Korean Job Discussion Forums

tomato

Starting on Monday, I'm going to have to call my 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old students on the phone and I'm dreading it.

I've never even called up a kindergartener in my own country.
If I did, I'd get arrested.

What should I expect?

What's the purpose, anyway?

dunkman_nz · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Location: New Zealand

We do this at my school; but our kids are elementary age. I don't think you'll be able to have much of a conversation with a 3-year old over the phone :roll:

sojusucks · Joined: 31 May 2008

Korean mothers love phone teaching. What will happen is that some of the households will be "ruled" by ajummas who answer the phone. They may hang up on you. If you eventually do reach the student they will be scared and will answer questions in "yes or no." Good luck.

tomato · Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:07 am Post subject:

I just thought of something:
The school didn't tell me about this until right after I signed the contract.
Smart, aren't they!

RMNC · Joined: 21 Jul 2010

It's not hard or scary at all, just useless. 90% of the time you won't get an answer and the other 10% is so pointless that you may as well just Go "blah blah blahlbalhlblahlalbl" for 5 minutes.

Mr. Peabody · Joined: 24 Sep 2010 Location: here

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Don't forget the times you get an angry grand parent on the phone who has no idea why some wayguk is bothering them on the phone.

Ask really simple questions, if they can handle those move up a bit.

What's your favorite color?

What's your favorite ice-cream?

Do you watch cartoons?

Which ones?

etc.

Don't expect much, as other posters have noted. It's a huge waste of time and energy (pedagogically speaking), but if it keeps the parents happy..... *_*

myenglishisno · Joined: 08 Mar 2011 Location: Geumchon

I've had to do this.

Word to the wise: let it ring two or three times max. If someone does pick up, then go through with it. Most of the time they won't.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

Yes I hated it because the students get it into their heads that now your "Friends" and they can call whenever they want with whatever question they have including buy me lunch or lets go to pc bang. I ended listing all my students into a separate category and set their ringer onto silent. Of course my school didn't understand why the hell I was so annoyed until I did the same thing to my equal rank co-workers. Pansies didn't last half as long as I did before they started screaming bloody murder Cool

northway · Joined: 05 Jul 2010

This is pretty much the most pointless exercise ever. My school used to do it and realized the error of their ways, but prior to that I had to call up three year olds and ask them questions, to which they would usually have no response. Frequently, I could hear their mothers telling them the answers, then they would repeat. Absolutely pointless.

oldtrafford · Joined: 12 Jan 2011

what a great language method, speaking to three year olds on the phone. I'd refuse to do it, in fact I wouldn't work at a place that did do it. The ESL industry in Korea is full of Korean nut jobs, it's that simple. Until the government tighten up their regulations, then teaching practice isn't going to improve!!!!

Dazed and Confused · Joined: 10 Jan 2003

OH MY GOD! The dreaded phone calls! I had to do them in '97/98 when the economy collapsed and the hogwon was desperate to hang on to students. In class for weeks we spent the entire class memorizing the most idiotic dialogues you can ever imagine just so I could call them up and have the student repeat it. The boss' logic was "The parents wanted to hear them speaking English".
It went something like this...

Korean: yobosayyo???
me: UHHHHHH Is Mark there?
Korean:yobosayyo???
me: MARK! Is Mark there?
Korean: yobosayyo???
me: I'm from the English Hogwon. May I speak to Mark pleeeeeeeeezeeeee?
Korean: Hogwon??
Mark: yobosayyo???
me: HI, Is this Mark?
Mark: yes
Me: Let's do the dialouge. Look out Yuri!
Mark: Look out Andy.
me: I can't stop.
Mark: Are you OK?
me: yes. I am fine.
Mark: Great. Can we go home now?
me: OK
*click*

For weeks on end I had to do this. Words cannot describe the torture.........

tomato · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:26 am Post subject:

Why do the parents think it's so wonderful?

getwellnow · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Location: United States

My hagwon has been doing it for a long time, so the kids are used to it. The main problem is that their parents are usually right by them, and the kids get super nervous as a result. In my opinion, it is a self-defeating practice for the school, because they're using it in hopes that the parents will hear their child's English and be impressed, but typically the kids buckle under the pressure and speak much more poorly than they do during class.
My point is that I feel bad that you have to do it (it is a time-sink. Last Tuesday, I had to call over 40 students, and it took almost 3 hours), especially because it's a new thing at your school and your students will probably be even more uncomfortable than mine. The best advice I can give you is just keep reminding them everyday for a week or so before you actually make the calls so that they'll be at least partially prepared.