Teach English in Fucheng Zhen - Linfen Shi

The demand for English teachers is high in South Korea, and there are many avenues aspiring instructors can take to get there. Motivations for teaching in Korea may vary, but — regardless of why they go — it is important for EFL teachers to be culturally sensitive and knowledgeable about the specific challenges their students may face. As young (referring to those in secondary school) South Koreans learn English they may face challenges related to pronunciation, classroom style, motivation, and exhaustion. It is the teacher’s responsibility to account for these issues and create an environment that will optimize students’ learning experiences. Pronunciation is a key part of productive skills in language learning, and there are distinct differences between English and Korean. The fact that English is not phonetic creates issues for many English learners, but it can be an even greater challenge for South Korean learners because Korean is phonetic. Furthermore, there are sounds in English that simply do not exist in Korean and vice versa. To work through these issues, English teachers should know these differences and be prepared to explain and demonstrate the mechanics of the pronunciations. For example, someone teaching English to South Korean students should know that the “f” sound in “fight” does not exist in Korean and be prepared to spend extra time teaching and drilling it. For young students, it is also important to add variety to these pronunciation drills in order to hold their attention and keep the exercises interesting. Students in South Korea will likely be more accustomed to lecture-style classes. Unless the students have already been exposed to teachers who run more interactive classrooms, the teacher must work hard to elicit participation and get students comfortable talking in class. To encourage students and avoid intimidating them, the teacher should be energetic and friendly — a smile can go a long way. It will also be important to establish rapport with the students so they feel comfortable in the classroom. Using a mixture of choral/full classroom participation and individual response would also help students ease into the new dynamic. One should also consider rearranging the classroom to make the set up more conducive for interactive engagement. Rather than using single-file rows facing the teacher (a common set-up in lecture-based classrooms), consider putting desks in groups, pairs, or (if the class size is small enough) a horseshoe shape. As is commonly the case with young learners, most South Korean teens learn English out of obligation. It is an education requirement, and students’ parents may force them to go to additional classes. As a result, they may not want to be in the classroom. Thus, it is important to find out students’ interests early on and capitalize on them in lessons. Even if external forces are compelling them to learn English, students may have some personal interest in English or English-speaking countries. The teacher should find out what those interests are and try to cater to them. It would also be helpful to learn students’ hobbies and incorporate them into lessons. For example, singing is very popular in South Korea; a teacher could connect lesson objectives to English songs or use English music to practice pronunciation and provide examples for grammar points. Appealing to students’ interests will help make the class fun for them. Another challenge young South Korean students may face, especially those at the high school level, is exhaustion. These students spend many hours a day at school — and at supplemental cram schools called hagwŏn (학원) — studying a variety of subjects to prepare for their college entrance exams. The importance of these exams to South Korean society cannot be understated. A student’s score is seen as a determinant for the quality of the rest of their life. While teachers cannot do anything about this external pressure, they can be considerate of their students’ hardships. For example, if students are having trouble staying awake in class, rather than punishing them for it, the teacher can talk to them about what they can do to stay awake (e.g. do their work while standing, take a break to stretch when they feel sleepy, get some water, etc.). The teacher can also incorporate activities with physical movement to help students stay alert and engaged. Young South Korean students’ potential lack of familiarity with the teaching style, potential lack of motivation, and potential lack of energy can all lead to reluctance to participate in class. In addition to the advice given previously, it is crucial for the teacher to know what level each of their students is at and where they may need help. This is true for teaching English to all age levels and nationalities, but it is especially important for this particular group that may already be exhausted, unmotivated, and in unfamiliar territory. Being lost in class would only discourage them further and make them even more reluctant to engage. A teacher’s attention to their students’ needs also shows a level care for students’ individual learning and can help build trust. A teacher should be creative in their instruction and think of different ways to engage their classroom, and this requires knowledge about students’ cultural contexts. For young South Korean students, the context comes with challenges like those addressed above. This account, however, is not exhaustive, and while these issues may be common and prevalent, there are always exceptions. Furthermore, the advice offered here is limited; there are other tools/methods teachers can utilize to address these potential concerns. Teachers should do as much as they can ahead of time to prepare to teach their students, but a lot must also be picked up as they go. EFL teachers must continue to learn from and about their students with each passing lesson and adjust to their needs as necessary — in South Korea and elsewhere. *I did not reference any materials while completing this task, but most of the knowledge I have about teaching EFL has come from ITTT’s TESOL certification course.*