Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SweetBear]

Advice please. I have a really nice adult student who simply will not shut up. Given any chance he will dominate the free talking part of my lesson. I'm having to become more and more obvious in cutting him off and redirecting the focus towards other students. The rest of the class is starting to look really bored and they are all beginners and a bit shy. How have you overcome this type of problem?

[rapier]

This why I hate adult students. You can't simply shut them up the way you can kids.
Try to balance it out, and the really advanced students will leave because they're too far ahead. Likewise the shy students, because they don't get a look in. Either way you end up the bad teacher, ditched by fussy adults.

I simply designed a syllabus that was about the classes overall average ability.
Those falling by the wayside will often appraoch you for private lessons. The rest will approach you for soju and lots of English speaking free dinners.
Give me kids any day.

[manlyboy]

I've experienced this. Maybe you could make the free talking part of the lesson less "free". Perhaps an interview-style activity where everyone must ask a question, and then answer one in turn.
Role-plays might help. He would be forced to let the others speak in order for it to work.
How large is the class? Do you split them into small groups for the free talking part? When you rotate to his group you could use the other members as a shield. Deflect what he says onto them. If he makes a statement, and then starts to ramble, cut him off like you're really interested in his original statement, and turn it into a question for the other students.

[jazblanc77]

Group work! Seperate him from the rest of flock and roam around, devoting extra time to groups other than his.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Pair work/group work is the best answer.

Randomly match students and give them the topic of discussion to work with. Change partners frequently. I often have students change partners after 5 minutes.

Sometimes I do this: A's talk on this topic for 3 minutes...OK. Time's up. Now B's talk on that topic for 3 minutes...OK...A's stand up and move to a new partner. Here is a new question. B's talk first.

[SweetBear]

Thanks all, great ideas. It's a group of 3-5 depending on who shows up, but I could still work with it. I really like the idea of showing real interest in one of his statements and then deflecting it onto another student. Pair work and timing, good stuff. Right now he's the oldest male in the group. There is a more senior member who shows up occaisionally and speaks better English, he balances things out a bit more. I've also started asking the quieter students questions before "the rambler" to be sure they get some time.

[Derrek]

Oh shucks.... I left my textbook in COEX mall sitting on the bench outside of Bennigans... um... now, let's see... Mr. Kim! Could you pleeeease go get it for me??

There's a free soju in it for you!

[skinhead]

i hope I haven't missed someone saying this already, but just have a short personal chat sometime. Pull him aside at the end of lesson one day and, beginning on a positive note, praise him up a little for his 'diligence' in speaking (these 'grown' men students can be very sensitive), then politely remind him that his overabundance of energy is taking away opportunities from the others in the class; that he needs to get control of his main idea, get to the point as economically as possible, then close mouthy. Perhaps (I only do this with more advanced groups) suggest that he assist you by questioning the students when they're quiet to promote further responses by them; sort of hand him a role with some responsibility. If its the kind of friendly blabbermouth I'm thinking of, though, he'll take that as his cue to take over your job as well. I know how it is Sweetbear. Its hard enough to find a group that actually wants to chat. Having a dribbler in that kind of quiet beginners group just exacerbates the problem.

The roleplay and interview ideas are good ones.

[tomwaits]

[jazblanc77]

[ajuma]

skinhead had a great idea! I've had really advanced students in classes that were mostly at beginning or even pre-beginning levels. If you take them aside and get their support, it makes for a better class.

[d503]

Shutting up kids is easy.
Jelly Teacher (me) Stands up, puts hands on hips, and in angry teacher voice counts to ten. If I reach it whoever is still talking gets a nice little essay to copy for a while. And if it is a noisy class, having them all copy lines for a while teaches them to fear the counting, not that I haven't thought about the duct tape.
For my kindie kids--stickers. Ohh yeah those kids are quiet as a funeral when they know there are stickers to be had. Something about the prospect of a shiny star makes them quite willing to listen to me.

[OiGirl]

Can you construct tightly-structured activities that are below his free-talking ability, but focus on grammatical points he has difficulty with? Something the quieter or lower students in the class could be sucessful at, but where his motor mouth will trip him up?

[riverboy]

I had the same problem. Only the guy was an arse. So, I told him I did not mlike him and asked him not to come baCK
THE CLASS IS GOING GREAT NOW.