Korean Job Discussion Forums

Blue Flower

Who writes those awful stories that we have to teach our kids? I have never read such boring, pointless, repetitive drivel in my entire life. I understand why it is repetitive, but surely they could make it much more interesting to read. eg. "Look at the male lion, he is on the grass, the male lion is sleeping on the grass, he is sleeping, sleeping sleeping..." I am embarrassed to read this too them. any suggestions to make it slightly interesting?

waterbaby · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

Believe it or not, the kids love this kind of thing... my kindergarten kids especially love the repetetive drivel because they like to know the words of the story and join in when I'm reading. It makes them feel smart and it makes the class very interactive. The simpler the better and the smarter they feel.

I start by teaching them the vocab using flashcards of words and pictures and doing actions. It's amazing how much mileage you can get out of pretending to be a lion and mauling a child. I use as much action to demonstrate the word or meaning as possible and they seem to remember it. I can do the action and they call out the word or I call out the word and they do the action.

I also teach them chants - very repetetive, but they seem to love it and remember them which also keeps the parents very happy (big part of the job). For ex. "The lion was sleeping... sleeping sleeping sleeping... The lion was sleeping... sleeping on the grass." And throwing in a few actions. How old are your students? I find that this kind of things works well with the under 8's.

You can ask them lots of questions... where is the lion? what's he doing? is it a FEmale lion? Giving them stickers when they answer correctly send the class into a frenzy and everyone pipes up.

I drill the vocabulary using games, like a hammer game where there are 2 teams of kids, 2 inflatable hammers (or mix it up and use fly swatters or soft balls) and say the word and the first child to hit the correct word or picture card wins a point for their team. To me it's so dull and boring, but they get off on it. More stickers for winners of course.

I get about 8 classes out of one tiny story like that. Mind you, I'm talking about kids that can't read English yet.

In my smaller classes (less than 12) I line the kids up at the door a few minutes before they're due to leave and I make each child individually chant or identify pictures correctly before they can leave. If they mess up, they have to go to the back of the line. The kids are always keen to be first to the door and they try really hard to remember so that they can leave a minute before class is finished - it's like the ultimate treat. Better than a sticker!

I hope you're not going to respond and tell me that you're teaching university students... then I would be embarrassed Embarassed

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2003 4:51 am Post subject:

Heh, if she's teaching Uni students the "Lion is sleeping" chant, I'd feel really bad for all parties involved.

I second the action thing. You can always draw out speech with some crazy actions.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Change the words yourself. Take it up a notch. 'Upgrade', as the kids say.

"The carnivores feline was reposing on lichen foliage, reposing, reposing..."

Sorry to be smart-arsed but there is a reason why many lower-level ESL stories are so repetative. The kids have a chance to hear words a few times.

Blue Flower · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2003 4:46 pm Post subject:

[quote="eamo"]"The carnivores feline was reposing on lichen foliage, reposing, reposing..."[quote]

Laughing

I love that!! Thanks for the suggestions. I wish I was teaching uni students, then I'm sure it would start to get interesting. I'm teaching a real range - 5 - 16. thanks for the stuff about stretching out the story - So far I've just read it to them, and they repeat after me. Woo hoo, fun for them.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

Write your own stories. This way you avoid the boring stuff.

I�ve Changed Sir. Story by Andrew / Anda

Tom: Oh no, excuse me, you�re not Mr. Edwards are you Sir?
Mr. Edwards: Oh yes I am but you�re not that rotten boy who used to go
by the name of Tom Fryer that attended Sydney High
School are you?
Tom: Um you haven�t changed have you Sir?
Mr. Edwards: No but I�m not the one that needed to change! You�re the
one that needed to change and badly at that!
Tom: I�ve changed Sir! I�m older now Sir!
Mr. Edwards: I can see that, that�s obvious but are you still a misbehaved
useless young man?
Tom: No Sir I�ve changed I�m older now Sir!
Mr. Edwards: Yes, yes I can see that you�re older, you don�t have to keep
telling me that! What I want to know is are you still
misbehaved and useless?
Tom: Are teachers misbehaved and useless Sir?
Mr. Edwards: Are you trying to be rude?
Tom: No, of course not Sir!
Mr. Edwards: Ha well you shouldn�t be asking such a stupid question then.
teachers are the hardest working most useful members of
modern society.
Tom: Gee Sir I didn�t realize that teachers were that good!
Mr. Edwards: Anyway I asked you if had changed or not. You have done
nothing but avoid the question!
Tom: Well Sir I�m apparently extremely hard working and
practical top of the list so to speak Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You hard working, top of the list! I find that very hard to
believe!
Tom: Oh but Sir I must be! Why Sir you yourself said that I was
hard working along with being very useful!
Mr. Edwards: When did I ever say that you were hard working and useful? I
think you�re lying. I�ve never said that you were any of those
things!
Tom: But you did Sir, honestly you did. Why Sir it was only a short
time ago that you said that people like us were hard working
and useful!
Mr. Edwards: I did not! I said that teachers were hard working and useful. I
never said that you were!
Tom: There you go again Sir. You�re saying that I�m hard working
and useful!
Mr. Edwards: I said teachers not Tom Fryers!
Tom: There�s no difference Sir!
Mr. Edwards: There�s no difference! Speak sense!
Tom: I�m a school teacher now Sir I graduated from King�s
University as a trained qualified teacher Sir! We�re the same
Sir we�re both teachers Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You a teacher, that�s terrible, then it�s true that teaching has
gone to the dogs.
Tom: No Sir not the dogs but the Tom Fryers of this world!
Mr. Edwards: There�s no difference between dogs and Tom Fryers but!
Tom: I suppose so Sir, dogs are mankind�s best friends just like
teachers are Sir.
Mr. Edwards: You Tom Fryer you are one of the most dangerous dogs that I
have ever met. You�re like a Pit Bull Terrier.
Tom: Yes Sir I can see what you mean! Pit Bull Terriers are highly
trained fighters that always win fights with other teachers. I
agree Sir, you are right Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You highly trained?
Tom: Yes Sir I�ve got a master�s degree Sir, from King�s University.
King�s University has a proud history for teachers who have
fought for change in education Sir!
Mr. Edwards: I suppose you�re fighting for longer holidays and a shorter
working week!
Tom: No Sir, so far I�ve only been fighting for the early retirement
of senior teachers
Mr. Edwards: You�re trying to force me out of a job!
Tom: Not really Sir! I�m just trying to organize a paid holiday for
you Sir!
Mr. Edwards: You�re evil, you�re worse than a Pit Bull Terrier!
Tom: You mean better trained Sir?
Mr. Edwards: No, no, no just more dangerous.
Tom: You mean that I�m likely to win Sir?
Mr. Edwards: Yes damn it!
Tom: Gee Sir where will you go for your holiday?
Mr. Edwards: Afghanistan I�ll retrain and use guerrilla tactics to get you lot
out of the teaching system!
Tom: You must be an old Bull Terrier Sir!
Mr. Edwards: Yes I must be mustn�t I?
Tom: Yes Sir! Well I must go now Sir. The best of luck on your
training course in Afghanistan Sir!

Tancred · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2003 8:21 pm Post subject:

this post is hilarious...i know exactly what you mean...my books in kindergarten consist of such exciting exchanges as:

"Good morning, Frog."
"Good morning, Dog."
"Good morning, friends."

The End.

And then it's like...we're supposed to discuss this...YAWN...somebody call the fun police...

jaderedux · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Lurking outside Seoul

I used to teach in a hogwan and got so sick of the story books. I suggested Dr. Suess books. They are colorful, silly but also repetitive and they come for most kindy ages.

Green Eggs and Ham killed. Even some hopeless students like green eggs and ham because it was so damn silly. (I actually started to get sick of GEH after awhile because they loved it so much)

But they actually learned to read. Evidenced by the fact when we went to Fox in Socks they know most the words.

Hop on Pop and One Fish, Two fish, Red Fish Blue Fish rocked for the little ones. I mean 5 year olds! I have heard some detractors because of the "made up" words but they are learning phonics and how to read.

Plus they love reading them aloud. These books are one big chant fest and IT IS MY EXPERIENCE THEY LOVE CHANTS.

Anyway my 2.5 cents.

Jade

Blue Flower · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2003 6:13 pm Post subject:

I thought of Dr. Seuss - kids do love those books, and i love them too. I think my fave book so far is about a rabbit that is really anal about getting dirty. What is the Korean obsession with being dirty??? That story makes me laugh as it is so ridiculous. I was a bit rebellious yesterday (only day 3) and made my students come up with thier own dialogue as the stuff we were reading in the books was just bollocks. Hello David, hello Kate. How are you? i am fine, and how are you david? pretty good Kate. etc, etc, how unnatural. and funny. Laughing

Tancred · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2003 7:02 pm Post subject:

just the other day i scanned the internet for text versions of that book, to no avail...i suppose i actually have to buy GE&H...unless anyone knows of a better way to obtain it...

Zyzyfer · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2003 7:06 pm Post subject:

Heh, you'd think the books English speakers use to teach their kids English would be winners for kids learning English as a second language, but no.

I'd be all over some Green Eggs and Ham.

Seatangle · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Left of Center

My academy uses a series of storybooks for children published in Great Britain. Now, that in itself isn't a problem except I'm from the U.S. and was hired in fact because the director prefers American accents, wants them to learn American English etc., yet curiously the main focus of their curriculum comes from the U.K. Well, few people here would accuse Korea of being logical.

Anyway, so they have me teaching the kids words like "mum" and "lorry" and "Crisps". Again, nothing wrong with that per se, except not a one of them can say "crisps". It usually comes out as "criffs" or, "crips", or "Ku-ris-puh-suh." I always want to just scratch out the darn word and scribble in "potato chips" above it.

The series itself is huge It's a montrosity of like over 100 different storybooks--at least in theory...no one ever seems to progress beyond level 5 or 6. So all the kids get around to reading the same strorybooks eventually, and each child has to read each book like 5 times before they can go on to the next. So, I get to hear the same kids mis-pronounce the same words day after day after day, ad nauseum. I've even tried pre-emptive pronunciation teaching, but it never seems to stick. I swear, if I have to hear about Slug the Seamonster one more time I'll...i'll...

ok, i'll just sit there like I always do and mentally compose e-mails to all my friends about how wonderful and exciting my life as an English teacher is.

Ok, so um, I know my little rant had very little to do with your original topic, but I feel better having gotten it off my chest, so that's gotta be worth something right?

Peace

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

I'm from the UK and I still can't say "crisps" properly. It's just one of those words your mouth has trouble shaping. Hagwons don't realise or care if they're buying British-English or American-English books.

A funny series of books for confusing Brit-eng and US-eng is the old favorite, New interchange. Haven't used them in over a year but I remember reading on the inside cover that it's 'translated' to US-eng from Brit-eng.
This results in such bloopers as calling Jet-ski's, "personal-watercraft". I told my kids to ignore that and call them jet-ski's.

Blue Flower · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 4:26 am Post subject:

They're letting me choose the books to teach my middle school students, aka the spawn of satan, after their exams. So while those little bastards are having their exams Laughing

i get to look round bookstores. Yay for me, i think this is karmic retribution. I suggested green eggs and ham, but then realised these kids are like 15/16. Bit too old i think. Any suggestions for text books that work well for middle school students, that don't really give a *beep* about learning english???

jaderedux · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Lurking outside Seoul

Harry Potter is apparently a god.

What about comic books. I don't think they could handle Neil Gaiman but you could find some appropriate for your age group.

I teach Middle school boys too...I AM FILLED WITH EMPATHY. I am pretty lucky. I am loud mean and never flinch. They are pretty good boys. In fact sometimes I have to shoo them away from my desk.

Just have to stay one step ahead of them and cultivate the killer death stare!

Jade