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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 5:35 pm Post subject: Teaching for little or no charge. "Free Education!" |
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What do you think about "missionary" teachers? What do you say to them when they will work for anything.
Missionary teacher says,
"Money, housing, and benefits are not important. Teaching is the only important thing. Besides, most Koreans are not as wealthy as Canadians."
They will work for any kind of salary and benefits. The boss refers to them as the model to follow.
Last edited by Real Reality on Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:51 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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I like the focus on teaching as the most important thing, but the only one?
My biggest issue with missionary work in the EFL context is the peddling of an ideology and values contrary to the majority of the students' families. I wonder if the parents know they are paying a lot of money to have their children preached to almost daily by the authority figure of a teacher. The parents should know, otherwise their real agenda is hidden and their efforts insidious.
That said, they may do more good than bad, developing their students' English skills, avoiding getting ballistically angry, and introducing cultural differences to students who may not be as impressionable as I sometimes think. |
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keithinkorea
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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They will work for any kind of salary and benefits. The boss refers to them as the model to follow.
Not suprising if they're working for basically free that the boss will approve!
I'm very much of the opinion that there is way too much religion happening in Korea, these folks should clear of and stop trying to indoctrinate yet more people into their superstitious claptrap. |
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Poker-Guy
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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They are brainwashed zombies whose strings are being pulled by evil freaks!
Cheers!  |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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One thing I have noticed is that they pick up the language a lot quicker and are fluent in a couple of years. I must admit I'm envious.
| Van Islander wrote: |
| My biggest issue with missionary work in the EFL context is the peddling of an ideology and values contrary to the majority of the students' families. |
This can be a problem and sometimes have to wonder what hidden agenda they could be pushing. However everyone has their own ideologies that they leave on students in same way or other, and it usually isn't consistent to parental wishes or opinions. |
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shortskirt_longjacket
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Location: fitz and ernie are my raison d'etre
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| by 'missionary' teacher, do you mean someone who is proselytizing their religion? or the 'religion' of the english language? or do you mean someone who simply has a sacrificial attitude about their teaching? do you think they think they're being humanitarian by spreading the 'gospel' of english? i know some teachers who aren't religious but feel as though they are banking extra karma points by giving koreans a 'leg up' in the world by teaching (in their words) the most useful language in the world. is this the kind of teachers you're talking about? |
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the saint
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: not there yet...
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:33 am Post subject: |
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Find me someone who doesn't have a hidden agenda and I'll crucify them for you  |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 2:30 am Post subject: |
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| shortskirt_longjacket wrote: |
| by 'missionary' teacher, do you mean someone who is proselytizing their religion? or the 'religion' of the english language? or do you mean someone who simply has a sacrificial attitude about their teaching? do you think they think they're being humanitarian by spreading the 'gospel' of english? i know some teachers who aren't religious but feel as though they are banking extra karma points by giving koreans a 'leg up' in the world by teaching (in their words) the most useful language in the world. is this the kind of teachers you're talking about? |
Mormons man, Mormons.
And other quasi-Christian faithful followers who intentionally construct their lesson plans with the aim to eventual religious conversion, who make inculcating their religious values an explicit goal.
"The saint": That's the difference between their hidden agenda and the accidental beliefs and habitual values taught along with trying to teach English.
Let's not blur the distinction between the secular and religious.
Again, I don't mind as long as the parents know what is programmatic about the two nice new young foreigners at their child's hagwon.
In this province only 29 % of people in the last major survey identified themselves as a sort of Christian (just over 40 % in Seoul, according to the national survey co-sponsored by The Korea Herald last year). And many of those in the minority are a different sort of Christian from those who're proselytizing.
I just think the parents should know. But whether the influence in the classroom would be large, or whether the missionaries would be seen as just another couple of whacky waygooks, is an open question. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 4:19 am Post subject: |
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shortskirt_longjacket wrote,
"do you think they think they're being humanitarian by spreading the 'gospel' of english? i know some teachers who aren't religious but feel as though they are banking extra karma points by giving koreans a 'leg up' in the world by teaching (in their words) the most useful language in the world. is this the kind of teachers you're talking about?"
They think English should be given away. You are doing good deeds by teaching English for little or no charge. "Education should be free." Whatever you are paid is fine. |
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shortskirt_longjacket
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Location: fitz and ernie are my raison d'etre
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 6:21 am Post subject: |
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| Real Reality wrote: |
| They think English should be given away. You are doing good deeds by teaching English for little or no charge. "Education should be free." Whatever you are paid is fine. |
well, in that case...i think that people who do that are a little off. the ones who work the long hours for little pay and not-so-good living conditions, just because they believe in the mission of education. i also believe that education should be available and as widespread as possible, but we've all got to live, right? i find it more believable that there are people out there who will work for next to nothing teaching english if they've got another agenda as well (a religious message, for instance) than people who are just happy to live in poverty but have the satisfaction that someone's education is being furthered by their efforts.
there are way too many schools around that pay quite well and take care of their teachers, so why would someone choose to go to a school that pays less? martyrs complex, or something? like their profession is more noble if they are receiving less monetary compensation?
besides, it's not like we're all bestowing some fantastic gift on most of our students, anyway. most of my kids are spoiled, rich brats (i work at a hogwan) who go to school like twelve hours a day and are so glutted on education and knowledge that they aren't really aware (much less grateful) of how 'lucky' they are to have parents who can afford for them to learn a new language or a musical instrument or what-have-you. anyone who works in a hogwan and thinks that he or she is doing humanitarian work is kidding themselves. what they're doing is making their directors richer. i would imagine that hogwans are like other businesses...they keep their prices competitive to some extent and if the teachers are getting paid less at one hogwan versus another, i doubt that the savings are being passed along to the customer.
so i think the 'missionary' teachers should realize that they're just kissing their directors' rear ends (and making them more money) by insisting that they are content to live on the satisfaction of 'making a difference' and 'shaping young minds' and all the other cliches that make teachers feel better for earning jack. |
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kiwiboy_nz_99
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: ...Enlightenment...
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| They are a cancer on the bowels of any society which they infest ... |
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Paji eh Wong
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:08 am Post subject: |
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| Real Reality wrote: |
shortskirt_longjacket wrote,
"do you think they think they're being humanitarian by spreading the 'gospel' of english? i know some teachers who aren't religious but feel as though they are banking extra karma points by giving koreans a 'leg up' in the world by teaching (in their words) the most useful language in the world. is this the kind of teachers you're talking about?"
They think English should be given away. You are doing good deeds by teaching English for little or no charge. "Education should be free." Whatever you are paid is fine. |
Spending my time among the unwashed hagwon masses, I don't think I've ever met one. Do these specimens only occur at the higher levels of being? |
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dogbert
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Real Reality wrote: |
shortskirt_longjacket wrote,
"do you think they think they're being humanitarian by spreading the 'gospel' of english? i know some teachers who aren't religious but feel as though they are banking extra karma points by giving koreans a 'leg up' in the world by teaching (in their words) the most useful language in the world. is this the kind of teachers you're talking about?"
They think English should be given away. You are doing good deeds by teaching English for little or no charge. "Education should be free." Whatever you are paid is fine. |
Come on RR -- don't you think you would enjoy a missionary position? |
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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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>. Most of em' are likely closet Moonies. God bless em' all  |
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Draven
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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It seems to me that there's a bit of misunderstanding going on in this thread. The use of 'missionary' in the title of the thread has thrown some people off. While we often understand a missionary to be someone spreading (spreading as in sharing, or spreading like manure; the choice is yours - no judgements here) the word of God, it can also (and thanks to Merriam-Webster for the definitions) mean "relating to, engaged in, or devoted to missions."
Which us leads us to the definition of mission, which is defined as "a body of persons sent to perform a service or carry on an activity: as a : a group sent to a foreign country to conduct diplomatic or political negotiations b : a permanent embassy or legation c : a team of specialists or cultural leaders sent to a foreign country."
But there is also this definition of mission which further muddies matters: "a specific task with which a person or a group is charged."
So I suppose we could say that the missionaries from the mission have accepted a mission to teach English.
But that would just be confusing.
When Real Reality has been asked to clarify his meaing of missionary, he's said
| Real Reality wrote: |
| They think English should be given away. You are doing good deeds by teaching English for little or no charge. "Education should be free." Whatever you are paid is fine. |
So I'm going to avoid the religious meaning of missionary. But this makes me wonder, do any people like this really exist? People whose goal is to spread English with little regard for their own comfort or financial gain? If they do, they must be independently wealthy, 'cuz while I believe in accessible education, papa still needs a new pair of shoes. Know what I mean? |
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