Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BigBlackEquus]

Have any of you taught a culture class at your school? My hagwon wants me to do some western culture classes for a sort of a month-long special.

I am looking for great topic ideas that will be interesting/clash with Korean culture.

What would Middle School and High School Korean students find interesting?

Please help!

[peppermint]

Hearing about what schools in Canada are like might start a rebellion. Then again, my elementary schoolers screamed " joketa!!!!!!!" when I mentioned that I'd had to wear a uniform to school when I was their age.

[moptop]

I teach in high school and I've used a book called "Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans: Cultural and behavioral differences between Koreans and Americans" by Min Byoung-chul Ed.D. I picked it up for 5,000 won at Kyobo but I've seen it lots of places. It has Korean translation at the top for understanding by low level students, and can generate some interesting conversations. I find that not everything is accurate, and I skip over the parts on drinking and office ettiquete, but it might be a good start.

You might also want to try a Jepoardy style game like having them write questions about Korean culture to "test" the teacher, and you write questions about North American culture to test them. God knows they love a competition.

My students love to talk about Dating, Clothes (yes, even the boys), Food, Food, Food, TV shows, School, Music, Travel, Teacher's Home Town, Family...etc. If you have any pics they will spend hours looking at them. Have them bring their own in to describe...

[Hater Depot]

I had a few token culture lessons last year at our school's English camps. I was pretty surprised by what the kids didn't know, and their reaction to learning it. Hearing that we don't hand things with two hands, or pour with one arm bent at the elbow, well they were shocked. And also concluded that Westerners are unbelievably rude.

[YoungLi]

I haven't taught a "culture class" per say, but I do have an idea for you.

Why not discuss the Amish? Maybe you can find a book or some pictures off the internet. If you do this, please be aware that some (if not most) of the literature about the Amish is grossly generalizated from an "English/outsider's" perspective. I have a few very good Amish friends who are under the impression that most of the world is totally unfamiliar with their culture - even their very existence .

There is wide variety between many Amish communities. For example, did you know that Amish don't all speak the same languages, even in their own communities and it makes it difficult sometimes to communicate with each other? One family might speak Penn. Dutch and some English while the next door neighbors speak "slop bucket German" and fluent English. Furthermore, there are some Amish who speak mostly English and some German - just enough for Sunday meetings.

I spent today in "Old Order Amish" country watching them harvest crops with horses and plow. The children don't speak with the "English" (like me) very much. You'll never meet quieter children in your life. They are facinated beyond belief whenever I vist or maybe they just like to listen to me talk English without an Amish accent; I don't know. Today I treated them to a book about Korea complete with pictures, which they enjoyed. To my amazement, the mother could explain in detail all the different types of farming that was portrayed in the book. There you have it, Amish and Korean farmers have some things in common.... compare and contrast.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.