Kids know more than we sometimes give them credit for. Exhibit A:
My student presented me with a spontaneously created drawing today. She said it was her 원어민 (won-eo-min = native-speaking [English] teacher, i.e. a foreigner) at her public school – his name is George.
Look at what he’s drinking. The green bottles say 소주 (soju, i.e. Korean vodka). He’s saying “에헤라디야” [e-he-ra-di-ya] which is a sort of interjection that means something like “Oh, yeah!” as in “I’m very happy.”
A fourth-grader either knows these things about her foreign teacher because they’re obvious, or because he’s told his students about them directly. I’m not sure that’s really very professional, either way. I think this revealing little moment points up some of the big issues with Korean EFL education – i.e. the lack of professionalism in so many of the teachers that come over here to work. I don’t blame the foreigners – it’s a lack of quality control.
Just don’t ever forget – kids know: they see through you.
[Daily log: walking, 3 km]