Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ed]

8 years ago I came to Korea and met a Korean woman and fell in love.

She had just gotten divorced and she had a 5 year old daughter.

We dated for two years then got married.

Now our daughter is 13 and we are thinking about sending her to Canada (specifically Vancouver) this summer to attend one year of high school.

Has anyone had any experience with this kind of thing?

I wonder if my being Canadian would make this a little easier and cheaper to do.

[teachergirltoo]

I don't have any advice for you regarding your actual question, but years ago I used to teach public and private in Vancouver and many of my students were Korean children. Because there are so many Korean children in the Vancouver area the natural thing for them to do is flock together for association, which is nice - but the downside is that they speak Korean to each other ALL the time, and their skill does not improve or if it does it is extremely slow. It was frustrating as a teacher. I would recommend to anyone that is going to send their child to Canada to send them to an area outside Vancouver, such as Kelowna, where they can have a good quality of life but be forced to use the English language more. Anyway, just a suggestion.

[elicia]

agreed. the academy i used to work for sends kids to study in kelowna for that reason. i think it's a fantastic experience, and the students i had who left for canada barely speaking english came back with fantastic results. not to mention brilliant stories about their time away.

are you looking to send your daughter to vancouver because you have family there or anything, or will you be sending her through a korean study program? i'm not sure if it would be easier/cheaper or anything, but if you want contact details for my old boss he might be a good resource. just shoot me a message!

[naturegirl321]

Have you adopted your wife's daughter? Does she have a Canadian passport?

I have a friend who married a Peruvian with four grown kids. Once he adopted them, the paperwork became much easier.

[jvalmer]

Wondering if you expect her to finish high school in Korea after that 1 year in Canada? Because, coming back could be very difficult if she misses a year in high school, she might be put back a grade. Might be better just to send her during the 2 month school break in the winter.

I knew of 2 students that came back to middle school after spending 2 and 6 years in the US during their elementary years. They were way behind the rest of their classmates in almost every subject and had/having a really hard time.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

I'm in the same position, with a daughter coming to high school age.

I think of her as too small to go abroad on her own, unless by Vancouver you mean you have family there that she can stay with or that she is close to. I intend to send her to school here and perhaps take her or send her to Canada in the summer for some short programs, as well as teaching her myself.

You may have an advantage sending her to a Canadian university -- UBC, UVic, etc. I can only give my opinion that fourteen is too young to be alone across the world.

[Xuanzang]

It's all or nothing when it comes to high school. One year abroad and she'll be behind in Korea's system. Won't be enough time for her to gain anything meaningful English wise. Probably more of a social adjustment at a difficult time in her adolescent life.

[shapeshifter]

[Emark]

[blackjack]

[shapeshifter]

[jvalmer]

[jvalmer]

Just wondering, if your daughter is motivated?

There are lots of unmotivated Koreans (if not most) sent overseas that make minimal attempt in learning and taking in the culture. Can you truly say that she is really motivated, and not your personal opinions getting in the way?

Anyways, I personally am against sending a kid overseas by themselves. I'd say after she finishes university is probably the best time, and when they'd probably understand and appreciate an opportunity going overseas the most.

[shapeshifter]

[Emark]