Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mmace1]

I'm currently teaching at a public high school in the Bundang area. For my freshman classes, I make "conversation-based" lesson plans/games.

Since I don't have any prior teaching experience, nor any training, I'm having a bit of a hard time coming up with new lessons @ this point (6 months into my contract).

Any lessons/games you highly recommend that engage students and aren't too horribly difficult? There are many posted online, but many seemed not so great, and additionally - are usually aimed at much smaller classes (public school, so I teach classes of ~40).

The lessons can't rely on the co-teacher too much either...one of them doesn't show up/participate consistently, and another doesn't actually speak English, oddly enough.

[agoodmouse]

The Korean English teacher who doesn't speak English can't speak any or just some? I feel sorry for his/her students.

[Easter Clark]

Here's what I do at my HS:

I bought a few books so I would always have material. The hard part was finding books that are geared towards this age group...they're usually either for adults / young adults or children. The problem is, I think most HS students in Korea aren't mature enough for the "young adult" books and too mature for elementary / kindy books.

Touchstone (available in most large bookstores here) has worked very well for me. I take the topic / vocabulary from each unit and convert the information to a PowerPoint. I also have the same structure for every lesson (Review, warmer, vocab, listening, grammar, drills, pair/group work, review). Depending on the amount of material I have / haven't covered, they may get a handout from the workbook. Interchange is OK sometimes (especially for listening activities), and is good for the slightly higher-level after-school students.

I also use the Oxford Picture Dictionary (bilingual Korean/English) sometimes to review vocab or as a "dead day" lesson where they use the OPD worksheets I made into information gaps:

Make two copies of one page. On one copy white out the even numbers, on the other, white out the odd numbers. They can work together asking "How do you say____ in English?" Then you can have them classify the vocabulary into whatever groups you see fit or drill each other on spelling (either one student says the word and the other spells it; or one student spells the word and the other says it). You can also go to www.puzzlemaker.com and plug in the vocab, making a crossword or word find to reinforce spelling.

Of course HS students also love pop songs, but you have to strike a balance between interesting / "cool" and level of difficulty.

[mmace1]

Wow, the puzzle maker is quite neat-o, thanks. I'll check out the book you mentioned (I already have the Interchange one, but don't use it as I'm aiming more for games with the 1st graders)

The teacher in question speaks some English, not enough to have a conversation at all though. I'm not sure if up to the level of an average student, as I don't attempt conversation for fear of embarrassing them.

[BS.Dos.]

I did a nice little exercise this week, both with my MS girls and HS boys, but it's more a role-playing activity than conversation based I'm afraid. The 2nd grade MS girls got on reasonably well with it, but it worked better with my HS students. You can tweak the sentences to make them easier just be careful that when doing so, you don't detract from revealing the particular context to much.

1. Pre-teach:
Offer ~ of�fer ~ chegong
Request ~ re�quest ~ chonghada

2. Ask the students to tell you if the sentence is either an offer of help or a request for something.

3. Get the students to tell you where they think it�s happening.

4. Get them to tell you who they think is speaking to who.

5. Get them to give you some possible replies

6. Try and get them to elaborate and build a simple conversation if they can.

Demonstrate with this sentence:

�I�ll have a kilo of onions please�

Before moving on to more complex sentences:

1. I bought this dress here yesterday and the strap�s already broken. Can you change it?
2. Would you like some help with your pram madam?
3. Would the owner of the silver Kia, please remove it from the hotel forecourt.
4. Janet. Shall I give you a hand helping you move out of your apartment this weekend?
5.Come in. Sit down. What�ll you have, a glass of wine? Soju?
6.Oh, Francis. Will you email this invoice to Mr. Lee in Seoul?
7. Excuse me. You wouldn�t have any change for the vending machine, would you?
8. Would you like a free Coke with that?
9. Shall I make you some hot chocolate? It may help you to get some sleep.
10. Would you like me to come over to your house tomorrow and help you with your homework?