Korean Job Discussion Forums

celticjay · Joined: 27 Aug 2005

I'm looking for any tips from the veteran teachers out there. Currently, my students at the company I work for aren't speaking as freely as I would like. I bombard them with questions, but I just get the deer in head lights look. I've also started sitting to promote more of a informal atmostphere. Sometimes they talk sometimes they don't. Has anyone come up with a sure fire formula to keep it flowing?

riley · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: where creditors can find me

God, that's why I hate teaching adults, they can be the worst stick in the mud killjoy types. You can put a lot of energy and time into a class and get back nothing from them.
But to actually help, try playing a game with them where they have to practice their English. Make sure to write the core conversation structure on the board, and see how it works. My favorite game with adults is "I have never", just no alcohol. The students are given some form of markers (money, candy, poker chips) and have to say a sentence with present perfect about something they haven't done. Those who have, have to give a marker to that student. The one with the most markers wins. I'd also reccomend writing some ideas for students to say on the board.

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

Until their confidence is up, they won't talk to you.

What you do is to get them to prepare role-plays. At the beginning, they can write down exactly what they have to say and they can read off their paper. As time passes, they get more and more used to speaking, you can then eliminate the reading off the paper part and have them memorise their stuff. And after a while, stop even having them write down what they have to say. Still give them prep time before hand, though. Eventually, they will be confident enough to talk freely in class.

Doesn't take very long - if you do some every week, rotating the groups (don't let them choose the same partners and have some role plays that are for more than 2 people), it will take just about 30 hours of class contact time for them to open up.

celticjay · Joined: 27 Aug 2005

Thanks for the tips so far. I'm not sure I can wait for 30 hours of class time for them to open up though. My fear is they will lose interest and potentially drop out. I'm an in-company teacher who can't afford a bad reputation since I"m only 2 months into the job.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

There is a book called Business Communication games which would probably be good for your class. There are lost of pair and group activities to build their confidence: http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/isbn/0-19-457224-2?cc=global

You can probaly order it from Amazon if you can't find it in any of the bookshops in Korea.

ilovebdt

noguri · Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Location: korea

lastat06513 · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:31 pm Post subject:

I have taught for FILA, LG and Hyundae....here's my advice....

True.... role-playing works charms, but make the role-playing task based and related to their jobs....

I gave them such tasks as (granted in all 3 places, I taught the international marketing teams);

1. I gave them a picture of a neighborhood in Korea and asked them to find a good place to set up an advertisement.
1a. Using the same picture, where would they set up a store to attract the maximum amount of customers.
1b. Based on the type of people in the picture or what kind of situation the picture depicted, what kind of product would suit the people in the picture?

2. I would ask them to make a product or how would they improve the product they currently sell?
3. I would ask them to make a slogan and a symbol for that product and ask them why they chose them?
4. You can ask the other members of their team, especially the senior members to critique the proposals etc. And give the junior members a chance to do the same to their seniors- which is something unheard of in the Korean business environment.

I can sit here all day and mention what I did in my classes.

But the point is, there is more to business teaching then just sitting there and talking to them.
You have to be creative..

Also, in all classes, the Human Resources department ALWAYS assigns a senior to supervise the performance of the junior members and who will make a seperate report to the HR Dept., so you can always coordinate with them if you are not getting any cooperation... Wink

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

dodgybarnet · Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:08 am Post subject:

Personally I'm a question asker too.

I've never had success with role plays because you're assuming that the students have the creativity necessary to do them.

Now dont shout - I just find that Korean salary men either have no creativity, or the ones I've taught are robots. They can happily and easily talk about their beliefs and opinions, but get them to think outside the box and they start drooling.

Personally I give out business related articles that are funny or interesting in some way, but more importantly, are about subjects that they have an opinion about.

Read, address new vocab, then talk about their views.

Nice.