Teaching Tips from Crawford Kilian / a skilled teacher and a wonderful writer.

Teaching Kimchi is conducting a “Who’s Who” in the Korean blogging world and loves to introduce Crawford to all visitors of this site. If you would like to be interviewed, please shoot us an email us.
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Born in New York City in the year 1941, Crawford grew up in Los Angeles and Mexico City. A wonderful teacher with 41 years of experience, loves to learn and impart knowledge. Crawford has worked as a teacher in China as well. He has contributed a lot by way of writing interesting books and journals. His current project includes a novel and articles for online journals. His other interests are politics, hiking, history, and environment.

A tool he recommends on the internet useful for English teaching would be the blog itself. “Ask the English Teacher http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/english is really a user-driven site: People sends him questions and quires and he tries to answer them. In the process, he says he often gets a chance to learn more about English before he gives a useful answer. In such a way he too gets benefited in a large way. He being not a trained ESL instructor gets to know about the problems faced by non-native English speakers and writers. That in turn gives him insight into the strange and wonderful language.

He find teaching to be an enjoyable profession , where each one, can bring in some surprises and challenges to the methods of teaching at any point of time —as well as the same old problems about I before E except after C, and subject-verb agreement.

The greatest attractions what he feels about learning and teaching English are that one never learn it all. The language changes before our eyes, and all one can do is to change with it.

 

Thanks a lot for your wonderful tips.

People interested can communicate with Crawford at http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/english and find solutions to problem related to English.

Tips from Nik Peachey | Learning Technology Consultant, Trainer, and Content Designer

Teaching Kimchi is conducting a “Who’s Who” in the Korean blogging world and loves to introduce Nik to all visitors of this site. If you would like to be interviewed, please shoot us an email us.

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Nik Peachey is an innovative man with many hats. He has an interesting take on how to teach English. His current project is developing an business English course inside Second Life, the Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.

He teaches and has activities with his students in the virtual world of Second life. I think that is ingenious! It’s fun and educational- Just how education should be.

Another tool he recommends for interactive slide shows and presentations is Voice Thread.

You can always find Nik at his blog.

Thanks for the tips Nik and maybe we’ll see you around Second Life.

Tightening up the application process for E-2 Teaching Visa from December onwards.

According to the Ministry of Justice press release, foreigners applying for teaching visa will have to go through a long process where they will have to submit a criminal background check, a medical check and well as they will have to undergo an interview with the closest Korean consultant in their home town. Teachers will have to receive and renew their visas from their home town itself according to the new rule. More over the visa runs to Japan will be scrapped.

Nothing has been commented about the exact date of implementation of the plan. According to an official, at the Ministry of Justice “”The changed regulations will be implemented sometime in the month of December but the exact date has not been fixed as the ministry is still on the process of finalizing the details.”

“Hagwon and other employers of the foreign teachers will be informed as soon as the details have been finalized,” the official informed The Korea Herald.

A tightened control came into being with the wake of the news that said that a pedophile suspect worked in Korea on several occasions, and a number of fake diploma scandals occurred throughout the Korean society. The suspect has still not been convicted and more over there are no public link to any offences happening out in the Korean society.
The plans for the formation of such a regulation has been happening for quite some time but the issue came to the limelight with much effect with the recent case of Christopher Paul Neil as was said by the official.

Criminal activities including the use of Drugs by foreign English teachers has been a vital social issue and this has been built to dangerous levels in recent years. This could be a major cause for implementing of the current plan. The ministry officials added that they have no plans of strengthening the regulations concerning all the foreign nationals in Korea as it was unnecessary. They are mainly focusing on the foreigners holding E2 visas, and those seeking an E2 visa. The teachers are focused more as they are the ones who come in close contact with the innocent children and it is the duty off the Ministry to guarantee that the children are protected form unnecessary danger.

Discussions are happening among current teachers not about the validity of new rules but about the messy implementations. Teachers find the rules to be vague and unclear. The potential teachers are also put off by the uncertainty of the rules which some of the important government organizations seem to be unaware of.

The vague and unclear rules made the Koran Herald contact the Government for information regarding the Foreigners visa . When contacted to ask regarding the changes for the regulation planned for December the answer received from the help desk clerk’s were also too vague. He too was quite uncertain as to when the new rule would be implemented. Here the question arises as to “How are the people supposed to know of the new regulations without the Ministry publicizing their thoughts”. When the question was asked to the clerk he replied saying that he was aware of the changes but could not make a comment on them, they will have to wait and watch the changes.

They have been a lot of comments by teachers with regard to the newly constructed plan. According to Tricia Elliot, a teacher at a private institute in Seoul, the idea of having a check on the criminal records as well as the health check is a wonderful idea but she does not agree with the interview being conducted at the closest

Korean consulate as there arises a possibility of cutting off people from smaller areas of larger countries. In her view point the majority of teachers are from the East coast and their nearest consulate would be Montreal. This makes them too far a place to reach on short notice, for the interview where the job too is not guaranteed.

English teachers have been undergoing trouble to get information’s as to the new plan. Many have been told by their local immigration branch that there were no changes, or that the office was unaware of them. All this is in spite of a press release which came out last week.

More over if the plan is implemented from December the schools would have to face a serious problem of filling up vacancies as the applicants need to spend a huge amount of time performing the formalities. This would in a way, discourage hagwon from getting rid of underperforming teachers. Nobody doubts that hagwon would boot abusive teachers but it is always better to take preventive measures as the replacement of teachers would be costly difficult as well as time consuming.

Some people suspect that the extra time and expense for the visa application has a possibility to deter legitimate teachers. “A mass exodus of legitimate, qualified, native speaking ESL Teachers”. They will be replaced mostly by highly transient and unskilled backpackers who will work illegally on tourist visas at premium wages,” said one teacher who wished not to be named. Keeping all this in mind the Ministry intents to increase the severity of punishments for those hagwon employing illegal teachers. People who really want to work in Korea will be the ones who are ready for such a deal and once they are through the formalities they are sure to demand an extraordinarily high wage.

Source:
http://admin.koreaherald.co.kr:8080/servlet/cms.article.view?tpl=print&sname=Special&img=/img/pic/ico_spe_pic.gif&id=200711070026

Interview with Jane from expatjane.blogspot.com

Teaching Kimchi is conducting a “Who’s Who” in the Korean blogging world and loves to introduce Jane to all visitors of this site. If you would like to be interviewed, please shoot us an email us. Without further ado:
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Teaching Kimchi (TK): It seems you are fluent in Korean- How long did it take you to learn and how
did you learn it?

Jane: Actually, I’m not fluent. I’m not even at a conversational level. I’d say I’ve got survival Korean down but I need to focus on the grammar and vocabulary to get on the road to fluent. I’m taking classes right now, but, for me, it’s hard to motivate because even when you speak Korean here Koreans are so obsessed with English that they’ll talk to you in English. So you have these odd conversations where you’re speaking in Korean and they’re speaking in English. I’ve only seen one situation like that before. I was in Paris at a cafe in the Louvre and was seated next to a mother and daughter. The mother was speaking in German, and I speak a little, and the daughter was answering in English. It was funny to see, but when it happens here it’s rather insulting because you’re trying and it feels like Koreans are actively discouraging you to learn their language.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): What is your favorite Korean dish?

Jane:?? is my favorite fall/winter dish. I think??? is my favorite summer dish.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): Blogging is hard work what keeps you motivated?

Jane: It’s pretty simple. I like writing. If you like something, it’s easy to do.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): Do you have any tips for foreigners living in Korea?

Jane: Well, I just spent over 90 minutes having someone fairly new to Korea talk my ear off about how bad Korea and Koreans are. I had to point out to her that if she looks at Korea with a Western point of view and Western expectations she’s most definitely not going to “get it.” My approach is to really try to understand that I’m not in my home country. I’m a guest here. I try to keep that in mind when fundamental differences come up. I think the article they wrote about me in the Korea Times sums up my attitude: Make the Best in Life

Teaching Kimchi (TK): What do you think about Korean girls?

Jane: Honestly, that’s a stupid question to ask a Western woman. I actually think it’s a stupid question to ask Western men too. Honestly, one of the biggest issues is Western men getting hard times for dating Korean women, but the first question they’re asked is what they think. You can’t win if you answer it honestly or if you lie. Since I’m female and heterosexual, I’ll just skip it. It’s irrelevant what I think of them.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): What is your view of Korean people? (Stereotypes, thoughts, etc…)

Jane: Koreans are a bit too eager to prove themselves to Westerners. Also, Koreans are way too sensitive to criticism. They seem to forget that where they can level critiques at other nations and cultures those same critiques will be leveled at them. No culture or country is a perfect place with perfect people. So, basically, they need to get over it.

They can be very kind, but kind doesn’t make you perfect.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): An unforgettable moment, which you would like to share?

Jane: Well, I’ll share a sterile one. I remember my first time in Paris. I’d taken the overnight Orient Express from Vienna. I took a taxi across town to my hotel and, en route, there was a great view of the Tour de Eiffel. I completely geeked out, squealed and my cab driver got a big kick out of that. I really love Paris when I go and I’ve been lucky enough to go a couple of times and stay for a few weeks at a time.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): After hardwork where do you like to go for a vacation?

Jane: I just like to travel, either to some place new or some place familiar. Right now, I’d say Shanghai is one of my favorite cities.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): As for something fun- If you were an animal what would you be and why?

Jane: A pampered house cat. I get very jealous of my cat when I have to go to work and she’s taking another nap.

Teaching Kimchi (TK): If you had a billion dollars in the bank what would you be doing?

Jane: I’d give a big chunk of it away, in trust, for specific causes. I’m an insulin dependent diabetic so a lot would go to diabetes research. I’ve also got a thyroid disorder, Graves’ Disease, so I’d establish research trusts for both diseases. They’re both autoimmune disorders which basically means my white blood cells are overzealous and start attacking my organs. Maybe I’m too healthy and I need to go out and get a dirty job or something.

Education is also very important to me, so I’d establish scholarship funds and education trusts. I’d pour big money into my alma maters: UCLA, UC Hastings and now Ewha Womans University.

The rest would be for me. A nice home and a decent car (nothing too flashy). I’d go back to school to get my PhD (which is my plan anyway), write stuff no one would read and just enjoy my life.
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Looking for Writers and Contributors

Are you a teacher? Write current and useful materials for www.teachingkimchi.com to discuss your experiences and others in Korea

Put your sword to the best use at www.teachingkimchi.com. Gain exposure for your work as well as meet similar writers like you to discuss what foreign teachers should, shouldn’t could, and couldn’t do in Korea. Imagine the exposure to a whole new world of culture and variance! What else could a writer look for?

Think about everyday life and you can see your mind spinning through things that have happened to you and will happen for most people. Write about them and just about anything for that matter. Start your articles from the time you get out of bed to the time you get in. Hey! You could also write about your dreams. We are open to ideas and creativity. Please make sure it has some kind of interesting point of view of Korea.

Articles should be about 400-600 words.

Articles fall into one of two categories:

1. You are what you eat- style – These are most interesting as they can come from real life experiences in Korea. You can be the hero of your articles.

2. Pass the buck - style - These articles need to have a focused subject. Let’s say you talk about the nightlife, beaches, leisure, food, health, bath and beauty, etc…Activities that engage people would be very welcome. Do not get confused! Your experience eating live baby octopuses could fall into the “You are what you eat- style”. Try to be very specific so that your readers understand the essence of the article from the very start.

Before you begin you can ask yourself:

-What is it that I’m writing about and is my point clear enough?

-Have I put my opinions also in the article?

-Is my article easy to understand? Plain is clear and also helpful. (You should bear in mind that many people reading this site have learned English as a second language and it’s important to keep the words interesting, however too much of your country’s slang will not really help as your article might just miss the point)

-Is it catchy? First impression is the best, so start it at its best. People even gist through the article at times, so make sure your paragraphs start in an interesting manner. A clear Introduction, body and conclusion is vital to leave a lasting impression.

-Does this article talk of Korea?

Having taken all this into account, send us your submissions to Writer and Contributor Position.

This will be a volunteer position and can grow into potential part time / article basis paid position (5-15$/per article). If your submission is being considered for publication, we will contact you.

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