Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Demophobe]

It's not your job to change this by throwing kids out of class....that is way over the line. As was said before, you are here to teach English...right?

If you approach your classroom like a mini-world in which you are the king, you have some other issues to work out. Kids only repeat what they see and hear at home or on the street. You are trying to cure the sick tree by clipping the leaves, and you are not even botanists at that.

Just for expressing an opinion (an educated one or not, doesn't matter) you throw a child out of class?!?! How about working harder to be nicer and kinder to show that their thoughts are misguided? Show them the opposite of what they believe to be true. By throwing them out, you are only re-enforcing their beliefs.

I am happy to enjoy the fruits of America, but in all honesty, I am happier not to be American. It's a great country that has given the modern world many a great thing, things that I enjoy every day of my life, but currently, it is embroiled in situations I wouldn't wish upon anyone. The reflection of this is that Americans have a poor image in the world right now.

If Americans living in Korea or anywhere else want to change the situation...well....throwing some 10-year-old out of an English class is just ridiculous.

You are just burying your head in the sand and only aggravating the problem.

Can't you find a more constructive and less reactive way to deal with the kids?

You can rejoice in the fact that many people here, myself included, have been teaching "�̱���" to kids. I am Canadian, but always get to hear and teach "American" language. So, the USA has become the standard for English learners to reach. The other day, I had to teach the pledge of allegiance to my students. I have a "culture" class, in which we use American textbooks...I don't like it because I am not American, and not really qualified to teach it, but it's my job.

[royjones]

[oneiros]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Blah blah blah. America gets such a raw deal. Wah.

[Harkkonenlad]

America bashing is so common to my eyes it simply disappears. When I see an Anti-American protest on the news or its just kinda "Yeah, yeah, yeah...lets get to the weather report." I guess it doesnt bother me because I dont care anymore. They can burn our flag all they like...we'll make more.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[HardyandTiny]

same answer

It's all about definition. You have names and positons, this week is America, next Africa, and so on, fine to follow but don't kid yourself into thinking that you've seen something more than those before you. You may have a longer life and get to yell a bit longer, but that doesn't make you any different.
This war is not unlike most before it and there will most likely be many to follow. If you're fed up with existence then just say it, don't waste your time yelling at Bush and America. They'll be gone for sure but that won't change much of anything.
You're angry, fine, what's the problem? Are you dying? Did ya run low on cash? Are people being killed for no reason? Well ain't that a new thing!
Did someone finally wake up and realize that they're are a lot of *beep* in this world? I didn't need Mr America to wake me up to that! Stop playig political games and make a difference? What a load of crap! Most of us are not very concerned about anything other than ourselves! Why not face reality? You're not much better than the people you criticize! You're not! Take a good long look at yourself! What have you done? Stop trying to pretend you're something better.

[HardyandTiny]

[Demophobe]

[shaun k]

i say this all the time in my discussion groups, the usa, at least in a global respect, is about business and making money. it always has been (even as far back as john adams flitting around europe, along with franklin, to secure ties and monies from the french and dutch, two powerful non-british countries). the war in iraq is just one in a series of difficult (and morally wrong) strong-armed business dealings.

and in this regard, it is fine that the american culture is thinned out, copied, and spread like manure in the less developed (or at least more vulnerable) countries. and while it is often rather repulsive to those of us from the west who see this first hand, and maybe especially so to those of us from america, i would say that it is a remarkable business model. and that is exactly why the usa has just under 40% of the worlds 500 largest companies, including numbers 1, 2, and 3 (walmart, gm, and exxon, respectively).

and the reason a president like bush is very likely to be in office for another 4 years, is because the average american doesnt care, or worse, know about the ramifications of these corporate goings-on. they simply line up to get their discount dvd players at the walmart christmas sale. the average human is the same everywhere. i imagine if you had the marketing capital, you could force feed korean pop songs to american youth, and eventually you would have a hit song or two, never mind its crap (or actually a copy of crap).

i for one am thankful for the education and choices my country has provided me, and i am not motivated enough to smash my head too hard against the baddies in the corporations (maybe when i was an idiotic 21 year old, but not today). neither am i feeling so repressed that i have to push too much of my point of view down the throats of my korean friends and students. i do occasionally offer up the old "shoe on the other foot" idea and ask mr. kim if he cares if, say, LG's plant in dallas, texas were ripping up 300 year old oak trees on the edge of a state park somehwere to build another clean room or chemical recovery station, especially if the revenue from this would directly effect his bonus come 3rd quarter... but i dont really have to because i know his answer.

[ryleeys]

I should point out, that in college, I had a kind of identity crisis. I didn't really like being American and almost denied that I was. But since I've been in Korea, the absolute hatred that the foreigners that I've met show towards America (I'm the only American in Icheon) has pushed me towards having strong feelings of love towards my country again.

Perhaps if other people didn't hit us over the head with "America sucks!" all the time, Americans wouldn't be quite as defensive as we are.

And no, this doesn't have anything to do with Koreans hating America, because it wasn't a problem for me until I'd been here for three months and started meeting foreigners.

[royjones]

I think that Americans and Koreans both have a problem with each other, because they both think that they are the best country in the world, center of the universe.. etc blah blah blah..

[Kwangjuchicken]

[ryleeys]