Korean Job Discussion Forums

ScottyG · Joined: 09 Jun 2006

I am doing research for a documentary treatment, and need to find good resources - and blogs are it. If anybody can recommend some cream of the crop (especially from the POV of teachers newly arrived) blogs, please inform. Would also like links to blogs in Japan or China.

I have sifted through many, but Dave's seems to have the best informed audience.

Cheers!

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

If you enjoy fine dining, then it's Zenkimchi.
http://www.zenkimchi.com/

Politics? Marmots Hole.
http://www.rjkoehler.com/

Military issues? ROK Drop
http://rokdrop.com/

Everyday life of average teachers? The best blog would be-
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/

He sometimes goes off on tangents about Korean pop stars, but he brings up classroom issues and is willing to criticize the Korean government, when it's necessary. Many of the other "teachers blogs" and websites are wastes of time and space that are CLEARLY written by people who've never set foot in the classroom in KOREA. Many of these "educational" blogs and websites are written by people with advanced educations who may be famous people in the ESL industry, but they don't have a CLUE about the educational/political/financial/legal environment foreign English teachers face in Korea.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I'd skip the Marmot's Hole. Pretty much the same whiners you get on here. Or at least they sound like it.

ScottyG · Joined: 09 Jun 2006

thanks wylies: ) i've been out of the loop for a while and i'm glad to see these blogs are kept up actively.

cumupsamida~

ScottyG · Joined: 09 Jun 2006

I know all about the Marmots and gotta give it a thumbs up. Koehler is a great writer and he usually offers a nice variety of stuff (though he goes overboard with the fish-eye lens pics of boring korean architecture).

What I would really like to find is a blog from the perspective of a complete newbie tasting kimchee for the first time.

ScottyG · Joined: 09 Jun 2006

I know all about the Marmots and gotta give it a thumbs up. Koehler is a great writer and he usually offers a nice variety of stuff (though he goes overboard with the fish-eye lens pics of boring korean architecture).

What I would really like to find is a blog from the perspective of a complete newbie tasting kimchee for the first time.

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

For teachers' perspectives, I like Geek in Korea and kimchi-icecream. And Brian in Jeollanam-do. *cough* They talk about other things, too, but they'll give you insight into the culture of English teaching here.

http://blog.torgodevil.com/

http://kimchi-icecream.blogspot.com/

http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/search/label/English%20in%20the%20news

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Most of the better known bloggers either want to paint a rosy picture of life here or seem to adopted the apologist slant towards everything. That's not being realistic.

But there are other bloggers and creators of websites about teaching in Korea who go even further. They not only believe the BS that many Koreans spew about history/education/economics/current events, they REPEAT it. Some of them even write guest columns in Korean newspapers trashing their native country and foreign English teachers. Some even take part in protests outside the Japanese or USA embassies or make videos for youtube supporting even the most extreme Korean positions on issues. It's sickening. Rolling Eyes

Know what folks? Even most KOREANS know it's ALL nationalistic BS designed to draw attention from greater issues. Wink

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

In some ways this website is the best blog on life in Korea.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

One thing about Brian's blog- he addresses the issues related to the HORRIBLE classroom materials given to most foreign teachers in Korea, and offers examples. There are MANY "leading educational authorities" among the ESL community in Korea who never address this issue. That's a big part of the problems we face. If a blogger or website admin never addresses that issue then they have no credibility in my book. Wink

oldtactics · Joined: 18 Oct 2008

Might want to check out all the sites that were nominated for the recent awards - http://www.koreasparkle.com/2009/02/the-golden-klogs-results-are-in/

Obviously those are the most popular ones but there are a good handful of 'small' blogs on there that seem to paint things as they actually are.

ScottyG · Joined: 09 Jun 2006

thanks oldtactics...that is veritable goldmine and is the answer to all my prayers. now if i could only find the same for China and Japan...