Korean Job Discussion Forums

[leeroy12]

Hey there folks...

I've never been to Korea, but have had the interesting experience of teaching Koreans alongside those of other nationalities in an ESL environment.

I'm not the first teacher to voice concerns about the effectiveness of "The Communicative Approach" in mostly Asian classes. Confucian culture, I presume, dictates (in a round about kind of way) that speaking out in a class is the wrong thing to do. I can only assume that. "Discussion" with Asian students is a dead horse I've long since given up flogging. Perhaps a few of you know what I mean...

Here I am doing a DELTA in London at the moment, where I have come across a curious beast known as "The Direct Method". I have to admit, I'd heard of it before - but was only really vaguely aware of how it worked.

After a demonstration and subsequent debate about it, I thought to myself "Sh*t! this could really work with those painfully shy Asian students." Alas, I'm in no position to try it out at the moment as there are no Asians in my classes at my course - but once I get back to the "real world" of teaching I'll be sure to give it a try.

"The Direct Method" (as I understand it) is completely teacher focused, relatively uncommunicative and promotes very little learner autonomy. It also requires relatively little grammatical study, and focuses on speaking and listening rather than those other "boring" skills. In short, for Asian students, it sounds perfect... My course tutor agrees, "Asian students", he explained, "prefer to speak only when you tell them to." (Not very communicative is it?)

So, just out of curiosity - what teaching methodologies do you guys find to be most effective in Korea? Ever use "The Direct Method"? Or have you found a way to get the communicative approach to work over there?

Just curious...

[Butterfly]

I find the direct method rather gruelling to be honest, and a bit boring. And I feel that once you start with that, then the students expect it, and there is then no way you are going to get them to speak freely and take some of the responsibility for their learning. Thus, it is not entirely fair to completely dismiss the communicative approach in Asia because it depends on the culture of the class, and the Ss's relationship with each other, which you, the teacher can nurture. I believe if you set a strong class culture, then you can override any Asian or national culture, and you can then use whichever method you wish. A lot depends on the confidence and character of the teacher I feel, to lead the class beyond national cultural boundaries and thus raise their confidence. I am, of course, referring to teaching adults, I don't know about kids.

'Discussion' alone I do not feel is necessarily worthwhile anyway, if there isn't plenty of preparation, reading, and appropriate on-topic study in advance.

Speaking freely and at will is what they aspire to and enjoy, so there is a business aspect to consider too; the communicative approach is so often what the students want.

[drcrazy]

Unfortunately, Korean teachers do not practice what they preech, and what is now being preeched to them. All of the articles being published in Korean English teaching journals now are just like the ones in TESOL Quarterly, etc. The modern methods are the best. Teachers should be student centered not teacher centered. Communicative competence is more important than linguistic perfection, etc., etc., etc. Furthermore, the Korean Ministery of Education also supports all of this and requires teachers to teach here as in the west. College entrance exams are also now in a process of changing to evaluate students on communicative competence, etc. However, I have obsereved (somtimes spied ) on many Korean English teachers teaching K-PhD cousres. Still the same. The teacher just goes on bla bla bla in Korean about English grammar and the students do nothing. Just last week I was wating in the hall of my university to see a Korean prof after class. I was confused on the time and had an excuse to overhear most of his class. He did all the talking and most was in Korean. It was a third year English conversation class for English majors But, many native speaking English teachers here in Korea are very student centerd and the Korean teachers love it and say they wish they could be more like us. If you think about it, one of the main reasons they want us here is so we can teach the way we do. So, do it "right" and don't worry. Also, I have taught pre-school thru PhD students here and they all love the fact that they get to participate in class and wish their Korean teachers would let them have a chance.

[drcrazy]

Forgot to attach my new signature

[Bingoman]

Have you heard of the 'date your female students' methodology? It works very well, the students get better quickly, and the teacher enjoys it.

[leeroy12]

Actually Bingoman I have, but I heard it can get quite gruelling in classes of 30+ students.

[some waygug-in]

The problem in Korea is not so simple as it might first appear. It's not just a matter of Confucianism, but a whole mix of things together.
Many students who are reluctant to speak in class are shy because of their poor level of spoken English. The problem is not so much that they are shy, but usually it is a case of a student getting advanced too quickly. (I've yet to meet a Korean student who has a high level of English and is "shy". Quite the contrary.)

This is partly due to the system here that caters excessively to the whims of the enrolee and disregards their competence in order to make them happy. Many students will come saying, "Oh I been studied engrish grammar since 10 years, I'm need conversation class." And the school will eagerly put that student into a class that should be reserved for students at a higher level.
If you want to know what that student really studied, you will find that, yes he may have attended English classes for 10 years, but what did he do in those classes? Probably sit in the back and copy answers off the board or from the one student in class who did understand. Copying is not learning! It's one of the most difficult things in Korea to get students out of the habit of copying and to try and think for themselves. While some of the blame may be assigned to his teachers, one must also remember that those teachers are working within a system. They have constraints put on them as teachers which work against a communicative approach in the classroom. I'm talking from my own experience here.
The director says, "you must cover x number of pages a day". Which means that the only way to get through it all is to write the answers on the board and have students copy it.

Of course, I could protest. But that only means more trouble for me in the long run. It's a game of give and take. You have to try to do as they ask, but at the same time try to make those things more communicative
whenever and wherever possible.

I hope this makes some sense to you.
Cheers

[Anda]

I write scripts on which I have my students repeat after me and then we talk about the story so they understand what has been written and this is followed by pairwork on the story. When they have a story in front of them then they have something to talk about. Most Koreans work eat and sleep and have very ordinary lives so they don't have a lot to talk about.

Here is a sample story. Um, Dave mustn't like English contractions.

It’s Better Inside, Everyone Is Friendly. Story by Andrew / Anda

Tim: Oh Hi, Jim boy! How are you today?
Jim: Oh just super old chap, this here private asylum is the best I’ve been
in! Mind you my banker says it should be for the money it’s costing!
Tim: Yes I can never forgive myself for remaining sane all those years
working away in that stupid bank!
Jim: You Russian bankers take things to extremes by holding on to the last
minute in your careers before you stop and have some fun!
Tim: How are we supposed to beat you English bankers? Why you’re all
born crazy, you’re impossible to beat!
Jim: Hey you’re forgetting those American boys!
Tim: Ah yeah why did you have to bring them up? They’ve always got to be
number one at everything haven’t they?
Jim: Yes even though they’re late starters compared to you English boys
they still catch up! The trouble with them though is once they crack
they don’t seem to be able to settle down and enjoy life inside like
you English.
Tim: It’s all in their breeding actually! Besides they’re coffee drinkers you
know. It’s no wonder they’re so highly strung! Now tea is the drink
you have, if you’ve got proper breeding. Mind you if I had to live in
that ghastly country of yours then I’d be drinking that vile fermented
potato juice to shut out the cold too!
Jim: Huh vodka vile! England has a better climate! No wonder they say the
English are mad! You actually believe these things.
Tim: Of course dear chap. You Russians have been fooled into believing
that you have it better than us haven’t you?
Jim: Oh come on now, stop this silly talk, we’re insane remember? We’re
supposed to be laughing and smiling and enjoying life!
Tim: Yes you’re right if they heard me talking seriously than they’d have me
thrown back behind an office desk in an instant!
Jim: Let’s let out a few yells and roll down the grass embankment here and
throw our hands up above our heads!
A moment latter.
Tim: Ah here they come! Let’s start laughing our heads off while we point
at each other!
Jim: That’s got them convinced! Look! They’re shaking their heads and
going back now!
Tim: They’re so simple aren’t they?
Jim: Yes thank goodness! What made you decide that this was a better life
Tim?
Tim: Oh, one morning I was sitting in my office checking over my own
investments. You know I’ve got millions all over the place but I was
being harassed day and night to produce more profits for everyone. I
was still with my third wife at the time, boy could that woman spend!
Jim: Don’t they all? I stopped remarrying after my second divorce. That
doesn’t stop things though, girlfriends are just as expensive!
Tim: Well anyway I realized then and there that I wasn’t getting anything
out of life! That’s when I started to plan to drop out from the banking
world. The wife would have to go that was obvious!
Jim: Yes there’s no way to shut them up when they think that you’re losing
interest in making money!
Tim: Yes that’s for sure! I started moving my money out of Russia to
different places that couldn’t be tracked. Next I started to leave
literature lying about on the Orange People.
Jim: That free love cult from India?
Tim: That’s the group! I channeled all my money through India to secure
investment places in other countries!
Jim: Cloak and dagger stuff, a what old man?
Tim: Well it had to be like that! The wife was like a bloodhound when it
came to tracking down money! Especially my money!
Jim: How did the Orange People tie in with everything?
Tim: That bloke they called the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh that was the god
of the orange people had a real reputation for getting people to part
with their life’s savings. I did a flit from Russia to one of his Ashrams
in India but left plenty of clues to where I’d gone for the wife to find
me!
Jim: Gee you don’t half do things!
Tim: Yeah It was fun when the wife caught up with me I pretended that I’d
given all my worldly wealth to the Rajneesh! What a noise she made.
She recommended that I should sign myself into a nuthouse so I did.
She divorced me within a month without getting a cent out of me!
Jim: Capital idea old fella! So She bought the whole story?
Tim: Yes but I’m holding out here for a while just to be on the safe side
while she hunts down another victim. I’ve heard she’s closing in on a
Politician so I should be off the hook soon! What’s your story Jim?
Jim: Well I just got sick of the pressure plus my Kids that I had to the first
wife. They were always after money. I‘d heard them calling me a silly
old fool a number of times when they didn’t think I could hear them.
That’s how I got this mad idea!
Tim: What did you do.
Jim: Well I hid my money similar to you! Then one day when they were all
talking about me I pretended to go into a state of shock from hearing
them putting me down. They called my doctor whom I’d already paid
off to go along with my game and here I am. I left papers in my
bedroom that made out that I’d invested all my money into oil in
Arabia. They’ve nearly gone mad trying to find my money.
Tim: Well Jim I think we’re going to have the time of our lives next year
when we vanish to the Pacific Islands.
Jim: That’s what I’m thinking Tim.

[Butterfly]