HANGUL IN THE CLASSROOM
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I sometimes use Hangul in the classroom and with teachers. The students applaud when I successfully write a word or two on the board. I found it most necessary to use when I taught a class alone without textbooks, (or Korean teachers). I wrote Hangul on the whiteboard when teaching lessons on color and animals. As the year progressed, I came to understand more Korean, but to use it less, or almost unconsciously. I try to speak English as much as possible because I thin I¡¯ only cause confusion if I try to practice my Korean here. Often they think I¡¯m speaking English, not Korean, because my Korean pronunciation is so unrecognizable. There have been times when understanding Korean is very, very helpful, so I study as much as I can. Understanding phonetic differences is very important. I can¡¯t have too many conversations in English with the students or teachers, but I can sometimes answer their Korean questions. If I do know some Korean equivalent of the classroom English, I will often use both. Someone said, let the students think you know more Korean than you actually do. I am a more effective and efficient native English speaker if I know Korean.
Korean names are still very difficult for me. For role play I use many names, English and Korean, but when I try to use their real names, I have difficulty pronouncing and remembering. It will take me a few more years to be able to remember names, but I never forget a face or classroom, almost. Korean names are also written in Hanja, which I study a little, but is mostly incomprehensible.. I often refer to teachers by the classroom number, i.e. teacher 6-3, 5-4, etc. becasue I can¡¯t pronounce their names. Sorry.
There is a great practicality in knowing the language outside the school as a foreign worker in Korea. This city is small and few people can speak English. I study Korean from books and tapes, every day.
Many songs sung in English have a Korean version. Before teaching the English, try the Hangul as a warm-up.
I often answer the school phone in Korean, asking the person to wait while I get somebody. To socialize with teachers it¡¯s desirable to know some Korean. As one teacher said, English is very difficult for us, so if you can learn some Korean, it will help us a lot. So, instead of carrying the dictionary everywhere, try to carry it around in your head. Learning how to write Hangul is very important, and typing practice in Hangul is very useful.
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