Korean Job Discussion Forums

cdog151 · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Location: Hopefully Seoul

Hey

Just curious about what it's like being the only foreign teacher in a school. Does this give you more oppurtunity to make Korean friends or does it keep one aliented and prevent them from hanging out with other foreigners. Also, does location play a role? The position is in Dobong-gu. Will that keep me isolated considering it is in the far north of the city?

Thanks

Boodleheimer · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 6:22 pm Post subject:

my boyfriend and i are the only foreign teachers in our respective high schools. the admin and our co-workers try very hard to make sure we're not lonely. it means attending a lot of piss-ups, really.

we've only just met another foreign couple here, and i've heard there are more.

we're homebodies, though...

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

I'm the only foreign teacher here. It's awesome. I get along really well with my coworkers, and they always try to communicate. I go hiking twice a week in the morning with my headteacher, and everyone is really happy that I kick ass during the weekly voleyball games, and that I like to eat Korean food. The language barrier works out well sometimes because it keeps me from having to attend lots of mandatory stuff.

I think it's just the culture of being in a small town. People in general seem to be more patient, and it's reflected in my school and how the classes operate. Last year my Korean coworkers were all pricks, and if I were the only white person at that hagwon, I would've definitely felt isolated. Hell, even with 10 other white people, it was pretty isolating being around uncommunicative Koreans.

I guess a word of thumb is to not be the only foreigner at a hagwon. But at a public school, there's a good chance you'll be the lone English teacher.

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

If its your first time in Korea, I think its best to teach somewhere with other foriegners. They will be able to help yo ua lot and explain things from a Western perspecitve. They know the troubles that nwebies go through and can help you before you amke mistakes (like not buying teh correct garbage bags). Also, its nice to have some automatic friends at the beginning until you figure out whre to meet other foreigners.
I'm theo nly waygook at my school now, but I already have friends outside of work so its not a problem I find it very isolating at work to be the only foreigner. I'm shy which only makes it worse.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I'm the only foreigner at this, my second job in Korea. I wouldn't want it any other way. Over 50% of the foreigners I meet here I'd never want to work with.

blueatjustc · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

Plus, I don't take the heat for the stupid shit the other foreigners are doing. And since I'm one of the few white people in town, it's easy to make a good impression on people. The locals aren't as quick to prejudge me as they would be in Seoul or Gyeonggi.

But, spending a year in a hagwon in Bundang helped a lot. It was good trainng. I learned to eat Korean food, I learned Korean, and so now making coworkers happy isn't hard at all. I know plenty of people who are freaking out about being the only foreigner around. For me, it's perfect, but for others, it'd be a nightmare.

hubba bubba · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

yeah, but the isolaion MUST get to you. Why else are you here all the time?

Smurfette · Joined: 21 Jun 2006

Last year I was the only foriener. It was lonely but peaceful. I now work with 6 other forieners and all I hear all day is whining......think i'm gonna go back to spending my lunches with the Koreans....
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wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

ChuckECheese · Joined: 20 Jul 2006

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Working at a school with other foreigners is like being at a movie theatre and someone in the audience won't shut up.

Or it's like they hear a little bell ringing and they shout, 'the ice cream man is outside, quick, let's run!!!!'.

Then they say, 'damn, this ice cream tastes like crap! Don't you think this ice cream bar is crap????!!!!!'. There are Korean teachers around and their nation's ice cream has been insulted, so voiciferously, fiercely, and casually it's like a drive-by slap in the face by a flabby butt-cheek with odours!

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

Isolation is significant. I prefer to not have a second fiddle (or be one) when I work.

kermo · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:56 pm Post subject:

I worked at a public school and I was the only foreign teacher. It was lovely, actually. I made friends with a lot of the Korean teachers, and the students all thought I was from the planet Awesome.

I did have to go pretty far out of my way to meet other foreigners, but that first stretch I spent alone was great for many reasons. I had plenty of time to go to the gym, and got pretty frickin' fit! (This of course was negated by a long, gluttonous vacation in Canada.)