Korean Job Discussion Forums

[matthagwon]

So I work at a hakwon and my only co-workers are korean. They never speak to me and almost always ignore me. The only time they talk to me is when a parent complains. I feel bored most of the time and do to my working hours the epik foreigners are usually sleeping when I finish. Are there any other waygooks out there in a similar situation? ㅊ

[PigeonFart]

I was never a lone foreigner in a hogwon, but i was a lone foreigner in a public school.

Many koreans are acutely aware of their low level of English (lower than it shoud be for a TEACHER!). In korea there is something called 영어 울령증 which translated means the 'English sickness.' It means they feel embarrassed and nervous talking English because they know as soon as they speak English all the other teachers will be listening. That waygookin spotlight that we walk in will automatically be shone on whoever we talk to. If they are heard making a grammatical mistake they will lose face. Or if they don't understand what you say they will lose face. That's why most of your coworkers probably don't talk to you unless they have to. It's pathetic, but that's the way you would think too if you had never been anywhere outside Korea and had only ever interacted with other like-minded Koreans who were also raised in this extremely conformist culture.

The good thing is it's a great opporunity for you to learn Korean.

It's boring for you i understand. There's not much you can do to change their culture i'm afraid. Maybe someone else has a suggestion.

[happiness]

its all perspective.

I love that. I worked at a place with only my k-partner at a small hagwon, we hardly talked, but were very friendly when we did. Youre bored? Read a book.

[beentheredonethat777]

[beentheredonethat777]

. [quote]

[matthagwon]

[quote="beentheredonethat777"].

[edwardcatflap]

I'm surprised you have enough time to get bored. I thought the whole attraction of working at a hagwan was you come in, do the job and get out ASAP.

[matthagwon]

[edwardcatflap]

[nicwr2002]

I met my wife working at a hagwon and I'm still here. She was the head teacher or 팀장님 for those who know Korean. She has since quit, but I'm still working here. Now that she has left, most of the new teachers and ones that didn't like my wife have now stopped talking to me. Usually they only talk to me if they have a question about something on a English test. I'm glad they don't talk to me now, since I can pretty much do what I want when I want.

[Threequalseven]

[Kwangjuchicken]

What is a cow orker? Do only Korean cows have orkers? I do not think chickens have orkers, do we? Maybe this is a Korean thing and Korean chickens have orkers.

[IPayInCash]

[matthagwon]

[radcon]