Korean Job Discussion Forums

[quanfer]

First post. I'm trying to figure out why TFA/Peace Corps seems like a philanthropic effort, but when I hear people want to teach in Korea, it sounds like they just want to pick up korean girls and indulge themselves in alcohol and bar top dancing.

Does anyone feel that teaching in Korea is truly helping? Are the programs productive? From reading other posts, it seems as though the teachers employed there are just entertainers to play with the kids after hours. It kind of sounds like day care but in their second language.

[Straphanger]

[Ukon]

[jboney]

I have met Teach For America people in NYC who have said that they worked there just to be in NYC and enjoy the nightlife and the lifestyle. I have also met (moreso) people in the NYC Teaching Fellows program who have quite literally had orgiastic experiences during their 2 year stints in the NYC public school systems. The majority of the teachers in those programs last the duration of the program and usually do not go on to teach afterwards... There certainly is a bit of a party element, a bit of a "I'll just do this to experience it and then move on" kind of feeling that many people in these programs seem to have. Similarly, a lot of people teaching English in Korea seem to have a similar attitude about it.

I question how great those kinds of programs really even are...They are well intentioned--that's for sure, unfortunately many of them fail to raise the achievement gap. When I was going for masters in Education I even read an article about how those programs actually do not lessen the achievement gap, but keep it in place because they are putting new, inexperienced teachers in high need schools and classrooms where experienced, seasoned, professional teachers need to be. The best teachers that I have worked with in the NYC public school system all had at least 5 years of experience.

If you want to make a difference, then I would say go for one of those programs and tough it out. If you want teaching experience, start teaching. I think that anywhere (Brooklyn, Korea, South Africa) can give you relevant experience to help you when you do step into a high needs school face your first class. You'll at least be better off than the out of work investment banker who "always wanted to give teachng a try"... those people usually make horrible teachers and usually only last 1 or 2 years.

[Cerriowen]

I've been here 3 years.

I'd say it's really difficult to "make a difference" doing straight out teaching. It's a job, and not at all aimed at "helping" people.

Hakwons (private schools) that can afford a foreign teacher are not really schools anyway, they're a business. The kids are there if they can pay. The parents are usually fairly well off (at least middle-class), and if that particular hakwon isn't doing an acceptable job, there are hundreds more out there that will. Rich kids get great educations, middle-class kids get mediocre educations, poor kids get very little or none.

Working at a public school means that you've got 500-1500 students and you probably teach ALL of them. Most classes have 40 kids, and you see them once a week. The only real impact or teaching that you can have in that kind of an environment is to interact with the brave kids, or really studious kids. They either aready go to an english hakwon, or would study without a teacher anyway. The general standard of living here is decent, and if the kids really want to learn, their parents will probably find a way to get them a teacher.

Even schools in the countryside will usually end up with a teacher. I went to the countryside because I wanted to give the kids a quality education. But after I got to know the other teachers around here, I realized it was just a racial/country based prejudice. There are lots of black americans, and white south-africans (who speak english perfectly well), but are considered sub-standard by their schools.

That being said, there are a few ways that you could potentially make a difference *outside* your job. There are orphanages here that you can go and teach in during your spare time. In the countryside, it's easy to find poor children who want to study english but lack the funds to pay for a tutor.

On the other hand... keep in mind that there are volunteer opportunities like that in your home country and town. Poor kids who need tutoring, or socially akward kids who need encouragement and mentoring, in your home town.

As a final note... there's a mentality towards western teachers here that says that you're rich, and well paid (regardless of the reality). Everyone believes you're just here for the money. They also don't have the same traditions of public service and volunteering that we do (obligations are to family, job and close friends) so if you're offering free lessons to poor kids, or doing extra work at your Hakwon, you're going to have "SUCKER" written across your forehead, and people will try to con the hell out of you.

[quanfer]

Thanks for the replies. I was just looking for anyone with a sense of fulfillment from the job, rather than the common stereotype that it's "just a job" to pay for whatever bills. Albeit there may be other interests--I'm interested in touring Seoul myself--I wonder if people who teach in korea like teaching in korea. Do most go for one-two years then move back to their home countries, or stay in Korea to teach and settle down? Still trying to get a "feel" of the community in the forums, apart from reading the numerous faqs and sticky threads.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Ukon]

[santafly]

I worked in education (outdoor and adventure ed, wilderness therapy) for 6 years before Korea. In Seoul, I teach adults and some highschool kids in one on one conversational English classes - It is dismal - I think most of my students are incapable of learning/thinking in the western sense - they can only memorize things - although that doesn't seem to work either - I have students that have had class 3 times a week for the past 6 months - and every single class I have to explain things like: you have to conjugate your verbs (me: what did you do last weekend, student: I see a movie) you have to learn basic words/ expressions (me: what's up?, them: my condition is bad or me: that's a cool hat, them: blank stare), and my personal pet peeve: generalizations have to be plural: Korean like Kimchi, I like cat. I could go on all day - I seriously can't understand how my students can be so bad at learning such simple things. Also, they struggle with the concept of conversation, they don't do their homework, they ask me for advice on how to learn English better and then never ever do what I say and then complain they are learning slowly, they never review, they never proofread their work, they have no idea what paragraph structure is/ same goes for writing essays, and they think Korea is superior and can't understand how diverse the rest of the world is.....

anyway, having ranted, back to your question.

Everyone I've talked to who has been in the peace corps said it was extremely boring. The peace corps is a diplomatic mission (you realize it is run by the federal government) - the main purpose is to convince people that they like America - you can imagine how that would later be exploited.

If you want to "make a difference" and you like being outside I would highly recommend Wilderness Therapy (some programs are much better than others, "Wilderness Quest" was my last employer - they are awesome/best job I've ever had for so many reasons).

volunteering really seems like the way to go.......

[Illysook]

As I understand it, joining the Peace Corps is like joining the army. They can send you ANYWHERE! If you want to choose where you will go, think about something else. Also, I had a friend who had a Vista/Americorp job and her stipend was so low that she qualified for foodstamps and heating assistance, she had to sign up for those things because it was illegal for her to work a supplemental job while she was part of that program.

I'm interested in being a good teacher and I really want my klds to succeed. It's not a perfect system, but a kid who studies and participates in class will improve over time and it will be rewarding. Heck, I've even seen the lazy kids improve. In fact, we have been improving together and I almost like those kids the best. Hagwon bosses may not give good feedback, but those kids sure do, you just have to pay attention.

[dannylelievre]

I have been here for three years and was in the Peace Corps before I came here. The Peace Corps doesn't exactly sent you ANYWHERE. The actual process is actually quite accommodating. During application time and interviews the Peace Corps asks you where you want to work. They have you narrow yourself down to three regions, say Africa, S. America, E. Europe, Pacific Islands, etc. Then they narrow you down to three major skill sets, say ditch digging, teaching, business. Then they cross those matches and find you a place to work. They operate certain programs in certain countries and don't go around sending farmers to do aids education in Africa. Once they've found a place, they don't exactly tell you where it is. They tell you a region, and usually specifically in that region, like say Western Africa. I was told that I was going to the South Pacific to do water development. Just simply went on their website and saw they offered that program only in Samoa. There it was, sure enough after accepting, I was told it was Samoa.

People do not join the Peace Corps to make money. You get only enough money to live like your neighbors, my case it was about 100 a month. Many people that come to Korea came here to make money and travel at the same time.

[kiwiduncan]

[Xuanzang]

I thought we needed permission to volunteer on an E-2 visa?

[sillylily]

I'm a new teacher to Korea (couple months in) and don't see myself settling down to live/work here permanently..at most, 2 years then I'll probably head back to the States. I'd really love to join the Peace Corps after, but I need to work on building skills so I don't get stuck ditch digging...