Korean Job Discussion Forums

Len8 · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Location: Kyungju

I have just given my midterms, and they were all speaking exercises. Have one girl though who refuses to speak. She always sits in front of the class, takes notes of sorts, but when it comes to doing spoken exercises in the class she refuses to open her mouth. I have been here a while, so I know well enough how to get most of the students to voice something even if it's illegible. I had to almost plead with her to say something. The others (everyone of them) gave it a shot. Some of course were a little incoherent, but that's besides the point.
It has gotten to be quite embarrassing now for her , for me and the rest of the class. The rest of the class wont to hide their heads in shame while I'm pleading with her to open her mouth. I say "please you can do it. Just try" I do the "Tarahseyo" bit, thinking that the korean might make it easier for her, but it's all to no avail. By then of course I have to stop, because her eyes start to get a little red and watery.
I was going to let it pass thinking she had some deep seated psychlogical problems, but I have seen her around the campus chatting with various guys, so I gave it another shot. But, a big mum was the word. Come test time of course everyone tried, and I was quite proud of them. She of course never said a frigging thing.
Maybe her parents are die hard confucianists, who made her swear on the Analects of Confucius that she would never utter a word in English because it's a devilish tool that will lead to the loss of Koreas culture. Or something along those lines. They probably also told her that they will come back and haunt her from the grave if she dares disobey them.

Have had other students over the past years who also fit into the same weird category. Most of the big classes have there "wangtas" I guess. There are the guys who mummble illegible noises when it's their turn to speak, and there are the usual guys who are half blind, can't read what is going on, but wont get glasses either. There are the girls too that the rest of the females discretly try to move away from.
Funny thing is though that these "wangtas" all ended up becoming good friends.

Mashimaro · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: location, location

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

When you hand out the mid term scores it may be a wake up call for her. Also, though they all have to go through 6 years of English at school, there are some for whom it just never connects, and if they just keep quiet and keep thier head down, they can get through the system knowing f all English. Specifically, there are no speaking tests, only listening with written answers. So it may be a comination of the fact that her English is appalling, which will also make her very shamed, plus she may be from the country, and you may very well be the first westerner she has met. She is likely to be catastrophically nervous about talking to you. This can be compounded if there is an anti foreigner vibe in her home life.

Solution. Next test, don't make it a conversation. Make it a talk that they can research and prepare for. Let her know that she must open her mouth and make noise or she will get an F and fail the class.

coolsage · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 6:09 am Post subject:

I'm assuming that it's a freshman class you have; and if it's anything like the ones that I have, in the five years that I've been teaching at Uni, I've never seen standards so low. Apparently they're letting anybody in these days, just to fill quotas and keep the money rolling in. It's very frustrating for a serious teacher when the students you have don't even read English (a basic prerequisite for the goods we're serving up), or have basic listening skills. Most of these so-called students don't belong at university:they have the approximate social skills of twelve-year-olds; they have a snarky attitude, but without focus; they are rebels without a clue, imitative, unimaginative, shallow. Hopefully, this country will soon experience its 'summer of love' . I'm tempted to expedite that by dumping a large supply of LSD into the Han River, but that's not going to happen. I'd love to see this country awaken from its superficial, materialistic, obtuse mind-set, but I don't think I'll live that long.

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

People are motivated when they are set goals that they can realistically achieve. You have to drop the level of the work.

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

When you think about it, when do Koreans actually get an opportunity to speak English, anyway? So maybe they think, 'well, it's not gonna happen, anyway'.

the eye · Joined: 29 Jan 2004

ahhh, freshmen....the memory of 'teaching' them has returned to torture me once again....thanks, Len8.

even after making my speaking exams simple enough for a 3 year old child....and TELLING THEM THE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.... i still had to sit through the situation you described, many times over.

or, even better, are the stumps whom i prompted,
"What does your father do?"
the reply,
"Fine thank you....and you?"

it got to the point, one fine final exam day...that i broke.....with a smile.
"this is a speaking exam...did you know?"
(student nods in agreement)
"well, you have an F..... good luck on your writing exam"

final writing exam...20% of the students sleep in, and expect a rewrite. Rolling Eyes

coolsage · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:38 am Post subject:

Yes, and the class princess strolls in twenty minutes after the test has begun, and expects the the test to begin again, just for her. That might work for her K-prof where there might be something going on beneath the desk, but it doesn't work for me.

Jeju Rocks · Joined: 23 Aug 2004

Give her the lowest grade possible (60% in my case), pat her on the head, push her out the door and focus on the students who really want to learn English. I am not talking about the ones who think that TOEIC is real English.
Maybe that is all she cares about is TOEIC. She comes to your class to listen in order to improve that part of her TOEIC test.

Most students here have no idea what conversational English is all about.
I was glad to hear that TOEFL has changed their test to include speaking and expressing an opinion.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

endo · Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Location: Seoul...my home

Do you think it's really necessary to point her out in class like that? Why don't you try talking to her kindly after class is done when everyone's left the room.

peemil · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Location: Koowoompa

What's the point? She probably doesn't understand.

the eye · Joined: 29 Jan 2004

speaking exams are done in private.

coolsage · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 3:23 pm Post subject:

ajstew · Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Location: Korea

To the OP... you might try finding out who the best English student is in the class and getting her (ofcourse it isn't a guy) to find out what is the matter. It's a tactic I use. Well... I find that person at the beginning of the semester, and tell students who may be especially shy to ask that special students questions. You could also write her a letter and give it to her... she could be more comfortable writing you a letter afterwards explaining herself.