Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Homer]

When you read some of the criticism here it makes you wonder.
It makes you wonder why some people bother to travel to Korea. What did they expect before leaving Home?
Some have great experiences in Korea. Unfortunately, these people seem stay quiet, perhaps because they don't feel the need to vent or talk about it.
Some of the criticism on here are pointless, immature, racist and simplistic ones. They are pampered whining.
The bad thing about it is that genuine, well though of criticism with some factual base gets completely discredited and/or drowned out by these baseless shots of spleen venting. These whiners even manage to give their home countries a bad name.
Korea is not perfect, far from it, it has its share of problems like all countries. Its a culture shock for most westerners to come here. Koreans do things differently. They have their very own distinct culture and history that is neither better nor worse than western history and culture. The illusion that western culture is invariablby the best leads some to lash out when they find out that Korea does no conform to this illusory standard. In reality, neither do western nations.
Some people are just not made for travelling either in Korea or anywhere else. Moving to Korea for a year or more is a major undertaking that should not be taken lightly. A little bit of research before hand will save you a ton of problems once here.
Anybody wanting to come here should ask themselves some serious questions and pay close attention to the awnsers. If you come here only for the money and with a bad attitude, well chances are you'll end up having a horrible time or a very limited experience.
While in korea you are a guest. They (koreans) have little or no obligation to adapt to your needs. Your boss has to respect the work agreement and treat you well but the remaining 49,9 million koreans owe you nothing. It is your job to adapt to their culture. This does not mean abandoning your values or � selling out �. It means being flexible and open minded. If you come here to fill your pockets and have no interest in the local culture then why oh why would Koreans bother to make an effort for you? In the reversed situation would you? I think not. It always comes down to the simple rule of what you put in your experience. Its normal to have a period of adjustment when you first come here. Thats called cutlure shock. Its even normal to some point to start idealizing one�s home country. Thats the grass is always greener syndrome.
I have had a great time in korea. I got married here, made many friends and saved some money(yes, money was one of the reasons I came). I also learned a lot about a different culture. I also had soem bad experiences but those I put in their proper perspective.
Sure there are some rough spots. Like everyone else I have my � I hate korea � days. All my job(s) were not perfect I managed to get enjoyment out of them anyways.
I think if you come to Korea unwilling to compromise then forget about it. It will sink faster than the Titanic. But then again that will be true of most undertakings in your life. Life is about compromise and life in Korea is no different. People have a right to complain, but it works so much better when its actual constructive criticism that seeks better solutions. Unfortunately, thats seldom the case.


A few impressions about teaching and living in Korea :

1- In more than 5 years here, I definitively saw improvement in many of my kids. I even keep in touch with some of them to help them prepare for their university entrance exams (the English part anyways). Of course, if I had just did the open your book game thing and saw my job as enterainement for bucks then forget it. If you do this here, this attitude will follow you everywhere in some degree or another. Bascially, a job is what it is but it is also what you make of it.


2- I have been living in Korea for those years and experienced life in a different culture half-way around the world. I learned a new language (not yet fluently) and changed my outlook on some things. If you come to Korea and stay here for a year or two or more and come back with only " I was a paid clown and Korea sucks" then why the hell did you go? Why would anyone waste their time doing this? There is the money issue of course but if you run for the money here you will everywhere. Hey, don't get me wrong I worked for a paycheck too but there was more to it than that. You can also find work thats well paid in other countries that might be better suited to your outlook and needs.

3- Acting like a clown in class and taking things lightly might get you through but you will not learn anything in the meantime. Maybe thats the way you want to conduct your life. Thats certainly a choice. Korean parents, like all parents, care for their children's education. The fact that they go about it differently then western parents does not make it wrong or bad.

I don't get how some people can go about their jobs for one or more years and just goof it off. To me thats a waste of your time and hurtfull to your students.
Do you think jobs back home will be so much better, even teaching?
Teachers in high school or Elementary schools in Canada deal with a different environment to be sure and the teaching level is different. But, do you think its all good there? Not a chance. Bad bosses here too. Retarded educational reforms as well. Parents who think that their kids can do no wrong and a teaching profession thats less and less respected. Bad co-workers sometimes too. Disrespectful students..lots of them and its not some "teacher babo" its "f-you" and "eat sh...t". Its sleeping in class. Its complete disinterest in learning.
Its teaching. The profession remains the same wherever you are. Conditions just differ from place to place.You will have bad and good students everywhere.
Put something into it and you will get something out of it sometimes thats the way it works. Take it as a joke and you will be taken as a joke. Its a simple matter of choosing.
Neither of these choices automatically makes you a good or bad person. But choices are what life amounts too and they speak volumes on a person's character.
We all have our bad days or our off days. When teaching in korea these seem worse because we are far away from our home country. We all had those "game" days while teaching in korea.
In the end, most of you (or us) will leave korea eventually (except those who choose to make it their homes), what do you want to take with you as memories? A bunch of goofed off classes and drunken week-ends (nothing wrong with those by the way) bitching about korea?
Or having learned about a different country and improved yourself in the process?

[crazylemongirl]

Simple answer to your question homer is that a lot of people are here purely for the money, so what can you expect.

Also the outward signs of western culture through cellphones and mass consumption I think lead people to assume that the rules are same here as back home.

As for those who come here on a whim. I'm mostly having a good time not being in New Zealand. I have my issues (don't we all) but on balance I'm happy enough to stay here another year.

If I wanted to earn better money I would have done a commerce degree and been a coporate slave.

CLG

[posco's trumpet]

[purrrfect]

ya, I don't know how anyone could stay here (in the long term) if they were only here for the money.
I know I certainly couldn't do that - it would drive me up the wall.
Sure, the money's good, and I'm trying to save money here because there's no way I could save the same kind of money back home in Canada.
But I have made some really good friends here, I eventually found my own teaching 'niche', and I enjoy going to coffee shops and studying Korean in my free time.
Speaking of coffee, I reeaaallly miss Tim Horton's..........

Mind you, I've only been in Korea for slightly over two years, and who knows what I'll be doing in the future?

Ok, I know I had a point to make...now what was it? Oh ya - everyone has their own motivation/reasons for coming and staying here, and I respect that. The only thing I can't understand is someone coming here purely for the money.

and you know what they say .... 'money can't buy happiness'

ok, it's late. I have to go to bed.

[kimcheeking]

excellent post homer. I basically agree with everything you wrote.

[YiSunSin]

[anae]

Homer, you often take the words right out of my mouth. Thanks again.

[just because]

Homer, i agree thourougly. While Korea isn't perfect nowhere is perfect and it is what you make of it.
Your credibilty in my eyes is Number 1 in daves ESL land.

[rapier]

Pretty much spot on homer.People may whinge about exploitative, cynical bosses here, but directors are pretty much the same the world over. I don't recall any of my bosses in the west taking me out for dinner, ferrying me to the dentist for weeks on end (and helping to pay for treatment).
Its a case of advantages and disadvantages, you have to take the good with the bad.

[vegetable]

Good post Homer.

[Howard Roark]

[some waygug-in]

I don't mean to be the only dissenter here, but some things you said seem to be contrary to my experience. (of course my experiences are mine, so I supposed they should be different)

I think you have to remember that most of the overseas ads (in newspapers at least) target the inexperienced. Usually the recent university graduate with big loans to pay, and very little in the way of work experience. (let alone life experience) Is it any wonder that these people have "trouble" adapting to life here?

I am not saying I didn't have trouble, anyone who has followed my posts knows that I've done my share of whinging and whining. I have tried to do the best job I can here, and not be a "goof off", but often my efforts are ineffective if not useless and sometimes I have even found it is better to not put so much effort into lesson preparation etc. If they are just going to ignore me anyway, why kill myself?

I don't disagree with most of your post, it's just this one part that seems to bother me. Maybe I'm just nuts???????????

[Homer]

Nawww some wayguk..your not nuts man,

Your just normal....

As for feeling like your putting effort into your work and sometimes not feeling its makinga difference, well, thats just the way teaching is, both here and home.

As for the ads targetting inexperienced college grads, that is true to a certain extent. However, what I said was that these people looking for work here should do a bit of research before choosing a job or ven to come here at all. Thats pretty basic common sense and it will save you some potential trouble.

By the way, dissent is good, when framed properly it leads to discussion which is always good....

[justaskdan]

Ya I agree with everything you said Homer and I new KimchiKing would get off on it.

I didn't know what to expect when I came here and ended up falling in love with the whole nine yards, teaching and Korea. I was an engineer in Jakarta so I knew I loved Asia, but Korea and teaching rug rats was all new to me and now I am staying. Good post!

[Paji eh Wong]

Another good, thought provoking post, Homer

Here's what I think:

1) Some waygug-in pointed out my biggest objection to the post. It's been my experience that the majority of EFL teachers in Korea (i.e. me)don't have any training or experience in education. You talked about teaching being the same everywhere: tough. Which is fine, you can say that all day, but that still doesn't mean people are going to understand what "tough" really means. It's the experience that teaches them.

2) While we're on the topic of experience, you mentioned that whiners fail to "put things in perspective". Is it reasonable to expect someone fresh off the boat to have some sort of perspective? You mentioned that you have a Korean wife, you've spent a few years here, you've basically paid your dues. For the majority of people I met over there, it was 1 year and out. That doesn't afford a lot of perspective.

3) Yes, I hate trying to have a critical discusion about Korea and have it devolve into whining.

4) You aimed a lot of your post at people who had been here for a number of years and who hated the country, hadn't learned anything, and goofed off at work. Of the few long timers I know, that's not very representative. The old skool types I met all had their complaints, but most had done a functional to marvelous job of adapting.

I used to live in Malaysia and I went to the International School in KL. Most peope were there for 3-5 years, and did a terrible job of adapting. No one spoke the language, and few had friends outside school. Everyone was busy trying to recreate a Texas suburb in the swamp. They thought we were wierd because we shopped at the local market.

In conclusion, I'm happy you feel sorted in Korea. But lots of people don't, and they need an outlet. Yes, a lot of the whining is "pointless, immature, racist and simplistic", but I still support people's right to do it. It's an adaptation strategy. It's part of the "gaining perspective" process (sometimes).

Thoughts?