I came down to eat, to find this:
This literally says, "Welcome, brother Corey." I was taken aback. I feel so at home here, and they have strived to make every effort to make me feel welcome.
And here is lunch:
We had rice, seaweed, potatoes, chicken, and some kind of soup. All of it spicy, all of it delicious. Anyone worried about me eating here should just stop. I'll probably leave here 20 pounds heavier.
After lunch, I had about 50 minutes to prepare for class. I wasn't sure about what would happen that day, whether they would expect me to jump in that day or not. Turns out they did, and I came to work. I was exhausted, but it was almost expected I figure out what to do with my class period. And in a matter of 40 minutes.
Of course, I had no clue where to start. I had no clue of the proficiency level of any of my students, and hadn't even really met them yet. So I figured, what better way to start than to gauge their levels of language proficiency?
And that's exactly what I did. It's a very small class, only 5 students, myself, and Joseph to help me explain more complex sentences.
When I started with figuring out where they were in English studies, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would they know nothing or have a strong foundation to build off of? I asked what they knew and what they wanted to learn. They (especially the girls, of which are the majority) were very timid at first. However, that quickly changed.
They all mirrored the same sentiments when I asked those questions: They have been learning basic grammar and vocabulary, but want to learn how to speak and listen well. That's when I decided to really dig in and see where we stood in terms of English skills, and precisely what nuances I needed to hit on. And at this point, I really thanked God that I had been studying Korean, because I felt like, more than even conversations and getting by over here, my Korean came into play perfectly for this scenario.
I began writing Korean phrases (nothing complex) on the chalkboard, and asked them to translate it into English for me. Nothing too complex. Things that you would pretty much teach in any ESL class within probably week one or two. I started with "My name is..." and they quickly got it. I began really challenging them, with past tense words, future tense words. This was where they started to struggle. However, they were getting the basic understanding of the sentence. Joseph asked me to quote a verse from the Bible in Korean, and see if they could translate it. I started with the literal beginning, and put up Genesis 1:1. This was really when they stepped it up, and the one guy in the class, who gave me his English name, David, translated it nearly perfectly, only saying "the world" instead of "the heavens and the earth," at the end. To his defense though, that is pretty much how it translates into Korean to begin with, so I had to take that answer.
What started out as a really timid group of students turned excited in no time flat during this exercise. The girls were really excited, as was David, and I was just as excited. They struggle with sentence structure, tenses, and spelling. Plus, as I do with Korean, their vocabulary range is limited. But, what I saw wasn't just what they didn't know, but I saw what they did know, and their desire to learn more, and their excitement to learn. You just don't see that often. Not a single one of them seemed bored. On top of that, as I spoke, the girls frequently tried to mimic what I said. That's when I realized how quickly they're absorbing English, and trying to apply it and learn proper pronunciation. Absolutely amazing.
Today, my intentions are to go through a listening exercise. I remember when I took Spanish in High School, my first class period in that class consisted of a listening exercise, and that laid the groundwork for the entire class. Proper listening comprehension, in my opinion, is crucial. If you can get them to start hearing the individual words and not just "blah blah blah," then their confidence takes a huge leap in the right direction.
What I intend on doing is giving out a list of basic commands. This was how it was done in my class so many years ago. I remember at first, being completely flabbergasted and overwhelmed by hearing these commands. Once we started to understand them, then yes, it does provide confidence. These commands won't be difficult. Things like, "Open the door/Turn off the lights/Stand up/Pick up a pen/Touch your nose/Look at the window" will be used. Of course, we can't really help them in this. They can get help amongst themselves, but myself and Joseph need to be conscientious observers in this matter, while I continue to make the commands. I'm expecting some initial bewilderment, but that they will catch on.
So, last night, I went to Myeongdong to meet Yoonmi. We decided to eat Indian curry last night. It was my first time with the cuisine, and after doing so, I knew it wouldn't be the last. Just amazing food, I've missed out.
I also gave her some gifts. I of course, wanted to bless her. My mom also sent her a gift. She was pleased with all of it!
We had to call it an early night, and parted ways around 10-10:30. I was so jetlagged still. By around 3PM, I hit a wall where I felt like a zombie. I took a 45 minute nap, and felt a little recharged. However, by the time Yoonmi and I were about to split up to head home, I was completely drained again, to the point where I almost fell asleep on the train STANDING UP. Yeah, that's when you know you're zonked. Fell asleep about 11:30, and woke up at 6:30. Not bad. I'm feeling quite well today. Went out to buy some new ink pens (lost mine), and got a nice walk out of it. Sushi rolls and rice dumplings for breakfast this morning. Not a bad way to start off the day. Then to top it off, the faculty at Durihana has a daily prayer meeting and Bible study. They want me to jump in with them. Today we read 1 John 4 (That's bringing back some memories, Mike). I also learned that they have a memory verse every week. On Friday, they check it, and if you haven't memorized it, you pay 1000won for missing it. I'm exempt this week, but I have to be on my heels next week. I don't want to lose my moneys!
This is going to be a great month. More to come.
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