Korean Job Discussion Forums

[winnie]

I teach a bunch of teachers once a week(for 2 very LONG hours)...most are very low level....only 2 really understand me.

The rest just seem bored.....any ideas to liven it up?

[JacktheCat]

[deessell]

I teach.
(Joking)

I choose a grammar point and plan an interesting lesson around that. I usually choose something from Cutting Edge Teacher's resource books.

For the English teachers, we just have discussions using Taboos and Issues or similar. They are all nearly fluent so it's a lot of fun.

[Ekuboko]

[Ya-ta Boy]

I played Monster Bingo (a game I got off Dave's) with my beginner teachers last week. We were practicing this/that, these/those and clothing vocabulary. It was a hoot. They were high-fiving their team-mates and rubbing it in to the other team when they scored big points.

[Cohiba]

What is a teacher workshop?

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Doutdes]

I work in a small school, so my teacher courses usually have, at most, six participants. I teach four teachers classes every week. Two of of the classes are for mid-level and upper level students and the other two are an after school English conversation club (for teachers).

The mid-level and high-level teachers are more serious about learning English and prefer a traditional classroom setting. I teach the mid-level teachers as I would my students. We go through different phrases and expressions and I focus on communication between them. I assign literature to the high-level English teachers, especially short stories with non-standard English spelling, like Zora Neal Hurston's story "Spunk."

The two English conversation club classes I have each week I teach them very basic sentences, while playing cards. The club is supposed to be a fun and relaxing evironment, so a traditional classroom environment isn't what the teachers want. They just want to use English more often. So far they've learned some different variants of poker, blackjack, and go fish. I'm hoping someday to teach them cribbage. Playing card games, and other English language games, helps with retention too.

[Chonbuk]

Hi,

Right now I'm currently teaching native speakers how to teach ESL/EFL overseas.

But, I've also taught alot of teacher training classes with EPIK.

I would suggest brainstorming with them things that they need for their classes.

Get a hold of the textbook that they use, and plan out a few songs and games that they can teach to their students.

I am Thumbkin, Bingo, Farmer in the Dell- children's songs

Are they elementary, middle or high school Teachers?

HS teachers have such a full on curriculum that it is harder for them to add-on stuff.

Once for Halloween we all did arts and crafts and then they taught their students to do the same activity.

Remember these teachers are often pretty stressed out about these classes and really would much rather have a break, so try to make it as fun, relaxing and useful as you can.

For the higher level classes, do the same thing, perhaps with pop-songs, but add some conversations about issues-

My old teachers loved to chat about how hard their jobs were, and how annoyed they were with the Board of Education.

Also, do go out with them. The beers might not be appropriate if you have a bunch of working Mom's, but coffee or tea at a nice place will really change the nunchi in your class.


Check out www.onestopenglish.com

you will have to register, but they have a ton of ideas for ESL/EFL classes in general.


In one of my groups I had an old guy who came smelling like soju, and complained in Korean about the course, after a few weeks of I am thumbkin, and games and song, he told me that he really started to enjoy the class, and had taught his students some of the activities.


This really can work just make it as fun as possible.


Miss those teacher training classes-


sigh.

Chonbuk


in sunny Sydney