Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Big Mac]

I took my summer camp students to Paju English Village today. I thought it would be a great opportunity for the kids to go to a place where everyone speaks English and I thought they would be able to see some cool shows in English too. I thought it would be worth the 2.5 hour bus ride.

The place was virtually deserted. We had to book ahead and even pay extra for some programs that were substandard at best.

I had visions of the kids being able to go from place to place speaking English as they went. We had to book ahead for the bank, clinic, etc. Even though there was hardly anyone there they told us those places were booked out.

The musical was so sad. I felt really sorry for the "edutainers" who had to dress up in these homemade-looking costumes and perform a play that was poorly written and far from being professional. It was embarrassing to watch. It was clear they put together this show with next to no money or resources.

No one around me was speaking English around the village and the shop people would speak a little English to me, but not to the Koreans.

What a huge waste of money this place is. There are a lot of nice, empty buildings but what good are they if the programs they have in place suck?

My students went away from the place with long faces and some of them told my co-teacher that going there made them not want to study English anymore because it was so boring and too difficult to understand the Native English teachers. So what is the point of this place then?

[Rory_Calhoun27]

Talk about a letdown..... that's like going to Disneyworld and watching Mickey and Donald take off their heads to roll a joint of something....


But that village sounds like it's doing the exact opposite of what is intended.

[Smee]

Yeah, I've heard similar comments. It's a shame, really, because it not only reflects poorly on Korea, it reflects poorly on those of us are in this business.

Looks like it gets more of a workout as a filming location (Boys Over Flowers, music videos, commercials) than it does as an edutainment facility.

[CentralCali]

Smee: Don't forget 울학교E.T which, of course, hired non-English speakers to portray the native English teachers.

[antoniothegreat]

that is the korean way.... do something half-way, produce a quick but definitely not quality product, charge a ton and wonder why people are upset.

[cruisemonkey]

This is K-land... what do you expect?

Billions of won spent on a politically astute, educationally useless facility that reflects 'ESL' in this country - inital appearance is everything, substance is nothing.

[climber159]

In a syllable...Duh!

[Rory_Calhoun27]

Isnt there some movie from the late 80s or early 90s where John Travolta and some other guy are hired to go to Russia to oversea some English village-type place for training of spies?

Korea needs a place like that.... but who knows? maybe they already have it in Itaewon!?!?!?!

[cruisemonkey]

[travelingfool]

It sounds like it would be pretty humiliating to work in a place like that. It seems like a zoo where the Koreans get to look at the native savages and if they are really brave may actually interact with them. Not too close Minsu....those animals all have aids.

[Rory_Calhoun27]

well, like the different countries at a world's fair pavilion, or they have at Disney's EPCOT.... 'cept here you also get to poke the edutainers in the rear end.


now if they had an English village for adults, preferably as part of flight attendant training, I could see signing up for that.

[Julius]

Sounds like its gotten worse. Probably some idiotic management happening thats deflated the workforce.
A year ago morale seemed a bit better.

[wylies99]

I've posted many times how pathetic the experience is at English Village in Paju. I've been there three times with kindy groups and 1 time with Korean English teachers. It's a total waste of time and money.

[oskinny1]

[zipper]

I wonder how its teachers feel.