Korean Job Discussion Forums

[elksnitis]

One of my kids is a 14 year old Korean boy who's gonna move to the States soon and I'd like to help him because he's a nice kid.

I've searched around but I can't seem to find any sort of time-line of what kids should know by what grade. My hagwon has no clue and I don't want this boy to be blindsided or embarrassed by not knowing things the other kids have a firm grasp of. Please help me with what you think may be appropriate to know by this age.

I think most kids by 7th grade know American History pretty well, but I can't think of other things he'd need to know that the others already know.

should he have a firm command of:

World History?
US capitals and states? World geography?
Algebra?
Intro to Biology, Chemistry, etc?
Any recommendations for books here that teach a general overview of this type of material?

What else should I teach him?


Please help ASAP if you can. THIS KID IS A SWEETHEART BUT HE'S SUPER SHY AND I DON'T WANT HIM TO BE PICKED ON...

Please reply or you can also PM me!

Also, please don't make this a rambling post on American politics, etc. I geniunely want to help this lamb walking into a wolf den...

[Peter Jackson]

I'm not too sure about what American students should know at that age but most likely his math skills will be superior to most Americans his age. What he might need to learn is about American pop culture, sports, and what NOT to do when he arrives. Depending on his English skills you might want to point out the differences between the two cultures. I've always wondered how some of the odd Korean youngsters fare on the playground. He will probably to well academically (they usually do) so social education would probably be more helpful.

Good luck.

[OiGirl]

Here is the info you need for one state. Other states should have something similar available: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/ncscos

[elksnitis]

wow, thank you guys for the super quick responses!

good link (i'll have to explore it in depth) and good point about the superior math level. i guess i'll concentrate more on math terminology and make sure he can explain his calculations. americana is a good idea as well.

any other ideas or links?

[Dazed and Confused]

I've seen books at Costco and at the local Foriegn Language Bookstore to the tune of "What your child should know by X grade" and others called "curriculum skills" or something like that. They seem to cover all they basics of math and reading skills. Hope that helps.

[Sash]

I think the biggest hurdle would be reading level and speed.
I remember reading Classic novels at 7th grade, learning Earth Science... US History, Art, Music, Math (should be no problem), Gym... I never learned Bio or Chem in JHS.

He'll probably have ESL class too.
As long as he improves and keeps up with reading, I'm sure he'll do fine.

Yeah, I agree about teaching him some culture. Would def come in handy as Junior High School is the TOUGHEST in terms of being 'in' and 'cool'.

It must be so scary/exciting for him!

[ajuma]

This isn't a "learning" thing, but a cultural thing: Tell him NEVER EVER EVER EVER to wear the same shirt in the same week!!! The kids will tease the heck out of him!! In Korea, it's normal to wear a shirt for 2 or 3 or more days...even with kimchi stains, but in the US...NEVER!! A friend of mine was in the US from the age of 8 to 11 and this is one of his most painful memories.

[OiGirl]

Ok, if we are moving on to school culture:
Do not bring a paper knife to school. It will be considered a weapon, and a 365-day suspension would be a mild punishment.

[vdowd]

Here are 4 important things to help him fit it/learn good English fluency.

First, prepare him to field questions like do Koreans eat dog? - best to be prepared to answer, yes some do but I don't. Even if he has, this should not be disclosed except after time to "good" friends.

Second, focus on table manners. I have a friend who hosts foreign students and she had a 14 year old student exchange student from Korea - her children could not stand eating at the same table because of the loud, smacking, open mouth eating - cafeteria life will be hell if he does this.

Third, coach him on appropriate "personal" comments, questions. That is "fat" is not a word to use to describe someone. As well tell him to forget those sections of the books here about giving advice. People don't want advice unless it is from a dear friend, they want someone to listen to them.

Fourth, even though his mother and father tell him to study hard. Tell him that you recommend that he join 1 extra activity - music, theater, science club to be in a more social environment. And most importantly, do not make many Korean friends. In fact avoid them - I know many students who go overseas for a year, surround themselves with safe Korean friends and not surprisingly return to Korea knowing the same level of English as when they left.

Hope this helps. And yes I prepared, 3 students for Amercian schools and all made the transition well. One even aced an Honors English class.

[elksnitis]

Very good advice on the cultural aspect. He will be moving to San Diego, any advice on kids in Cali? I spent 2 years in Huntington Beach but know nothing of the kids culture. I guess they seemed really grown up for their age, that's the only thing I can really think of about So.Cal kids.

Agree / Disagree?

What else do Korean kids do that would get him picked on or made fun of about? eating dog, chewing with open mouth, same shirt are great, what else should i warn him about?

[vdowd]

This will be against the traditonal Korean culture but a problem that I have also encountered is the age thing at all levels. This really hit home with me today as I distributed Pen Pal letters from Australia to my Korean Grade 5 elementary school students.

Although very excited about receiving their first letters from their new pen pals, they expressed dismay that their pen pals were so young. They thought that they were soooo much older and might not be able to be good friends to these young children. Their pen pals were from a grade 4 class in Australia. I had to explain that even though they think of themselves as 12 years old that translates to 10 and 11 years old elsewhere.

What I did not say is that in reality I find that most of my Korean "12 year old" students are not as mature as most 9-10 year olds from North American cultures. Yes, they are often responsible for getting to various Acadamies and I have seen 5 year olds walking on their own to piano lessons, crossing the street with no parent in tow BUT they are very naive.

My students here still have dolls and toys althought they are starting to shy away from discussing them. They are at the stage where they still think of the opposite sex as "having couties", certainly not as boyfriend or girlfriend material.

Many North American children will have dated, talked about fashion, makeup, back talking to parents, teachers, about boys, sex (even if they have to pretend that it is something they really know about). They may be driven everywhere and closely supervised but they present themselves in a "sophisticated" and "knowlegeable" light than their Korean contemporaries (this includes using the "f" word and other for every second word when talking with their friends) are not familiar with.

So in my opinion a Korean student should have a strong goal and feeling of self. He/she should be prepared to be not accepted by everyone of their own age level because they may not be able to "talk the talk" with their age level. They may find it less threatening to associate with children slightly younger then themselves.

Depending on their age, there might be some pointers that their parents would not feel necessary because they do not anticipate these difficulties -ex. where do you draw the boundaries for trying to fit in and what is acceptable for your family, your culture and your own feelings about what is right.

Wish I had this adivce when I left home at 16.

[matthews_world]

Koreans usually learn by rote memory.

When you study some topic, try get him to think for himself.

He'll need to develop critical thinking skills and writing ability. This is where most Korean kids fail when they go abroad. These can be coached but it takes time.

He may be put in ESL classes from the start just to check his progress.

[ajuma]

Be sure he's up on whatever the kids in the US are watching...TV and movies...and what music they're listening to. He'll be a lot more accepted if he can discuss X TV show, or X singer...or thinks X is hot!

(Sorry...but I don't know what's current these days...maybe googling will help?)

[susmin]

I thought I had responded to this already but I guess I forgot to send it or something. When a new student arrives at a public school in the U.S., based on federal law the student will have to fill out a form indicating what language is spoken at home. If the language is one other than English, the student will be given a language proficiency assessment in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The assessment tool used varies from state to state. This assessment determines if and how much assistance or instruction is given to help with English language development. It also determines what if any accomodations are given for annual standardized testing. How each state deals with English Language Learners varies. Some have pull-out ESl programs, others have trained regular classroom teachers who modify instruction and assignments for those with limited English.

The most difficult subjects for language learners to grasp are social studies and science because the language is so specialized. It might not be a bad idea to go over the basic structure of U.S. government with the student so the terms are not totally foreign.

There is currently a big push for American students to really improve their writing skills. While Korean students who have studied English a while may have a good grasp of grammar and other writing conventions, they tend to have a hard time with content. Encourage some creative writing using descriptive language, etc.

[OiGirl]

You also might want to work with him on how to say and spell his name in the US. If he is a Suk Ho or Bi Chee or something, he might want to plan how to address that beforehand.