Oh Teaching in Korea

Many people ask, "How do you teach a student English, when you don't know Korean.” There are many answers. First, I have a Korean co-teacher during my regular day classes. We plan lessons together. I explain activities in English and she translates if needed. We also sing songs, chants, play games and use lots of hand motions to make English class exciting. After school classes I teach by myself. The first hour I teach advanced kids who have a strong base of English. The second hour I teach students who barely know the alphabet. I use simple sentences and repetitive phrases for classroom management. It was very important to teach them key comprehension questions and phrases the first week of class. The Korean teachers taught them "Do you understand?" "Teacher help me please." Teacher I need more time." They also taught them the famous, "May I use the toilet?" These sentences were first over used because the students were eager to practice their new English sentence. So for the next two weeks I heard: "Yes I understand the meaning" even if I didn't teach them the meaning. Then they shortened the sentences to "Teacher help" "Teacher time" and they asked the toilet question any time they could. Even though these sentences were slowly abused, I understood what they were trying to say and it helps with the flow of the lessons.

When it comes to teaching lessons, I feel like I am one big song and dance act. I don't know what I would do without technology. Our computer is hooked up to a huge TV. I am able to show youtube videos and PowerPoints are my best friends. At first you wouldn’t think youtube would be so helpful, but it is an important tool for every English teacher in Korea. On youtube, you can find learning songs, books made to songs, short animation with translations. I use youtube for motivation. Usually I show a clip and then I say, "Ok, what do you think we are doing to learn today?" and the conversation begins. I also use youtube to teach songs. There are songs about everything, especially for kids. Songs teach kids new vocabulary and sentence structure and the kids enjoy it. Now, PowerPoint. The things you can do with PowerPoint are endless. I use PowerPoint for hidden picture, scramble sentences, and Jeopardy/Bomb games. If you have a PowerPoint prepared you don't have to waste time writing things on the board or flipping through pages. The Jeopardy and Bomb games are a fun way to review a lesson and to check for understanding.

My favorite part about teaching is when I teach 3 third graders the alphabet 30 minutes a day. I volunteer this time because I could tell they were sitting in class not understanding a word I said. I couldn't imagine being it that situation. I would probably quit the class. So, I decided to make English more enjoyable for these guys. It's so nice because it's with a small group of three kids, so there are no discipline problems. They hardly know English and I hardly know Korean, but I am still able to teach them the alphabet and phonics with flashcards and go fish. I think the small group learning environment took the pressure off and their brains were able to learn. It has been about 2 months and they can read 3 letter words. I think it is so amazing because I barely know the Korean alphabet. This is my most rewarding time.

Although being away from my family and friends is difficult, I realize what I am gaining in Korea. I am making new friends, experiencing a new culture and becoming a better educator. I can't wait to get back in a California classroom and use everything I have learned here. I have 8 more months to learn, yahoo!