I have a student named N__. Because the current "test prep period" for middle schoolers (colloquially called "내신") is just now ending, a lot of students are still absent, so much to N__'s dismay, she found herself stuck with me in a class where she was the only student present. I know this is unpleasant and awkward for typical teenagers of any nationality: getting stuck in an impromptu one-on-one class with a teacher.
When this happens with an advanced-level middle-schooler, I pull out my pile of randomized Type 1 and Type 2 TOEFL Speaking questions, which hinge on personal opinions and preferences, and I subject the victim to an onslaught of timed, unprepared speaking drills.
N__ was quite reluctant at first, but I shortly realized that despite her being a fairly recent arrival at Karma, she'd obviously done TOEFL style speaking drills before – she was quite competent even relative to her peers who have had to suffer my insistence on this method for several years. Further, although lacking much vocabulary and having rather poor pronunciation, she had a good instinct for making instant, logical, meaningful answers. She even introduced quite a bit of humor at several points.
One question was something along the lines of "What is your favorite season?" Without pause, she simply said:
"Argh! I hate ALL of them!"
And then she said nothing more. That was sufficient, as far as she was concerned. She folded her arms to punctuate her point.
My favorite was with a question that went as follows:
What is your favorite way of getting around? (This question is meant to evoke responses on the topic of means of daily transportation, e.g. cars vs buses vs walking vs biking, etc.).
N__ asked me for clarification on the exact meaning of the question, nodded her head twice, and then, without missing a beat, immediately began:
"In fact, I don't much like moving at all. I would prefer to just sit at home… "
I broke out laughing, which broke her concentration, so she wasn't able to give more detail. I'm sure this pleased her.
In her several months at Karma, I'd already developed an idea of her personality as one of those laconic, can't-be-bothered teenagers, and here she was showing a full self-awareness and even some humorous intentionality to this image she projected.
By the end of class, she was less sleepy-eyed and more comfortable – I think my positive feedback on her pragmatically appropriate answers, regardless of their official TOEFL quality, helped her feel more confident.
What I'm listening to right now.
Arnold Schoenberg, "String Quartet No. 4" performed by LaSalle Quartet.
[daily log: walking, 7.5km]