Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jajdude]

Do you think native speakers should teach beginners?

[Plume D'ella Plumeria]

I would think that would depend on a variety of factors. Are you talking about "true" beginners? What is the beginner's native language? Is it Korean? Chinese? A Romance language? Does the native speaker speak any of the student's native language at all? What is meant to be taught to the beginner? Grammar? Listening? The four skills? I'd have to know more details before I could give an opinion. I will mention however, that I have taught beginners in a variety of settings and found that teaching English to a Mexican beginner a lot easier than teaching English to a Japanese beginner.

[peppermint]

I don't think we should be teaching solo to a true beginner. I've tried it and it's quite frustrating to everyone involved (unless you speak a pretty solid amount of their language) If you're smart about it and use lots of props, pictures and actions to explain things it's possible though not easy.

[d503]

I think it also depends on the students age and ability. I've only been taught Korean by Native speakers, and it is going really well for me.

I also think that teaching kids from a true beginner is at times easier than adults. Kids like to sing, color, draw, dance, and have no true goal in mind. Where as adults are result driven (usually) and it can lead to frustration, where they just want to go through books and stuff.

[tzechuk]

No I don't think that a native speaker should teach absolute beginners. Like peppermint said, it's very frustrating. If a native speaker is used, I feel that the native speaker should be able to speak a small amount of the local language to help out.

JMO.

[christopher1magelli]

Depends on how much the pay is!!

[pushpin fantasies]

I can't imagine even imagine how...so...incredibly...slow...the teaching process would be without any knowledge of the student's native language

[wild sphere]

a properly trained ELTeacher should be competently able and prepared for ESL/EFL students of any age and of any level of English proficiency. there are 2 kinds of beginner level students, real beginner and false beginner. for the most part, real beginners usually fall under the category of early childhood ESL/EFL students and are a lot more easier to teach than false beginners for 2 reasons. first, they are very young and have no emotional or psychological barriers hindering their acceptance and learning of a new language and culture. secondly, often, at this young age, students are easily fascinated by audial and visual academic materials outside of what is "normal" in their perception of daily life. that's why activities and lessons containing animation, cartoon likeable characters, big picture story books and childrens' songs quickly interests and motivates this type of student.

false beginners are a tad problematic because they come in all ages. a false beginner has a limited knowledge of English but either usually lacks the confidence to use it, or, is under the impression that their English skills are better than what they truly are.

both beginner levels are a joy to teach. a properly qualified ELTeacher, possessing the legitimate credentials to be an ELTeacher, with the training to create, design and develop any materials they need to achieve their classroom goals, pedagogic objectives and aims would be thrilled by an opportunity to teach this type of student.

n'est-ce pas?

[mithridates]

Wild Sphere's right, though it often helps to speak Korean.

When I would show the kids plurals I'd say 'plurals end with s. Except:
man - men
woman - women
mouse - mice'

and a few hundred other words. Then they would say 'teacher, difficult! Why?' Then I would explain why, but then I'd also show them this:

���� - ����
right? Okay, what about
���? ���, right? Okay, what about
�ϴ�? �Ԥ�������, right? They would say 'no, teacher! �߾� is right!' I would say 'Why? Look, it's ��! �� becomes �Ҿ�, right?' and they'd think for a while, whereupon it would dawn upon a few of them that languages weren't made to be easy to learn for others.

[jajdude]

Ok of course it depends on various things.

But let's say it's a newcomer to Korea with no Korean. And this happens a lot. Or someone's who has been here a while, even years, but using korean in class is not a job requirement. Why should that foreigner be put in a class with students who are very basic? No translation. Some argue the immersion idea. Some say translation helps. But foreigners are not there to translate. Korean teachers do that.

But in many hogwans many or most kids are still near beginner level.

It feels like a waste to teach kids phonics, or to teach "This is an apple, that is an orange," when Koreans with some English can easily cover that.

Are they paying for the facade of a foreign face? Or is it nice to just expose them to someone who will not use Korean and force them to try to use English?

Obviously the foreigner knows the language and pronounce it correctly, but for real basic stuff, it sometimes seems like a waste except to expose the kid to a foreigner and say, "It's OK. The foreigner is not scary. He/she just isn't Korean."

[wild sphere]

[jajdude]

And for those who know little or no Korean? And since speaking Korean is not our job?

(OK. Korean hagwon people.. hire only foreigners with some Korean ability?..... not gonna happen... especially when many of the bosses cannot speak English beyond "hello and thank you" themselves)

[wild sphere]

[jajdude]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I don't see any way a foreigner could be very effective with child beginners without having a Korean in the class. Adults can learn with written aids, but it's pretty hard to show kids grammar charts and translations and keep them interested. Maybe some foreigners have the ability to step into a class and keep children who know no English focused on learning the whole time, but I have yet to see it myself.