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Why EPIK?

 
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baedaebok



Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:58 am    Post subject: Why EPIK? Reply with quote

What's the purpose or aim of EPIK? Which of the following are true (or the stronger answer)?

1. To promote Korea as a nation and showcase its quality of education to the world
2. To learn from foreign education expertise

3. To train future foreign English teachers who might come back (or stay in Korea)

4. To integrate native speakers of English into the classroom

BDB
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Rteacher



Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA

PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the original aims are stated here:

Purpose

To select and place qualified native English teachers in public schools, in order to strengthen practical English education
for primary and secondary students
To improve the quality of native English teachers by providing them with specialized training and support


http://www.niied.go.kr/eng/contents.do?contentsNo=98&menuNo=369

Based on those stated purposes, I would say #2 and #3 are more true than the other choices listed, and because it's also been stated that native English teachers would be phased-out at some point in the relatively near future, I would assert that "to learn from foreign expertise" (#2) would ultimately be the main purpose of the program. Perhaps at that point (when there is no longer need for EPIK), the propaganda aims of promoting Korea by showcasing its educational system could be achieved.
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happiness



Joined: 04 Sep 2010

PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Japans Jet program always said it was there to introduce Japanese people in rural areas to non-Japanese, English speakers.

Why cant Korea just say that? It would clear things up for so many people.



Oh thats why....Smile
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baedaebok



Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:08 pm    Post subject: Introducing to rural Koreans Reply with quote

EPIK aims do cover introducing Koreans to foreigners so maybe introducing them to rural Koreans is an extension of this. That is why the salary hits W2.7million for rural EPIK locations.

What's it like teaching out in the sticks?

BDB
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Rteacher



Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA

PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 6:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The high school in Gyeonggi province for 5 years was considered rural, and I liked teaching there -mainly because I got along well with all the Korean teachers and administrators, and it was close enough to Seoul (about 80 minutes by low-cost Express Bus) that I could go there every weekend for entertainment/shopping. The key thing is having good relations with Korean co-teachers and students (which is why I always gave out lots of candy, cookies, etc. and tried to make classes fun, using lots of music and videos, including some Korean pop-culture.) Somehow, I had a lot of lot of freedom to design the curriculum and had great high-tech facility in the classroom, which may-or-may-not be the case in many rural schools (and other grade levels).

(Btw, you'd probably get more responses if you posted in the "Job Discussion" Forum.)
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Underwaterbob



Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 3:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Introducing to rural Koreans Reply with quote

baedaebok wrote:
EPIK aims do cover introducing Koreans to foreigners so maybe introducing them to rural Koreans is an extension of this. That is why the salary hits W2.7million for rural EPIK locations.

What's it like teaching out in the sticks?

BDB


The "sticks" is a town of 220'000 people, and besides being absent a few western amenities (cheese is hard to find) is pretty much just like any other big city in Korea. I do teach at a "country" middle school once a week where they only have one class per grade with 20-30 students a class. The school has less than 80 students total.
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baedaebok



Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 8:53 pm    Post subject: Wild Wild West Reply with quote

It sounds like it is what you make it. Wherever a teacher is (small town or large town), if he does a good job and puts in the effort to attract people, then it'll be a good place for him.

That's what I'm gonna do.

So, are EPIK teachers asked to cover classes in several schools once or twice during the week?

BDB
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baedaebok



Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 8:54 pm    Post subject: Wild Wild West Reply with quote

It sounds like it is what you make it. Wherever a teacher is (small town or large town), if he does a good job and puts in the effort to attract people, then it'll be a good place for him.

That's what I'm gonna do.

So, are EPIK teachers asked to cover classes in several schools once or twice during the week?

BDB
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