I teach Korean to students from multicultural families at an elementary school. The students are still young, so unlike adults, they have less motivation to learn Korean. So, it’s my responsibility as a teacher to motivate them to study diligently.
Some people say, “What’s so difficult about a Korean teaching Korean?” But foreign learners don’t know things that we can understand intuitively, so I need to clearly explain the differences between very basic words and sentences.
Since I started teaching Korean, I’ve noticed that I’ve become more sensitive to language. Compared to before, I now pay more attention to correct spelling and the proper usage of the Korean language. I also need to read up on the subject to answer the students’ many questions.
intuitively - in a way that is based on feelings rather than facts or proof
read up on sth - to learn about something by reading
나는 초등학교에서 다문화 가정 학생들에게 한국어를 가르치고 있다. 학생들은 아직 어리기 때문에 성인과 달리 한국어 학습에 대한 동기가 약하다. 그래서 열심히 공부할 수 있도록 동기를 부여하는 것이 교사로서 내 역할이기도 하다.
어떤 사람들은 ‘한국인이 한국어를 가르치는 게 뭐가 그렇게 어렵냐?’고 말한다. 하지만 외국인 학습자들은 우리가 직관적으로 이해할 수 있는 것들을 모르기 때문에 아주 기본적인 단어와 문장의 차이점을 명확하게 설명해줘야 한다..
한국어를 가르치기 시작한 이후로 내가 언어에 더 민감해졌다는 것을 느꼈다. 전과 비교했을 때 정확한 맞춤법과 올바른 우리말 사용법에 더 많은 관심을 갖게 되었다. 또한 학생들의 다양한 질문에 답하기 위해 관련된 책도 많이 읽어야 한다.
- My brother motivated me to study when I was young. / I don’t know how to motivate them to work harder.
- The product’s features are very simple, so most users can understand intuitively. / It’s too complicated to understand intuitively.
- I read up on childcare while my wife was pregnant. / I want to read up on it before I make a decision.
A: You mentioned that you teach Korean to children from multicultural families, right?
B: Yes, that’s right. I work at an elementary school.
A: I see.
B: Besides language, I also teach them about Korean culture.
A: Ah, that must be a very important part of their education.
B: Yes, the main goal is to help the children get adjusted to Korean society.
