makes sense somewhat.
Just a thought, don't know if that's the actual reason. |
Dude...that makes too much sense, so I assure you it's not the reason.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Airborne9
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| shostahoosier wrote: |
| MoneyMike wrote: |
I assume they're leaving the elementary longer because kids tend to learn languages better at a younger age. Thus, keeping as much focus on English education in elementary school rather than middle/high school makes sense somewhat.
Just a thought, don't know if that's the actual reason. |
Dude...that makes too much sense, so I assure you it's not the reason. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:18 pm Post subject: Re: Reading |
|
|
| shostahoosier wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
During this bad economy many have no choice but to do just that. Also many are still paying off debts. So, spending thousands to upgrade skills is not an option for all. Glad your'e rich and had a free ride in life. |
Networking doesn't require thousands of dollars...just people skills. |
Networking is, but the point was about requiring qualifications. Korea is gradually becoming more strict about these, particularly with unis requiring Master's degrees. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DanseurVertical
Joined: 24 Nov 2010
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 6:56 am Post subject: Re: Reading |
|
|
| creeper1 wrote: |
I was part of the GEPIK program 2008-2011. I'm surprised it is still around. It may hobble on for a while yet.
The rumor is that rural schools will continue to get funding and if you are in the countryside you needn't worry.
I saw this posted on another site.
"Most people these days (NETs and Koreans alike) know by now that EPIK/GEPIK teachers' jobs are a joke that mostly consist of coming to school and either: A. desk-warming or B. playing games and/or struggling to control a classroom full of kids who won't listen. To think that we actually teach English is laughable and this decision has been long overdue.
Getting rid of the majority of GEPIK (and maybe EPIK later on) is probably the smartest financial decision the Korean government can make with this kind of economy. I'm sorry for anyone affected by this but it's the truth. "
For sure GEPIK didn't really get much "bang for their buck" when employing NETS considering how much unproductive desk-warming they gave us.
If EPIK go the same way as GEPIK, hagwons are going to have a freaking field day.
The whole industry in Korea will go south. :lol: |
If you think NETs contribute little, why don't you try having meaningful spoken conversations with the average Gyeonggi KET?
You live in Korea and therefore must know that the ability to communicate in a spoken foreign language is far more essential than knowing its grammar. But in my experience as a NET, Korean English teachers seem to be ignorant or in denial of this fact. And preparing students for written examinations is practically all that matters. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hubbahubba
Joined: 31 May 2008
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 8:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
And preparing students for written examinations is practically all that matters.
there ya go |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
