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Guide for New
Teachers
Learn about Korea before
you arrive
What you are doing right now
is a big step to avoiding culture shock. Knowing and understanding the
differences in culture that you will face will help you deal with
them. Meet other expatriates
living in Korea
You will find that this is
easy since you have a common situation with almost every expatriate you meet.
Most likely they have had similar experiences and can be a great source of
answers and support during your stay.
Quite a few people make life-long
friends while teaching in Korea. Personalize Your Living
Space
Make the place that is most
private to you (usually your bedroom) comfortable and to your taste. Making it
feel a little like home will give you a nice place to relax. Meet Koreans of a Similar
Social Level
Understanding Korea goes a
long way towards enjoying it and having a few Korean friends to spend time with
is a good idea. Do not Expect Too Much of
Yourself
Making all of the adjustments
that you will have to make will not be easy and all of the new stimuli that you
face will bombard your senses. Give yourself time to become accustomed to your
new surroundings. Stay positive. Get
Involved
Make an effort to pursue some
interests you have. Focusing on the things you can do, such as hiking, martial
arts, and traveling, will minimize your dissatisfaction with the things you
cannot do.
Practical
Advise
Banking and Sending Money
Home
Make sure you have a savings
or check account in your home country before you leave. This will enable you to
send money home. You might also want to open a bank account in Korea although
many people don¡¯t. The normal account in Korea is a savings account, since check
accounts are extremely rare and difficult to arrange. Some schools pay by direct
bank deposits and even if they don't someone is usually willing to go to the
bank with you and assist you in setting up an account.
You will be able to
send home all of your net pay. This would be an unusual case, but the current
law in Korea will allow you to send home whatever amount is on your pay receipt.
You could send money home every month or wait until shortly before you depart
Korea to do this. The bank requires documentation that verifies your earnings
and that you have paid the appropriate Korean taxes. Therefore, it is important
that you save all payroll-related documents that you receive from your
school. Private
Teaching
A number of teachers are
involved in private teaching. Koreans take education very seriously and spend a
great deal of money on their children¡¯s education. Many don¡¯t have time to
attend a private school or would prefer a more personalized lesson at home or
another familiar place such as their office. The first thing you should know is
that TEACHING PRIVATE CLASSES IS AGAINST KOREAN LAW. However, most view this law
as more symbolic than anything else. Veterans of teaching in Korea will tell you
that they rarely, if ever, enforce this law and that it mostly applies to
teaching in more than one school without the governments permission.
Most
teachers who have been in Korea for more than a year take private classes. The
majority of private classes pay between 35,000 - 50,000 Korean Won per hour of
teaching.
We do not encourage nor discourage private teaching since it is
not related to our business. Most people make their own decisions about it in
the first couple of months in Korea. We recommend two things, avoid talking to
your school director about it and talk to someone who has experience before
taking any private classes. Alien
Registration
You must get a work visa at a
Korean Consulate. This would normally be obtained at a consulate in your home
country. Four passport-sized pictures are necessary. Once you reach Korea you'll
also need to obtain a residence card. You must get this card within 90 days of
your arrival. This is done at the Korea Immigration Office, where you'll need
four passport-size photos and there is a small fee. Again, your school will
assist you with this but it is your responsibility to make sure it gets
done. English News and
Entertainment
There are two
English-language daily newspapers published in Seoul: the Korea Times and the
Korea Herald. These are available for home or school delivery and can be
purchased throughout Korea. However, they are not found at all newstands and you
will probably need to ask where to find them. The U.S. military in Korea also
provides radio and television broadcasts. American Forces Network (AFN) has two
English-language radio stations and a television station (offering programming
from the States). AFN is not available in all areas of Korea. Cable TV is also
available with a variety of international channels. Newsweek, Time and Reader's
Digest and other magazines are available at bookstores that carry English
books. Korean
Food
The food here usually takes
some getting used to by most new arrivals. The main difference is that Korean
food is both hot and spicy. Koreans especially like to use garlic and red
pepper. Rice and noodles are staples, with less emphasis on meat than in the
American diet. Sliced fruit is a common dessert. Local markets and grocery
stores supply a wide variety of meats, fruits, vegetables and staples.
Along
with rice, the national dish is a spicy side dish called "Kimchi" It comes in a
variety of types, usually made with radish or a type of cabbage. The vegetable
is pickled in a very strong preparation, heavy on the garlic and red pepper.
Koreans have elevated Kimchi to a national passion, while foreign residents
gradually grow to sort of like it.
If you're into culinary adventure you'll
have plenty to discover here. If you are very adventurous you might want to try
raw octopus and squid, silkworm cocoons, and various permutations of seaweed.
Don't worry, though. Any reluctance to try such things will be fully
respected.
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1. Bap (steamed rice) and Juk (porridge)
Boiled rice is the staple of
Korean cuisine. Most people use sticky rice, which sometimes has beans,
chestnuts, sorghum, red beans, barley or other cereals added for flavor and
nutrition. Juk is thought of as highly nutritious and light. Many varieties of
juk exist, for example, juk made of rice, red beans, pumpkin, abalone, ginseng,
pine nuts, vegetables, chicken, mushrooms and bean sprouts. |
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2. Guk (soup)
Soup is an essential dish when rice is served.
Ingredients of different soups include vegetables, meat, fish, shellfish,
seaweed, and beef bones. |
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3. Jjigae (stew)
Jjigae is similar to guk but is thicker and hardier.
The most famous jjigae is made from fermented soy bean paste. Jjigae is usually
spicy and served piping hot in a heated stone bowl. |
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4. Jjim and Jorim (simmered meat or fish)
Jjim and jorim are similar
dishes which are prepared with vegetables and soaked in soy bean sauce, then
slowly boiled together over a low flame. |
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5. Namul (vegetables or wild greens)
Namul is made from slightly
boiled or fried vegetables and wild greens mixed with salt, soy sauce, sesame
salt, sesame oil, garlic, onions, and other spices. |
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6. Jeotgal (seafood fermented in salt)
Jeotgal is a very salty food
made of naturally fermented fish, shellfish, shrimp, oysters, fish roe,
intestines and other ingredients. |
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7. Gui (broiled/barbecued dishes)
When cooking gui, marinated meats
are barbecued over a charcoal fire. The most popular meats of this type are
bulgogi and galbi. There are also many fish dishes which are cooked this way. |
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8. Jeon (pan-fried dishes)
Jeon is a kind of pancake made from
mushrooms, pumpkin, slices of dried fish, oysters, unripe red peppers, meat or
other ingredients which are mixed with salt and black pepper, dipped in flour
and egg and fried in oil. |
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9. Mandu (dumpling)
Mandu is dumplings stuffed with beef, mushrooms,
stir-fried zucchini, and mungbean sprouts. Pork, chicken, or fish is sometimes
used instead of beef. |
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Cooking
If you plan to cook, the
following spices are hard to find here: allspice, basil, caraway seed, celery
seed, cloves, cumin, garlic salt (garlic itself is a national passion), nutmeg,
onion salt and oregano. Black pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder and ginger are
available. Teaching
Remember that in society
one's use of language is a gauge for others of intelligence and status. Many of
your students will not be able to speak English very well and it's very easy to
misjudge their intelligence and look down on them. Sometimes they'll make the
same mistakes over and over again, causing you to become very frustrated. Most
importantly, try to see things from the students' point of view as if you were a
student learning Korean from them. Teaching
Materials
Most schools have books and a
collection of teaching aids and other materials but if you want to bring some
material of your own, here are some suggestions. These materials can also be
collected from other teachers and bookstores when you arrive.
Discussion
Topics
Avoid topics that require a
lot of thought or that invoke emotions and opinions that are difficult to
express. Remember that to you, the English might be simple but Koreans are only
familiar with American culture, and will struggle with expressions and idioms
that we take for granted. Also choose subjects to which they can relate.
Different classes have different group dynamics and will be suited to
different subjects. University students may enjoy talking about dating while
business men might be uncomfortable when talking about the same topic. With news
articles, try to include a couple of good photographs or illustrations to help
them understand the writing. Songs
Singing is a national
past-time in Korea and is welcomed in most classrooms. It is important to
consider however that children just starting out might have difficulty with
anything more than the Beatles while more advanced classes will allow you too be
more adventurous. Just because you are being paid well, it does not mean that
you cannot have fun. Try to avoid anything too esoteric in its lyrical content,
for example, We Are The Champions is a good choice while the meaning of Bohemian
Rhapsody is a little harder to explain. Stick to the more mainstream groups and
you should have some fun. Video
Mr. Bean is popular over in
Korea and many teachers use episodes to practice describing using the different
tenses. Barney and other children¡¯s videos are useful for kids. Some schools
frown on the use of videos and most will not appreciate it if you use them too
much. The important thing to remember that watching a video should be
supplemented by other activities such as a discussion of the story, a writing
activity, or learning a song from the video. Games
Many teachers have their own
copies of Scrabble and some Institutes have copies of word and board games. Do
not take Trivial Pursuit with you, Korea is still a very isolated country and
students have little knowledge about anything that goes on outside their
borders. Also try to choose something that will help them practice their
speaking skills. Many games are strictly language-learning games and can be
purchased at bookstores where ESL material is sold. Puzzles
Simple crosswords from
children's books are useful as are word searches for vocabulary lessons.
Cartoons and Comic Strips are useful as well. Many teachers use strips with
blank voice bubbles and have the students make up their own
stories. Have Fun
Most of your students will
likely spend a great deal of time studying a variety of subjects and learning a
new language is more about experiencing it than memorizing it. Having fun in the
classroom in a way that encourages the use of English is very beneficial to the
students and will make your day more pleasant.
Things to
Bring
Clothing
Bring things that are
appropriate for work. Most schools don¡¯t expect you to wear a tie if you¡¯re a
man or a dress/skirt if you¡¯re a woman (some do however), but a shirt and pants
is nice. It¡¯s usually a good idea to wear this kind of clothes in the first
couple of weeks to get off on the right foot. First impressions are very
important in Korea and getting off to a good start will do wonders for your
relationship with your school¡¯s director. Medicine
If you must take regular
medication, check if it's available here before stocking up. Western medicine is
very cheap here and quite often can be purchased without a prescription.
However, you might want to bring some of the over-the-counter products you are
used to. A couple bottles of Tums might provide just the thing to reward your
stomach with after sampling an exotic or hot dish. You can get birth control
pills easily and no prescription is necessary. Personal
Products
For women, if you insist on
tampons, you'd better buy a year's supply. They are available at pharmacies, but
there is a limited supply and the quality is poor. Guys, shaving products can be
purchased but again brands are limited. Better bring a year's supply of
deodorant, too. It's extremely difficult to find, and once you do find it, the
chances of your favorite brand being in stock is one in a million. Also,
deodorant is very expensive. Electrical
Appliances
Most of Korea uses 220 volts
whereas in North American the standard outlet is 110 volts so if you are
bringing a hair-dryer, iron, curling iron or other appliance you will probably
need to buy a voltage converter. These can be purchased in most locations and
cost about US$20. In some cases, apartments have both 110 and 220-volt outlets
and some schools have equipped their apartments with voltage converters.
Hair-dryers and irons can be purchased in Korea if you prefer, however the
selection of curling irons is limited in some areas. Personal
Photos
Photos of you, your family,
your pets, your house, state, and country are wonderful to bring. Your students
will love seeing pictures of your life back home. Your baby pictures would
especially delight younger students. These photos are also great teaching
tools.. Books
You can get fabulous
English/Korean and Korean/English dictionaries here at cheaper rates. You can
also buy many novels here without much difficulty but it depends somewhat on
where you live. Holiday-related
items
Some holidays are not
celebrated here. For example is Halloween. We suggest that you consider bringing
things to use in the classroom to teach about these holidays.
Tapes and
CDs
Take one or two of your
favorites. Leave the rest at home. You can buy all the big name latest releases
cheaper here than at home. If there is a certain band or singer you cannot live
without, you might want to check with the resident foreign teacher to see if
that particular music is available in Korea. Camera, Video
Camera
Bring a camera (or buy one
here). You¡¯ll probably be taking a lot of pictures and film is the same.
Development is very cheap. If you have a video camera, consider the voltage
difference that was mentioned in the appliance section earlier.
Pets
As a general rule, don¡¯t
bring pets. If you insist on bringing your pet, make sure it¡¯s cleared with your
employer and get information from a travel agent concerning any issues related
to bringing animals across boarders.
How Koreans Treat
Foreigners
In general, Koreans are shy
around foreigners. You can also expect to be stared at from time to time. Korea
is very homogeneous and there are not many foreigners in Korea compared to the
rest of the population.
Most people are extremely polite to you. However,
because of cultural differences we often misinterpret their actions. You might
instead think that the people around you are very stiff, formal, and reserved.
You must remember that the extreme formality that probably makes you uneasy is
sometimes also the Korean way of showing respect. You get used to it.
You
rarely have to worry about your safety or having any difficulties with crime.
The crime rate is very low and the streets are generally very safe. This does
not mean that you should not use the same caution that you use at home or that
you should flash large sums of money around. Just be smart and try not to create
scenes in public that would draw the wrong kind of attention.
Foreigner
life
One the biggest concerns that
most people have before they go to Korea besides what it is like to teach
English as a second language, concerns the things that foreigners do in their
free time.
The reality of life as a foreigner in Korea is that you can be as
involved in the culture as you like. One of the things that you will find is
that there is usually a community of foreigners in every city that maintain a
social network. This is very useful since it provides an opportunity to meet
people from various countries who are sharing an experience with you. It
provides an opportunity to talk about the issues that arise in daily life with
people that have had similar experiences. Most people would agree that having
some friends from 'home' really helps to lessen the effects of culture
shock.
Korea is a nation that has combined a modern society with a five
thousand year old tradition and, in doing so, it provides a unique experience.
Most foreigners find that their time is divided. Some of their free time is
spent experiencing a new culture and doing things like visiting ancient temples
and heritage sites or getting involved in studying the language or learning a
Korean martial art. Other times, people find themselves doing very similar
things that they did when they were living at home -- going to movies, shopping,
skiing, socializing with friends in the local bar, hiking, swimming, mountain
biking, etc. The reality of the situation is that you can make the experience
whatever you would like it to be.
Do's &
Don'ts
Affection
People of different sexes
showing affection in public is generally not accepted. Between members of the
same sex is considered a way of showing friendship. It is quite common to see
two women walking down the street holding hands or with their arms around each
other. This simply means that they are good friends and may want to include you
in a friendly manner by linking arms or holding your hand. (That is if you are a
woman as well. Sorry guys!)
Bargaining
In some markets, bargaining
over the price is expected while in many others it isn't. A good rule of thumb
is that if there is a price tag on the item, you probably cannot negotiate the
price. Bowing
People bow very often,
especially when greeting someone who has a higher social position. When you
shake someone¡¯s hand, it¡¯s also appropriate to bow slightly. After a couple of
months most people find that bowing becomes second nature. Dress
How you dress is a statement
of your position and therefore you should not dress too informally. Especially
in the first few days and weeks of your arrival since the impression you leave
at this time will likely stay with you for the year. Koreans (especially women)
spend a great deal of time and money on their presentation. Elderly
People
The elderly are shown a great
deal of respect in Korean society. In Western society it is a nice gesture to
offer your seat on the bus or assist an elderly person across the street. In
Korea, it is standard practice to offer one¡¯s seat to an older
person. Generosite
Koreans are some of the most
generous people in the world to friends and acquaintances. Gift giving is an
important gesture. In fact, if you would really like to get off on the right
foot with the Director of the school, a small gift would be very
appreciated. Social
Harmony
Korean culture dictates that
social harmony should be preserved at all times. This often leads to small lies
and indirect behavior that Westerners fail to understand. It's usually more
effective to work a topic into a conversation over coffee than to go directly to
the point. Money
Whenever you give another
person money for any reason, other than when shopping, it is important that it
is concealed in an envelope. Passing
Objects
Always use your right hand
and if possible use both. Placing your left hand on or near your right arm is
also acceptable. Paying
The person who did the
inviting is normally expected to pay. This is not always the case between
friends or young people. However, if an adult student takes you to dinner and
insists on paying be thankful but don¡¯t insist too strongly on paying your
share. Personal
Questions
You will likely encounter
many Koreans who ask you personal questions that you may not wish to answer. The
simplest way to deal with this is to simply ignore the question and change the
subject. Singing
It is very common for Koreans
to sing at social gatherings. Singing rooms are very popular places to visit
during or after an office party. If you can, it is a good idea to sing at least
one song. Shoes
Always remove your shoes when
you enter a Korean person¡¯s home or when entering a temple. With the exception
of some restaurants, most other public places do not require that you remove
your shoes. Tipping
Tipping is generally not
expected in Korea and quite often attempting to give a tip is more trouble that
it¡¯s worth.
Teaching English in
Korea
One the biggest concerns that
most people have before they go to Korea besides what it is like to teach
English as a second language, concerns the things that foreigners do in their
free time.
The reality of life as a foreigner in Korea is that you can be as
involved in the culture as you like. One of the things that you will find is
that there is usually a community of foreigners in every city that maintain a
social network. This is very useful since it provides an opportunity to meet
people from various countries who are sharing an experience with you. It
provides an opportunity to talk about the issues that arise in daily life with
people that have had similar experiences. Most people would agree that having
some friends from 'home' really helps to lessen the effects of culture
shock.
Korea is a nation that has combined a modern society with a five
thousand year old tradition and, in doing so, it provides a unique experience.
Most foreigners find that their time is divided. Some of their free time is
spent experiencing a new culture and doing things like visiting ancient temples
and heritage sites or getting involved in studying the language or learning a
Korean martial art. Other times, people find themselves doing very similar
things that they did when they were living at home -- going to movies, shopping,
skiing, socializing with friends in the local bar, hiking, swimming, mountain
biking, etc. The reality of the situation is that you can make the experience
whatever you would like it to be.
A letter from an ESL
Teacher in Korea
Like so many other people I
know, I came to Korea with a plan to stay here for a year, save a little money
and head back to the states with my loot. Three years later I'm still here and
loving almost every minute of it. Even after three years, I still find something
new about Korea almost every day. I think that's what keeps most people here.
Everyday is a challenge and you get to break out of those boring patterns that
trapped you back home. There are times when I get fed up and want to pack
everything up and head home but those times are far outnumbered by the good
times.
For the most part, Korean people are exceptionally kind to foreigners
especially if you happen to be their teacher. People in restaurants and shops
and sometimes even people passing by on the street will go out of their way to
help you. Just today I was asking a women in a supermarket where to buy tickets
for a ferry. She tried to explain to me where the ticket office was and when she
realized that I was totally lost she sent her daughter to the ticket office to
purchase the tickets for me. When I offered the change as a tip for their
trouble they refused.
It is also very common for foreigners to receive
special gifts called "service" from store and restaurant owners. There is a
bakery near my apartment where I go two or three times a week. Every time I buy
something the owner will throw a little something extra into my bag and look at
me with a big smile and say, "ser-bus."
It's important to come to Korea with
an open mind and realize that you are a visitor here and have to act
accordingly. There will be times when you are put into very uncomfortable
situations. During my first month in Korea I was invited to go drinking with
some of my students. One of my students, a forty-something businessman, sat next
to me all night and continuously put his hand on my leg even after I had asked
him to stop. I'm not real crazy about another man grabbing my leg but I realized
it's a part of Korean culture. Little things like this will test your patience
but you have to realize that you are a visitor here and can't expect Koreans to
live by your standards. If you feel that you can't cope with things like this,
then by all means stay home.
I have had a variety of teaching experiences
here in Korea, most of them have been very good. In general, Korean students are
much more respectful of teachers and much more eager to learn than students in
the West. I will say this though, children are children no matter where you
live. You will have to come up with interesting, active lessons to keep them
entertained, otherwise you will have children bouncing off the walls.
The
amount of work you will have to do varies with your job and your dedication. I
know some teachers who walk into class two minutes late and have to ask the
children which page they left off with the day before. Other teachers take their
jobs more seriously and spend time lesson planning and creating fun, interesting
activities for their classes. I have tried both methods and I highly recommend
the later. It will make your job easier as you will have far fewer discipline
problems. Teaching experience isn't necessary for the job, just an open mind and
a lot of patience will take you a long way.
After work you will have to make
a decision how you want to spend your free-time in Korea. I know some teachers
who have come here and spent all their free time writing movie scripts. Others
spend their nights and weekends drowning in so-ju (Korean rice alcohol). It's
really up to you. Since I've been here I have earned my black belt in
Tae-kwon-do and now I'm working towards my black-belt in Hap-ki-do. With the
rest of my free time I typically go to the health club, watch movies or hang out
with other foreigners at the local hangout
. It is usually easy to meet
people here and make friends both foreigners and Koreans. If you need a break
from Korea for a while there are foreigners hangouts in most of the big cities,
where you can go and drink beer and play pool. A lot of teachers end up making
Korean friends and spend their free time hanging out with them. The point is, if
you are bored here then you aren't looking very hard for things to do.
One
last tip. If you decided to come over try to learn just a few simple words in
Korean before you come. Things like "hello" and "thank you" and "my name is". It
won't take long and it will really impress the Koreans. They love it when you
try to use Korean, especially if you're just off the plane.
Good
luck.
Chip Potter : c_potter@hotmail.com
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