Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
The amazing power of speed quiz
Imagine. You go to school and are told 15 minutes before class time that today's schedule is completely different than normal. Surprise. You have to teach an extra class today. Having only planned one lesson per week, you have no idea what you can throw together in 15 minutes. You slightly panic, open 15 websites, and scramble to find something, ANYTHING, that'll use English and not make you look like an idiot. Then it hits you. Of course! Filed under a neat, little folder on your desktop is your salvation. Speed quiz.
As most native conversation teachers in Korea know, there are few activities more popular (and in my case, effective) than speed quiz. Here's how it works. The class is divided into teams. The first team sends one teammate to the front of the room. On the screen is a powerpoint filled with pictures. The player can't see the pictures. The team must describe the picture to the player, entirely in English, without saying any words in the answer. (No "spider" or "man" for the picture of Spiderman, etc.) The player guesses correctly and receives a point. Teams can pass 2 times and each turn is 2 minutes long.
Sounds simple enough. Doesn't sound like a hole-in-one, does it? Oh, but it is.
My students can't get enough of speed quiz. They LOVE it. They always ask if we're going to play it. And even if we played it not long ago, they never get bored with it.
Why is it so great?
1. All the students can participate. True, not all students can put together a complete sentence, but they can definitely shout out "red" and "Batman's friend."
2. The students actually speak English. This is particularly rare with low-level students. And in a classroom full of 40, this is one of the few opportunities to get everyone speaking during the alloted 50 minutes.
3. No one sleeps. I've found this to be one of my only weapons against the Korean high school epidemic.
4. Very little preparation for the teacher. All you need is a file on the computer. (True, it takes a long time to compile that powerpoint, as it usually requires 100 slides to make it through class. Also, when putting it together you run out of ideas. Thinking of 100 random pictures can be annoying, but so, so worth it.)
5. It's hilarious! Some of my students' clues are so freaking funny. I need to start writing them down.
Example: panda
China bear! So cutey. Black circles [as in, under the eyes]
Example: Britney Spears
Pop star. Sexy. Toxic singer. Sing, no good. No hair. Has children. Crazy!
Example: California
*silence. Uhhhh, country. No! America.... Uhhhh... Sushi! ---- roll!
As most native conversation teachers in Korea know, there are few activities more popular (and in my case, effective) than speed quiz. Here's how it works. The class is divided into teams. The first team sends one teammate to the front of the room. On the screen is a powerpoint filled with pictures. The player can't see the pictures. The team must describe the picture to the player, entirely in English, without saying any words in the answer. (No "spider" or "man" for the picture of Spiderman, etc.) The player guesses correctly and receives a point. Teams can pass 2 times and each turn is 2 minutes long.
Sounds simple enough. Doesn't sound like a hole-in-one, does it? Oh, but it is.
My students can't get enough of speed quiz. They LOVE it. They always ask if we're going to play it. And even if we played it not long ago, they never get bored with it.
Why is it so great?
1. All the students can participate. True, not all students can put together a complete sentence, but they can definitely shout out "red" and "Batman's friend."
2. The students actually speak English. This is particularly rare with low-level students. And in a classroom full of 40, this is one of the few opportunities to get everyone speaking during the alloted 50 minutes.
3. No one sleeps. I've found this to be one of my only weapons against the Korean high school epidemic.
4. Very little preparation for the teacher. All you need is a file on the computer. (True, it takes a long time to compile that powerpoint, as it usually requires 100 slides to make it through class. Also, when putting it together you run out of ideas. Thinking of 100 random pictures can be annoying, but so, so worth it.)
5. It's hilarious! Some of my students' clues are so freaking funny. I need to start writing them down.
Example: panda
China bear! So cutey. Black circles [as in, under the eyes]Example: Britney Spears
Pop star. Sexy. Toxic singer. Sing, no good. No hair. Has children. Crazy!Example: California
*silence. Uhhhh, country. No! America.... Uhhhh... Sushi! ---- roll!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Andong Mask Dance Festival 2008
Pune and Yangban dancing
Filipino guys dancing. One word. "Sparkly."
Russian dance troupe. This particular dance told the story of colorful male birds fighting over and performing for the pretty white female birds.
This is an Andong native who's weaving with the traditional loom.
Apparently, being American and participating in mask painting earns us the privilege of being photographed by every Korean passerby who owns a removable lens. We were indeed celebrities simply for attending the festival...and looking different.
My mask creation.
Luckily, we not only found an open jjimjilbang (public bath house), we found one that is open 25 hours a day!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Hot Donna
Meet Hot Donna.
Now, you may not think she's much, but you haven't gotten to know her yet. Looks can be deceiving. Before Hot Donna came into my life, I felt like I was missing something. Every morning, I'd throw back the curtains and take in the beautiful day. Birds chirping, six-lane highway beeping, cleaning lady cleaning, and this scene...
*sigh. Those people looked so happy down there. I thought, "If only I could experience that kind of happiness..." Then I met Hot Donna. She was parked in the basement level of Homever. One glance in her direction and I knew she was the one. It just happened. And now I'm happier than I've ever been. Fairy tales do come true.
Now, you may not think she's much, but you haven't gotten to know her yet. Looks can be deceiving. Before Hot Donna came into my life, I felt like I was missing something. Every morning, I'd throw back the curtains and take in the beautiful day. Birds chirping, six-lane highway beeping, cleaning lady cleaning, and this scene...
*sigh. Those people looked so happy down there. I thought, "If only I could experience that kind of happiness..." Then I met Hot Donna. She was parked in the basement level of Homever. One glance in her direction and I knew she was the one. It just happened. And now I'm happier than I've ever been. Fairy tales do come true.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Images transcend spoken word
Need the bathroom? Don't know Korean? I think Korea's got the perfect sign for you. (For the record, "화장실" means "bathroom" in Korean...but that information is really unnecessary.)
Monday, September 08, 2008
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