Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rapier]

[Cheonmunka]

You can "teach English like a professional" even in kindergarten because I am a certified teacher, and do so.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[shifty]

Not to mention the rotten punctuation.

[Saxiif]

[JongnoGuru]

Here's a stupid question that's sure to win me friends & admirers here.

[MODs, please pop a cap in this post if it deserves it.]

Wouldn't it be desirable for everyone concerned if every Korean kid that age wasn't forced or expected to learn a foreign language?

Would it be such a tragedy to give them that time to play?

Will starting the "Long March" a year or two later matter all that much to Korea's GNP?

Did monolingualism hold back Japan?

Is it holding China back?

Has English fluency made the Philippines an economic world-beater?



Okay, six stupid questions.

[Kimchieluver]

Not stupid questions at all.

I have this one student I taught Kindy my first year here, she was bright, attentative and one of the better ones to teach. She was also the director's daughter.

Now, two years later she is in grade two. I was asked by my current hogkwan and my old one to teach at the old one twice a week (I did all the Immin paperwork).

I have her again. She knows just a little more about English, she is the worst behaved student in the class and she is also the poorest at English. I blame this not only because her dad is the director, but more so that the Korean teacher and the hogkwan in general, automatically passes every student to the next book. Not only that, the KT will let them correct their mistakes before marking the test so that every student is an A student. Also, it is a franchise system.

Why did she bother taking Kindy English? I think it just turned her off.

[Alias]

[Alias]

The best thing you can do is get the word out to Korean parents. Hagwons are a scam!

I think I posted this here before but I'll tell it again. During my first year working at a hagwon in Seoul I became friends with an adjuma at a nearby restaurant that I attended frequently. She spoke pretty decent English and had often inquired about the Kids Club that I taught at as she was interested in sending her two sons there. I tried to avoid the topic as best I could because I did not want to be in the awkward situation of promoting a product which I new was garbage.

Finally she told me that my supervisor from work had been eating there for lunch and convinced her to enrole her sons. Since I was in my final month of my contract I felt that it was safe enough to spill the beans. I told her not to waste her hard earned money and that she would be better off getting a private tutor if she wanted.

A month later I was back in Canada and received a not so pleasant e-mail from my supervisor. She found out what I told adjuma Park and informed me that I would not be getting a letter of recommendation from her (although I never asked for one and already secured a position elsewhere)

I know. Telling parents the truth will only hurt us. The less students means less jobs. That is why I teach business English! So get out of hagwon hell while you still can.

[Summer Wine]

Now what was written before, I understand. But, I have students in Kinder whose english is good for thier age and I hope that it will get better. Will it? I don't know, from experience, probably not, but should we punish everyone for the inability of a lot. Maybe some will. Thats why we teach, to see the successes. Even if I never see them, yet maybe others will.

[Paji eh Wong]

[Paji eh Wong]

[matthews_world]

[Paji eh Wong]

Good questions guru.

[JongnoGuru]