Korean Job Discussion Forums

[meursault]

I didn't ask for it, but now I find myself teaching an after school class 3 times a week. It's a mixed girls' middle school class with students drawn from my regular classes. The class is supposed to be an informal English conversation class. I don't have a textbook and have very limited access to paper (so worksheets are out).

Thus far we've played hangman and scattergories--I'm also planning to teach them common expressions (other than "fine, thank you, and you?"). I'm not feeling very inspired--any other ideas?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

How many students? It sounds like you have very vague parameters but I'm sure there are 100 better things you could do than hangman. Why not start by having them come up with descriptions of themselves and their families.

[wings]

Tell the school that you can't teach the class without photocopies! If you are at a public school there is paper, just go looking. If you're not allowed to make copies for your extra class then just lie and say they are for regular classes.

Go to www.englishtips.org and download a few books. you don't need to print the course books, just put them on the TV for conversation, then print and get copies of worksheets to go along with them.

Find some books that have simple stories that you can have a conversation about. For example, get a copy of "Very Easy True Stories" of similar, ask them questions before they read the stories and have kids discuss the answers in groups. For example, there is a reading about the guy with the world record for having hiccups the longest; ask how long they think the record is, ask about how you get hiccups and how you cure them. have them brainstorm first in groups, then take up the answers on the board. Read the story and talk about it.....

Not the best lesson plan but WAY better than hangman.

[QbertP]

I've taught after school classes a few times, usually I try to work in little units,
2-4 classes on stories and poetry(writing speaking)
2-4 classes on drama activities(reading writing speaking acting)
2-4 classes on English board game instruction(great fun and teaches imperatives.)

Mix in simple songs(gap fills, vocab)
Discussions(topic information sheets read and then followed by discussion)
Grammar(or any other language fundamental)
Try to reuse what you teach. Create vocab lists.

These are just examples. Today I intend to get ice cream for my kids and have them sit outside and write haiku's.

[Underwaterbob]

I try to keep my after school classes as informal as possible. Usually it's the better students, or at least the students who want to be there, so motivation and behavior aren't much of an issue. We usually end up just shooting the breeze for half the class, if they're making an effort to speak to me in English, then I consider it a success.

[D.D.]

Use youtube to stimulate some conversation. They like talking about Korea stuff.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[harlowethrombey]