oink..
i taught english half an hour from pusan for 4 months.... this was in 1996 before the asian currency crisis
an amazing experience.
the following is something i wrote in my journal... about 5 years ago..
Korea was an experience that I will never forget.
When I first started teaching I was nervous at first, but when I realized that I was in a position to influence the interests of my students, I took greater responsibility.
The students and the classes that I taught ranged in age and size. From junior high school students, to university students to adults, each had a different purpose or reason to study english. Accordingly, my methods varied from class to class.
My junior high school classes were fun. At that level, most students are learning just the basic grammar and vocbulary skills. In essence I had to "act". For example, when telling the story of a shark I acted as a shark, swimming my way around the class. This "acting" was in effect to stimulate my students' enthusiasms in the course. Even though classes ran smoothly, I made a mistake near the end of the term. It was a hot, humid day. The kids were not too receptive to what I was preaching. So to take a break, I taught them how to play the game "Heads up Seven Up". The game is played by having seven students randomly pick other students while their heads are down. The chosen kids then have to guess who chose them. Anyways, the game was so fun that the kids clamored, or rather, begged, to play the game everyday after that. It was embarassing to meet the school's principal when he asked me how class was. Accordingly I euphemized my response
I had other classes comprised almost entirely of university students which took up the majority of the day. These classes were more serious in nature, since my students were learning english to further their career objectives. As a result, the classes were more intense. When learning a new language, the most difficult aspect has got to be speaking. You can learn to read and write by reading books, to listen by hearing tapes but speaking was something most of my students lacked. Speaking skills can only be gained by practicing and by overcoming the fear of making mistakes. So, the majority of my classes were focused on conversation skills.
The fun with the university students was after class. If you ever travel to another foreign country, I don't think you can ever go wrong by asking college kids to show you around. Not only do they know the trendiest places, but they also know where to go to have fun. Instead of exploring Korea by reading a tour guide book, I had my students show me the bars, where to eat cheap noodles, how to mountainclimb, how to shoot pool (Asian pool tables have no pockets!)..etc. Some of the experiences were memorable. For example, I remember one night I went to watch Arnold Schwarzenneger's "Eraser". The movie was played with english dialogue, with Korean subtexts. Midway through the movie I laughed at one of Arnold's cheesy one liners. The fact that I was the only one laughing made me look as conspicuous as a pimpled nose. It was embarassing having everyone around me stare at me like I was some kind of deranged lunatic. Somehow the humour had not been translated into Korean.
My night classes were comprised of mostly adults. These classes were made of competent students. I remember in one class I had a university professor, an engineer and also a CEO. The fun with these classes was that I didn't have to teach any of the basic grammer or vocabulary skills. Instead, we had free talk classes. In the beginning of class, we just chose a topic and discussed it for the hour. In one class I remember we were talking about dogs. One of the students absolutely hated dogs, whereas the rest of the students couldn't understand why anyone could dismiss an animal that is labeled "a man's best friend". The argument went back and forth between this one student and the rest of the class where I merely acted as a mediator, giving other students chances to express their views. It was amusing to realize the source of this one student's abhorrence of canines. Apparently, as a kid, the student was bitten in the buttocks by a rabid dog and was sent to the hospital!
These night adult classes were special in that I was able to experience the unique form of human chemistry, synergy. Up to that point the students in my class were comfortable expressing their views to the class. A rapport of trust had been built and as a result we could talk about anything. I remember in one of our classes we dealt with the issue of death. Each of us, including myself, talked about how they dealt with death, whether it be a memory of a close relative or friend, or whether it deal with something philosphical in nature. Turn by turn we each let go of our egos. By dealing with such a sensitive issue we were able to express what truly touched us, what inspired us and what we thought would happen to us in the end. That one particular class is something I'll never forget.
Overall, I had fun in my mother country. Teaching was an experience that I will never forget and is something I'll pursue in the future, whether it be directly or indirectly (for example, tutoring). At times i didn't even feel like i was the teacher in the class. In contrast, I felt like the the student in most cases, as I was able to learn from them. I was able to learn what it was like to be, act and think Korean. I was able to learn how to adapt to a new culture. I learned how to teach.
Pork
___________________
hello thar
|
