Korean students are now migrating across the world seeking education, sometimes moving to new cities and countries with their parents, and at other times shifting for higher studies. In all cases, learning to communicate with people who are not familiar with the Korean language is a huge concern for such students and their parents. It is hence that Simpli English has introduced an excellent online mechanism of teaching English to Korean students in need of an ability to communicate with non-Korean populations.
Tips for teaching English to Korean students online
The next concern for those from Korea looking to learn English is whether their tutors will be able to cope with teaching Koreans a foreign language such as English, teaching and learning which can leave much margin for error, miscommunication, and lack of effectiveness in teaching methods. So, to start with, here are a few tips for teaching the English language to Korean students in the online mode.
The first tip is to use props and visuals to explain. Using an apple to teach the word apple, or showing a window or a funny graphic GIF of a cow to teach these words and concepts can be very helpful. Further, using simple rhymes and poems that are used to familiarise little children with the language to help these adults and young adults grasp it can be put to good use. Screening videos, mini-series and short films or asking your students to listen to particular songs in preparation of class can also be good tools for teaching.
Advantages of English pronunciation course for Korean speakers
While many Korean speakers may have a basic understanding of the English language by way of its widespread usage and pedagogy across cultures, Asians and South East Asians particularly feel very conscious about their accent and pronunciation while speaking this foreign tongue. There are multiple advantages to learning to speak English with the absolutely correct pronunciation-
- That people understand you better: If the main reason you are learning English is communication, then in many situations, pronunciation is key! Learning pronunciation in detail is important to help people effectively understand you better.
- That people don’t judge: The world is a cruel place and it is a very frequent occurrence that non-native speakers of English are bullied and judged for a lack of fluency in language, diction, and pronunciation. Such people may feel obliged to take efforts to improve on these fronts and Simpli English hosts classes specifically for this.
- New avenues open up: Fluent English speakers are often preferred when new positions open up in educational and professional spaces. It is very important for you to learn fluent English with correct pronunciation to take one step forward towards success.
Some of the English pronunciation tips for Korean speakers
Having discussed how an educator can help Korean speakers with English, it is also essential to talk about how Korean speakers can substantiate their interactions with educators by working on pronunciation.
The first challenge to overcome for Korean speakers is to implement your understanding of the difference between ‘L’ and ‘R’ which the facilitator may have explained to you. Other such challenges with letters like ‘V’ and ‘B’ and ‘F’ and ‘P’ also need to be addressed. Focussing one particular words with use of all these letters together like lore, role, vibe, flip, etc. would help in truly grasping the difference between pronouncing these letters.
Breaking consonant clusters in words, adding vowels at the end of syllables, confusing ‘S’ and ‘Sh’ sounds and misplacing primary stress in words in English instead of stressing on each syllable of a word like is done in Korean are important pointers for Korean speakers to keep in mind while learning English. Koreans also tend to mispronounce parts of words involving the ‘z’ sound and the ‘th’ sound, and while it is important for educators to lay stress on these while teaching English pronunciation, students can also pay special attention to these while learning how to talk English. Further, merging different vowels is a habit of Korean speakers that also must be broken when they are speaking English.
