| The standard pack of 52 cards is thought to | | | | translated as yang-ban.First Game:The first |
| have been invented in Persia. The back design | | | | real game I play with kids is SNAP where a |
| usually looks like a Persian carpet.Many | | | | kid has to say "snap" and slam down his hand |
| English speakers do not realize that a club | | | | on the cards as I deal them out on a |
| was a soldier's symbol for war. Act out the | | | | pile.They love the exciting anticipation of |
| use of the club (bonk! bonk!). The spade or | | | | this game. To start just play the game and |
| shovel is a symbol of the farmer, the | | | | don't explain rules. When teacher shouts SNAP |
| economic foundation of feudal society (Act | | | | and slaps down his hand down on the first |
| out the digging. A shovel is a sap-jil in | | | | pair of cards the kids catch on fast.This |
| Korean). The heart symbolizes romance or love | | | | game is best played around a small table with |
| and the diamonds symbolize wealth or | | | | the children standing. They will fight for |
| commerce.Some (very few parents or bosses) | | | | space. If they speak Korean I kick them out |
| object to using cards in class but I always | | | | for one round of cards. They find this |
| defend this stance by saying "We do not | | | | funny.Sometimes they kick me out for speaking |
| gamble and we do not play poker. We use the | | | | Korean. They find this even funnier!Second |
| cards to motivate the children and help them | | | | Game:We sometimes play the Go Fish game with |
| learn English." After that I have had no | | | | regular playing cards. It involves short |
| problems.I introduce the cards by asking:How | | | | dialogue like this: "Do you have an Ace? No, |
| many are there? (52 or 13 x 4)How many | | | | go fish." If readers do not know the Go Fish |
| colors? (2)How many kinds or sets (4)First | | | | game then do a search on internet or ask |
| Class:In the first class I just throw down | | | | another teacher. It is very useful.Older |
| random cards and the kids call out the kind. | | | | Kids:I do play poker or 21s (Blackjack) with |
| This is challenge enough for beginners. | | | | older kids/adults but we use my token coins |
| Korean kids typically drop the s off the ends | | | | and these are returned to me at the end of |
| of the words and pronounce with their | | | | the class (thus not gambling). Kids learn: |
| Konglish saying heart-uh, spade-uh, | | | | betting, cheating, cheater, bluffing, |
| di-a-mond, club-uh. So the first game or | | | | bluffer, the kitty, close, fold or out, hit |
| class is a lot about re-teaching | | | | me, bust, I'm out, I'm the winner. All of |
| pronunciation (hard going voice | | | | this is common English, just like many |
| coaching).Teach them to say diamonds, hearts, | | | | sporting terms, and kids need it to fully |
| clubs and spades correctly. I don't introduce | | | | understand the language.Cards are a wonderful |
| the word suit. Kinds or sets is enough for | | | | way to motivate students and teach English. |
| ESL learners.Next teach that the cards make a | | | | They don't even think it as class work. The |
| pack or deck. You can also tell them a pack | | | | fascination with card games is that they |
| is like a backpack or a wolf pack. Tell them | | | | involve mental math, chance, skill, social |
| about shuffling or mixing (be-bim in Korean) | | | | interaction and sometimes cheating or |
| the cards.Finally have the kids call out the | | | | bluffing. They combine these things and have |
| Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jack Queen and King. | | | | the appeal of interactive computer games. |
| This is easy. The Jack is a royal servant. | | | | Young kids are amazed and shocked that |
| Ace is generally not known. Most kids call it | | | | teacher cheats sometimes. Hee hee, :o). You |
| A. Teach them ace driver, ace shooter, ace | | | | will be surprised at their indignation. |
| golfer etc. Royal in Korean is roughly | | | | |