Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jcan]

I just started working for a public elementary school and was informed by my co-teacher that I have to teach the other teachers at my school for 4 hrs. a week, as I currently only teach the kids 18 hrs.

I'm pretty nervous as I've never taught adults before, and from my understanding they're at a really low level. My co-teacher said that they are nervous about speaking English, and would prefer just to listen.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to go about this? I'm not really sure how to get started, simply speaking for 2 hrs. at a time twice a week is sure to be boring for me and for them. Thanks.

[ajuma]

You might try teaching them what you're teaching the kids. Ask the teachers for their cooperation in using the vocab that you're teaching in their classrooms. Do all the activities that you do with your students. I think the teachers will relax and enjoy it.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I agree with ajuma. Try the same kind of activities that you are teaching the kids. I also found number activities work well with adults. Many of them want to feel more comfortable with using practical English when they travel, so expressions to use with travel agents, banks, grocery stores and shopping work well and include numbers.

You might also want to ask the school to divide the teachers into levels and work with higher level material with the English teachers.

I think you'll also find that most teachers will resist coming to your class. They have their jobs to do and the school is using their free time to keep you occupied, not the most efficient way to use their work time.

[jcan]

Thanks for the suggestions. So if I plan some activities/games (ex: two truths and a lie), you don't think they'd feel it's too childish?

[shantaram]

2 truths and a lie is a good idea. But you should probably make it clear that that is a warm-up and plan something concrete (and very simple) for the lesson, and clearly spell out your objectives to them at the outset. (Taking from the material you're teaching the students is a good idea)

Korean teachers feel threatened by the presence of a native speaker, and they resent that the native speaker often doesn't have educational qualifications in teaching beyond a certificate. So if you can prove to them that you know what you're doing by making everything very professional from the moment they walk through the door, they will at least get together later on and decide you're a good teacher.

I say that with the benefit of hindsight, because my teacher training experience was a disaster. I didn't know what to teach them. I didn't make it clear to them what I was teaching them. They hated coming and made excuses and sometimes just left en masse in the middle of the class. It made me resent working with them and really spoiled the relationship.

Also, avoid making complicated hand-outs. I gave a hand-out in response to some questions about my country, which was about half a page long, in very simple language. At the end of my time there, I was chatting to my co-teacher and she told me the teachers hadn't understood a word and had asked her to translate it, and it had taken her hours to translate.

[cmr]

At my school, teachers are free to come or not to the teachers' class. That way, I only get the ones who really want to learn. Is it the same for you? If so, you could start by asking them why they want to learn English and why they think learning English is or can be English useful to them. You could ask them if they want to learn using a book or if they'd rather learn from discussions. In my case, they didn't want to use the book they had, so I think I used it only once or twice since March. Anyway, teachers have so much to do that they cancelled the class quite often.

Since you are new to that school, you could ask them if they have questions to ask you to get to know you better and you could ask them questions, too. Actually, it may be easier if you start asking them a few questions, then they can ask you or other teachers the same or similar questions. You could use this to teach them how to ask/answer questions.

You can ask them what they did on the weekend or during Chuseok. That way you get to use past tenses. You can ask them about what they usually do on weekends or what their hobbies are. That way you get to use the simple present. You can ask them about their plans for the weekends or special holidays. That way you can use future tenses.

If you don't have too many teachers, then take time to get to know each other a little, so you can all feel more comfortable.

[aka Dave]

This is actually kind of my job. I teach Univ. students are studying to become English public school teachers (middle/high school).

I teach conversation, which is a lot of group discussions, etc., essay writing (you won't do this, so ignore it), and occasionally a "teaching English in English" to prepare them for "immersion teaching" (which was proposed by Lee Myeong Bak, then promptly rejected by the public).

I would do relaxed conversation classes. However, if they just listen I doubt they'll make much progress. If you don't have a conversation book (I use the Jack Martire ones, they're okay, not great), you could assign topics yourself. Roleplay topics like ordering food in a restaurant (they choose the type of food, write a sample menu, have a couple and a waiter, etc.), dialogues about topics like "where will you be in 5 years, etc.

As they act out their roleplay/dialogues for the class, ask them questions, etc., encouraging them to speak extemporaneously.

When you have them do dialogues and group work, require a minimum of lines each students must say, otherwise they'll likely be monosyllabic.

I'm sure the adult teachers could give you good advice.

[rayjoy]

I just started this at my school too. I had no idea what to teach and my co-teacher suggested American culture. So I had them write down ways they thought America and Korea were different. Very few of them would offer suggestions. Then I talked about American Thanksgiving with pictures and had them explain to me in English what Choseuk was.

After class, my co-teacher said, they didn't understand you at all. What they really want is the English textbook translated for them in case they have to substitute for an English class.

So that's what we are doing now. We are teaching them the entire textbooks for 3rd-6th grade in one semester. And my co-teacher teaches with me because their English ability is very low.

Also, I guess they are somewhat interested in English-language movies and music.

I would suggest having your co-teacher survey them about what they actually want to learn. What's the point in teaching them if its something they don't want to know?

I have taught ESL to immigrant adults for a long time. The ESL I taught was situational, like going to the bank, calling a repairman, going to the hospital. These teachers have NO REASON to speak English at the bank or the hospital or to a repairman. You need to give them a reason and realistic situation to need to speak it. Substituting an English class might be one. Traveling could be another. Watching English-language movies too.

Anyways, I sympathise with you, my teachers class is my hardest class to teach.