by Jake Hollingsworth // Seoul, South Korea // www.JakeHollingsworth.net
Ask any of the great leaders of history, and they will quickly tell you the key ingredient to a successful company, movement, or organization. Starbucks is not successful because of their profit margins (well, yes they are, but that’s not my point). Martin Luther King, Jr. was not successful because he was a tireless believer in his people’s cause (well, yes, but again, that’s not my point.) The Obama campaign of 2008 was not successful because it preached a message of hope and change (well… OK, yes it was, but I’m going somewhere different with this. Just hear me out). These and many other great leaders were able to shake things up because of their ability to communicate.
Starbucks communicates a company culture to its employees around the world. I’ve gotten my espresso fix in a wide range of eastern and western cities. Seoul. New York City. Tokyo. Beijing. Taipei. Washington DC. Shanghai. Kunming. Phoenix. Boston. Osaka. Hengchun. Chicago. And every single store location is exactly the same. That doesn’t just happen.
Martin Luther King, Jr. challenged the status quo and broke down seemingly unmovable barriers because he communicated with a clear and intense voice.
In 2008, the Obama campaign made it look as if no other candidate was competing for the prize. This was done by and large because of the ability to take an idea, a message of hope, and disperse it to the masses.
But in these cases, both historical and current, the success was not merely because ideas were distributed on a mass scale, but because the correct ideas were distributed on a mass scale.
These things are certainly not easy. Trust me. Been there, done that.
The day finally came to a close and I caught a ride home with the special education teacher, whom I had named Ralph. Most young Korean adults had picked up English names from their school days. Ralph, however, did not have one, and was very eager to be renamed by an actual American. His English was decent, and we were able to have a slow conversation during the drive through the countryside back into the city limits of Yeongju. The foreign teacher before me had apparently been a hermit of sorts. From the stories I heard, he generally ate lunch alone, and avoided all contact with the other staff when possible. Sensing that I was more open to conversation, Ralph was full of questions. As we approached my street, and I prepared to exit the car, Ralph mustered the courage to tell me something that he had been holding in for some time. I thanked him for the lift home and began to open the door.
“Your English is berry good” he confessed.
“Thanks. I’ve been practicing for a long time.” He giggled nervously at my joke, but I don’t think he got it.
“I would like to get alone with you.”
(You what?)
“Uhhhh…ok. I’ll see you tomorrow?” I reached for the door handle.
“Have a nice day!” Ralph grinned from ear to ear, and gave me a giddy wave. And with that I quickly removed myself from the car, unsure of what just happened, and desperately hoping that I had not agreed to a date for tomorrow. I walked the short distance from the street corner to our apartment, playing and replaying the conversation in my head. I kept telling myself that maybe Ralph only wanted to practice English one-on-one. Maybe. Either way, I called in sick the next day.
From 453 DAYS IN KOREA
By Jake Hollingsworth
ESL teachers are in the communication business. Global Communication Specialists. Our job is to give our students not only the ability to speak a new language, but to communicate clearly and effectively.
Helga, a Brazilian lady and former student of mine, referred to residents of Turkey as Turkey people. Ui-jong, a Korean 4th grader, constantly replaces the “V” sound with a mixture of “B” and “P”. There is no equivalent for this sound in his language, which made for more than a few laughs during our lesson of the solar system, and in particular the 2nd planet from the sun. These students, and many like them, can speak English. They could get by in an American grocery store or on a monthly English test. But it was my responsibility to sand off the rough edges. To clear up the confusion. As ESL teachers, we have a responsibility everyday to equip our students to take hold of their future and boldly venture into the world. But we also have an obligation to make sure they are able to communicate exactly what they mean. That’s a heavy burden. Our classrooms are critical to the future of exchanging of information around the world.
Communication is not communication if it isn’t clear and understandable. Communication is not communication if the wrong message is received by the listener. And communication is certainly not communication if 20 years from now a Korean rocket scientist is still using the word penis in lectures on the solar system.
What about you? How are you teaching your students to say exactly what they mean?
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