Applying to teach English in South Korea

top_drawer_2

Thanks for that - very helpful. I'm as prepared as the next CELTA qualified individual and willing to take the hits to learn.

I won't pick apart your post as I simply don't have that inclination.

top_drawer_2

silverwhistle wrote: »

I'll look at it in the morning: not up to a detailed critique at this time of night, although I did spot a few small points on a quick perusal. ..:-)

This is not a criticism by the way, but teaching applications must be the most merde fiction you could ever encounter, and I speak as someone currently applying for summer school positions in the UK.:D

The bottom line is that you have to be patient and like people; after that the rest falls into place.

I'm also in the process of doing the same... in the hope that a little bit of actual TP will make things a little easier when I have to teach full time, forever!

I wasn't taught much grammar at school and I am really missing it now. I've purchased a grammar book and tried to apply the principles, but to be honest I'm a little lost. For instance "others" I thought as it was more than one it should be others'



Here it is again ...
We are interested in your ability to perform as a successful teacher in Seoul public schools. Please provide your educational philosophy of teaching young learners, and express thoughts on encountering cultural differences. The essay should be more than one page or more in length and will be judged in addition to content on grammatical accuracy.

I have always hoped to be able to offer a positive contribution towards altering the lives of others and to experience living in a culture completely different to my own. I have 3 years' experience of supporting people, who have disabilities to live as fulfilling a life as possible. I feel privileged to work in a role empowering others and am keen to pursue a role where I am able to combine this desire with my love of the English language. During my time at university, I saw how influential the ability to speak English was in allowing people from non-English speaking countries to study and live in the United Kingdom and heard many experiences of how their English language skill would allow them to meet their objectives when they returned home.

My primary teaching goals are to assist students in achieving their maximum potential, to offer them the skills in becoming lifelong learners and encourage them to live as productive a life as possible. My teaching sessions are aimed at developing communicative competency through meaningful activities, and by meeting the students needs in terms of developing confidence as well as abilities and knowledge, to enable them to succeed in the English academic environment.

I believe that my willingness to adapt my teaching according to the needs of learners, subject matter and student demographics are critical to my ability to be a successful teacher. For example during teaching practice my class of young learners underwent career interviews, thus conversations tended to relate to their future. Their preference for a quick paced lesson format with a chance to demonstrate their new knowledge led me to develop an activity by which the students moved around the classroom, asking questions and using statements relating to their future career presented on prompt cards, with the aim of finding others who also shared their aspiration.

Furthermore, for students to learn most effectively I believe that learning materials should be relevant and stimulating, addressing diverse learning needs and characteristics in developing English language skills. I believe that it's important to use technology in the classroom to show how the knowledge can be used to benefit them in their current lives. However, I also accept that advanced technology in a classroom cannot be expected and so the teacher must adapt their approach accordingly. For instance I would have liked to have set up an online blog for the students, who I taught in a voluntary capacity to communicate in English outside of the classroom. However I realised that most of the class did not have reliable access to the internet and so I proposed a noticeboard in the entry hallway of the learning centre where students, who would be visiting the centre for other purposes could post questions, queries and comments relating to any subject they wished. The teaching professionals, myself included posted tasks or a question to encourage the students to use English beyond the classroom. One such question was “How do you feel about the Olympics?” this provoked an enormous range of posts and led to more advanced students undertaking research into costs and benefits to the United Kingdom and present them to the class.

I believe that in the position of a teacher, I am a role model to my students; thus, demonstrating respect, honestly, empathy, responsibility and the desire for learning. I believe that a teacher is more than someone who teaches but also a mentor and a trusted individual with whom they are able to share both accomplishments and challenges on the path to achievement.

Whilst a curriculum objectives, student assessment method's and assessment results may be identified by the school ethos and departmental syllabus, my teaching philosophy informs my practice. My knowledge of teaching and supporting learners' and personal experience as a ESL student, I have concluded that, regardless of one's teaching background a teacher needs to remain open minded about alternative approaches. I am constantly striving to improve my teaching through seeking feedback from students' and colleagues', attending seminars and experimenting with new technology. My objective is always to enhance student engagement and attaining success. I believe that as I gain knowledge and experience of teaching English, my teaching philosophy will continue to evolve for the better. I am committed to teaching as a career and hope to pursue further qualifications in educational practice with an emphasis on English Language teaching in order to further refine my skills.

In contemplating preparing this application I was keen to know as much as possible about Korea, its history, society and culture and have been an avid reader of a number of blogs written by past and present English teachers, am keen to read everything I possibly can regarding your magnificent country and have learned some basic Korean via an online course. I am particularly keen to experience authentic Korean cuisine, I am a avid cook and follower of Saturday Kitchen, which sometime ago featured culinary recipes inspired by Korea. I attempted to undertake creating these myself at home with some success and also visited my nearest Korean restaurant, which was very enjoyable experience. I loved the sharing and welcoming ethos of the Korean people in creating and serving dishes. . Food has the power draw people together to share in the universal human experience, regardless of the differences in language, culture, or nationality. I am keen to continue this exploration between our cultures by experiencing it myself.

angelfreak

Hey, I'm not long back from teaching English in South Korea. Are you applying through EPIK? I taught in a hagwon and my application consisted of just a telephone 'interview'. If you have a CELTA I strongly advise applying to teach in a university - much better pay/holidays/teaching opportunities. Friends I had who taught in public schools were often frustrated at the tiny amount of teaching they actually go to do.

Annisele

top_drawer wrote: »

I wasn't taught much grammar at school and I am really missing it now. I've purchased a grammar book and tried to apply the principles, but to be honest I'm a little lost. For instance "others" I thought as it was more than one it should be others'

Not quite, no. If you say just say others', then there's a word missing - the apostrophe in that means that you're talking about something belonging to the other people. So, the others' opinions is OK, but it should be ...finding others who share... without any apostrophes.

For example, the dog's dinner is a dinner belonging to just one single dog - the apostrophe says the dog possesses the dinner. But the dogs' dinner is a dinner belonging to lots of dogs, because the dogs possess it rather than just one.

You sometimes see signs offering banana's for sale. Technically the apostrophe in that is wrong (google "greengrocer's apostrophe" for details) but it's a very common mistake - and I think it's the one you're making.

Hope that helps!

(Where I've used italics, I mean to put the words in quotation marks "" - but that looked daft with the all the apostrophes ' around).

noelphobic

top_drawer wrote: »

I wasn't taught much grammar at school and I am really missing it now. I've purchased a grammar book and tried to apply the principles, but to be honest I'm a little lost. For instance "others" I thought as it was more than one it should be others'

Apostrophes should be used to show a word has been abbreviated:-

don't, won't can't, shan't, you're

Also to show possession:-

the dog's bone, the dogs' bones (for more than one dog)

It should NOT be used just because something is plural:

I am taking the dogs for a walk NOT I am taking the dogs' for a walk.

top_drawer_2

Thanks for the grammar advice, I hope I've applied it right.

AngelFreak - I would love a university position too but they're rarer than dinosaurs eggs so I'll settle for a government school position.

Well I'm much happier with it - I've cut loads out, added in some examples and seriously worked over my word order. I've tried with the grammar and although I would still appreciate some input here, I can't spot any glaring mistakes.

If anyone has anything to add regarding the handling cultural differences aspect then I would be grateful to hear them, I am stumped on answering this part of the question directly.

We are interested in your ability to perform as a successful teacher in Seoul public schools. Please provide your educational philosophy of teaching young learners, and express thoughts on encountering cultural differences. The essay should be more than one page or more in length and will be judged in addition to content on grammatical accuracy.

I have always hoped to be able to offer a positive contribution towards the lives of others and to experience living in a culture completely different to my own. I have 3 years' experience of supporting people, who have disabilities to live as fulfilling a life as possible. I feel privileged to work in a role empowering others and am keen to pursue a role where I am able to combine this desire with my love of the English language. During my time at university, I saw how influential the ability to speak English was in allowing people from non-English speaking countries to study and live in the United Kingdom and heard many experiences of how their English language skill would also allow them to meet their objectives when they returned home.

My primary teaching goals are to assist students in achieving their maximum potential, to offer them the skills in becoming lifelong learners and encourage them to live as productive a life as possible. My teaching sessions are aimed at developing communicative competency through meaningful activities, and by meeting the students needs' in terms of developing confidence as well as abilities and knowledge, to enable them to succeed in the English academic environment. I believe that students will thrive in an environment where their learning is a priority; thus I adapt my teaching to suit the needs of the learners, subject matter and student demographics. For example during teaching practice my class of young learners showed a strong preference for quick paced sessions and a dislike of revision sessions. Thus I developed a lesson involving participation in a game show similar to “Family Fortunes” covering material similar to that to be featured in their forthcoming assessment. The session was a enormous success and the examination results supported this assertion.

Furthermore, for students to learn most effectively I believe that learning should be interesting and accessible. I aim to design my materials to cover topics which are thought provoking to encourage learning, to break down concepts into simple manageable chunks so that each student can excel. I believe that technology is a powerful tool; offering the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge in both English and in utilising information technology in their learning. These skills will be beneficial both beyond the classroom and in succeeding throughout their education. For instance in a teaching practise session I utilised an interactive whiteboard to good affect, with a class of young learners to display a map which responded to their input. The task was to guide other students in English around the map to find pots of gold. The responsive nature of the whiteboard reinforced students correct application of their knowledge by displaying moving animation, making noises and flashing pictures when they answered a question successfully which they enjoyed immensely.

However, I also accept that advanced technology in the classroom cannot be expected and so the teacher must adapt their approach accordingly. For instance I would have liked to have set up an online blog for the students?, who I taught in a voluntary capacity, to communicate in English outside of the classroom. However I realised that most of the class did not have reliable access to the internet and so I proposed a noticeboard in the entry hallway of the learning centre where students?, who would be visiting the centre for other purposes could post questions, queries and comments relating to any subject they wished. The teaching professionals, myself included posted tasks or a question to encourage the students? to use English beyond the classroom. One such question was “How do you feel about the Olympics?” this provoked an enormous range of posts and led to more advanced students undertaking research into costs' and benefits' to the United Kingdom and presenting these to the class.

I believe that in the position of a teacher, I am a role model to my students; thus, demonstrating respect, honestly, empathy, responsibility and the desire for learning. I believe that a teacher is more than someone who teaches but also a mentor and a trusted individual with whom they are able to share both accomplishments and challenges on the path to achievement.

Whilst a curriculum objectives, student assessment method's and assessment results may be identified by the school ethos and departmental syllabus, my teaching philosophy informs my practice. My knowledge of teaching and supporting learners' and personal experience as a ESL student, I have concluded that, regardless of one's teaching background a teacher needs to remain open minded about alternative approaches. I am keen to learn from co-teachers' who being a native of Korea is bound to have immense knowledge of the student body. I hope to further enhance my teaching practice in seeking feedback from students and colleagues, attending seminars and experimenting with new technology. My objective is always to enhance student engagement and attain student success in gaining competency in English language ability. I believe that as I gain further knowledge and experience of teaching English, my teaching philosophy will continue to evolve for the better. I am committed to teaching as a career and hope to pursue further qualifications in educational practice with an emphasis on English Language teaching in order to further refine my skills.

In contemplating this application I have pursued all the information I can in relation to Korea, its history, society and culture and have been an avid reader of a number of blogs written by past and present English teachers. I have enrolled onto an online course to learn Korean, which I am finding rewarding and challenging. I am particularly keen to experience authentic Korean cuisine, I am a avid cook and follower of Saturday Kitchen, which sometime ago featured culinary recipes inspired by Korea. I attempted to undertake creating these myself at home with some success and also visited a local Korean restaurant. I loved the sharing and welcoming ethos of the Korean people in creating and serving dishes along with the intense fusion of flavours. I was captivated by how food has the power to draw people together to share in the universal human experience, regardless of the differences in language, culture, or nationality. I am keen to continue this exploration between our cultures by experiencing it for myself.

Annisele

I think it's much better - but the apostrophes are just as weird as before. There are a few odd ones, but as examples:

...by meeting the students needs' in terms of developing confidence...

There, you've missed one apostrophe and added one where it doesn't belong.

I think it might help if you asked yourself what belonged to what. Do the students have something? Yes, the students have needs, and we're talking about the needs of the students - so "students' needs". Do the needs have anything? No, nothing belongs to the needs, it's just a plural word.

If there was only one student, and just that one single student had needs, it would be "student's needs", with the apostrophe before the s.

Similarly, there are extra apostrophes in:

led to more advanced students undertaking research into costs' and benefits' to the United Kingdom...student assessment method's and assessment results...teaching and supporting learners' and personal experience...

Nothing belongs to the costs, or to the benefits - they're just plural words, and they don't need any apostrophes.

I'm conscious that what we've said before hasn't helped very much, so I wonder if you could explain why you didn't put any apostrophes into this sentence:

I aim to design my materials to cover topics which are thought provoking to encourage learning, to break down concepts into simple manageable chunks so that each student can excel

You were quite right not to put them in - "materials", "topics", "concepts" and "chunks" are just plurals, and there's no need for any apostrophes in that sentence - but I think that if I understood why you think that sentence doesn't need any apostrophes I might be able to be more helpful.

And I know I keep banging on about apostrophes, but to my eyes they make your whole essay look as though you're not a native English speaker - and that's not the look you're going for!

top_drawer_2

Thanks Annisele.

I put an apostrophe in * students needs' * as I thought the needs was the plural - but as you say its actually where the possessive part is that matters.

I thought I should include apostrophe in *costs and benefits* as these belonged to the UK (in organising the Olympics) and in *methods* as there was more than one but the didn't actually belong to anyone. Then again in *teaching and supporting learners' * as there is more than one who I am supporting who has needs.

Am I correct in my use of the apostrophe in *I have 3 years' experience of supporting people* as the experience belong to me?

but then nothing in the sentence, *thus I adapt my teaching to suit the needs of the learners, subject matter and student demographics* but then these needs of the learners is referring to more than one student who has needs so maybe it should be learners'

Then also in this sentence * For instance I would have liked to have set up an online blog for the students * there was more than one student and the blog who have belonged to them so I think maybe this should be students' too.


I know this is important but as I have never been required to use them before and don't use them on a daily basis its not all that easy now I'm trying to apply the rules.

Annisele

I think "I have 3 years' experience of supporting people" is correct, but not for the reason you've given. This explains the "years' of" / "year's of" better than I can, but basically the experience belongs to the years, not to you.

So far as the learners and their needs are concerned, "the learners' needs" and "the needs of the learners" are both correct, and mean exactly the same thing. So, you could say "I adapt my teaching to suit the needs of the learners" (without an apostrophe), or "I adapt my teaching to suit the learners' needs (with one).

You were right to leave the apostrophe out in your sentence about the students' blogs. "I would have liked to have set up an online blog for the students" is fine, but if you'd said "I set up the students' online blog" you'd have needed the apostrophe.

I think the problem might be that you think it's OK to have a possessive apostrophe hanging around wherever there's a thing that belongs to someone - that's not how it works. The 's has to be attached to the thing that does the possessing, not to the possessed thing.

You can (pretty much) always replace a possessive apostrophe by switching the word order and adding an "of the" or a "belonging to". If you can't do that, your possessive apostrophe is probably wrong.

So, in the examples we've given before, these all mean the same thing:

"the dog's dinner" = "the dinner of the dog" = "the dinner belonging to the dog"
"the dogs' dinner" = "the dinner of the dogs" = "the dinner belonging to the dogs"
"the dog's bone" = "the bone of the dog" = "the bone belonging to the dog" etc

(I say "pretty much" because that rule-of-thumb doesn't cover everything. You might call this "Annisele's post", but if you weren't allowed to use possessive apostrophes you'd have to say "the post written by Annisele" - "the post of Annisele" sounds strange. Worse, it really doesn't work for the experience example).

top_drawer_2

mmmm I considered putting a apostrophe into the sentence
*during teaching practice my class of young learners+ showed* but your example suggests that as the class doesn't belong to them, the young learners then this is incorrect.

Also here as referring to a specific group and more than one?

*posted tasks or a question to encourage the students’ to use English beyond the classroom*

And *I am keen to learn from co-teachers * doesn't need as although there is likely to be more than one, its not something possessive?

But I do here: *I loved the sharing and welcoming ethos’ of the Korean people* as they have more than one and it belongs to them only.

Am I getting it?