Korean Job Discussion Forums

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1.
I have a 2nd year middle school class who are in my lower level section.
Today I realized that they should not be in a conversation class.
They have trouble even understanding the most basic of instructions.
They badly lack fundamentals.
My lowest 1st graders are better...

2.
Besides from English skills, their behavior in class would drive a man crazy.

I think 1 is reinforcing 2 and vice versa...

SO how do I tackle this thing? Even if I get them to keep quiet, I feel like I'm talking to elementary kids. I could do elementary school activities, but that will only turn them off. I feel like I need to dish out grammar (Which they should have gotten from their English teacher).

Oh, boy

[Easter Clark]

How is the seating arranged in your classroom? That makes a big difference. What role does your coteacher play in class? If they lack the basics, then start there. Give them lots of vocabulary exercises and writing practice, then they can read what they wrote aloud. Work on pronunciation. Give them a choice: do what you say or be on the receiving end of punishment from their homeroom teacher.

[Smee]

How many students? Public school class?

I agree that the K teacher needs to be hitting some grammar so at least you've got something to work with.

I did a summer workshop with lower level students and they loved "go fish." If you have a class with a managable number of students---like at a hagwon---try that once. It teaches them about asking for stuff, and you could always swap the cards out for different themes (like cards with animals, vocab, famous people, etc.)

If you're in a hagwon setting, or have under 20 students in a class, board game worksheets work well. You can get them out of some workbooks or google around for them.

If you're doing listen/repeat stuff, try breaking stuff down into language units. He gave / the ball / to his friend. The students switch em around, translate em, put em back together.

I hate saying it, but you might have to just cut your losses and try with the handful of students in the class who (probably) want to learn or at least want to chat in English. If the other students want to sleep, and if the coteacher is indifferent, then I guess you'd better just let 'em.

[esetters21]

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Divide them into groups and get each group to give themselves a team name. Deal with them on a T-group basis rather than T-whole basis. Apologies if you already know this but many don't so...