Teaching English to Korean Young Learners

Aaron D. Jolly Korea TESOL Teacher Trainer

More Warm UpDiscuss with your partner

Hi, my name is ______. Nice to meet you. (I’m _______ NTMY2)I was wondering would you tell me

about _______________________?

~tell me a memorable school moment?

~tell me about your favorite teacher?~tell me what ‘keys’ ingredients are?

My Cooperative Learning Rules

(1) 1-2 minutes of teacher modeling(2) 30 seconds - 2 mins for 1st person, then call CHANGE!(3) Partner only listens (and nods…) (4) 30 seconds - 2 mins for 2nd person(5)Optional sharing if time

What are key ingredients?

Key Ingredients(1) Understanding Korean kids(2) Working with Korean co-teachers (3)How to be a happy & inspired teacher(4) Making fun & laughter in the class(5) Creating a student centered class(6) Lowering affective filters (fear & boring)(7) The 4 x 25% rule for course/class design(8) Bring your course-book alive adaptation (9) Using awesome MALL & Internet tools(10) DIY is best: The classroom is your canvas

(1) Understanding Korean Kids Strong group mentality Rice planting culture & Confucian

trainingYoungest kids want someone who is

a mother or father figureThey expect teachers to be “god-

like”Too busy for homework sometimes

Tips for Teaching Korean KidsAlways smile Be patient – takes time to get it rightNever, ever shout - or be too nice Ask co-teachers to help Find your own management systemNever admit failure Tune into your inner brilliance

(2) Working with co-TeachersCo-teachers will vary Ur key is compassion & care, interestKoreans very passionate - very quiet Some teachers are taught not to

“interfere” with others Age is very important in Korea. If

your colleague is older than you there may be a “respect gap” which you have to navigate carefully.

Tips for co-TeachersAlways smile Be patient and realize it takes time Show how much you are interested

in your students, and in Korea Be uber-polite and schedule time

with them at their convenience.Dress for success, appearance,

posture, voice tone - all the signs of professionalism as a public person.

Read tips from experienced teachers

Dress the part

Who died and made you a

banker Aaron?

(3) A Happy Teacher Are you happy?Are you healthy?Are you smiling?Are you organized?Where are you on the Humanist v Behaviorists Continuum?

Intrinsic v Extrinsic Motivation

Video here

(4) Fun & Laughter

(5) Student Centered80-20% rule. Possible? Nearly? Sometimes?

Classroom organizationNeeds analysisSoftening the environmentAllow mistakes in the classroom

80-20 Rule

“As we start the new school year Mr. Smith I want you to know that I am an Abstract-Sequential Learner and trust that you will conduct yourself accordingly.”

(6) Affective FiltersStudent’s interests.Learner surveys.Asking for information before you make the PPTs.

Following kids media, what kids play online etc.

Knowing latest trends/music etc.

Student Centered

(7) Nation’s 25% Rule25% meaningful input

25% language focused learning

25% meaning focused output

25% fluency development

Meaning-focused inputteacher talkReading & read aloudsvideossongs listening materials that are easy enough for most students to understand meaning.

Language focused learning =word study, grammar drilling, learning chants and songs teacher explaining cultural use of language, sentence building,

practicing and memorizing the course-book dialogues.

Meaning-focused output=Students talking or writing about things that they are actually invested in, care about, have an interest-in.

The focus is on task not on completing a task, not perfect language accuracy.

Fluency development =ery simple - 25% of all your class time should be student-centered review of previously learned material from within the class and from previous classes.

They need practice with the language.

ConnectHow are the ideas connected

to what you already know?

I thought about how______.I already knew __________.

I remembered _____________.

Extend:What new ideas did you get

that extended or pushed your

thinking in new directions?

I got new ideas about ________.

I learned that ____________ which made me think that

___________.

25%

(8) Adaptation & Supplementation

My favorite adaptation ‘keys’

Change the color of your textbook!

i. Using “Entry Points”. ii. 5 minute “Brain Based”

activitiesiii. “Multiple Intelligence” lesson

plans. iv. Cooperative Learning

activities.v. “Thinking Routines” from

HGSE.vi. Speaking frames using PPT

There are 5 kinds of Entry Points:

-The Aesthetic. -The Narrative.

-The Logical/Quantitative.

-The Foundational. -The Experiential.

Gardner, H. (1991), The Unschooled Mind, New York: Basic Books.

The entry point through

which learners respond

to formal and sensory

qualities of a subject

or a work of art.

http://brooklynartproject.ning.com/

Examples:*Use photos from artistic images to stimulate interest.

*Show a famous painting or picture which is connected by theme to your

topic. Theme: My family

Is your dad like this?

Use all kinds of pictures

What do you see, think, wonder?

The entry point through

which learners respond

to the narrative (story)

elements of a subject or work of art.

Theme: My house

Remember your audience! (Especially if you have 5th-10th graders?)

Theme: Mixed schools vs. boys or girls only?

The entry point through

which learners respond

to aspects of a subject, or

work of art that invite deductive reasoning

or numerical

consideration.

10,000100,0001 million

2 million5 million8 million10 million

Theme: Korea 2002 World Cup

1. They are using

sign language .2. The girl is

probably deaf.3. The woman

is a

teacher/helper.

Theme: Deaf children

The entry point through which

learners respond to the broader

concepts, or philosophical

issues, raised by a subject

or artwork.

Why is it so?Why do we need

English?Why do you love your

family?Why do you study so

hard?Why do you play soccer?Why is Korea so busy?

Why do people drive like that?

The entry point through which

learners respond to a subject or work art by actually doing something with their

hands or bodies.

*Play different trust games

*Pretend to be blind

(for unit on physically

challenged kids) Theme: Friendship --- Caring/service

Adapted from WIDEWORLD professional development resources.

http://www.wideworld.pz.harvard.edu/

These examples were excerpted and adapted from:

Davis, J. (1996). The MUSE Book. Cambridge, MA: President and Fellows of Harvard

College/Harvard Project Zero

Narrative & experiential

What is brain based learning? http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic70.htm

What’s the most delicious word?What’s the most dangerous word?

What’s the ugliest word?What’s the tallest word?

What’s the funniest word?What’s your favorite word?

M.I. theory by Dr. Howard Gardner (1983), Professor of

Education at Harvard University.

http://www.spannj.org/BasicRights/appendix_b.htm#test

Advantages:*Maximize student talking time.

*Maximize interaction.

Activity examples: Think Pair Share, Circle of

Speakers, Circle of Writers, & Snowball.

From George Jacobs’s wonderful website:

http://www.georgejacobs.net/index.html

List all the things you know about

ants ( in 1 minute)

Next, make a list with your partner… next share with the two

people next to you or behind you.

No duplications please!

Think-Pair-Share

I think _______________ is going to ________________________________.

Think-Pair-Share

I think _______________ is going to ________________________________.

Think-Pair-Share

I think _______________ is going to ________________________________.

http://www.pz.harvard.edu/Research/AERA06ThinkingRoutines.pdf

Core Routines: What make you say that?

Think Puzzle ExploreThink Pair Share

Circle of viewpointsI used to think but now I

thinkSee Think Wonder

Compass Points

http://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_CoreRoutines.html

See. Think. Wonder

This one is so easy to use!

Connect Extend Challenge

Challenge

For heaven’s sake use

PPT

Yes you can use PPT to make your own:

Word/phrase cards

& speaking frames

PPT Speaking Frame Example:

Prof. Jolly’s Speaking Frames 2010

PPT Speaking Frame Example:

Prof. Jolly’s Speaking Frames 2010

1 –Do I use entry points to lessons?2- Do I use “brain based” cognivities?3- Are the MI’s of students factored?4- Do I use cooperative learning?5- Do I use thinking routines?6- Do I use speaking frames?

(9) Supplemental ‘keys’

I use the 1 + 1 approach to add stuff!

Use Graded Readers!

Graded Readers are “books prepared so that they stay within strictly limited vocabulary.”

(Nation, 2001)

 

By Rob Waring (distributed in Korea by YBM Sisa)

a. Use Real-English.com to watch videos with subtitles, for all levels.

b. Find video materials on DVD or that are level appropriate.

c. EnglishCentral great example 

 

 

http://jasonrenshaw.typepad.com/jason_renshaws_web_log/

Are you ?

1 –Do I have time for anything?2 – How can I make (more) time?3-Do I practice the 1 + 1 approach? 4- Is it for in-class only, or out too?5- How do I assess learning, or do I?6- What varies? What stays the same?