Raise your hand if classroom management is top of your OS list (Occupational Stress). To the rest of you- CONGRATULATIONS! You have either landed a whole school of rare ‘angel students’ or you, yourself, are a rarity. For the rest of us, managing our classroom takes just as much energy as speaking English accurately (actually, considering you need to have a 4 year degree from an English speaking University to even apply to teach, classroom management takes far more energy than speaking English coherently). There are endless tactics to grab your student’s attention and keep their focus but there is one very easy way to manipulate your students, have them wrapped around you little finger, to get them to do what you want them to…

Ask them.      

Yup, it’s that easy!... Ok, that's a half truth. It’s that easy when you ask in Korean. Classroom management becomes exponentially more difficult when your students don’t understand you. Sometimes you just want your students to focus on the majesty of ‘non-count nouns’ (a lesson you no doubt spent 2 hours of your time meticulously preparing) but the language barrier prevents them from knowing it’s time to sit down and listen.

Here is a list of Korean phrases you can use in your class to communicate the basics. Give it a shot and I’m sure you’ll find your bad students aren’t so bad after all. I’m sure you’ll find that they aren’t even misunderstood students. In fact, I’m sure you’ll find that you were the one who was misunderstood all along!

Classroom management language:

앉으세요 (an-joo-seyo): Sit down. This is the polite form. If you use it with an ‘angry tone’, you will probably be laughed at by both your students and your co-teacher.                          Use it: Class is starting and you would like everyone to settle down into their seats.                             

따라서 얘기해보세요 (ta-ra-so ye-gi-bo-se-yo): Repeat after me                                                         Use it: in conjunction with visual aid - words or pictures on the board/tv

손들어요 (son-dul-o-yo): Raise your hand                                                                                                    Use it: when all your students are screaming answers at you at the same time

다했어요 (ta-he-soyo): Finish. When a student says this to you it means they are finished (always ask what this means in English, they’ll eventually stop screeching ‘ta-he-soyo’ and start screeching ‘I’m finished’).                                                                                                                          Use it: If you say it with a question mark (raise the pitch on the last syllable), you are asking if they have finished.

잠시만요: (jam-si man-yo): Just a minute                                                                                                         Use it: when a student wants your attention but you need to deal with something else first    

이게 뭐에요? (ee-ge mo-ye-yo): What is this?               Use it: with flash cards or vocabulary drills. I don't recommend saying this when looking at their art project ...

여기보세요 (yo-gi bu-se-yo): Look at me. This should only be used to get the attention of the class. Never say this to a student you are having a disciplinarian talk with. It’s rude for children to look at your eyes if you are correcting them.     Use it: when the class focus is elsewhere and you need them to look at you for instructions

빨리 하세요: (ba-li ha-se-yo): Please hurry        Use it: during games to amp up the energy and excitement in the room

집중하세요 (jip-joong ha-se-yo): Please pay attention         Use it: as a class instruction. Generally only for important instructions

진정하세요 (jin-jung ha-se-yo): Please calm down         Use it: with a sing-songy voice at the beginning of class or as a segue from a noisy activity into the instructions for the next activity.  

이야기 하지 마세요(i-ya-gi ha-ji-ma-se-yo): Don’t talk         Use it: sparingly! You are a language teacher so the point of your expert instruction is to get your students to talk. 

하지마 (ha-ji-ma): Don’t do that (can be quite harsh so say it very sweetly)         Use it: when a student is about to lean out a window and plummet to their doom. More of an emergency word.

때리지 마세요 (te-ri-ji maseyo): Please don’t hit       Use it: when your students are physically fighting. Sure beats the hell out of coping a rogue swipe to the face trying to hold them apart.

실수를 해도 괜찮아요 (sil-su-reul he-do kwen-chan-hayo): It’s ok to make mistakes       Use it: when a student tries really hard, makes an honest mistake in their work, and they get discouraged. We've all been there, wouldn't it have been nice if someone told us it would be alright?

잘했어요: (ja-ri sa-yo): Well done!!         Use it: when your students deserve it.

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