Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

I'm in Gangwon-do EPIK and find there are no books, no materials, and little support of any sort to have an English education program. Is there something I need to know about that can get me materials or even a full blown English program with a dedicated classroom? I thought I get a program and a room before taking this job, but no professional support of any sort is offered. I guess they don't care, but I care about solving the problem of how to best fill all this class time I've got coming up.

I teach at 2 elementary schools, one of which I just started at last week, and they asked me if I had a program. Nope. Another EPIK teacher in my local area I observed teach one class when I first got here just does games and music. I too am doing lots of music, karaoke, and basic conversation lessons, but don't know where I'm going with it and how to best approach this problem. I don't have a program of any sort to implement nor educated or experienced enough to invent it nor was given a heads up nor the time to do so. I was expecting a program as a general guideline of how to proceed through each semester along with some materials, but nothing is offered. There are plenty of photocopying and video projection resources available, but no books, software, and other materials. It appears they wouldn't care if I just showed cartoons and shows all the time, but I'd rather teach at least half the time. I'm teaching all the basics like date, weather, time, greetings, and basic conversation, but need more to go on. They lack understanding on taking and following instructions for games and activities so they usually flop with a bored Korean speaking class.

How do you think I should proceed with this problem? I could ask for funding to go to Seoul and buy some things like Let's Go and Backpack series books as well as dictionaries and other things, but it seems to be common place for all these schools to lack any materials and program. I've heard of some PS teachers being offered a budget to put together a program, but they don't care here. I'm told to just do as I please and that it's my thing. Is it really true that I just have all the freedom with no room for them to complain about anything since they lack any support or requests? I think so. I would be damned if I got a complaint.

One of my 6th grade classes has an English book, but there's no English; just simple pictures and Hangul text with so little English. My co-teacher teaches that book using a recording that goes with the pictures where the students mimic the sounds of the recordings. It's a listen and repeat thing. Before taking this job, I thought there was a program and supports in place, but it's lacking all that. Needless to say, I dread going to the job on account of not getting any satisfaction out of doing something that seems pointless when they just all talk all the time due to not having any structure in any of their classes. I feel like the guy trying to be a circus clown that is not cut out nor supported to be one.

Please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

[Draz]

[ttompatz]

The books, curriculum and materials are similar (identical?) to those used in Gyeonggi province.

You can get copies of the teachers materials here:
(I assume your computer at school has "HANGUL" the Korean word processor installed).

http://cge2.ken.go.kr/r/bbs/board.php?bbs_code=k_e_teaching

Click the links at the left and browse around (I assume you can't read Korean).

Or PM me with your e-mail address and I will send you copies of the bilingual lesson plans (for co-teaching) and English Only guides as distributed by the national ministry of education.

.