Korean Job Discussion Forums

[D.D.]

Every year and the beginning of the school term I have great visions of helping English education in Korea.

I think thoughts such as you can give a man a fish or teach hin to fish. So for a few days I try to stop being the fish giver and try to get them motivated.

Here is my lesson plan this year.

Q: What are the four parts of Pizza?
Kids answer: toppings, sauce, cheese, dough.

Q: what are the four parts of English?
Most kids say: speaking, reading , writing, listening.


Then I rant on no dough -no pizza, no listening -no English


Then I tell them that they need to practice listening 30 minutes a day and that it will be difficult at first but it's a stage they must go through.

I ask them how many have computers at home and tell them about youtube.


I play the English version of wonder Girls and Big Bangs Lies and ask them to tell me what they are saying.

They all can answer the English parts of the songs. I ask them why do they know those parts of the songs so well.

I also ask them why would the Wonder Girls release an English version of their songs? Kids answer money.


I try and give them homework that will get them doing some self learning.

I show them the word " lyrics" and how on youtube they can listen to a song while reading it and practice speaking or singing at the same time.



I am very aware that most teachers want to be the source and be the fish givers. I am also aware that the hogwans want to sell them fish and get them addicted to fish.


What attempts have you used to promote self generated learning.

My attempts always fail as the kids just stay in the old co-dependant patterns.

I would like to hear some good ideas to get them to practice outside of class.

[thegadfly]

You have to remember, it is not simply motivation that is the problem -- the students have been taught that the fish-giving is the normal state of affairs....

You just need to keep explaining and modeling the proper kinds of behavior, praising those kids that actually attempt to do what you are asking them to do -- you are trying to UNdo years of these habits, and a couple of pep-talks and one decent analogy are just the beginning of a long process. Keep at it, remember that most kids WANT to do as the teacher asks, and when they do not do so, they simply do not understand HOW to do what the teacher wants.... Keep explaining, be patient, and realize it will take a while....

Keep fighting the good fight!

[Juregen]

It takes me about 6 months to get the students to be come self-motivating. My classes have 4 to 7 kids, so bigger classes must be close to impossible.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I picked up one of my PS MS students Toeic books today. I thought I would test her on the vocab she was studying. What does 'philanthropy' mean, I asked. 'Oh, me no speaky English' was the reply.

Talk about being addicted to the fish. The activity I was doing was, write 2 sentences using the words bored and boring. About 3 out of twenty could manage it but most of them had Toeic and tefl books on there desks.

[poet13]

I have found the KPS method invaluable in motivating students. In fact, it works so well, that kids will actually involve themselves in motivating other students.

[Juregen]

[poet13]

I don't have any in front of me, but it's an escalating method, each step (there are three) designed to capture, or motivate the learner. Kind of, of the first doesn't work, try the second, and if that doesnt work, try the third.

[maingman]

http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org/index.html


http://www.gamesforeducators.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=202&Itemid=98

[Tobias]

Take 'em down to the local bus station and make 'em clean the bathrooms.