Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cymro]

Some parents want their kids going home with enough homework to deny them any fun and games at the end of their days.

Others send kids to learn English through fun and games with little use of traditional teaching methods.

How does your hagwon do it?

Do students simply study English or do they study other subjects, like Science or Math, in English? Do students have a reasonable workload? Is there a balance between reading, writing, listening and speaking? Is it effective? Do you notice improvements?

How do you think a hagwon should do it?

Not the most exciting of posts, but I'm sure I won't be the only one interested in the response.

I think it'd be good for job-seekers to know which schools do what too.

[denverdeath]

I have to choose numbers 1, 2, and 4. I can't choose only one. I've worked at regular hakwons, universities, and public schools in Korea. Often, or sometimes, there is some kind of text. However, I don't always stick to it and I always try to add something fun or something of my own to supplement any class or activity. Homework? Hell, most of them are either too busy going to a load of other schools or were too drunk the night before to do any of it. I limit homework. That's not to say that the good/better students won't do it, but I don't give too much when I give it. I can say that I've seen lots of improvement in lots of students, but I can also say that I've seen little or no improvement in a lot of other students. I think it has a lot to do with motivation and whether the students wants to at least try a little or not. I think that the kind of parent you mentioned is a bit sadistic, but they just want their little angel to succeed in the competitive Korean society. That's all they know, and their neighbours are doing the same, so they must do so as well.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

My hogwan was typically schizophrenic. We certainly heard from time to time what the parents didn't want, but what they did was anyone's guess.

[tomato]

Opposite whatever way the director thinks I'm teaching.
If she thinks I'm going fun-and-games, she wants me to go study-study-study.
If she thinks I'm going study-study-study, she wants me to go fun-and-games.

[hari seldon]

I voted for option #4. The curriculum at my little hagwon is largely rotgut swill so I brew my own.

[joe_doufu]

1, 2, and 4. Most but not all of my students take 80 minutes of class at the hagwon: 40 minutes with me and 40 minutes with my very attractive Korean colleague. She teaches grammar, vocabulary, and reading (rotating thru those focuses every 3 months) so my job is really just to make the students talk. We use ESL texbooks which I'm supposed to make a show of getting through, but I play a lot of games, too.

One class I have will hardly speak if I use the textbook, but they will talk my ears off if I cheat at "Uno":

"It's not your turn, teacher!"
"Teacher, don't looking at Harriet's cards!"
"No, teacher, it's club-ah!"

and so on. They get pretty articulate.