The Leaves Are Changing

Along the roads in Ansan:

Lunch

Lunch today was at a bulgogi restaurant; here's a pic of some of the food . . . the rice and soup weren't served when I took this pic, and I was too hungry to wait:)

A Couple of Short Films

Actually, these are medium-short films, 13 minutes and 16 minutes respectively:

http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/10/14/yardbird/

http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/10/13/the-groundsman/

Not for kids, but worth watching . . .

Things I Do at the End of Classes

It's been a while since I wrote anything about teaching; the subject of what to do at the end of classes has been on my mind lately, so I thought I would share a few activities that I find useful and interactive; my students like these activities too!

Often I find that I finish a lesson and have 3 or 7 minutes until the class ends.

I want to continue on with useful English language vocabulary, so sometimes I do these things:

1. Bingo: It is a wonderful tool to use for reviewing vocabulary + classroom language.

To start, I will draw on the whiteboard 3 lines by 3 lines (a grid) so that students understand what to draw on the 1/2 sheet of recycled paper that I give them.

Next, I write on the whiteboard the pages in their textbook that they need to look at to take the vocabulary from: p. 8, p. 18., p. 28.

I say, "Write 16 words from the 3 pages in your textbook," and then I show them.

OR

I write on the whiteboard

   *8 animals

   *8 foods

The students write the words and then we start the bingo game.

They practice using language such as:

   *Whose turn is it?   *It's my turn   *It's your turn   *That word is finished   *Can you repeat that?


2. Last Letter/First Letter:

When I only have a few minutes left, this is the game I use.  I say, "Last letter, first letter, animals.  My animal is octopus."

The next student has to think of an animal that begins with "s".

That student says "snake".

The next student has to think of an animal that begins with "e".

That student says "elephant".

And so on.

Animals and foods are good categories for every level, maybe verbs for higher levels.


3. Memory Game:

This one takes a bit longer, but can be shortened or lengthened (as with the last game).

I write the beginning of a sentence on the whiteboard:

   "I want to eat _______"
Or
 
   "Yesterday I _______"
Or

   "Tomorrow I will ____"

I start out, "I want to eat pasta."

The next student says, "I want to eat pasta and cake."

The next student says, "I want to eat pasta, cake, and steak."

And so on.

These are all useful games for learning vocabulary, and they have the added benefit of students leaving the classroom with a positive attitude . . . even if the students have studied hard for 45 minutes with me, they can finish refreshed and happy:)

Fall Colors

The leaves here are starting to change into nature's wonderful fall colors.

Here are a few pictures from a nearby park, taken in the morning light:

Pyeongtaek, South Korea

The city of Pyeongtaek (평택) is a bit over an hour south of Seoul by train, and, though not a pretty place, is becoming more important in some ways as the U.S. military consolidates some of its forces there.

I went to Pyeongtaek today to visit some friends who are leaving Korea soon, and one thing that we did was to order some take-out food from a kebab place:  very good!  (Unfortunately we were so hungry that by the time I thought to take pictures most of the food was gone).

The weather was nice today--warm and sunny.  This was perhaps the last day for that kind of weather, as fall is coming on full force (and I look forward to the cooler days!).

Short Film

Here is an interesting short film . . . you have no way of knowing where it is taking you (not for young kids):

http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/10/07/bag-man/

Happy Hangeul Day!

Also known as "Korean Alphabet Day", today is a national holiday to celebrate the making of the Korean alphabet, or Hangeul (Hangul; 한글). Created by King Sejong in the 15th century, the Korean alphabet--because it was made and not formed over time--today is one of the easiest alphabets to learn (most of it, anyway).

Many of my students also get tomorrow, Friday, off from school (the students have a new term for it, "sandwich day") so they are happy, though most still have to go to their academies (unless their families are taking a trip over the 4-day weekend).

I have to teach tomorrow, but it is nice (and unusual) to have a Thursday off.

New Short Films

Here are three new short films; preview before showing them to kids (they are a mixed lot, but all good in their different ways):

"L3.0" or "Leo": http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/10/01/l3-0/

"Interview with a Time Traveler": http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/09/30/interview-with-a-time-traveler/

"The Missing Scarf": http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/09/29/the-missing-scarf/