Korean Job Discussion Forums

VanIslander

Of course, we teach many areas, but there often is one or the other that we either put more effort into or else have greater success at.

I'd have to say for me in a hagwon: pronunciation, followed by listening (the answering of questions often are really testing this) and reading,... with some speaking in terms of short answers and conversational replies.

I should do more on speaking but since my students are hagwoners in elementary school I try to focus most on basics they can bring with them to their classes in the future; they are unlikely to speak to native speakers much over the next six to ten years of their lives. Or so I've been thinking of late.

(My few adult classes tend to be more grammar and speaking focussed.)

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

The main thing I focus on now is Listening. I ask a ton of questions during class, and if a smarter kid tries to play translator for the kids having difficulty, I tell them to be quiet and think of a new question.

Next most popular teaching item for me is Reading. I try to help even the higher level students (middle school) understand certain difficult spelling structures, such as the "tion" suffix or the different ways to pronoucn "ough" and the like.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

I concentrate on speaking, but my classes usually have a little bit of everything in them.

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:45 am Post subject:

EFLtrainer · Joined: 04 May 2005

EFLtrainer · Joined: 04 May 2005

VanIslander

EFLtrainer · Joined: 04 May 2005

ddeubel · Joined: 20 Jul 2005

BEING HAPPY!!!

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I wish i could say speaking or pronunciation, but by default it's listening. At least it is doing some good for government tests.

Pangit · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: Puet mo.

Listening. And by that I mean Discipline. Like, How to be a good student and human being. Character building. Now drop and give me 20, maggot!

tomato · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:46 am Post subject:

I forgot where I read this, but I read somewhere that, out of the four language skills--speaking, listening, reading, and writing--speaking has the greatest transfer to the other three skills.

That's why I cast my ballot for speaking.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Speaking, absolutely.

Once the kids get it that they can actually use the english they know to communicate effectively the study of english becomes meaningful to them. I gear all my lessons towards this end.

I take that as my mandate as a native speaker in the public school system. Not that anyone told me to do so -- it just seems logical as its the most glaringly absent aspect of the current system.

Korean kids know tons of vocabulary but lack confidence to speak. I endeavor to loosen their tongues with relaxed & fun activities, but its a gradual process.

ontheway · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:59 am Post subject:

Interesting. My experience is that the thing Koreans lack the most is vocabulary and expressions. The reason they are afraid to talk is that they don't know what to say, or they are attempting to translate their answer from Korean to English in their heads, instead of responding directly.

The skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing seem to go together (in that order of importance) and we teach them all together, progressively. We focus on whatever skill seems to need work each day, student by student. Our classes and programs were designed to allow that and we track each student's progress step by step. As student levels advance, we add math, science, social studies, children's literature and creative writing to the program. We use songs, conversation, memorization, teacher reading to students, repetition, student reading, listening, video and audio - we have study, audio and video facilities and required "homework" (which the students usually do at the hogwan on "study days") in every area and subject. Mothers and students know that the required homework/study time exceeds the class time. (However, we never use audio tapes or video in class. It's always required outside listening.)

We have tiny class sizes and no Korean teachers. Pronunciation, phonics, grammar, and spelling are included in each subject. Students who don't study, or don't make an effort to improve (as in pronunciation but all areas as well) are eventually kicked out of the school. The wonjangnim is serious about discipline and study. We kick out bad students. First we warn the student, then the mother and then - OUT. On one occasion, when a student's mother told her son that studying wasn't important, the expulsion was immediate. The wonjangnim really told off that mother.

We don't allow students to speak Korean in class, nor to write Korean translations in their notes. Our wanjangnim tells the mothers to throw away any English materials they might have at home with Hangul transliterations.

Our good students and mothers love it here, and I love these kids. They're the best.

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

BEING HAPPY. That's a good one. The little troopers and I get lots of smiling, laughing, and good times going in class which is great. Man, kids are great. Just horsing around all the time.

Making sentences. They're getting good after two months. The leaders in ability have it, almost. Still the word arrangement is mixed up/turned around a bit. Or forget to put a subject in. Or forget this or that to make it a genuine, true, 100 percent sentence recognized worldwide as English and redeemable for candy.