Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Chet Wautlands]

I've recently started teaching a new weekly class called "Drum English" at our school and it's not going well. The idea behind this class is to teach English to advanced level students through the means of Korean traditional drumming. The class is every week until December.

The biggest problem is that my co-teacher is supposed to do the drum instruction while I teach English, but the only teacher in the school who knows how to drum cannot speak English at all. This makes communication difficult. I just keep saying "no book" (book means drum), but he won't listen. The students are constantly drumming!

I've tried using the drums to count syllables, but it always ends up in a lot of noise and me shout "no book! stop book!"

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had to teach "Drum English" as apparently it's becoming quite the trend in Korea. Any advice?

[Chet Wautlands]

No help?

[RMNC]

My advice is to quit a B.S. school like that, because no, "Drum English" is not becoming popular, nor is it even a good idea.

Start looking now.

[wesharris]

That isn't very helpful, or even marginally useful RNMC.
You should be ashamed.
OP, try engaging the students with your lesson , THEN involve
the drums as some type of game. Learn a few useful phrases
like stop and start, teach them that english, and make sure that
you follow up with them through repetitive teaching.

[alljokingaside]

if you can't work with your co-teacher using the drums, then theres no way in hell that the drums'll be useful in class. maybe as a reward or something. doubtful.

i think they're trying to bank offa the "innovative" angle and trying to cater to the kinesthetic+auditory learners.
i also think they should get their heads checked, whoever came up with this half-baked idea. ironically enough in korea.

[Hotpants]

Sure it's popular to have Korean students getting English drummed into them, but someone somewhere has just taken this a wee bit too literally ...

[Rocktek]

This is actually an old idea in ESL believe it or not.

There's a lot of information just googling beat poetry and (jazz) chanting.

http://esl.about.com/od/grammarlessons/a/chant_intro.htm

The real problem here is the rhythms themselves. Traditional Korean percussion music is NOT usually (if ever) in a 4/4 time signature. That's why the jazz chants would be a good base for you.

Also, the rhythm of English DOES NOT FIT the rhythms of traditional Korean music.

It's not a completely absurd idea (but close), but maybe those resources will help you come up with something that will make them "feel" like it's working great.

Good luck, and if you get a chance, please videotape and upload a snippet of that class to youtube, we could all use a little amusement around here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAYwoLZso7s

[lifeinkorea]

[alljokingaside]

[fugitive chicken]

Yeah, the only way this class is going to succeed is take away the drums and replace with clapping. If toward the end of class the kids are doing well, replace clapping with drums but without the sticks. If one student uses it irresponsibly, take away his drum. But absolutely do not give them the sticks. If your co-teacher complains, that this isn't traditional Korean drumming, kindly tell him (through a translator if necessary) that this is your class and the incessant drumming doesn't work

[Rocktek]