Korean Job Discussion Forums

[openground]

I am doing a documentary on feverish English education in Korea. If you have worked as English instructors at English villages or are willing to share your view of what you think English acquisition means to Koreans, or any other intersting perspective of this phenomenon, let's talk. I am in Seoul but willing to travel outside of the city to meet up for interview.

[BreakfastInBed]

Good luck getting anything out of such a close-mouthed opinionless bunch.


I kid of course. Though I have no penetrating insight into the subject and can't be of any help, I hope it comes off well. Sincerely.

[schwa]

I think a lot of govt honchos have already come to regard english villages as unsustainable & relatively worthless money drains. It was a short-lived fad. The theory was that they would somehow replace Koreans sending their kids abroad to learn english, as if there could be any comparison.

A lot of govt cash got lavished on them. State-of-the-art everything. One thing Korean bureaucrats love is big-budget ribbon-cutting photo ops.

Once the centers opened, a tiny percentage of regular Korean students got to spend a day or a week in one of them, learning a few phrases about airports & hotels. Sure, a nice chance for a few to hang out with native speakers in a fun environment (every bit helps the overall Korean english initiative) but in terms of money invested, paltry payback.

Some of the earliest EV's (all of 3 or 4 years old) are now being converted to other uses, such as longer term teacher-training centers. The buildings are useful & nice but their fancy replications of western venues hold little value.

Not saying you're off the mark looking to document Koreans' fervor for english, but EV's are a fading example of it.

[openground]

Thanks for your views. I am aware that EV's are, by now, fading examples of failed ambitions. I visited one EV in Kyunggi-do and what I felt was that everyone was, in certain ways, acting in this big 'set'- the native English instructors, visitors, administrators, shop owners who are not allowed to speak to Korean visitors IN Korean, but only in English. I tried to speak to couple instructors, and they were too nervous to express anything, saying that they can be fired if they talked to strangers without permission from the administration. So I wsh to find native instructors who have taught there or even at other Hakwons in Korea. What have you experienced and felt, teaching English? I wish to hear! (and film, possibly!)