Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blunder1983]

Thinking about having a lesson about avoiding social faux pas things would include

1. Eat with ur mouth closed
2. Elbows off tables
3. Spitting
4. Asking personal questions

etc. etc.

Was wondering how i could do this without causing offence? I dont care that they do it here, its just so they know when they go overseas, but i appreciate it looks like I'm criticising

[magicwolfman]

You seem to be the king of controversial issues First the "beauty contest" and now this. Why dont you just tell them that their whole cultures is wrong and that they need to adapt to western ideals immediately. How exactly are you going to pertray "western" table manners in a way that you are not telling them that their table manners are rude or incorrect.

[peppermint]

Get yourself a copy of ugly Americans/ ugly Koreans- basically a reference to the social faux pas of both groups. That way you can point out that Westerners have the same kind of issue here.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[blunder1983]

Lol your the king of acceptance arent you magicwolfman you radical psychotic looney. Go back to dribbling in the corner safe in the knowledge us barbarians will not bother you in your heaven.

I thought using the Ugly Korean Ugly Americans, comparing oddities from both cultures, and have them guess which custom is considered rude in America, which in Korean and which isnt considered rude anywhere.

Making students aware of such things will definately smooth their transition overseas so I don't see it as a problem.

Thanks for the constructive critcism tho MW, I love the suggestions you made................

[peppermint]

The crossing your legs thing would be a good one. It's okay to cross your legs at the knee in the west, though not as proper as crossing them at the ankles. Here it's considered very rude for a woman to cross her legs at the knee in front of older men ( wonder what they made of Basic Instinct?)

[butter808fly]

Its a good idea, here are some I think you should add to your class:

- dont stare at people for minutes at a time without blinking
- dont snap your gum
- dont push
- dont shove
- dont take cuts
- bow to the waegooks too
- when you sneeze, cover your mouth!
- everyone who works hard, no matter a janitor or president, deserve respect (this is more a value, not a manner)
- hold open the door for other people (this is just friendly)

I miss my small town in California today.. a lot just because of the small things like these. I mean, often times even the waegooks here pass without a nod or smile.

Oh and...
- dont use your middle finger for finger puppets! I dont care if its not America you old ajumma, Im freakin American and children are totally aware that you are giving them the finger!!! hahahaha

[Sliver]

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=38594&highlight=whimperative

Is what you can teach in a language class as a basis and then develop western style ettiquette from there. Talk about differences between collective (sorry I mean cult) societies and individualistic societies. That way they have a basis with which to understand.

[Wrench]

WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER USING THE RESTROOM.


That goes for women TOO!

[paperbag princess]

why don't koreans cover their mouths when they cough? i'm really tired of getting my students' colds.

[redd]

my kids are trained on the cough thing.

I'm working on blowing noses now. I actually had to teach a kid (8yrs old!!) how to blow his nose - his way was to jam the kleenex up there then blow hard (resulting in a mess and making me almost sick). Agh. Getting my gag reflex going just typing this..

But if they plan to travel to any western country, the horrible "retching to get the phlegm up" has got to stop.

[ajuma]

There isn't "right culture" or "wrong culture"....just culture!! If you approach it the right way, you can have a great class! Talk about things that were "strange" to you when you first came to Korea (personal space is a good one) and things THEY might find strange in other cultures (NOT spitting, NOT snorting).

Explain "When I came to Korea, I had to learn to X so I would be seen as a polite person. When you go to X country, you'll have to learn to X, so you can be seen as a polite person." This takes the right vs wrong out of the equation.

I agree that using "Ugly Korean, Ugly American" is a good place to start. Just make sure that you balance them.

[Homer]

Your best bet is definitively the one culture's faux pas vs another.

This avoids you looking like your simply bashing one culture and will make the lesson/conversation much better and more productive.

The worse possible thing to do is follow the trend of some in here and make a list of the things you consider rude and present them as faux-pas...

That would just make you look like a butt-head and the lesson would head down the toilet faster then the Titanic sank...and justifiably so too!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[xtchr]

Ha, reading this reminds me of the time a friend had had enough of the complete lack of hygiene at her hagwon, and did a 'phonics' lesson, i.e fluSH and waSH