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| Why did you decide to teach English in Korea? |
| I wanted to teach English and Korea looked like the best opportunity. |
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25% |
[ 20 ] |
| I needed quick easy money and a Korean teaching job looked like a good bet. |
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18% |
[ 14 ] |
| I wanted to travel and teaching in Korea looked like a cheap way to do it. |
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32% |
[ 25 ] |
| I'm a loser and couldn't get hired doing anything else. |
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12% |
[ 10 ] |
| Korean Girls are the most beautiful in the world! |
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10% |
[ 8 ] |
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| Total Votes : 77 |
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HighTreason
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
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 Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:21 am Post subject: Why did you decide to teach English in Korea? |
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I am really curious about why each of you first chose to go to Korea to teach English. I have heard various reasons, but wondering what is more common.
For me, I wanted to teach English and eventually get a graduate degree in Linuistics. I looked into teaching it in the States (to foreigners and new immigrants and so forth), but the money is bad for inexperienced teachers (obviously... because everyone around speaks English so why pay a lot) I decided I needed to get experience so signed up for Korea. |
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crusher_of_heads
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Location: kimbop and kimchi for kimberly!!!!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:40 am Post subject: |
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| Got tired of teaching in Ontario, specifically when VP's say one thing and want another re: punks who would be better served with mandatory military service as teachers are even more emascualated with the new curriculum requirements... |
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paquebot
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Location: Northern Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:44 am Post subject: |
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My reason doesn't fit with any of those options, so I'll just post it here.
Between my time at community college and university I tutored Korean students in the United States and really enjoyed the experience. Added to that, I received my degree in (cultural) anthropology and want to look at the Korean diaspora in the former Soviet Union as a research topic for graduate / post-doc work. My university doesn't offer Korean language courses, and since it's important that I learn the language before setting off to interview informants I thought working in Korea would be a good way for me to learn and practice the language.
I was hoping my background in tutoring would be a good indicator of what it's like to teach in Korea. So here I am, trying to pick a school. |
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HighTreason
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:55 am Post subject: |
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| paquebot wrote: |
My reason doesn't fit with any of those options, so I'll just post it here.
Between my time at community college and university I tutored Korean students in the United States and really enjoyed the experience. Added to that, I received my degree in (cultural) anthropology and want to look at the Korean diaspora in the former Soviet Union as a research topic for graduate / post-doc work. My university doesn't offer Korean language courses, and since it's important that I learn the language before setting off to interview informants I thought working in Korea would be a good way for me to learn and practice the language.
I was hoping my background in tutoring would be a good indicator of what it's like to teach in Korea. So here I am, trying to pick a school. |
Ah, yes, wanting to learn Korean and/or Korean culture. Forgot about that one. I suppose that is partially my reason as well, although not specifically Korean. I will love the opportunity to learn a foreign language by full emmersion in the country and culture. I love languages (as you might imagine from my wanting to study linguistics) and this experience will be invaluable in that respect.
I suspect many people could check more than one option if it were a multi-select poll. I would be able to check "wanted to travel" as well. |
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No_hite_pls
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
Location: Don't hate me because I'm right
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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My wife had taught here and it sounded fun.
I was working in the states commuting 70 miles
to work and paying over 900 a month for my townhouse's rent
that I spilt with 2 other guys (total rent 2400). I was basically
spending all my paycheck and not saving a dime. Korea seem
like a great way to save money and experience a new culture.
Last edited by No_hite_pls on Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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JZer
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Well I wanted to live abroad. After studying abroad at two German universities I decided to go and teach in Korea. I had been looking into teaching abroad since my senior year of uni. I have no regrets. I choose Korea over South America because I wanted to save a lot of money while I am young. |
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Alyallen
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Location: The 4th Greatest Place on Earth = Jeonju!!!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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I studied Korean here as a foreign student back in 2002. I graduated and realized that I wanted to be a teacher in either Special Education or English (which meant going back to school since I majored in neither subject directly). I had experience teaching Special Ed (Autistic young adults and children) but had no English teaching experience, so I decided to head back to Korea to get some English teaching experience. Almost 3 years later and I'm still straddling the fence.  But I think I'm just going bite the bullet and double up on Special Ed and TESOL.  I love a challenge  |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Alyallen wrote: |
| I studied Korean here as a foreign student back in 2002. I graduated and realized that I wanted to be a teacher in either Special Education or English (which meant going back to school since I majored in neither subject directly). I had experience teaching Special Ed (Autistic young adults and children) but had no English teaching experience, so I decided to head back to Korea to get some English teaching experience. Almost 3 years later and I'm still straddling the fence. But I think I'm just going bite the bullet and double up on Special Ed and TESOL. I love a challenge |
We totally need teachers who know and can do both...I'd like to do something in Speech Pathology next. |
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cubanlord
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Location: In Japan!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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Where is the 'other' category?
I didn't want to come. I came because my wife (then fiance) wanted to experience living and working abroad. I'm glad I did because I have grown tremendously as a person. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here; if she wanted to leave, I'd leave in A HEARTBEAT! |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Because unlike in Japan wehre you need $3000 startup money to pay your plane ticket, first month's rent, food, etc..., the Koreans will fly you over here for free and give you an apartment. It's easy. What can I say? |
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contrarian
Joined: 20 Jan 2007
Location: Nearly in NK
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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I was 60 and had just finished a two year contract in the Arctic. I saw an ad in the paper and thought what the heck. The money was OK. In fact I have saved enough to buy a cheap house on the north end of Vancouver Island. Canada Pension plan has been putting 1000 bucks a month in my Korean bank account.
It's been a good run.
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Letiz7
Joined: 29 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Money. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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X Other
The PS job I was placed in (JET program) ended up not being able to afford me and they cancelled my job two weeks before it was to start. I had to switch the plane ticket before they took it from me, and Korea was the closest country to Japan... two weeks later, here I was. |
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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Free rent
Free airfare
Easy money |
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HighTreason
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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| cubanlord wrote: |
Where is the 'other' category?
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While it was not my specific intent to alienate those who don't fit these criteria, the lack of an 'other' was intentional. I find 'other' to be rather uninformative in a poll. Those who don't fit can simply not vote and post their responses below (which you have done and would have to do anyway for 'other' to make any sense.) I am very glad to hear you guys' stories even though you can't vote because you don't fit the categories. |
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