| Teaching English in Korea has become quite popular in | | | | locals are curious to meet me. Where as in the west |
| recent years. It is still continuing to grow as a viable | | | | people do not tend to stand out so much, but are also |
| economic and adventurous path chosen by many | | | | mostly ignored. In Korea I would often get a hello in the |
| young University graduates and older persons as well. | | | | street from mostly young adults, or elderly. But |
| You may feel a unique freedom of being a foreigner in | | | | generally from any age. Many are too shy to start a |
| a new and strange land. Locals will treat you well, and | | | | conversation. I found if you smile and say 'hi' first, you |
| even be curious to meet you, at least for the most | | | | usually get the same in return and questions like, |
| part. Like all places we take the good with the rude. In | | | | 'where are you from', and 'how do you like Korea' are |
| Korea I have found very little rudeness and extreme | | | | asked and more. The most common question from |
| respect seems to dominate relations of all kinds. Also, | | | | locals is usually, 'why did you come to Korea?' There is |
| teaching English in Korea can be a challenge and hard | | | | a real genuine desire to learn of your culture and |
| work but also fairly laid back as far as jobs go. | | | | personal background from many of the locals. |
| One of the biggest reasons for moving over ten | | | | And talk about polite and respectful. Bowing to |
| thousand miles to teach English, is the economic | | | | strangers and formal greetings can be nice, though in |
| benefit. The pay is quite reasonable but mostly one | | | | the west we tend to wave a hand and say 'hi' to |
| can benefit from very low expenses while in Korea. | | | | anyone. In Korea the language is used as a formality |
| Income tax is very low, 3-5%. Apartments for most | | | | as well, such as a formal greeting to ones elders and |
| schools are provided rent free to you, the ESL | | | | informal to younger persons. But this respect really |
| teacher. In some cases, especially for working at a | | | | seems to count most in the classroom. |
| University, an extra monthly housing allowance is given. | | | | Imagine teaching at your old high school, in any grade. |
| Airfare to and from Korea is provided. Severance pay | | | | Try and picture some of the students. Perhaps all of |
| equal to one month salary is given at the end of a | | | | your fellow classmates were well behaved, courteous |
| year contract as well as a lump sum pension of similar | | | | and respected towards teachers. Well, not in my days |
| amount. Not all schools may be involved with pension | | | | of high school. Some students were often late, rude to |
| contributions and you should consult with the school. | | | | teachers, fighting after school, and often displayed |
| The cost of food is relatively cheap, especially local | | | | some kind of disrespect in general. |
| Korean food either to cook at home or even local | | | | Now picture a Korean high school, uniform wearing, |
| Korean restaurants. Western ingredients at are bought | | | | innocence one may compare to the 1950's suburbia life |
| at a comparable price as well as western style | | | | in the west, but with even more respect for teachers |
| restaurants, which can be expensive, just like in the | | | | and each others, even bowing to you, the teacher |
| west. A steak dinner out is much more expensive than | | | | when greeting you each day. This was the high school |
| if made at home or compared to a local Korean | | | | I taught English at in Korea 2009 to 2010, an |
| restaurant such as a rice dish and soup. | | | | international public boarding school. Most students were |
| Public transportation is highly efficient and cheap. City | | | | from Korea and went home on weekends. But talk |
| buses, inter city buses, city subways, inter city trains, | | | | about study hard. They went to school from morning |
| and even city taxis run at a decent rate of cost. | | | | to evening, and then studied in a large study room |
| Driving your own car in a city in Korea can be daunting | | | | every night until 11pm. Yes, well studied and very well |
| for many people due to high traffic levels and is one | | | | disciplined as well as very respectful of others. |
| expense you can live without. You may want to sit | | | | You may not actually teach in a school like this. Most |
| back and enjoy the freedom of having no car and let | | | | high schools are similar, but in a Junior High, students |
| the public transportation take you where ever you | | | | tend to be less responsive and bored in class. In an |
| want to go. | | | | elementary school students tend to have lots of |
| Moving to Korea for the first time can be an | | | | energy and loud in class, just as in the west. But the |
| adventure of a life time. For me it was my first time | | | | main difference here is that as a foreign teacher you |
| over seas, experiencing a new culture and new people | | | | will actually have less control over any students, |
| for me, but also an ancient and different culture. Things | | | | especially younger ones, and especially in the smaller |
| are done differently, which does not mean negatively, | | | | private schools. |
| just different. I had to adapt to the new environment, | | | | Imagine yourself as a student in Junior High School, or |
| meet new people and friends and learn how to do a | | | | at least some of the bad kids you remember, and you |
| new job. To leave the familiar of home and seek the | | | | get a new teacher to teach a foreign language. In fact, |
| unknown is a vast project in one's life. | | | | this teacher is a foreigner and he or she does not |
| For most of us, this new experience will be the first | | | | speak your language much at all, and even if they can, |
| time to have some understanding of what being a | | | | will not use it in the language immersion driven class. |
| foreigner and a minority is like in another country. At | | | | As a young student you may not show a lot of |
| first I had never thought of the word foreigner and | | | | respect for this teacher. |
| what the word implies. But as I lived and worked within | | | | And thus like a two sided coin, Korean students tend |
| the communities of Korea, I began to notice within a | | | | to be very well behaved in school, but mostly only for |
| fairly short time, that I stood out a little. There were | | | | local Korean teachers, who demand respect. As for |
| very few westerners I could see on a daily basis. | | | | the foreign English teacher, gaining this respect is more |
| Some days I would see none. Then one day on a | | | | difficult and comes with time, patience and work. |
| beach I noticed I was being stared at by young local | | | | Unless you are fortunate to teaching in a high school, |
| children. I was beginning to see what I was, a foreigner. | | | | that of which most of the students are all driven to |
| I had heard the word a few times while over hearing | | | | study hard in the first place, especially an academic |
| some conversation back home, but had not given it | | | | school, otherwise you may find teaching English difficult |
| any real thought. | | | | as far as focused students go. |
| I had become the foreigner. My first time in Korea was | | | | There are also private classes, Universities, adult |
| in June of 2001. Today there are many more foreign | | | | schools and corporate classes and more. For these |
| English teachers and other professions living in Korea | | | | classes students tend to be driven to perform well and |
| and we do not stand out so much, but you will still | | | | teaching made all the better for it. |
| notice you do stand out. | | | | For the most part you will find many differences in |
| Like an Asian person staying in the Bible Belt, Utah, | | | | Korea as far as living and teaching are concerned. |
| USA, young children will sometimes point and say | | | | The Korean culture tends to hold respect for others |
| something to their mother, like 'foreigner' or in Korean, | | | | as a very high importance and value in society. |
| 'wagugi'. This is not bad, just different than what I am | | | | Students tend to study and strive greater than in the |
| used to. Even in rural and the mostly homogenous | | | | west. Older and mature students will respect foreign |
| culture of Eastern Canada, children do not point at | | | | teachers as well, whereas younger students tend to |
| other people, who appear different. Many have | | | | be the opposite. It is possible to teach young students |
| actually grown up in this area, with parents from | | | | well, with effort and patience. Overall living and |
| different parts of the world, such as the Philippines, | | | | teaching in Korea for me has been a wonderful and |
| Vietnam, China, Korea, and more. | | | | growing, as well as eye opening experience. I would |
| The interesting difference I found is that in Korea the | | | | recommend it to anyone. |