Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Paji eh Wong]

I've been handed a "culture class" to teach this semester. There is no course description or text. The guy who taught it last year had 15 students, 5 of whom spoke English well enough to do group discussion, 10 who were there to learn English.

I don't want to teach this as a content class. Right now, I'm thinking of treating it like another ELT class that I enrich with supplements like Culture Matters, unless I am pleasantly surprised by the English proficiency of the students.

I remember an old text called Values; an ELT book based around culture, but I can't find it. Is it still published? Who is the publisher?

What text would you use?

[Juregen]

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

take your pic

[spyro25]

i have the same thing to do. just wiki entries like 'eastern culture', 'culture in the US', 'british culture' 'muslim culture', and condense the info on their into a lesson, then make the students do presentations on each one.

[ajuma]

"Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans" (Min Byoung Chul, ISBN: 89-7512-202-6) is a great book! I've used it in classes of over 50 students. Of course it has to be straight lecture with a few yes/no questions thrown in, but it's in English AND Korean so even the low-level students will get something out of it.

Also, is it possible to divide the class? 1/2 the class time devoted to the lower level and the other 1/2 to the higher level?

[Paji eh Wong]

[ajuma]

Have each student in the higher-level group prepare a presentation on a country and its culture along with discussion questions. They do all the work!

[GreenlightmeansGO]

I have some debate material and other useful documents you could use. PM me your email addie and I can send them.

That breaking news english is a great site for you, too.

[spyro25]

one note about breakingnewsenglish.com - having used it for a while i would say it is a good idea to remove all the links to the breakingnewsenglish website when you print it out and do not inform the students about breakingnewsenglish. i was covering a class this week where the students knew all about breakingnewsenglish and some of them had read the articles already - meaning my lesson plan was screwed! good job on the students for taking some initiative but i think that website is a secret better left to us teachers......

[Paji eh Wong]

Thanks.

[Easter Clark]