RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

On the matter of 'English Camp', who was the genius who came up with that term. Why a "camp"?

In my first year, I thought I was going to the countryside for a week with my students. Spent a fortune on hiking gear and a tent. 

I hate how my CTs this year often make class go over into the break time. Even if we are just playing a game they will keep it going like 5-7 minutes into break and I'll barely have enough time to take a piss. Why??

It could be one of two causes:
CT's piss poor planning?
Your poor piss planning?

charming

Seriously, I worked with a CT who did this as well. The most embarrassing incident being her catastrophic open class; the bell actually rang while she was still explaining the rules to the first game.

I went out last night and ordered some french fries... that were covered in sugar. I have never seen that before and it was so disappointing! I know they have sugared garlic bread and sugared other things, but I have never seen it on french fries.

Waiting in line at a store and a woman comes out of nowhere and skips me in line. Ok, I just take my single bottle of water I was buying and move it ahead of her items. The cashier then begins to scan her stuff as I tell explain, in Korean, that I was first.  So annoying. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter but my blood pressure definitely went up.

Yeah, the line-cutting here can be really frustrating, not just because it's so inconsiderate, but also because it's incredibly disrespectful. Most line-cutters I've seen usually pretend that they don't know they're cutting. Some legit aren't paying attention, but a lot of them know exactly what they're doing and count on the idea that you won't say anything.

Recently was waiting in line to enter a subway car and a young woman with her boyfriend tried to squeeze right in front of me. Or really, the woman did, the boyfriend didn't really want to but was just kind of following her lead while looking at me to see what I would do. I didn't say anything, I just squeezed my way back in front of her once the doors opened, lol. Pretended I didn't even see her. I can play that game, too, sista.

On the matter of 'English Camp', who was the genius who came up with that term. Why a "camp"?

In my first year, I thought I was going to the countryside for a week with my students. Spent a fortune on hiking gear and a tent. 

"English Prison" isn't quite as catchy or friendly a title.

I went out last night and ordered some french fries... that were covered in sugar. I have never seen that before and it was so disappointing! I know they have sugared garlic bread and sugared other things, but I have never seen it on french fries.

I remember one time at High School when during lunch I was out with friends to the local burger van (UK thing) and ordered some chips (fries). Without looking, I accidentally grabbed the sugar bottle instead of the salt [right next to each other, why?] and doused my chips with some sugar. I had to pour some ketchup on them just to try and balance out the flavour but I spent a lot of time just trying to select the sugar-free fries. Wasted lunch!

These stories of line cutting make me really appreciate the small things-- the other day I was at the bank and people don't really line up, they just kinda cluster around the teller's desk.  There was an ajumma in front of me who noticed I had just one bill in my hand-- she had a big handful and insisted I go first. 

Yeah, the line-cutting here can be really frustrating, not just because it's so inconsiderate, but also because it's incredibly disrespectful. Most line-cutters I've seen usually pretend that they don't know they're cutting. Some legit aren't paying attention, but a lot of them know exactly what they're doing and count on the idea that you won't say anything.

Recently was waiting in line to enter a subway car and a young woman with her boyfriend tried to squeeze right in front of me. Or really, the woman did, the boyfriend didn't really want to but was just kind of following her lead while looking at me to see what I would do. I didn't say anything, I just squeezed my way back in front of her once the doors opened, lol. Pretended I didn't even see her. I can play that game, too, sista.

Korea improves everyone's pick and roll game.

Just had one class reach that magical age where they like to say Puck You. So I deployed my usual massive overreaction. Shouting and all fun cancelled for the next two periods. At the end of the hell class I ask my co-teacher to explain why they should never use those words unless they like being punched in the face.

Dear girl could barely pretend to give a toss. It was all giggles and whatevs. Kids think it's just some odd quirk of mine now.

Does anybody teaching out of Korea feel like filming their students learning the Korean expression for 18, dog baby, eating boiled candy and crazy guy? I'm sure my co-teacher would see the humour in this situation.

Gaaaaawd, some people are so overly sensitive and reactive, I feel like I should carry little feeling band aids  around with me.

These stories of line cutting make me really appreciate the small things-- the other day I was at the bank and people don't really line up, they just kinda cluster around the teller's desk.  There was an ajumma in front of me who noticed I had just one bill in my hand-- she had a big handful and insisted I go first.

They don't pull numbers at your bank?
 the concept of one transaction at a time.

Nah, super small rural town.  It just happened to be a "busy" time and there were like half a dozen people clustered around one teller (apparently the only one who handles utility bills?).  I noticed this time that people just put their bills on the counter to show who was next in "line."  Reminded me of days of old when people would put tokens onto the arcade game screen to stake a claim for the next round. 

One of the bank employees handed out those small glass fruity (energy?) drinks to everyone who was waiting!  That was a nice surprise. 

Just had one class reach that magical age where they like to say Puck You. So I deployed my usual massive overreaction. Shouting and all fun cancelled for the next two periods. At the end of the hell class I ask my co-teacher to explain why they should never use those words unless they like being punched in the face.

Dear girl could barely pretend to give a toss. It was all giggles and whatevs. Kids think it's just some odd quirk of mine now.

Does anybody teaching out of Korea feel like filming their students learning the Korean expression for 18, dog baby, eating boiled candy and crazy guy? I'm sure my co-teacher would see the humour in this situation.

Well,  that is one approach.

Have you ever tried simply to ignore it and not react?

Then, at the end of class you can simply address the student, individually, when the others have left, ask why he was held back and explain why using such language leads others to believe you are an uneducated dolt, a half-wit.

It has worked a charm at times.

Different strokes, different folks.

Just had one class reach that magical age where they like to say Puck You. So I deployed my usual massive overreaction. Shouting and all fun cancelled for the next two periods. At the end of the hell class I ask my co-teacher to explain why they should never use those words unless they like being punched in the face.

Dear girl could barely pretend to give a toss. It was all giggles and whatevs. Kids think it's just some odd quirk of mine now.

Does anybody teaching out of Korea feel like filming their students learning the Korean expression for 18, dog baby, eating boiled candy and crazy guy? I'm sure my co-teacher would see the humour in this situation.

Well,  that is one approach.

Have you ever tried simply to ignore it and not react?

Then, at the end of class you can simply address the student, individually, when the others have left, ask why he was held back and explain why using such language leads others to believe you are an uneducated dolt, a half-wit.

It has worked a charm at times.

Different strokes, different folks.

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Different strokes, different folks: I had a CT (she used to be an air hostess on international routes) who told me that it was OK for the students to swear at each other and everything and everyone else in English because English is another language so it doesn't count as being bad or rude or disrespectful.
However, if they swore at each other in Korean then it was bad. Then she went off on all of them.

Just had one class reach that magical age where they like to say Puck You. So I deployed my usual massive overreaction. Shouting and all fun cancelled for the next two periods. At the end of the hell class I ask my co-teacher to explain why they should never use those words unless they like being punched in the face.

Dear girl could barely pretend to give a toss. It was all giggles and whatevs. Kids think it's just some odd quirk of mine now.

Does anybody teaching out of Korea feel like filming their students learning the Korean expression for 18, dog baby, eating boiled candy and crazy guy? I'm sure my co-teacher would see the humour in this situation.

Well,  that is one approach.

Have you ever tried simply to ignore it and not react?

Then, at the end of class you can simply address the student, individually, when the others have left, ask why he was held back and explain why using such language leads others to believe you are an uneducated dolt, a half-wit.

It has worked a charm at times.

Different strokes, different folks.

"Wow! Good English!"  has always stopped my kids dead in their tracks.  It's not the reaction they were hoping for expecting, and they never seem to feel the need to say it again.
I'm actually low-key proud of them when they pull out English swears.  It means they took the initiative to learn English outside of English class.

Just had one class reach that magical age where they like to say Puck You. So I deployed my usual massive overreaction. Shouting and all fun cancelled for the next two periods. At the end of the hell class I ask my co-teacher to explain why they should never use those words unless they like being punched in the face.

Dear girl could barely pretend to give a toss. It was all giggles and whatevs. Kids think it's just some odd quirk of mine now.

Does anybody teaching out of Korea feel like filming their students learning the Korean expression for 18, dog baby, eating boiled candy and crazy guy? I'm sure my co-teacher would see the humour in this situation.

Well,  that is one approach.

Have you ever tried simply to ignore it and not react?

Then, at the end of class you can simply address the student, individually, when the others have left, ask why he was held back and explain why using such language leads others to believe you are an uneducated dolt, a half-wit.

It has worked a charm at times.

Different strokes, different folks.

"Wow! Good English!"  has always stopped my kids dead in their tracks.  It's not the reaction they were hoping for expecting, and they never seem to feel the need to say it again.
I'm actually low-key proud of them when they pull out English swears.  It means they took the initiative to learn English outside of English class.

In the corridor, I heard one of my girl students tell another girl to 'piss off' in a joking way.  Brilliant.

I told my Swedish friends about the 'puck you' thing and they thought it was hilarious before mentioning that it isn't really a swear word because as the spelling has changed it's meaning has changed.  I think it is a second language thing.  I don't really hear it nearly as much as I did when I first came here, mind.  As I teach girls, the rate of hearing swearing has been reduced to about once a semester.  Boys middle and boys high would be ten times a minute.

I just ignore it from the kids now. They're just trying to get a reaction out of you.

My teachers class however, they decided that learning swear words would be fun so one of the lessons got super derailed and they learned the phrase "you're a piece of $#!t" along with others.

Just had one class reach that magical age where they like to say Puck You. So I deployed my usual massive overreaction. Shouting and all fun cancelled for the next two periods. At the end of the hell class I ask my co-teacher to explain why they should never use those words unless they like being punched in the face.

Dear girl could barely pretend to give a toss. It was all giggles and whatevs. Kids think it's just some odd quirk of mine now.

Does anybody teaching out of Korea feel like filming their students learning the Korean expression for 18, dog baby, eating boiled candy and crazy guy? I'm sure my co-teacher would see the humour in this situation.

For the most part, your average Korean is completely oblivious to audacity of saying the
f-word, s-word and all their variations and in many ways, it's understandable.

Those trashy Hollywood movies, on the English channel, and the hilarious display of K-pop artists trying to swear in English and act tough don't exactly come with disclaimers.
Kids, especially, think it's a joke. They completely understand the concept of the audacity of swearing in class.

When this happened a few weeks ago, I stopped the class and wrote the words 'f*ck' and 'sh*t', on the board. My students and CT didn't really bat an eye until I wrote it next to 씨발
and 젠장. The reaction was very different and the students and my CT turned white... My CT was visibly anxious about having those words on the board but thankfully didn't interrupt as she understood that I was about to give a vitally important lesson.

Explain, in a calm yet serious tone, that future swearing in English will bear the same consequences as swearing to a teacher in Korean.

There's nothing 'cool n' chill' about letting kids run around saying expletives, and it's even worse when they greet it with a chuckle or think it's cute. But, it also is a chance for an educational moment - a lot of the time if you explain to kids that it's actually a bad word, and that it's not cool or funny or cute, then a lot of the time they'll kind of clue in, and at least avoid saying it directly in front of you. Of course some kids are just jerks and will continue, but some students genuinely don't know that those are bad.

I totally get what you're saying. My students who have sworn know exactly what they are saying and they're doing it to look like a bada** and to get a rise out of me.  By denying them that any continued use becomes pointless.  So that's the strategy I use and will continue to use.
If I had students running around spouting random swear words, I would definitely stop them.  That hasn't been the case.
Going through school in French immersion, I had some teachers that would nonchalently teach us about swears and others who would freak out if we said "sacre bleu."  Neither strategy really changed the amount we swore. 
I don't either approach to this problem is wrong.  It's just a matter of personal preference, your students, and CoT support.

Too, true.

Employ what works and suits you and your situation.

Best practices, FTI: http://www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/Families/pubdocs/bestpractices.pdf

I think the swear word debate is interesting and I try to react how I would at home.

The first time I hear them swearing I explain what the words are and that they are swear words. Sometimes they genuinely don't know.

The second / third / fourth / 1 millionth time I hear them swearing - I don't give a sh*t. Why? I believe swearing can be good for the soul...and part of growing up. I swore at my friends in school. Everyone did. Everyone does.

I really don't believe these kids are going to grow up to work at some company, and greet their new foreign business partners with "Hello Mr.Smith. Nice to f**king meet you. You c**t. "  They'll grow out of it, and it gives them a chance to be creative with what is and isn't allowed.

This week in my school I've overheard -

"Oh my gas rangeeee"
"What the puck"
"What the luck"
"ship"
"Oh ship"
"What the fox say"


 


Anyway, this is only if I overhear them.

Swearing AT me would be different, but they don't cos they love me