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htrain
Joined: 24 May 2007
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 Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:35 am Post subject: The honest truth . . . not always easy to swallow |
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I have read heaps of posts on here about racist Koreans. I would like to suggest that many Koreans that are seen as racist are just ignorant.... and xenophobic. You can't hate someone for being ignorant, they just dont know any better. ANYWAY, if this is beating a dead horse, sorry and please move on to the next post or click the back button.. but today I was kinda taken aback.... just a little though.
I have a precocious 16 year old who is my best, brightest student. We do free-talking on Sundays at my hakwon, just one on one. He has travelled and is really respectful. He's an all around cool kid.
I presented him with a recent predicament and asked him how he would teach a class when no one wants to learn and they do nothing but gasp, snarl, mash pencil boxes, hit each other, etc.
We talked about risk, rewards, referent power vs. legitimate power, pos/neg reinforcement. I told him all about every way I have changed things up to appeal to different types of learning... tactile, visual, etc.
This is what he said... get ready... not an exact quote:
"Honestly.... In school, we are taught that adults are above children and children should always honor adults. But foreigners don't apply, because they are not Korean people and therefore an adult foreigner is pretty much on the same level if not lower than a Korean child. There is no reason to pay attention in class, the foreign teacher is funny to them. They know the foreign teacher can't hit them, only the Korean teacher can. If a foreigner teacher hit a student the parent would be very angry and go crazy, but if a Korean teacher did that it is good." |
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Pak Yu Man
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Location: The Ida galaxy
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:45 am Post subject: |
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| should have smacked him one to prove him wrong. |
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htrain
Joined: 24 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| Pak Yu Man wrote: |
| should have smacked him one to prove him wrong. |
Hahahaha and taught him a new word... "Pwned." |
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shaunew
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Calgary
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:10 am Post subject: |
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| Hitting you can't do. But choke slamming the little Bastar ds you can do. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:10 am Post subject: |
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| Pak Yu Man wrote: |
| should have smacked him one to prove him wrong. |
Mental picture funny. |
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ricky_lamour
Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Location: jikdongli
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:45 am Post subject: |
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| I've been wondering about that. Is it illegal for to hit them? Even with a KT present? |
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hubba bubba
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:33 am Post subject: |
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Yes, I am allowed to hit kids at my (elementary) school. Probably not legal, but since when is that important.
I don't do it tho...anymore. |
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Billy Pilgrim
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:42 am Post subject: Re: The honest truth . . . not always easy to swallow |
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| htrain wrote: |
"Honestly.... In school, we are taught that adults are above children and children should always honor adults. But foreigners don't apply, because they are not Korean people and therefore an adult foreigner is pretty much on the same level if not lower than a Korean child. There is no reason to pay attention in class, the foreign teacher is funny to them. They know the foreign teacher can't hit them, only the Korean teacher can. If a foreigner teacher hit a student the parent would be very angry and go crazy, but if a Korean teacher did that it is good." |
I'm not surprised. We are still very much resolutely not part of their whole social set-up here - and it's almost surreal how many Koreans (but my no means all, or even a majority) just have no ability to relate to foreigners on any terms whatsoever.
Still, faced with what we are faced with, it's our job to give those little kids a bit of an education in more ways than one. |
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PGF
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| hubba bubba wrote: |
Yes, I am allowed to hit kids at my (elementary) school. Probably not legal, but since when is that important.
I don't do it tho...anymore. |
OP you should've pointed out the fact that that K teachers HIT children makes them less than desirable members of the international communityy or glabal village or whatever this country is calling the west these days.
When I talk to my students about their regular beatings I always point out that civilized nations do not condone such behavior. They are ALWAYS surprized when I tell them that if public school teacher smacked or beat child they would be arrested. Most, if not all, of my kids now want to go to school in the US.
Last edited by PGF on Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:57 am Post subject: Re: The honest truth . . . not always easy to swallow |
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| htrain wrote: |
I have read heaps of posts on here about racist Koreans. I would like to suggest that many Koreans that are seen as racist are just ignorant.... and xenophobic. You can't hate someone for being ignorant, they just dont know any better. ANYWAY, if this is beating a dead horse, sorry and please move on to the next post or click the back button.. but today I was kinda taken aback.... just a little though.
I have a precocious 16 year old who is my best, brightest student. We do free-talking on Sundays at my hakwon, just one on one. He has travelled and is really respectful. He's an all around cool kid.
I presented him with a recent predicament and asked him how he would teach a class when no one wants to learn and they do nothing but gasp, snarl, mash pencil boxes, hit each other, etc.
We talked about risk, rewards, referent power vs. legitimate power, pos/neg reinforcement. I told him all about every way I have changed things up to appeal to different types of learning... tactile, visual, etc.
This is what he said... get ready... not an exact quote:
"Honestly.... In school, we are taught that adults are above children and children should always honor adults. But foreigners don't apply, because they are not Korean people and therefore an adult foreigner is pretty much on the same level if not lower than a Korean child. There is no reason to pay attention in class, the foreign teacher is funny to them. They know the foreign teacher can't hit them, only the Korean teacher can. If a foreigner teacher hit a student the parent would be very angry and go crazy, but if a Korean teacher did that it is good." |
I've lost many middle school students because of this. If they don't want to study and follow my rule, they're out. Elementary students are easier to control. While my middle school classes are much better, they still tend to speak too much Korean because they think they have the right to. And even elementary classes speak Korean before class starts. I find that very rude. It's alright to use Korean to learn new words or explain grammar and sentences. That's very minimal use. But speaking to each other in Korean is a big no no. Takes a long time to implement the, "What is this in Korean/English", "I'm sorry. I don't understand. Could you explain, please?", etc.
The only time it should be tolerated is when they ask the teacher in English "May I ask Ji Su what this is means in Korean?" and then you let them banter on so they come to understand. Then the next step is for them to ask the other student in English, etc.
It's hard to get to that point, but I just feel that things really need to slow down. It's not a goddamned race.
I think it takes one or two classes to teach them to communicate that way. I haven't actually gotten all the way there yet, but you've got me thinking. I already put the signs up on the walls for these types of English questions, but I'm not finished.
Even getting the elementary kids to say, "Hello, how are you" "I'm ok, how are you?" "I'm fine, thank you" was a task, but they do it every day. To the point that it kind of annoys me. Pretty funny.
I'm going to try something with my 2nd-year middle school class tomorrow and I'll post an update here. I just hope I don't forget or don't feel like doing it. That's part of the problem, too. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| Jeez, I've been aware of this for years. We're not actually people because non-Koreans do not fit in ths society. Even fluent foreigners are just amusing at best. Korea.... ah, forget it. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:32 am Post subject: |
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| jajdude wrote: |
| Jeez, I've been aware of this for years. We're not actually people because non-Koreans do not fit in ths society. Even fluent foreigners are just amusing at best. Korea.... ah, forget it. |
And that is the worst thing about Korea. |
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PGF
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:47 am Post subject: |
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| yingwenlaoshi wrote: |
| jajdude wrote: |
| Jeez, I've been aware of this for years. We're not actually people because non-Koreans do not fit in ths society. Even fluent foreigners are just amusing at best. Korea.... ah, forget it. |
And that is the worst thing about Korea. |
No the worst thing about Korea is that raw sewage small that hits you every now and then in the summer.
I think most of you are confusing not being considered people with not being respectable people. Personally, I have a great reputation in my area and I make a lot of money teaching Korean adults when I'm not fu9cking around in my hagwon. Maybe you are just not liked. Maybe you would be treated the same by your elders in your home country. Think about it for a minute. What would you be doing back home? And, why aren't you back home? |
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MrsSeoul
Joined: 31 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:42 am Post subject: |
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| Pak Yu Man wrote: |
| should have smacked him one to prove him wrong. |
You don't have to. If you have a good relationship with your Korean coteacher they'll do it for you. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:00 am Post subject: |
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| PGF wrote: |
| yingwenlaoshi wrote: |
| jajdude wrote: |
| Jeez, I've been aware of this for years. We're not actually people because non-Koreans do not fit in ths society. Even fluent foreigners are just amusing at best. Korea.... ah, forget it. |
And that is the worst thing about Korea. |
No the worst thing about Korea is that raw sewage small that hits you every now and then in the summer.
I think most of you are confusing not being considered people with not being respectable people. Personally, I have a great reputation in my area and I make a lot of money teaching Korean adults when I'm not fu9cking around in my hagwon. Maybe you are just not liked. Maybe you would be treated the same by your elders in your home country. Think about it for a minute. What would you be doing back home? And, why aren't you back home? |
Get over youself.
"What would you be doing back home... blah, blah, blah."
What the fk are you ranting on about? |
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