Some foreign English teachers and many Korean English teachers have all wondered how to write an English textbook. One area to explore is teaching English by using local Korean culture. These materials ought to be easy to find because they are about life in Munkyong. The main point is that the English lessons reinforce Korean identity, even at a local level. The learner sees him/herself inside in the real life that he/she lives everyday.
Such materials, that could be put together into a book, must use photographs of the city of Chom-Chon and Munkyong county. Of course they can use photographs and teaching materials from other places in Korea. The aim is on placing the learner in the context of a wider universe, but the focus must begin at home.
An American educator named Hazel Henderson once said: “Think globally, act locally.” Education means widening your horizons, but also living and doing in the here now.
Take for example the textbooks created by Andy Finch and Hyun, Dae-Tuck at Andong University, such as “Tell me More”, “Now You’re Talking”, and “The Way Ahead”. These sophomore and freshman texts use a lot of photographs and lessons based on the culture around Andong. Learners can easily recognize there own environment and cultural “icons”. A lesson using the Korean first birthday ceremony is a lesson teaching dictation, listening, questioning, and spelling skills. A “free-talking lesson” using a picture about Korean sports uses all the basic English vocabulary and grammar needed to talk about any sport. “A picture is worth a thousand words”, as the proverb says.
So what materials from Munkyong county, can be found to be useful for teaching English? Several English teachers in Munkyong have created homepages on the Internet with many photographs of Munkyong. My homepage is at:
www.geocities.com/athens/cyprus/2739 and Robert Koehler’s page is at: www.geocities.com/tokyo/club/4469 . There is also the excellent Andong University English Center homepage, but this is not about Munkyong, it’s about Andong. It’s at: lc.andong.ac.kr/~LC/eng . It may be true that Middle and even High school students are not using the Internet very much, but this is only true NOW. It’s my opinion that the use of the Internet will continue to increase. Look at the number of Internet PC rooms in Chom-Chon now for example.What are the opportunities for students to learn English in Munkyong? I will list some here:
This is only a short list and I will not talk too much about it. However I will say that students in Munkyong do not have the advantage that students in Seoul have, that is, the opportunity to meet foreigners on the street, to practice speaking English.
A Korean English teacher with a little creativity can find materials in songs, Korean ceremonies, and fairy tales. I give you the example of ”The Ogres Magic Club,
또께비 방망이”, which I adapted into simple English. Another possibility is to use Video and songs which are both in English and Korean. Walt Disney’s movies are not exactly Korean culture however. I include here the lyrics or words to the song “Reflection”, from the Disney movie “Mulan”. There is a pop version in Korean and English. A more authentic approach would be to translate Korean children’s songs into English with the students, as suggested by Colin Campbell and Hanna Kryszewska in their book “Learner-Based Teaching”. I don’t mean translating “Twinkle, twinkle little star” or “판자 판자 작은 별”, but the same children’s songs all Koreans learn at home or in school.Role plays and dramas can have Korean names. I worked on a short drama of the
춘향전 story. These are names that all Koreans recognize. But also, short role plays using Korean names and places or people in the Munkyong area can be written.
Sumi: Hi, Ji-Hae where are you going?
Ji-Hae: I’m going to Munkyong Sae-Jae with my friends.
Su-mi: How do you get there?
Ji-Hae: My father has a Galloper and there is room for all of us in it. Do you want to come too?
Su-mi: Will you have a picnic?
Ji-hae: Yes, my mother made us kimbap.
A cultural anthropologist wrote about the “mazeway”, which is the path a person in a society takes in his everyday life. This everyday life in Munkyong can be the source for lessons in teaching English. It gives the learner identity and it gives them something they can recognize easily, so it is of some interest to them. It might even be better to facilitate the learning of English.
Learners don’t know that their culture is the same even if it is translated into English. Look at the TV programs guide in the Korea Times. Students watch many hours of TV every week but did they know that their favorite program in English is “Kokuma Teletubbies”, or the sitcom “Sunpung Gynecology Clinic” or the drama “Promise”. What’s your favorite televison program? What time is it on? This is an example of an “authentic text”. I have used these in classrooms and have found that the students are really interested in this.
In conclusion, many interesting teaching materials can be created using the culture of Munkyong. If enough materials can be found, they can be put on the Internet or into a book form. These materials cannot replace the standard textbook in the school system, but they could be used to supplement many classes. The value of these lessons is that they reinforce learner identity. They also place the learner’s culture in the wider context. Because it is so easily recognizable, Munkyong is naturally of interest. Students will find studying about their own life in English very different and fun.