Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Robot_Teacher]

Right. I'm thinking Gangnueng would be a great place for a NE club to be started as it's a college town with many English speaking/learning Koreans and is the largest town along the East coast. Typically these sorts of meetings would occur on a week night around 7PM. It would have to be a Saturday evening thing for me as I often go to Gangnueng on Saturday mornings for Emart shopping due to not having time during the week to make inter city bus trips nor shop. Usually I don't stay the night as to avoid hotel costs with the last bus leaving at 7PM for my town. The other large towns are Wonju and Chuncheon which are quite close to Seoul and further from me. I'm in a tiny town between Wonju and Gangnueng 1 hour and 50 minutes bus to Gangnueng. I'd definitely be up to doing it in Gangnueng if I were based there. Gangnueng would be the place in my opinion. I just can't see anyone coming out to my small town, it needs to be where you have a university, companies, and a pool of a couple hundred foreigners. In my small town, there isn't a university nor companies to support a population of professionals so the the adult English speakers/learners are absent. We have 6 foreigners in my town and no Koreans we hang out with such as for hiking, BBQ, and talking. I was hoping for more action than this, but it's a stay at home on the computer kind of gig due to remoteness, limited development, and sparse population.

The police, firemen, office people, and shop keepers don't speak any English and Korean teachers speak little if any with few exceptions. I have one Korean teacher from Seoul who speaks very well, is super friendly, and very smart who I could surely get involved. And another teacher from Gangnueng who speaks well, but is always tired. I don't talk to much of anyone else.

My deal is I don't have a community to get involved with or collaborate anything with due to being in too small of a town where people, infrastructure, and services are primitive and severely limited. I can't even find a chicken roaster truck nor street food tents like common in the cities. The people just aren't here.

[Trip]

Robot teacher, you are very correct in everything you said. You need a base of at LEAST 10 dependable people to start it and hold good meetings (every 2 weeks is ok, too), and you should really have 15 or more solid members, plus some guests, coming to each meeting.

I only disagree with one point you made: ...a pool of a couple hundred foreigners.

You only need English speakers. TM doesn't care about nationality, ethnicity, religion, etc., just as long as you keep things like politics, religion and sex out of the meetings' content so you have an open, professional environment. Those issues can be voiced in the 2nd round after parties.

If you want to come to Seoul and hit up a meeting as a guest in the future, let me know, I'd be happy to meet up with you. Locations and times are on a post earlier in the thread.

Trip

[adamosity]

For those of you in the Changwon/Masan/Jinhae area, there is a group that meets at 7.30pm on Fridays in Changwon...

I'm not sure of the actual location (a teacher at my school is active, and I go to help out a bit and for the chicken/beer afterwards), but im me and I'll make sure you get the right information.

--adam

[Trip]

[Trip]

Bump.

Toastmasters is continually growing strong in Korea, especially in Seoul. Right now, I know of 3 new clubs that are forming and working their way to becoming chartered clubs.

Another club has grown so big, they had to close of membership, but some of their members are the ones starting new clubs.


Hit up www.koreatoastmasters.ning.com or www.toastmasters.org to find a club near you.

Trip

[thefarns]

I joined in Jinju recently. It's a good time, but I think it's a pretty new club.

[jhuntingtonus]

Great topic!

Member 1995-2005
ATM-B
Former club president
Many-time speaker on TM in other settings.

I'll return when I live in a city which has a club. Until then, you have my silent support.

[teacherinseoul]

Awesome. Thanks to the OP, and for the bump that let me find this thread.

[qcat79]

i went to my first toastmasters this week!!!

cool thing. i guess the only problem i can foresee is trying to stay focused and awake during the meeting. it's kinda crowded and stuffy in that room and it's hard to pay attention after being at work all day, but other than that, it seems rewarding and fun......plus we go for drinks afterwards.

[Trip]

[ippy]

i hate it. But then my school hosts the stupid thing, so its two extra classes i have to "teach" at (it alternates every week between the native speaker doing a speech and one of the non native speakers - im the only native speaker). No other NET has to deal with it so obvioulsy i feel a bit of umbrage towards it, however to all you people that enjoy it. Congrats. :/

[jhuntingtonus]

[Trip]

[Trip]

Bump.

Toastmasters is planning its national conference for the end of May or beginning of June.

Local clubs are still going strong and TBS English Radio just featured an interview about Toastmasters in Korea last week.

[launchpad]

Hi There

I am looking for a Toastmasters Club near Incheon..What is the closest Club?