| Teach abroad and explore new cultures, foods, and | | | | English in South Korea it'll be your job to help guide |
| languages. Watch how you blossom and feel your | | | | students with structure and pronunciation flow. |
| senses heighten while discovering a new world outside | | | | Eating with Students |
| of home. Traveling and working abroad can always be | | | | It is custom to eat with your students during lunchtime. |
| a lot of fun and excitement for the everyday | | | | The teacher will always be served first and this will |
| adventure-seeker to the sudden vacation-taker; | | | | feel slightly awkward if your the type to nurture kids |
| teaching abroad is even better. It's perfect for the | | | | before your own needs. Before the students begin |
| outgoing/spontaneous types looking for a new thrill | | | | eating, since you would be the elder at the table, kids |
| while earning some extra bucks (U.S. tax free) and | | | | wait for you to begin eating before they can begin (but |
| affords you a great feeling of aliveness when in a | | | | not always for the younger kids). |
| foreign country. Teaching in Korea is just the ticket if | | | | Know English Games |
| you've got the urge to teach overseas! | | | | There might be times when class has come to an |
| Teaching Abroad - Research Before Departure | | | | obvious stagnation and you will need to liven things up. |
| I made the mistake when I first decided to come to | | | | My school suggested in our contract to bring ideas for |
| South Korea by jumping into a contract with a private | | | | some American games. At first, I miss understood and |
| institute that I thought was well-established. The next | | | | purchased the game 'Twister,' which still came in use, |
| thing I know, I received an email stating the school no | | | | but later, landed students attention with words games |
| longer had any funds to hire me. By this point I was | | | | such as: word Suduko, Mad Lib's, team spelling |
| devastated. I purchased my passport, internationally | | | | contests, seven-up, hangman (clean version) and even |
| mailed a couple of packages (mail rates are from | | | | duck, duck, goose for the little ones. |
| $60-90 US), purchased my transcripts and several ID | | | | It's Showtime! |
| photos, plus emotionally focused on this one goal for | | | | Every school will at some point have a school |
| three months; (my fault) I was crushed. Luckily, I was | | | | performance at one point during your teaching career. |
| able to get a refund and all my materials returned | | | | It will either involve dancing, singing, reciting English, a |
| within the next week; but some people are not so | | | | speech contest or showing art of some kind. Some |
| lucky. | | | | kids embrace this and do really well, others will be |
| Hagwans or Government Schools in South Korea | | | | reluctant up until the day of the show, then show a |
| Usually teachers will find better pay, more vacations | | | | stellar performance because their parents are in the |
| and nice incentives at government public schools and | | | | front row. Also, performing and being creative is a nice |
| universities (also more organized). Private institutions or | | | | break from the everyday learning experience. |
| hagwans can be a hit or miss. I have a friend whose | | | | Kids are crazy in Any Culture...but that's the Fun Part |
| pay is decent at her hagwan but works from | | | | You will soon notice after the first week of teaching |
| 9am-8pm everyday. Some universities will have you | | | | English in South Korea that (or maybe second if |
| work on weekends too. Make sure to check out your | | | | they're nice) children will start blossoming into their true |
| contract and decide what works best for you; you | | | | selves. Not much discipline is put into play so it will be |
| have a choice. Also, if you want to sample Korean-life | | | | up to you to settle things down. My advice is to set |
| for a short while without committing for the whole | | | | the tone early, gain respect, then soften up later (my |
| year, find winter/summer English Camps at universities | | | | mom's approach as well). Kids get really excited and |
| and established hagwans. | | | | want to play once they feel comfortable around you. |
| Comfort Level When Submitting Materials | | | | They will try and ask personal questions, want to take |
| When finding a school in South Korea you will have to | | | | pictures of you with their cellphones (yes, they all have |
| go through a fairly long process. Obtaining copies of | | | | them), draw people dying on the board (not sure why |
| transcripts, updating resume, taking 2-4 pass port | | | | they are obsessed with killing), sing songs, tell jokes |
| photos from FedEx Kinkos, and applying for a | | | | and pretty much act like regular kids would. Here are |
| passport early, will help you through the long process. | | | | some practices that work for me: stay very still and |
| A new Korean Government rule states that teachers | | | | stare down the loudest one, try counting down from 5 |
| now have to send over original diplomas from an | | | | to 1 really loud and whoever is last to sit gets negative |
| accredited college in order to proceed with hiring. I was | | | | points, have a negative and positive point system, talk |
| extremely leery about this, (I still haven't told my | | | | to parents, inclusive fun time for well-behaved students |
| mother) but found it to be safe and a normal practice. I | | | | after lunch, small gifts for positive reinforcement (not |
| received my materials the first day I landed in Korea. | | | | bribery), or try looking on the Internet for more ideas. |
| Speaking 'Korea-Glish' with Students | | | | Most importantly, have fun and don't forget to site-see |
| As told by my assistant Korean teacher, Jesse, some | | | | on the weekends - (you originally came to travel and |
| children are quite versed in their own version of the | | | | explore a new world). |
| English language. They will speak a combination of | | | | Note: If you are looking for the big city lights, western |
| English and Hangul, but in reverse, which is similar to | | | | infused-style foods, subways, loud music, and a dense |
| their native tongue. (Example: verb + noun + subject/ | | | | population, then the major metropolitan of Seoul, S. |
| Hot the boy is now). | | | | Korea will be your Asiatic New York City. |
| I also noticed a small number of store fronts with | | | | If you are looking for rich Korean foods, folk artisans, |
| 'Korea-glish' titles; see if you can figure them out: Take | | | | villages, hills and country try any school outside of the |
| On Me, Roni Pasta, or Steak Pan Fried. While teaching | | | | Seoul. |