Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jajdude]

I wanted to avoid it, but it has come up again. Make 40 calls in a month and actually get to speak to 15 students. Get parents not having a clue what you're saying, and don't know their kids' nicknames. Struggle through the few questions you can think to ask kids who barely comprehend you.

It got me down earlier. Fortunately I have one high level class. I call one of those students when I just can't handle the struggle, frustration and reminder that even very simple spoken (telephone) English is incomprehensible to almost everybody in this country.

[capebretoncanadian]

I'm in the same boat...been doing it for the last year and a half...have it down to a science.

*Phone picks up on the other end....

Parent-Yeoboseo

You- Yeoboseo

Parent- Yeoboseo

You- Yeoboseo....(insert name here) hagwon endeo(or hagwon imnida)

Parent- Nay (If they don't know who you're looking for at this point they must be marginally retarded....If they are marginally retarded...no problem....figure out the kids Korean name....very easy)

You- Jimmy....or Min-soo bawk wa juseo....BAM.....you get the kid on the line.(If they fire out a string of unintelligible gibberish ask in a quizzical manner.....Waygook sung sang neem imnida..hangul mal jokum..min-soo apsayo?)

Parent- Jam shi man yo

Kid-Yoboseo....or Hello depending on how stunned the kid is.

You-Start spiel here..................This stage is autopilot for me....I've gone to the trouble of scripting phone calls to meet a particular subject....be it sports,animals, numbers, letters, seasons, colors....whatever anything. The slacker the kid the better in my opinion....makes the topic simple and painless.

Anyway....scripting is the key...then when you draw a blank on the little slackjaw you have a readymade question in front of your face.

[jacl]

Gooooooooooooooooooooooood times!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

We were contracted to telelphone teach at my old hogwan. One techer did it diligently. One stopped doing it and basically said 'screw the boss'. I started doing it diligently and then, after losing all respect for the boss and figuring out I wouldn't get paid proper overtime if doing it exceded my scheduled hours, just did it with the classes also taught by the one KT I really respected. The boss would give the KTs s h i t if we weren't doing our jobs properly, and I didn't want her getting any.

For lower level students it's an utter waste of time, and the fact that half the parents can't put two and two together and figure out why _________-teacher from ___________ Hogwan is calling just shows what a farce it is.

[just because]

My last hagwon, while good tried to get me to do this...

It lasted one day as i figured it would take 3 hours a week. i said to her I will only do it if it is paid overtime...

All of a sudden it wasn't required anymore. Can't be too important....

[TheUrbanMyth]

Telephone calling is one of the reasons I got out of hakwons and in to public schools. What a joke!

[redlightorchestra]

My wife love phone english, she has a great time with the little turds.
She makes them do all kinds of embarassing crap on the phone.

Our script is much the same as yours

Yobosayo, Chonin ____your name____ E a yo, Phone English imnida.

The parents who speak english will start to here, We also schedule times so often the kid answers anyway. I try to get most kids to speak in full sentances, some I have to try to shut them up. I had one kid asking me what I ate, and where i shopped for food, and where I was calling from, ten minutes later I was ready to hang up the phone. They are kinders so they are so excited that a teacher called them at home.

[jajdude]

I can see that it can be useful sometimes with some kids, but mainly it is a pain, and just an extra service the academy wants to provide to please the parents. The lower level students, especially in middle school, are the most difficult to get to say anything in English, on the phone or in class.

[jacl]

I wouldn't do it. Even if it was in my contract.