Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Wrench]

I too agree with gopher. I actually did learn english so from first hand experience a language is easier learned through acquisition then through learning. I don't get it either why Koreans have such a hard time with English. I teach Kindy and I think their methodology is absolute shit. They have us sing and dance for 25 minutes and they expect kids to learn. They force us to make the kids repeat everything like parrots and I know when I see their glazed looks on their faces that they have no clue what they are spouting. EFL is all about money and not enough about actuall teaching and the sole people who can be blamed are Koreans. I know of couple really good haqwans that actually teach english very well. Guess what they are both the best language institutes prolly in the country and they are not owned or operated by Koreans. On of the schools in Busan and its damn hard to get into it according to one of my coworkers. The requirements are that at least 2 consecutive hours are spent at the school, they use profesionaly written ESL and EFL material made in north america and you have to have one parent that is not Korean. Teaching is english is a joke, if they were serious about teaching they would ask foreigners what they would do different, but we all know that Koreans know best.

[Gopher]

[guangho]

To me, the fact that most Korean English teachers in hakwons do not speak English is enough to make their credibility vanish. There were four Korean English teachers at my hakwon: Two spoke English (fluently, but haltingly), one couldn't muster a sentence, and the fourth wanted to demonstrate her Korean superiority by asking English questions/issuing commands from the realm of the absurd. ("why you say 'hi' all the time?" "what means raining cats and dogs?" "you are teacher! you should know what i say!")

I understand that the set-up is to have a Korean teach grammar in Korean and a paleface prattle on so that the kids can practice, but the reality is that learning a language is about utilizing it, not memorizing inane phrases ('hi teacher! teacher hi!') and repeating them for years.

English is my second language too but I learned it because I had to. Nobody in Philly, Memphis, Oklahoma, whatever was going to learn Hungarian. I think it is that element- the element of compulsion- that's missing here. They learn English because it's cool and sorta prestigious to be around a native speaker. They don't learn it for the sake of learning or out of a need to do so.

Also, I think it is easier to learn to read and write another language than to speak it, especially when the alphabet and phonics are similar like they were with Hungarian and English. I did poorly in Russian class, partly because it was being force-fed to us during the Glory Days of Marxism but also partly because I could never pick up the alphabet. (Not that I tried too hard to do so.) The problem with Korea (as with other Pacific cultures) is that they are primarily oral in nature. (No trees=no paper= no books), so what would ordinarily be easier in acquiring a second language- writing skills- becomes harder here.

[JongnoGuru]

[joe_doufu]

I think one mistake we are making, is to think that when Koreans study "English", they are studying that language that we speak to each other in. In fact, Koreans are studying an abstract body of knowledge for the sole purpose of passing exams. (Somebody joked about opening Latin hagwons in the OT forum... seems like a perfect fit.)

So the students that we think are not successful, may actually be getting exactly what they want out of the hagwon system.

Which begs the question, why do they want US here???

[peppermint]

[Gopher]

Peppermint: Don't get me started on the chants, man. I'm going to be scarred by these chants. I'm going to start teaching them Marine Corps death chants. They won't know the difference. I'll just alter the tone of voice and it'll seem pleasant and peaceful...

I was recently mystified by one that treated "Let's go hiking!" but showed a picutre of a kid on a bike at the beach, as if there were some association between the phrase and the picture. I actually stopped the chant and looked at the pic for a minute or two to try and figure it out. That is, until one of the kids said "why?" (their word for "what?" "what's wrong" or "what's up").

[JongnoGuru]

So, they use the chants in schools and hagwons.

Thank you so much, Peppermint. The childrens are most enjoyable for the new Chanting! Especially, ping pang pong! But now we having some concernings about the words and meaning of it. Especially, we did finding some disagreeful message for the childrens summer activities. We not want to thinking bad way about you, but you maybe inserts the small brainswash material or trickeries from your America and Canada culture point, yes? Summer is not for the freely enjoying the bike rides and soccer play or read just any books. It is for the Summer English Camp and diligence of study. It can be that a sometimes Dokdo Struggle outing with soccer play or like that, but the childrens needing our planning. Much much planning for their summer days. You make Chanting with suggestable message for the idle freely spending time too much. We think you must understand this Korea is not the American or the Canada.

Please you not disappoint us again, or we must calling to the Immigration.

[kermo]