“My main
goal is not actually to give them knowledge,
My main
goal is to give them more confidence.”
President Shin Kwang Yul, Interview to Professor Anne Rodowick
At Inha University, Incheon on Dec 01, 2012
Prof. Rodowich is 15 years living in the country,
.According to
her, she doesn’t
like in a big cities. Like New York City, because it’s too noise.
She always greets
people even she doesn’t know the names, That is why its kind a
shocking when she live in Korea because the people are afraid to greet her. She
guest it’s a Korean tradition that people doesn’t want to say “hi or hello”.
She strongly said “I
mean saying hi is enough. It is some kind of a human relationship.”
She shared to us her
experience in the subway “Koreans don’t look at you into your eyes. I don’t
know maybe it’s also a Korean culture” she said.
Adding, Some Koreans doesn’t
treasure about their culture. Because they copy in the west. Sometimes copy is
a little bit unworthy. I mean, the hip hop or rock music. They are just
copying, its not really worthy.
Her advice to learn
English.
Actually
the traditional Asian style Education that should be memorizing could be
effective for Mathematics or Science where principles and laws will not change.
But in the case of Language is continuously changing. It changes that the
moment I actually talking with you and talking to others. Because the
relationship is too different. There are different ways to talking to different
people. The different topics that come out require different vocabulary. In terms of Language, its not effective, and I
can see that. When I have students coming in my class. And they been to Elementary,
Middle school, high school they can even say “ hello im…. From…” they can not
introduced them selves in 3 continous sentences. Why is that? Because they are
still stumbling with over basic things.
So
its time to change the method of teaching.
if
the students are not being talk in the classroom then the teacher would say “ok
please memorize it and next week we will have examination”. For me this is not
helpful.
There
are a lot of kids who have a lot knowledge in there heads but they are not afraid
to used it’ That kind of “NERVOUS and FEAR FACTOR” would totally not helpful.
So
why is that kids had only small amount of knowlegde? Because there learning English language is
not enough. They are only have minor amount of confidence. So they need to
start speaking, not only to memorized but they need to exercise talking and
talking english.
Young
students need more confidence, if the confidence will raise then their
knowledge will increase too.
Korean elementary
students thinks that English is some kind of a mystery.
So in Elementary School
should be fun, like Games, Songs, Story and playings.Its like when you are
teaching a babies, first you should teach songs, games..etc..Then if they know
that english is fun, then they will become interested to learn english.
The best way to learn
proper pronunciation;
People can easily pick
up by pronunciation. Little kid is not easy to know about the proper grammar
because grammar is kind of an abstract concept. But adults we know the concept of
grammar because we are familiar of it. So pronounciation aspects are more
difficult. The only thing we can do is find a strategy on how it is work.
One good example is
SHADOWING. And most students don’t get used of this. Shadowing is really
effective. What is this Shadowing all about? Example if you listening there words that they
are learning. Like try to listen to an audio that reading on the book, you try
to imitate that voice. If you try exercise it again and again it is effective.
There are such a group
variety of greetings. For example Students to Professor. You will use “Hi” if
you greet a person with your similar position or similar age. Or if you are
very close to the person.
Good morning / Good evening
is a safe way of greetings rather than “hi”
Freshmen/ Students never
ever call the professor in their first name. They should use the Family name or
the title which is professor Rodowick.
