Korean Job Discussion Forums

[smartwentcrazy]

I had an interesting conversation with one of my visiting cousins the other day, and he had suggested that I act like I don't know how to speak Korean in front of my students/peers when I teach in Korea. Given that he's lived in Korea his entire life, and the fact that my Korean is sub-par at best, is this the best course of action to take? Should I not use Korean to my students? Any gyopos have any input on this? I am obviously more comfortable conversing in English, however, I feel that being bi-lingual is definitely a trait I should embrace and use to my advantage. But, from how my cousin describes it, my 'broken' Korean could be used to undermine my authority in the classroom/school. Thoughts? Opinions?

[Dodgy Al]

Depends on your situation. Perhaps try introducing it slowly. Throw in the odd word here and there and test the waters. Tell them you are studying while in Korea and they will be amazed by your progress. IMO, it doesn't hurt to use Korean occasionally in the classroom. Nazi hogwan managers might disagree though.

[Soju808]

I'm not gyopo, but I can speak a fair amount of Korean.

At first, I thought it would be a big benefit that I knew Korean, but now I regret letting my school know that I can speak Korean.


Here are the advantages and disadvantages of knowing Korean imo.

Advantages:

1) Better relationship with your students. I have been able to relate with many of my students outside the class, and I would learn more about them as people. It's a good feeling to know your students.

2) Easier to control classes. By speaking in Korean, I find it much easier to control the classes and making sure the students understand the material that is taught to them.

3) Better relationship with your co-workers. Majority of the people who work at my school don't know much English, but knowing the language, I am able to comminute with everyone from the Principal down to the Technician (기사님). It can make the working environment more fun, rather than feeling like a loner.


Disadvantages

1) More work is expected out of you. Because I can speak Korean, my co-teacher expects me to work just like a Korean. They expect you to follow all the Korean customs, and never question those above you. They are always right, and you are always wrong.

2) Some of the kids will not even try to speak English at all, if they know you can speak Korean.


If I could go back in time and pretend that I didn't know Korean, I would choose not to let the school know I speak Korean.

Although, it makes your job easier to in the classroom, it makes your life 10x harder outside.

[iggyb]

If things are still like they were in 2000, parents will not like your Korean skills in general. I had a lot of complaints just for using vocabulary flashcards with English and Korean which I used in a lot of fun games that drilled grammar and vocab. The parents hated the idea of Korean in the classroom...

That was one reason why kyopos had trouble getting jobs in the ESL industry back then. One school I worked at told the two we had working with us not to use their Korean at all around students and to say they couldn't speak it.

These were all hakwon experiences....I don't know about public schools.

[iggyb]

Oh. I teach ESL in the secondary schools in the US. If I knew Spanish, I would not use it in class. I know some Korean and plan on working to be fluent before I leave this time around, but I won't use Korean in the classroom.

It might be easier to use a little of the student's native language, but I am in the school of thought that says it is a no-no in most cases.

If you can't communicate what you need to the class in a lesson, then you need to drop the lesson down to meet the general level of the class. It can be hard with a wide mix of abilities, but to me using the native language orally in class slows their progress.

I have a degree in Korean Studies, but my Korean ability is poor in part because the Korean grad students who taught the Korean language courses spoke in English the majority of the time...

[E_athlete]

[nicam]

IMO you'll be doing the school more harm than good if you let your school know you speak Korean.

It's no secret that the reason Koreans study English for 6+ years without acquiring even the most basic conversation skills is because the Korean English teachers can't speak English. You can't learn L2 via dictation in L1, sorry.

I've heard of many gyopos who regret telling their schools that they speak Korean because the Korean English teachers immediately give up on trying to speak English to them, and speak only in Korean. I like to think that if I've done nothing else to benefit my school I've at least improved the conversational skills of the Korean English teachers by forcing them to communicate in English.

[BadBadMan]

I'd recommend you go in saying you understand some Korean, but that you cannot speak it. People believe this because there are bound to be a few kids that have lived a year or two overseas that tell the other kids there are many gyopos like this in the States. That way the good kids don't slack off when you're around, and you can verbally smack on the bad kids that try to dis you while you're teaching. You also get to keep the "interesting teacher" factor that you'd lose as soon as you tell them you can speak Korean.

It also helps you communicate with the principal/vice-principal better while shielding you from having to talk to the kids' parents.

I did it this way and got the good kids to understand how important it is to try to speak in English only to me as much as possible. When their sentences were getting blocked by their own lack of vocabulary, I let them speak the words to me in Korean so we could almost always keep the interaction flowing back and forth. By the time I told them I'm completely bilingual, these "good" kids were speaking English fluently The "bad" kids, though, were still tough to deal with -- they'd keep their mouths shut when I talk only in English, and speak only Korean to me when I told them to "use Korean if you absolutely HAVE to".

The Advantages/Disadvantages in the 3rd post above are pretty good - most of us in similar situations will probably agree.

[licorice]

I dont' see a reason not to tell your school or students that you do speak Korean. Just don't use it unless you absolutely have to.

I'm a gyopo. I don't speak Korean, but my comprehension is alright. Most of the time I wait until my co-teachers relay information to me in English before responding even if I understood the jist of the conversation. When my co-teachers aren't around though, I'll let on that I understand what someone's saying if it's a teacher or the principal or vp who can't speak English.

In the classroom, I never use any Korean. My co-teachers speak enough Korean for me! Some of the students have caught on that I do understand what they're saying, but most of them will still tell their friends that I don't understand if they speak to me in Korean. The students do laugh at me whenever they hear me speak Korean, like when I call their names, but they're not being mean. Even adult Koreans will laugh at you for poor pronounciation. If a student is disrespectful, it has little to do with your poor Korean, but probably more with his or her upbringing or they don't consider you to be a real teacher.

Can't speak for your school, but my school likes that fact that I'm Korean. My principal has told me, drunkenly, that he feels very comfortable around me and he tries to speak English with me. I am still treated like a foreigner (which I like) and they will still ask you if you've ever eaten Korean food/kimchi before.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Epicurus]

I met a Chinese/Canadian girl at orientation who studied Korean before coming here extensively and said she speaks and understands it quite well.

However, she refuses to let anyone in on the fact that she does at school.

I find this interesting. It'd be great to be able to keep that secret and know what people are saying about you,. etc but I'm shocked that she's held out that long. I would have slipped up.

I would think it's "better", but if they then treat you like a plowhorse, no thanks.

[andrewchon]

I say be true yourself and don't try to be anything that you are not.

In 2012, English classes are going to be taught in English only. I doubt that'll actually happen but, teachers will be expected to do demos and open classes teaching in English only. Looks like you are at an ideal situation to work out what to do.

[SweetTea]

I just started teaching and the first advice I got when I told people that I knew some Korean was not to let the students know that I speak Korean because they would stop speaking English. Sometimes I slip up because I try to understand what the kids are saying in Korean and then I reply to them in English, so it creates this weird guessing situation where they try to figure out how much Korean I know. The foreign teachers at the hagwon I teach at are not supposed to let the kids speak Korean in their classes (nor speak Korean, if the foreign teachers know it). But honestly, if someone is not Asian-looking and they attempt to say a Korean word, the kids get a kick out of it probably because they feel like a foreigner is trying to learn more about their culture. But when an Asian-looking person speaks Korean, the kids just get confused. They try to guess what that person is (One kid asked me if I was mixed but I don't look anything like a mixed person).

I still haven't decided, but it's just been gradually coming out on its own. I am really getting tired of the kids' attitude (헐 means they're jealous or frustrated or tired of something, 짜쯩나 means something is frustrating but it's kind of derogatory). Hearing and understanding these phrases makes teaching a chore. Sometimes I wish I didn't understand them but I would also hate for them to talk behind my back in front of my face (which they probably do anyway).

I'm trying to strictly follow the No Korean in class rule but it means that I am disciplining students at every turn, which uses a lot of energy. I feel burnt out and it's been less than a month.

What kind of teacher do you want to be? Mean? Nice? Entertainer? Teach by the book? I notice the Korean teachers get a lot of respect from the students. I asked how they managed to do this and they said to be scary. So, intimidation is another way if you are an Asian person, because the kids will be expecting that. But generally foreign teachers are waaaaay nicer than Korean teachers and thus get walked on.

[whiteshoes]

I don't know Korean, but I'm pretty good friends with a couple of my school's Korean teachers and I can tell you that at my school there is plenty going on that they don't let the FTs know about.

Most of us foreigners are on a need to know basis. I'd be very interested to see, at least from a sociological standpoint, how differently my boss treats foreigners and how she treats the Koreans. I know that for the most part foreigners are indifferent to her, but the Koreans hate her. I'd like to see what was going on, without a filter. Because if they know you know Korean, there will be a filter.

[Conrad B Hart]

Pretend you don't know any Korean at all. It will be especially interesting to see if fellow workers at your school will talk about you in Korean whilst you're in the same room and if they do, exactly what they'll say.