Korean Job Discussion Forums

[essexboy]

Are there many people on this forum that are in schools as the only foreign teacher? I dont really mind, as someone will be recruited by the end of next month im told.
Its just really frustrating to go out with Koreans and get drunk, because the more they drink, the more Korean they speak, and the less i can understand!

[RACETRAITOR]

I find the more I drink the more Korean I understand.

In my first job I was the only teacher for the first half of the year. Things all went downhill when we recruited another teacher, and my boss suddenly became very cheap. Working without other foreigners, it was much easier to communicate with Koreans.

[essexboy]

Yeah, i suppose, but it makes it harder to find other foreigners. I sometimes get tired of having to talk slowly and methodically so they understand me, even though they are all great

[seoulsucker]

I did the hagwon thing for a year with about 10 other foreigners, and it was cool to have a social base there. I did the solo thing in the country last year, and it served me pretty well.

The school was pretty conservative, and I hardly ever went out with other teachers, except for an angry drunk who ended up ruining any situation he walked into.

Now I'm working with one other teacher, but we don't have too much in common. It is nice, however, to be able to sit down at lunch and have real conversation every day.

[Mashimaro]

[Whitey Otez]

Yeah, I had a gig for a year as the only foreigner in my hogwan. It wasn't so bad, but most of them were very shy and we only went out as a group a few times. In truth, it was fairly awkward in the office, and the kids treat you in a completely different manner.

[passport220]

Hiya Whitney:

When you say �the kids treat you in a completely different manner�, is that for better or worse?

Take care.

[Hapkido-In]

I've been the only native english speaker at a school before. I didn't really enjoy it that much. Luckily I had a hobby that I could always use as an excuse for not going out with for dinner with the other teachers. That's not to say that teaching with other native speakers is any better, though.

[ella]

What was the hobby?

[rawiri]

Check out the fReAkY waYgOoKs thread dude. The stories on it may seem unbelievable...but they aint!!!!

[I_Am_Wrong]

I left my country because I wanted to experience a new culture...not because I wanted to get drunk with lame whiny foreigners and make fun of a different culture. I'm always stoked to be the only foreign teacher at my school.

[seoulkitchen]

I spent many years as the waygooky at my hagwon, and in my neighborhood. I knew a gal in Suwon and that was it. And I really liked it that way, I made some really great Korean friends and really had a blast because of it. I've been friends with them for over 10 years now.

Difficult and challenging situations will really make your experience here much stronger.

[periwinkle]

Are there any other hagwons in your area? I use to run into teachers from other hagwons quite a bit 'cuz I used to work in an area that was overloaded with English academies. You're bound to meet someone if you head over to the local hagwon area.

[kiwigirl :O)]

i am the only foreign teacher at my school so it can be a bit lonely at times....(but not really!)

i am lucky cause my korean co teachers speak english really well and i can have good conversations with them

i meet up with the other expats on a frequent basis during the week so its not so bad at all...i am more of a novely with the kids being the only waygook at school

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Being the only foreigner is the way to go, imo. I get to set the bar and all impressions myself. No offence to my foreign friends, but there are only a couple of them I'd really want to work with.