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scratchpiece
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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Depends where one choses to live and work in said country, though. Taichung, where this young lady went to live and work, is a terrible location for a newbie to be. She should have chosen Taipei for the first contract and slowly eased herself into the culture; less isolation, more amenities, much better transportation, more English signage and native English speakers to interact with.
I hear similar problems from JET teachers who are sent to isolated posts in Japan. Many end up leaving and some actually get depressed and suicidal after a short period of extreme culture shock and isolation.
I've spent a lot of time in Taiwan over the last decade. I was surprised be some of her initial comments, but much of what she wrote isn't necessarily false either.
Last edited by TECO on Sat Mar 05, 2011 3:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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Those considering teaching abroad should research their destination as much as possible, and ask themselves: Can I adjust to the food and the climate? Do I want to learn the language and will I commit to it? Do the living conditions appeal to me? Do I share the values of the culture? Will I know how to access medical help? Are there resources for Westerners? Is this somewhere I want to live or is visiting enough?
As well, if making money is important, they should carefully evaluate what they are willing to sacrifice in exchange. In my case, the financial benefit wasn�t worth it.
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It would help if more people did consider these issues before coming to Korea. That is true of all ages, as even older people face the same issues here. We just packed off and sent someone in their 40's who made all of these mistakes.
Instead, too many are sold some idea by recruiters that the "days are easy and the nights are wild." Of course, many want to believe that fantasy and either don't ask hard questions or refuse to listen to experienced teachers when we try to offer advice to newbies. I can't even begin to count the number of newbies who refuse to listen when given advice and then, later when things seem bleak, suddenly are willing to listen to the sage advice that would have saved them months of aggravation.
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As McBride, manager of Toronto�s ESL in Canada, points out, China and South Korea are �the most difficult areas to go into if you don�t even have a basic vocabulary.�
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That depends on where you live as Seoul has better services for those who don't speak Korean. But, again, if you know even some of the language you are in much better shape than knowing nothing. I'd say that in Korea it would be more important to know some of the customs rather than the actual language, but both are important.
There are so many free resources online for learning Korean language and customs that there's no excuse for arriving as a clueless waygookin at the airport in Korea. It's to your benefit to understand where you will be living for the next 12 months. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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�It�s a very nice way to travel, you get to know the locals, and you are always respected for the job you do,� said Dainn Van Doorne Legris, coordinator at Montreal�s College Canada, an internationally recognized school for teachers of English as a second language.
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ALWAYS? That's a puzzling comment from someone who should have enough experience to understand that "always" is a word that doesn't apply in the ESL industry. That person should reconsider saying that to young people who may be in for some culture shock of their own. |
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Bondrock
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Location: ^_^
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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The girl from Ontario, Lindsey, freaked out over buying a stamp in British Columbia.
This is not an article about cultural differences, it is an article about a clueless, spoiled princess.
Shame on the Montreal Gazette for this poorly penned journalistic tripe. |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Bondrock wrote: |
The girl from Ontario, Lindsey, freaked out over buying a stamp in British Columbia.
This is not an article about cultural differences, it is an article about a clueless, spoiled princess.
Shame on the Montreal Gazette for this poorly penned journalistic tripe. |
She didn't freak out. She said it was effortless, as opposed to in Taiwan. She may be a bit coddled, but you're making stuff up.
I love Taiwan, by the way. |
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Bondrock
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Location: ^_^
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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Excerpt from the article:
"I�d accepted a scholarship to do my master�s degree at the University of British Columbia, but when I arrived, I didn�t have the energy to adjust to yet another new place. I wanted to go home.
When I told an academic counsellor I was thinking of leaving, she asked what it was at home that was so important. When I teared up and blurted, �Everything I know,� I suddenly realized the impact Taiwan had had. A few hours later, I dropped out.
Returning home to Burlington, Ont., was exactly what I needed. For the first time in nearly a year, I felt stress-free. The simplest of things � like understanding a radio ad or knowing where to buy a stamp � were effortless."
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Bondrock is not making anything up. Lindsey found it difficult to buy a stamp or understand a radio ad in British Columbia according to the article. |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| So she couldn't understand the radio in BC? I believe she was referring to Taiwan, and was just too knackered to settle into yet another new (albeit not as foreign) place. |
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hondaicivic
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Location: Daegu, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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"Taiwanese women treated Caucasian men like Hollywood stars. The bigger the nose, the more handsome the man, they said."
HAHAHAHA omg this is hilarious  .......... |
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lawyertood
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul, Incheon and the World--working undercover for the MOJ
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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| effortless--without effort |
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DorkothyParker
Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Location: Jeju
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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I sympathize with her situation. I think I would have had a lot more difficulties had I come to Korea alone. It can be stressful not being able to communicate and the first time I did something (mail a package, go to the sauna) was always a little scary and awkward. (Although it turned out in both situations both parties were able to communicate adequately using gestures and clipped Korean and English mixed). All in all, I've benefited greatly from the kindness of strangers.
I don't think she is spoiled or anything, she's just a dame who had it rough. And let's be honest, it is rough for Western dames to enter such overtly patriarchal cultures.
The quote about the radio ads says exactly what this means, that it was effortless. Although, I think that's a bit obvious. What she should have said was, "Difficult things in Taiwan - like understanding a radio as or knowing where to buy a stamp - were effortless again."
Otherwise she is just comparing something simple with something which is effortless which is kind of a "duh" moment. |
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ESL Milk "Everyday
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't see anything 'ignorant' about this story. She freely admits to it being her own fault that she didn't enjoy it, and it sounds like she knows that she was culture-shocked. The only ignorant thing is the people on this thread who are jumping on her for it... and to be honest, I'd say Korea is really easy to adjust to compared to that place. |
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Oreovictim
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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She sounds like a pampered princess to me.
- She couldn't find a Caucasian female? GASP!
- She had trouble crossing the street at first? GASP!
- Street signs written in Chinese? GASP!
- And the worst of all . . . she saw . . . a giant black and orange beetle!
NNNNOOOO!!!! |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Oreovictim wrote: |
She sounds like a pampered princess to me.
- She couldn't find a Caucasian female? GASP!
- She had trouble crossing the street at first? GASP!
- Street signs written in Chinese? GASP!
- And the worst of all . . . she saw . . . a giant black and orange beetle!
NNNNOOOO!!!! |
Actually, it was a flying cockroach (the first of many). She had been expecting the beetle. |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:29 am Post subject: |
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Couldn't finish.
Never thought such drivel could be taken seriously. |
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