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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Chris2007
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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 Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:32 am Post subject: ESL Teachers in Japan = Friendly? |
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I had a layover in Tokyo recently, on my way home for Christmas... and I met other Westerners teaching there. They were so nice! They were so interesting, outgoing, and dare I say, happy?? I was taken off guard because I just naturally expected an icy cold reception from them, based on experiences in Seoul. It was like God reminding me not to stay in Korea too long...
Now perhaps they too were just thrilled to be going home for Christmas and therefore in good spirits but really the difference between them and people I've met in Seoul was like day and night. It got me thinking... are people teaching in Japan just better quality?? Are they happier teaching there??
Anyway, it was a pleasant change from the sour grapes you find in Korea, but I suppose people who have taught in both places could tell you more. Maybe they'll chime in here. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:52 am Post subject: |
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I would say that Japan draws a more intellectual civilized type of person with higher qualifications. I wish I could join them.
I am glad that NOVA refused to hire me last year which was simply because I didn't have start up funds. Japan is something to consider if you have start up funds though I am not sure how good the job market is now with NOVA's collapse leaving many experienced teachers seeking work.
Yes, in my experiences of Japan, everyone, but the Koreans queuing in line behind me to board the plane to Korea were much more polite, friendlier, and more civilized. Japan is a much different world than Korea and China; it contains the most refined, respectful, and sophisticated Asian people. They run a league of their own with everyone else in this part of the world following.
Please, as the OP stated, could any of you who taught in both places enlighten us on how Japan differs from Korea and why we think Japanese people and their foreign teachers are much more polite and professional than you typically find in Korea? |
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dalpengi
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:34 am Post subject: |
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| It is a well-known fact that any degree with a C+ average will get you a job in Korea. For me, a lot of people will try to pretend like they have more going for them than that � unfortunately in the process they will come across like a-holes. |
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Chris2007
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:06 am Post subject: |
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| dalpengi wrote: |
| It is a well-known fact that any degree with a C+ average will get you a job in Korea. For me, a lot of people will try to pretend like they have more going for them than that � unfortunately in the process they will come across like a-holes. |
They raised the standards???
I'm guessing part of the difference between teachers here and there is that people come to Korea for the more immediate benefits of housing, pay, etc. The draw for Japan would perhaps be a more refined and interesting culture/history, depending on your viewpoint. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:17 am Post subject: |
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Japan also gets a large amount of "otaku" nerds. There are a lot of freaks, but a slightly different breed of freak. I think we attract freaks willing to go off the beaten path, or trying to lay low, and they attract anime freaks and Asian fetishists.
Incidentally, I got a bad impression of foreigners in Beijing, but I think that's because all the ones I met seemed to be university student hippies. |
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Major Kong
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:30 am Post subject: |
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Intelligence vs. Intellectuals... one of my favorite ringside seats. In
fact I reserved a whole lifetime row for all my closest friends. No kidding, I love intelligent people. It's the Intellectuals that really excite me...a left, a right, and an upper cut to the library via the quick thinker and his shortcut... |
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just4u
Joined: 30 May 2007
Location: Georgia, USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:06 am Post subject: |
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| sojourner1 wrote: |
I would say that Japan draws a more intellectual civilized type of person with higher qualifications. I wish I could join them.
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Me too, (and like you I'm honest enough to admit it.)
I taught in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and I had the best job in Taiwan but the environment wasn't good enough for me to stay.
I did very well in the rural Southern part of South Korea but couldn't seem to hack it in Seoul (I was afraid to do privates  ) and I couldn't even get a visa when I went to Japan.
I was young and female but I don't blame it all on that. I was also inexperienced, with a sociology degree and a low gpa.
Right now I'm going back to school to both raise my grade point and also to get a second BA in English. (I was going for Education but I'm in a small Southern town and the Education department seems to want the people to be almost amish, and they really interfere with people's privacy, checking myspace pages to catch drinkers, or so I've heard from my friends. I don't drink that much, but still.)
Anyway, nobody gets why I would want to go back to school for such a thing, but they haven't traveled and they don't have to "get it."
I know the English degree spells the difference in which country I'll be going back to and I'm willing to work for it.
And yes, Japan's that good. Go there and see.
I'm not putting down Korea, though. Nobody think that please. I live in a US backwater and I would rather be in Korea than here, or even rather Beijing than here.
I feel like I'm in the "grade between" Taiwan and Korea LOL. (currently in GA, US.)
Anyway I'm rambling (just woke up) but I don't think anyone needs to talk about the perks of teaching in Japan...don't talk it up there are too many people there trying to get jobs as it is. It was competitive a while back, I can just imagine what it's like there now. |
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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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About 3 years ago, on my first (and only) visa run to Fukuoka, I had no idea how to get back to my hotel from the embassy. I had spent something like 25 bucks  in a taxi getting there, and I had no idea how to get back.
There was a foreigner guy there, driving his girlfriends oh so sweet ride, who had taken his friend to the embassy for HIS visa run. He seemed to know hiw way around so I asked him if he knew which direction to go to get to X area. "Come on", he says, "we'll get you sorted out."
He drove me first to my hotel (took a while to find), and then over to another area to show me where I should go to hang out that night. He took about 40 minutes out of his way to look after someone he had never seen before and would never see again.
Cool. |
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| Japan also gets a large amount of "otaku" nerds. There are a lot of freaks, but a slightly different breed of freak. I think we attract freaks willing to go off the beaten path, or trying to lay low, and they attract anime freaks and Asian fetishists. |
Yeah, exactly. I don't know where this "intelligent sophisticated" stuff comes from.
The only real difference between Koreans and Japanese is that the Japanese will wait until you're out of earshot to talk crap about you. |
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dalpengi
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Chris2007 wrote: |
| dalpengi wrote: |
| It is a well-known fact that any degree with a C+ average will get you a job in Korea. For me, a lot of people will try to pretend like they have more going for them than that � unfortunately in the process they will come across like a-holes. |
They raised the standards???
I'm guessing part of the difference between teachers here and there is that people come to Korea for the more immediate benefits of housing, pay, etc. The draw for Japan would perhaps be a more refined and interesting culture/history, depending on your viewpoint. |
Ha, I said C+ because I didn't want to be cruel.
No, I was a little mean and there are some very intelligent people teaching in Korea who decided that this is just what they want to do and are happy with that decision.
However, it seems the bar is noticeably higher in Japan. |
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dalpengi
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| twg wrote: |
| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| Japan also gets a large amount of "otaku" nerds. There are a lot of freaks, but a slightly different breed of freak. I think we attract freaks willing to go off the beaten path, or trying to lay low, and they attract anime freaks and Asian fetishists. |
Yeah, exactly. I don't know where this "intelligent sophisticated" stuff comes from.
The only real difference between Koreans and Japanese is that the Japanese will wait until you're out of earshot to talk crap about you. |
The "intelligent sophisticated" stuff comes from people's observations. What the exact picture is I simply don't know. It is good to read what others have to say about this.
In my case, my friends who worked in Japan (as teachers) did quite well for themselves after returning home. Some work in banking, some as policy analysts for the government and one friend is currently doing a PhD at a prestigious university.
My friends who worked in Korea? Well, one guy is half-way through a law degree and by the sounds of it is doing quite well but others have ended up with jobs as primary (elementary) school teachers in rough neighbourhoods, are unemployed or are heading for UK where they will no doubt share a flat with 20 other kiwis and call it their big OE. The sensible ones are trying to return to Asia, to work as teacher over there.
That's the set of people I met but admittedly it is a small sample number. |
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dalpengi
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
Japan also gets a large amount of "otaku" nerds. There are a lot of freaks, but a slightly different breed of freak. I think we attract freaks willing to go off the beaten path, or trying to lay low, and they attract anime freaks and Asian fetishists.
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For me, the otaku in Japan are often happy or at least content freaks (Japan is a paradise if you are that sort of freak after all).
We seem to get desperate ones that will moan and complain about Korea yet will stay here for years and years. |
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nicholas_chiasson
Joined: 14 Jun 2007
Location: Samcheok
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| the same way the vatican is full of happy catholics. Only those who are happily married to a korean, or are some kind of asian wannae-be angry gyopo can be happy here. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| nicholas_chiasson wrote: |
| Only those who are happily married to a korean, or are some kind of asian wannae-be angry gyopo can be happy here. |
Not married, not gyopo and happy right here, but I have a great job and a great mix of foreign and Korean friends. Sure, the Koreans' attitude in general and the government sucks, but I knew that before coming here. I pay off my debts, go out regularly, travel regularly in Korea, travel to other countries at least 2 times a year (and not for a 3 day visa run), ride a motorcycle all over the place, enjoy tons of outdoor activities and have lots of free time. |
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Mosley
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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Here's my take on it (I've lived in both): Some teachers are of a "higher" calibre(e.g. those who get on JET) in Japan but Japan also gets its fair share of "freaks".
The chief reason barbarians seem more "normal" or cheerful in Japan is that, despite the high COL, Japan is a far more pleasant and interesting place to live in than Korea. Full stop. |
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