Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sarbonn]

I'm usually really easy going when teaching my kids. I think some of the Korean teachers think I'm TOO easy going, such as not really getting upset when the students do the things kids generally do. However, I've always noticed that when I walk by another teacher's class, it usually sounds like a riot is going on in that classroom, and the other teachers are constantly coming down to the manager to get her to "enforce" discipline. I teach some of those exact same classes, and while the kids are loud at times, they generally seem to be a lot more relaxed in my classes and rarely out of control.

Anyway, with that being said, yesterday hit me differently because one of my students discovered a new word (or resurrected it...who knows?), and it just so happened to be "N*****" (the racial f-bomb). He thought it was lots of fun to call everyone that name. Now, I know MANY would disagree with me here, but I actually stopped class completely and went onto a long discussion about how this was a hate word, not just another fun swear word we use to act cool. I had to keep coming back to this point as the kid now thought he had a word that was even more fun than when he first started using it. By the time I was done, I had made a serious impact, and he never used the word in the class again. I told him that if he was back in the states and actually used that word on someone, it might be the last word he ever said, that this was not your typical swear word but one that has nothing but hate as its meaning.

Of course, I didn't go into an explanation of how African-Americans sometimes call each other the same word, because that would have just confused them and probably caused them to think it was somehow okay to keep using.

Anyway, but I rarely find myself affected by anything that happens in class, but this just really bugged me more than anything else. And I don't really have anything to ask with this thread, but I thought I would just share my thoughts cause I was actually surprised that something caused me to be concerned while teaching in these classes.

[bogey666]

[sarbonn]

Actually, I started with your third option you added, and that actually made things worse. I was hoping to just fend it off with the quick response, and that caused him to launch into an "N-bomb" stand up routine.

[crusher_of_heads]

Help me out here-in relation to the word, not your situation, am I hearing correctly on OCN with the commercial where the commentator uses the n-word right before the 3 teenage girls a ppears? And then one of the lovely sparklers hoarks a good one?


Not a surprise you heard it in class if it's a prime time commercial.

[sarbonn]

[Underwaterbob]

It's possible (remotely) that it's "ni ga", which is simply the possessive "your" in Korean.

[Ramen]

[bundangbabo]

What you could do is get them to write down on the board every racist slur they can think of (like Mr Shah in the film the wanderers)

http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=13WFTwzy4tU

More than likely they will write the usual racist crap against black people and then you introduce them to the names they would be called if they went to a school in the UK (and I am sure the US, Australia etc) - I don't need to type them on here but we all know what kind of racist filth any kid who came from Korea would be subjected to in most state schools in the UK - and not only that - they would be subjected to some high grade physical bullying - guaranteed.

The lesson you need to teach them is that racism and racial slurs is a fact of life for them as it would be for any black person in the English speaking world - once they realise this, they might think twice.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=cn24IR5hK4g

[Cornfed]

It just means "black" in Latin. Sure it's right to educate people about the neurotic aspects of American culture, but you shouldn't equate them to what is actually right or wrong.

[Easter Clark]

[cheeseface]

He was probably listening to too much rap music......

[bogey666]

[ChinaBoy]

I don't think you should preach to children.

[jadarite]

I would have the co-teacher scold the kid after class. The class didn't say the word, just one student. So, I don't see the point in lecturing them all.

If we stopped class collectively for every bad thing a student did, it would turn into a holiday, LOL.