Korean Job Discussion Forums

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

I am starting to get comfortable with lesson plans, I have a lot to learn but having books helps. I have two free speaking classes that I really need some help with. I need some ideas on how to keep them, and me entertained if there is no book to follow along with in the class.

Also all the students are at different levels, some can speak with me, others can't even understand me....*sigh*....it's very frustrating cause I know I'm boring the shit outta them, and they're parents are paying for this.

I need to learn how to do this so I can start to pick up some privates....

Canadian Club · Joined: 12 Aug 2006

How old are they? How many are there in a class?

I start most of my classes with free speaking time. My kids are usually eager to tell me about their weekend/friends/new cellphone/girlguides/awful tests in elementary school/state of their parents' marriage.

Sometimes it takes a long time for them to get the words out, but I quietly encourage them. My classes, however are 3-6 students, and they're all at the same level(ish) so I don't really have to struggle.

If they're young, ask them anything. Ask them if they have cellphones, and get them to explain the features to you. Ask them if they play sports and pretend not to know what the sport is so that they explain the rules and how much fun it is. Ask them about kimchi (it's kimchi making season), and what kind is their favourite.

Try to get to know them as people if you can. Then it will be easier to think up lessons or topics that they will be interested in.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Uggh.. free-speaking. They should ban the title of classes like that.

Even worse are advanced classes who ONLY want to do free speaking about advanced politics.. what disaster classes those were.

Honestly, in my opinion, unless the students are really fluent in English.. I mean.. honestly fluent like you and I.. then they have a lot to learn.. and need focus and structure for each lesson.

Basic easy lessons are best even for advanced classes. Give them interesting things to talk about. UseFIRSTHAND 2 or Pagodas TALK TALK. Both are good books for this. You'd be surprised how few students even at supposedly more advanced stages have so much more to learn about ordering food, giving directions, making future plans, telling a past story.

First off.. break down your students into pairwork or small groups. They'll have to practice things like giving directions. Even supposed advanced students often won't know 'kitty-corner'.. or 'third on the left'..

Making future plans is a great one.. tell them and their partner must make plans for this weekend.. will they go camping? go to the mountains? When will the go? What will they bring? How will they prepare? Make them plan it out extensively with a partner. Then have them switch partners and have to explain all their details of their trip to their next partner.

In short.. don't do the free talking lessons.. organize something with some kind of direction and work through it with them.

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

damn, now I have 3 free speaking classes, argh!!

I have one with about 7 students, ranging from understanding me and can respond to a student who doesnt understand one friggin word I say.

My other free speaking is with 2 students from the previous class, but it's just them so more one on one.

Then I have another one with 4 students who can barely understand me..

Free speaking is a nightmare for me.....

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

Free talking? Siro. Almost free talking? Fantastic. Use Jazz English for structure.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

RachaelRoo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

Try the 'Japan trick'.

It can work two ways. Option 1 is to tell the students that you were talking to another foreign teacher, and he told you that Dokdo island belongs to Japan.

Option 2 is to ask the students how they feel about Japan and why. Try and get them to teach you about Korean-Japanese historical relations.

The classes pretty much go on autopilot from there and you just have to play along (play stupid).

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

Man these "free talking" classes are a nightmare. I dont even know what sort of structure to set up with them. Basically I just shoot the shite with them for45mins until class is over. I put a list of words on the board, and got them to make a sentence with them, then added stuff like "get on" "in front of" "listen to"and got them to make a sentence with the words and these sentence parts.

Other then that I have no friggin clue how to set up a lesson structure on conversation skills......

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

It depends on the level and age of the students but if you're teaching university and older nothing is easier as far as teaching goes. On the other hand, nothing seems more futile.

Anyway, sit down the night before class and brainstorm 10 questions on a topic. Type up the questions, give them to the students one at a time (if you give them 10 at once they'll breeze through them quickly), tell them that they must spend 5 minutes on each question, and there you go. The less you (the teacher) talk the better, but don't clam up completely.

If, for whatever reason, you have trouble making your own questions just to to the aitech site, choose a handful of their questions on any given topic, and use those.