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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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Yes this poster who goes by the name of 'old trafford' (the name of a soccer stadium, yawn) needs to be a little more thoughtful when he posts. Unqualified to teach? That is a lot of the current teachers in the ROK. And doing a years postgraduate in Ed may not prepare you for young Korean students. As Gadfly has said (he is qualified and very experienced) there is definitely a learning curve and there are definitely some crazy students ( ie, ADHD and medicated boys). You definitely have to start researching methods of class control and from your own experience in the classroom you will learn a few tricks, it just takes some time. You don't need to be a dictator but you must be stern eg, ' stand at the back of the class Jack' and also reward kids with games etc. I am still at the early part of the learning curve but sometimes there is (I know it's so corny) a sense of reward/achievement when you gain the respect of the students.
Yes, get the training you need to do your job. You go into the classroom with no experience and no support which you would get when doing your QTS, and in the U.K. your NQT year. When I take my car to the garage I expect the mechanic to be qualified. When I send my kids to school I expect them to have a qualified teacher to do the job. That's the problem with Korea, the qualifications they expect from EFL teachers is zero, not even the CELTA is required. You wouldn't be able to 'teach' in Europe without it.
Any further abuse from you sunshine, I'll be personally writing to Mr. Sterling and kindly requesting you're booted out of this forum. You uncouth, foul mouthed, lout. You are part of the disease that is EFL in Korea!! |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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Yes this poster who goes by the name of 'old trafford' (the name of a soccer stadium, yawn) needs to be a little more thoughtful when he posts. Unqualified to teach? That is a lot of the current teachers in the ROK. And doing a years postgraduate in Ed may not prepare you for young Korean students. As Gadfly has said (he is qualified and very experienced) there is definitely a learning curve and there are definitely some crazy students ( ie, ADHD and medicated boys). You definitely have to start researching methods of class control and from your own experience in the classroom you will learn a few tricks, it just takes some time. You don't need to be a dictator but you must be stern eg, ' stand at the back of the class Jack' and also reward kids with games etc. I am still at the early part of the learning curve but sometimes there is (I know it's so corny) a sense of reward/achievement when you gain the respect of the students.
Yes, get the training you need to do your job. You go into the classroom with no experience and no support which you would get when doing your QTS, and in the U.K. your NQT year. When I take my car to the garage I expect the mechanic to be qualified. When I send my kids to school I expect them to have a qualified teacher to do the job. That's the problem with Korea, the qualifications they expect from EFL teachers is zero, not even the CELTA is required. You wouldn't be able to 'teach' in Europe without it.
Any further abuse from you sunshine, I'll be personally writing to Mr. Sterling and kindly requesting you're booted out of this forum. You uncouth, foul mouthed, lout. You are part of the disease that is EFL in Korea!! |
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thegadfly

Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
| thegadfly wrote: |
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Kennyftw's post brings to mind one point;
Here are 2 teachers, one says he's got certification and is fully trained to be a teacher , the OP didn't tell us his background but someone accused him of being clueless and untrained.
Both are having the same types of issues with classroom management.
So how well does being a certified teacher actually prepare anyone for the job as an EFL instructor?
I'd say not very well at all. Some things are only gained through experience. |
Much better than NOT being a certified teacher prepares someone for being an EFL instructor. Education classes teach the theories, and presents "best practices" in an environment where we imagine these "best practices" make rainbows flow from unicorn butts, or butterflies, or some stuff like that.
The real world is much messier. When the rubber meets the road, and theories and best practices are actually tested, things do not always work out the way we imagine -- in fact, they SELDOM work the way we imagine...but they can work better than most other things. Experience PLUS theory and a knowledge of methodology are much better than experience without the latter things.... |
Point taken. I was trying to hint at the importance of getting some kind of TESOL/ CELTA / TEFL or other specialized EFL training, not trying to promote ignorance, but I guess I did a poor job of it. |
I do not know about everyone else's course requirements, but in order for ME to become certified to teach h.s. English in the US, I had to take 8 credit hours of classes in TEFL/TESOL -- so a total of 4 class-hours a week for a total of 32 weeks (consecutive classes, 16 week terms)...they each had an additional 2 hours a week of classroom observation/practicum...so I did 192 hours of TEFL/TESOL work, which is much more than the 50/100/150 hour certificates available separately...and this was NOT to get an additional certificate. This amount of coursework was a required, basic component of an English teaching certification at the school I attended, way back in 1990.
I guess I presumed that anyone that was certified to teach h.s. English already had an equivalent or superior educational background in TEFL/TESOL to someone who had "only" done a 50/100/150 hour course of study, what with all the other "teaching stuff" I had to do in addition to the 192 hours I put into this specific area. Maybe my school was "progressive" in its requirements.... |
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Captain Corea

Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| DaHu wrote: |
| oldtrafford wrote: |
| It's very simple, you're unqualified to do your job. The fact that you have kids on task is more a testimony to the kids then any skills you have. If you're really serious about teaching go home and get qualified. If you're here for the 'experience' then perhaps ask to observe a 'teachers'' class and see what skills they use for crowd control. But seriously what did you expect!! Kids are kids where ever you go, they're going to try it on. |
Because obviously it's the teacher's fault. There are never bad, unruly kids in the world. |
And it is the teacher's job to manage them and the class. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:22 am Post subject: |
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| thegadfly wrote: |
| some waygug-in wrote: |
| thegadfly wrote: |
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Kennyftw's post brings to mind one point;
Here are 2 teachers, one says he's got certification and is fully trained to be a teacher , the OP didn't tell us his background but someone accused him of being clueless and untrained.
Both are having the same types of issues with classroom management.
So how well does being a certified teacher actually prepare anyone for the job as an EFL instructor?
I'd say not very well at all. Some things are only gained through experience. |
Much better than NOT being a certified teacher prepares someone for being an EFL instructor. Education classes teach the theories, and presents "best practices" in an environment where we imagine these "best practices" make rainbows flow from unicorn butts, or butterflies, or some stuff like that.
The real world is much messier. When the rubber meets the road, and theories and best practices are actually tested, things do not always work out the way we imagine -- in fact, they SELDOM work the way we imagine...but they can work better than most other things. Experience PLUS theory and a knowledge of methodology are much better than experience without the latter things.... |
Point taken. I was trying to hint at the importance of getting some kind of TESOL/ CELTA / TEFL or other specialized EFL training, not trying to promote ignorance, but I guess I did a poor job of it. |
I do not know about everyone else's course requirements, but in order for ME to become certified to teach h.s. English in the US, I had to take 8 credit hours of classes in TEFL/TESOL -- so a total of 4 class-hours a week for a total of 32 weeks (consecutive classes, 16 week terms)...they each had an additional 2 hours a week of classroom observation/practicum...so I did 192 hours of TEFL/TESOL work, which is much more than the 50/100/150 hour certificates available separately...and this was NOT to get an additional certificate. This amount of coursework was a required, basic component of an English teaching certification at the school I attended, way back in 1990.
I guess I presumed that anyone that was certified to teach h.s. English already had an equivalent or superior educational background in TEFL/TESOL to someone who had "only" done a 50/100/150 hour course of study, what with all the other "teaching stuff" I had to do in addition to the 192 hours I put into this specific area. Maybe my school was "progressive" in its requirements.... |
It's certainly not a requirement in Canada. (at least not anywhere that I've heard of)
One of my first volunteer experiences was working at a local multi-cultural center with two ex-school teachers. They certainly had no training to be teaching ESL and were teaching such wonderful things
as "could of" as if it were correct English.
At my Uni, any ESL/EFL classes are electives not required. |
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ibeattheborg
Joined: 17 Dec 2010 Location: the deep blue sea
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:44 am Post subject: |
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Any further abuse from you sunshine, I'll be personally writing to Mr. Sterling and kindly requesting you're booted out of this forum. You uncouth, foul mouthed, lout. You are part of the disease that is EFL in Korea!![/quote]
Where in my post was I uncouth or foul mouthed??? And I did complete the CELTA before coming here. Granted, I have an aversion to Man Utd but I was actually pointing out the fact/reality that the majority of ESL teachers here in Korea do not have a teaching qualification. The OP was reaching out for advice or help not to be told to go home and get qualified. |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:47 am Post subject: |
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So, to the last poster, does that make it right?!!  |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:52 am Post subject: |
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Where in my post was I uncouth or foul mouthed??? And I did complete the CELTA before coming here. Granted, I have an aversion to Man Utd but I was actually pointing out the fact/reality that the majority of ESL teachers here in Korea do not have a teaching qualification. The OP was reaching out for advice or help not to be told to go home and get qualified.
I told him if he was here for a short time then to observe more experienced teachers' classes. Ideally, he should go home and get qualified. I hope the mods pick up on this thread, you should be banned, you're an arsehole, if I ever met you, well that's another story!!  |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:54 am Post subject: |
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To answer your brain dead question, here:
You are a retard...besides being wrong about everything you're not helping in anyway. He is here now, thanks for telling him what he can't do. You fucking jackass.
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:56 am Post subject: |
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| You should be banned, I guess the mods are on holiday!!! |
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WadRUG'naDoo
Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:58 am Post subject: |
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| oldtrafford wrote: |
So, to the last poster, does that make it right?!!  |
You're still here? Surprised after the name-calling and swearing... Is that what you teach your students?
If you want "unfit," look in the mirror. With these petty attacks, you are giving teachers a bad name. I suggest you go back to the drawing board or at least get a straight jacket. I hope you haven't cause too much emotional damage to your students with this attitude.
Not cool. |
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ibeattheborg
Joined: 17 Dec 2010 Location: the deep blue sea
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:07 am Post subject: |
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| oldtrafford wrote: |
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I told him if he was here for a short time then to observe more experienced teachers' classes. Ideally, he should go home and get qualified. I hope the mods pick up on this thread, you should be banned, you're an arsehole, if I ever met you, well that's another story!!  |
I never called you any 'names' but the expletives are flooding out of you. Are you confusing me with the poster who called you a 'bleep' ? Ideally one should be qualified to teach but that's not the reality in ESL Korea so let's focus on how to deal with unruly students. |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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You're still here? Surprised after the name-calling and swearing... Is that what you teach your students?
If you want "unfit," look in the mirror. With these petty attacks, you are giving teachers a bad name. I suggest you go back to the drawing board or at least get a straight jacket. I hope you haven't cause too much emotional damage to your students with this attitude.
Not cool.
What you on about?!! I didn't attack anybody, I'm merely pointing out that most 'teachers' are unqualified to do their job. Try getting a job in the Middle East or Europe, you won't get one, it's that simple. Being a speaker of English doesn't make you qualified to teach it!! If I'm being 'petty' for caring about educational standards then I guess you're right, I'm being petty!!  |
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HagwonKanobi77
Joined: 16 Oct 2010 Location: Gwangju, South Korea
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| oldtrafford wrote: |
| You should be banned, I guess the mods are on holiday!!! |
It's "I guess the mods are on VACATION!!!" Not holiday. Easter, Fourth of July, Christmas, etc. are holidays. You don't go on Easter do you? Sorry I'm just busting your chops. But seriously it is "vacation."  |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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At least you didn't swear fella, I appreciate that. In the U.K. we use 'holiday.'  |
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