Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

I'm with Jack the Cat....and I think it's mostly the clueless Korean parents that believe in this whole English osmosis thing for their kids. That's why hagwons are so discrimminatory in their hiring practices, because of the many parents who believe their kids will learn English by osmosis from Johnny English with his blond hair and blue eyes sends...he just needs to grin wide and sound like the cheesy dialogues on those horrible tapes that accompanies the books and viola! their little Mee-sun is fluent. And then of course the parents complain when their kid isn't fluent...something went wrong with osmosis...hey, that teacher must really have dark hair, they think! I know I sound bitter but I had a job interview a few months ago and after the assistant director wasted an hour of my time, he told me that he couldn't hire me because apgujeong parents want a "white" teacher. He even admitted that the majority of the parents were stupid but you have to give into their silly demands for the money.
I know that this isn't the case with all Koreans studying English. Actually my adult students, who are wonderfully advanced, say that the whole English Magic phenomenon (like shouting English at the top of buildings that was promoted by some clown, eating paper,) is a joke. They understand that they have to be patient with the language and they work really hard by themselves...they always want me to give them homework!

[tomato]

Hello, Casey's Moon!

about your husband:

I wonder if your husband is a valid example of a typical Korean.
I suggest that the Koreans who are attracted to �ܱ���'s, and who are in turn attractive to �ܱ���'s, are the ones who tend the most to think and act like �ܱ���'s.

(Or is it safe to say that most �ܱ���'s learn independently?)

about your students:

Is it possible that your students spend time on self-study because of your influence? Here I am reminded of the joke about opening the refrigerator door to find out if the refrigerator light is on.

Do you encourage your students to study independently? If so, tell us how you do it, so we can do likewise.