Korea Questions... Concluded?

Has teaching been more difficult than you expected? What are the kids like?

Teaching hasn't been more difficult, exactly, just less appealing. Teaching here isn't like what you would expect back home. Especially in public schools, it's mostly just a "warm body" job. So the key to not going crazy about how little the kids are learning and how poor the system is, as far as I can tell, is to just remember that you're not supposed to make the kids fluent in a year, and that you're just following what the school wants you to do. This is supposed to be your adventure, too, so don't get stressed over what happens at school. Everyone I've talked to who works in a public school feels pissed off at first about the system, but they learn to accept it and have fun. If you're in a public school, you probably won't be able to converse with the kids much, unless you have some kids who also go to hagwons (private academies). A friend of mine who has several hundred students tells me he can only talk to a handful of them, and the rest he can only communicate with through his Korean coteacher, who translates.

I've gathered that at public school, the English classes are largely taught in Korean, which is probably why the kids learn so little. That, and the fact that they memorize everything instead of learning it. The Seoul teacher gave me this example: you can ask a kid "Where are you from?" and he will respond, "I am from Korea." But if you ask, "What city are you from?" he has no idea what you're saying.

Besides the actual teaching part, you also have to get used to the kids. I was warned by a friend who taught in Japan that Korean kids are supposed to be whiny. This is somewhat true. I think a more accurate term would be "tattletale," though, to the extreme. These kids have no honor, which I found surprising since we're in the land of honor. As it turns out, the Asian concept of honor and respect are much different than ours. For example, I was told by a public teacher in Seoul that respect in the classroom means getting there on time and wearing indoor slippers to class; not doing these things merits getting hit. However, not doing homework, talking in class, hitting other students, etc. do not merit punishment.

Regarding punishment, you might have to get used to the teachers hitting the kids. It seems like a common practice. Foreigners are not allowed to hit students, so you won't be expected to punish any kids, though.

Is there anything you wish you'd known before going to Korea?

Probably the one thing I most would have liked to know before coming was that the level of English fluency among the general population is low. I was led to believe that most people speak a little English here, but I was not told that the extent of that English is usually "please," "thank you," "hello," "goodbye," and numbers one to ten. I would have come anyway, of course, but had I known that, I would have gotten Rosetta Stone before I got here and studied more. Not being able to speak to anyone was frustrating at first, but I've both gotten used to it and learned enough to muddle through when I need to. Some people do speak English well, though, like bank tellers. My hairdresser speaks decent English, too. Children also speak English, of course, and they will approach you on the street and probably tell you you are beautiful (or handsome). Every day. It's nice.

There are benefits to not knowing much of the language, though, I must say. You don't get as annoyed with commercials if you don't know what they're saying, and you don't have to listen to annoying conversations in public. You can also get away with stuff with the "stupid foreigner" ruse, should you feel the need to get away with something.