Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Demophobe]

My grade 3 class gets writing only to learn their names in English. Otherwise the only exposure to the written language is through phonics. Showing letters so the kids get a handle on the sounds...helps with their future writing skills, listneing and production.

There are many other things to do other than writing activities. Some good links in this thread.

Storytelling, songs, simple role-play....

pecan: We don't have these kids from when their brains are a developing mush, nor do we have them 24 hours per day. We see them for 40 minutes a day, once a week. I think you are just over the top. Not totally wrong, but just a jerk. No one made fun of anything. Looking for a fight, eh? TROLL-ish.

Grotto posted a relevant concern and he is trying to do a good job at his new school. Help, don't hinder. Grotto, good work mate.

"Please be mindful of your students and encourage any and all approximations at learning the target language. "

You sound like a poorly-worded, obscure motivational sign in a hagwon teacher's room.

[tomato]

Hello, !

With a small investment in a sign language dictionary, you can involve sign language in the classroom.

You can make up patterned sentences. ("You are wearing red. He is wearing yellow.") ("This is a pencil." This is an eraser.")

You can adapt the Simon Says game. I have a set of verb cards. I show the card for "walk," then I do the sign for "walk" while saying "walk." The students are to follow my example.

Next I show the card for "swim," then I do the signs for "do not swim" while saying "do not swim." This time, the students are not to follow my example.

Hello, !

I realize you didn't ask for advice, but I'll offer it anyway.

When a new kid comes in the classroom, I introduce all the other kids through sign language. "His name is Bill. Bill is next to Karen." I fingerspell the names and do the motions for all the other words.

TPR is easy to involve in teaching verbs, but I don't understand how TPR could be used to teach other parts of speech. Sign language, however, can easily be used to teach all parts of speech. Besides, sign language could come in handy in case you ever meet a deaf person. For these reasons, I prefer sign language over TPR.

My favorite sign language dictionary is Comprehensive Signed English Dictionary.



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0913580813/qid=1084934939/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-1658994-0003058?v=glance&s=books

So far, I haven't gotten anyone else interested in teaching sign language, but I keep trying.

[Demophobe]

Good idea.... Thanks Tomato.