JJ English Philosophy
At JJ English Academy we have had extensive experience teaching English and know the hurdles that Korean students have to overcome to learn such a different and therefore difficult language. It is clear to us that Koreans are committed to learning English and the government has set examinations that high school students have to pass before they can enter university. This has led to passing those exams becoming the end in itself as opposed to proficiency in English. Most of the students who pass these exams and enter university can’t really speak English though. This we feel is a waste. Why shouldn’t these same students both pass the exams and be able to speak English? Especially after all the time and effort they have spent studying it?
The reason we feel that the system is failing is that the method of teaching and studying is flawed. Many Koreans feel that languages should be learned in much the same way as other subjects as science and mathematics. That a language is something that can be memorized or rote learned is something we disagree strongly. Language is a fluid thing, it isn’t mathematical and Korean and English are often untranslatable. Whilst memorizing is an important factor in learning vocabulary and grammatical patterns, people learn languages fastest when they are in context and are engaged in an activity and are using the language themselves. This is called the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and is one of the main methods we use to teach English.
This Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is much more enjoyable for the students and engages them personally in the class. This method is now widely regarded as the best approach as it is based on the belief that learners will learn best if they participate in meaningful communication (Scrivener, J, “Learning Teaching” Macmillan, Oxford 2005). This is the approach used to train the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults- a highly regarded teacher training course developed at Cambridge University).
We use materials, which use CLT, and the results we have had have been very promising. Students are given a lot of freedom in class to use the language in their own ways so as to personalize their knowledge of English. Also it allows the students to relax and languages are learned much more effectively this way. Also it’s more fun, an essential element when teaching children. Children participate more when they’re having fun and remember what they learned more deeply.
The materials we use incorporating CLT use authentic language and focus on the Language Skills and Language Analysis:
The four Language Skills are:
1. Reading and { these are the “Receptive }
2. Listening. { Skills” }
and
3. Speaking and { these are the “Productive }
4. Writing { Skills” }
Language Analysis includes:
1. Grammar
2. Lexis – this includes a) vocabulary and b) combinations of words (such as “chunks” i.e. traffic jam or someone you can talk to) which have a meaning of their own
3. Functional Language
4. Situational Language
5. Pronunciation
So we believe that the obsession with passing exams and the obsessive memorizing that is so common in Korea is not the most effective way to learn English. Having said that there is still a need for students to memorize vocabulary at home. English, like most languages, has so many words and some words have various meanings and uses. These words are like “building blocks” and without them students will struggle step up to the next level. So we have developed a system of vocabulary teaching to address this issue. Students are expected to memorize a certain amount of words each week, depending on their level.
One thing we are ever mindful of is that we are teaching children here. Adults are generally self-motivated and understand the benefits they would receive if they could speak English well. Children on the other hand often come to study English for other reasons. The first is that their parents have sent them to the academy. This is great because it means the kids get started. However this alone will not continue to motivate them. Students will continue to come if they are enjoying themselves. If they have a good rapport with the teacher, feel comfortable in the class, have fun learning and actually feel real satisfaction from improving their English then they will want to come to class and will want to learn English. This is a central belief we have at JJ English and without this “enjoyment factor” all of the other parts to our approach to teaching are less effective. So it is vital that our students feel good coming here and enjoy themselves. (We are always looking for new ways to achieve this aim as it isn’t always easy!)
Finally we should never forget the great trust and confidence the parents of our students are placed in us. We are ever grateful for this and through all of the challenges we face over time use it to motivate us to help our students not only speak English but also become better people. Whilst this is not always easy in the hurly burly of daily life it is something that we are committed to striving toward.