Korean Job Discussion Forums

blunder1983 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

Hi guys,

My head of english is playing up again. He LOVES teacher orientated lessons. He's asked me to look at pronunciation so I'm doing a whole lesson on about 15minimal pairs. First we look at R and L and how to say them, do a class exercise with me leading, practice the tongue twister "Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry" then there is a pair work exercise which they do together practicing saying the words individually.

Apparently they arent getting enough practice pronouncing the words. I dont think this is the case, we spend a full 30mins on the first part(s) and the pairwork is used at the end. I asked him how he'd invisage the perfect lesson and he said I should take the 15 words and drill each one for 3 minutes.

I was taught making the lesson enjoyable for the students will encourage more participation and will help retention, but this guy just loves call and response (his lessons are simply kids memorising passages from the text through call and response). Any way I can communicate this problem with him changing his views, or at least leaving me alone to work. No other teacher has expressed any problems with the lesson at present, and the first year classes are managing just fine (his is the second year)..........

*sigh*

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

Get another Head. Perhaps a Head of Spanish would suit you better.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

You could try doing dialogues, and use these as a pronounciation guide. You can start off doing listen-and-repeat, and then divide the class into two teams, interrupting frequently to correct pronounciation, and then have them practice in pairs if they still have the attention span to do so. A lot better than just repeating individual words, at any rate.

Can always PM some if you want a few examples.

Sliver · Joined: 04 May 2003 Location: The third dimension

If he is the head of English ask him where the minimal pair in 'Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry' is. If he completely bungles that maybe you could argue that his other ideas are bogus too.

magicwolfman · Joined: 01 Sep 2005

He is the boss right? Maybe you should just take his advice and opinion and do that.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

They to winning Korea is winning the war not the battle. At the moment the boss needs to feel like they are the boss. Let them do that for a while and then come up with suggestions to change the classes. Outright confrontation is bad and in a public school it's even worse.

blunder1983 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

Yeah this came about with me agreeing profusely with him the last time and completely ignoring him. I'm gonna comprimise as much as I can!