Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Qinella]

So I was walking to work the other day and saw one of my 6th grade students standing on the sidewalk.

Hi, Caramina!
Hi, Teacher!
What are you doing?
What?
What are you doing?
Um..
Are you waiting?
What? Haha.. um..
Are you coming to hagwon today?
What?
Sigh... ok, goodbye.
Bye!

This student has been studying with me for the past 10 months, and has been studying English in total for at least three years. She typically gets high test scores and seems to understand what's going on in class.

This mock conversation lingered in my head all day, and really bothered me. It made me think about how my students almost never understand anything I say, no matter how basic the sentence. In every class, there's maybe one students who understands an appropriate amount of my speech. The rest are clueless.

I know you may be thinking that I speak to quickly, unclearly, or use strange phrasing, but the truth is that I've become used to dumbing down my speech significantly. I tend to use only the grammar and vocabulary that I personally have taught them.

Then there's the situation with their English usage. Most can't form a basic sentence correctly. They still can't grasp when to put an "s" on a verb, or when to use "is", or that they need a verb in every sentence. How many times have I reminded my students that "teacher me book no" and "me candy" make absolutely no sense? 500? 1,000?

So, I've narrowed down the explanation to two options.

1) The kids aren't making an effort and/or don't care. This is very possible.

2) I'm a piece of sh1te teacher. This is the option I'm hoping is correct. I've tried so hard and followed all the advice I've ever received. I make sure to hit each of the basic language skills with frequency, I engage every student in every class, I constantly monitor comprehension during a lesson. But.. something perhaps is lacking.

I don't know. It's driving me crazy. I try so hard and care so much, yet have seen almost zero progress in most of my students. I compare that to my own Korean studies.. I don't even have a teacher, I taught myself almost 100%, and I can carry on conversations in Korean, and can certainly answer basic questions. I'm no genius. I'm not "skilled at learning language". So I think, are these kids morons? But I don't believe that, it's just frustration speaking.

People say you are better at learning languages when you are young, but I think part of the reason behind my success in Korean is that I'm able to conceptualize outside of the habit of my native language. Maybe kids of average or slightly above average intelligence simply can't conceptualize so radically until their brains are finished developing?

I've been thinking, hey, maybe I should just stop preparing for class and trying to make interesting, engaging lessons. I'll just show up to class with the book, do the pages with them, give Korean translations for everything, and forget trying to make understandable explanations or helpful handouts. Maybe I can just show up drunk, and have a great time. I'll just be monkey game teacher.

Sigh..
[/i]

[bosintang]

Hehe, I think you just had a bad day Qinella..

The student was out of her comfort zone (the classroom), she was suddenly in a situation where it was just you and her, and she froze up.

As for many other of the common mistakes you mentioned, the kids probably know that they have to add 's' sounds to end of words and the like, but they develop bad habits because even though they're incorrect, they're still effective. If anything you should be proud they're using natural authentic conversation and not regurgitation. Let these kinks work out over time. Correct them (even better, make the students correct them), but don't let them bother you.

[peppermint]

Don't beat yourself up over this, and don't compare your studies with theirs. You're completely immersed in the language, can see how it is a useful thing to know and have all the motivation in the world to learn (living where you do)

to your students, English is just something they have to study. They know that people in other countries speak English and not Korean, but they either don't really believe it, or just dont see how that's relevant to them. (having studied French at a young age, I can put myself in their shoes really easily) Show them how it relates to them and things might click.

[ulsanchris]

I think it is pretty obivious that you are a complete failure as a teacher. Just kidding. Sorry. The english most kids learn here is the english they need to know to pass a test. ability to speak the language maybe thought about from time to time but not given much effort. For a person to learn a language well they have to have the desire to learn it well. Most korean students don't have this desire. These kids have a tough schedule and they like to think that english class with the foriegner is not so serious and should be fun. not as something that is serious and that they have to study for very hard. I know my students study much harder for my boss's tests than for my tests.
Also, i am assuming you have no teacher trainer, it is hard for someone to come in and do a good job of teaching in their first year. There are so many things a person needs to learn in order to teach well. I've been teaching here for a few years. I'm a much better teacher now, but i still have room for a lot of improvement. If you are planning on sticking around for another year then I suggest you pick up some books on teaching english. They will help you out a lot. I recommend Teaching Engilsh in Asia to Children by David Paul. i think that is the correct title. Great book, has about 100 game ideas too.

[blunder1983]

[Kenny Kimchee]

The above posters made some good points; to reiterate and elaborate:

1) Kids sometimes lock up when they get out of the hagwon environment. I've had this happen to me before; I see my students on the street and try to speak English to them and they freeze. I can just see their little minds at work: "Holy smokes, it's Ken Teacher! He exists outside of school? Hey, he's speaking English to me...outside of school! Does...not...compute"

2) You're learning a language in a Second Language environment, while they're learning it in a Foreign Language environment. Also, you're an adult with at least 16 years of education under your belt, while they have much less than that.

Don't beat yourself up about it. You obviously care about what you're doing and that's more than can be said about a lot of "teachers." Hang in there.

[Homer]

Hey you forgot option 3: she was surprised to see her teacher out of school, was nervous and she froze.

Sometimes the most obvious explanation to an event passes us by. Don't beat yourself up over this.

[Grotto]

It takes time for the students to focus and start using their English thats in their brain.

How many hours in a week? 164. How many hours a week does your student study English? 3-5 or about 2%. The rest of the time they are thinking, speaking and writing in Korean....dont beat yourself up over it.

The only thing you can do is your best.

[visitor q]

What is your teaching style? You need to learn how to make your students feel comfortable.

I can't be wrong - I teach 6 classes a day, and my students are great. 10 months is not enough experience to know how to connect with kids whilst teaching EFL. I hate to say this, but the problem lies with you. Experience is key. And...

Korean students, for the most part, are great!

[visitor q]

I forgot to add that I can communicate with my 8/9/10 year olds in English, in the classroom and out the classroom, speaking at my normal pace. They understand my "Western humour" too. Experience is key.

[Grotto]

[visitor q]

[fusionbarnone]

Kids sometimes tend to freeze when confronted with an English speaker(even, their own teacher) outside the actual learning environment.

During my first year in Korea, my friends and I were confronted by a couple of female uni students itching to practice their language skills on an obviously foreign-looking crowd. The engagement went like this; 'Hello!(the uni students) Hello!(our collective) How are you?(the uni students) Fine, and you?(our collective, happy to be using Interchange 1 skills for a change). Fine. Do you like apples?(the uni students) Who ran off giggling satisfied that their mettle had been tested in extreme language conditions with a gaggle of real live waygooks. We were equally happy to have been appreciated for our rare and delicate talents.

If you consider the possibility that she(your student) may have had an appointment(liaison with a wannabe boyfriend). I've seen this one before, too.

Your student was probably taking a break from academic pressure and may have been pleasantly ensconced in cruise mode when you saw her. Switching between languages requires a mental gear change and the process of doing so even gives me a headache. I try to avoid talking to people who want to practice languages other than English with me for this reason(before a power lunch).

I think you are doing just fine as a teacher as students/parents/directors seem to like you(you still have a job without added strife).

365 days in a single year and this occurance happened on a single day out of one full year. Not bad odds.

[ddeubel]

Yes, don't beat yourself over the head about this!!! I think most people have offered a good assessment..........most of it comes down to learning a second / third language in a non-English country. I have taught English in Canada and the States and can attest that in 3 years, students will be speaking great English. In Korea, it might take 30 years unless they at some point become immersed in English and learn in context. It is the difference between playing tennis on the computer screen and on a court.

Fusionbarnone -- I think you must be a great teacher, if you are asking yourself this question and reflecting on "am I a good teacher?". This is what it takes, for the most part.

[lastat06513]

I felt the same way sometimes- a failure, even after a couple of years of teaching here.
But- there is a bright side to us being here and teaching.
Unlike the older ones who didn't have the positive and negative exposure to foreigners in Korea from the 1960's thru the 80's, the young ones of the "hakwon generations" will get that exposure and have no qualms about going up to a foreigner and talking to them.
That is the main goal of the teacher here, to get them exposed to foreigners to make them less afraid.
I know it is difficult, given some of the trash parents tell their children about foreigners or from what the media says about us. But I feel the next generation of adults would be more incline to talk and interact with us than the last.