Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sleepy in Seoul]

I'm back teaching in New Zealand now and yesterday some of my students said things that just made my eyes boggle. It was one of the few times I have been lost for words. I think that it may give everyone teaching in Korea a slightly different view of what students are thinking...

I don't know how it happened but as I was teaching my class of about 30 15-year olds, some of them started talking about anal beads. I couldn't believe my ears so I started to listen and before I could tell them to stop and get back to work the following conversation happened:

One students said, 'What are they?'
His very good friend replied, 'Ask your mother.'

At this point I couldn't say anything. The first student was looking puzzled and a couple of other were laughing. When I finally gathered my wits I managed to get them back to work between bouts of almost hysterical laughter (mine). Then about a minute later, the second student (after obviously having thought about it a lot) said, 'Better, ask your dad.'

I lost it completely and couldn't stop laughing.

[tjmauermann]

That was a great post, thanks needed the laugh.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Funny, funny.

Some of my students (Korean) are getting into saying the word for the male reproductive organ. Unfortunately they pronounce it pen nis. So, I just feign ignorance and ask them to google it on the class PC. No one has called my bluff yet, thankfully.

[I'm no Picasso]

One of my middle school second graders came out with "dildo" yesterday. I wish I could remember the context. It backfired on him though when a. no one in the rest of the class understood except for me and b. instead of getting angry, embarrassed or flustered, I just stared at him directly in the eyes for the next five minutes of my lecture and he eventually turned red in the face and put his head down.

God knows why they can come out with things like "dildo", yet the concept of giving any answer besides "fine" and "so-so" to how are you is completely lost on them.