And so, just like that, it's over. Two months remain before I head back to Ireland, but I've taught my last class in Sangju Elementary School. I came into work this morning, having planned my lessons for the day. Two hours after coming in, I was told that all lessons were off, the semester was closing, and we could go home after a brief teacher's meeting at noon. Still thinking I had to 'desk-warm' next week, the principal wished me a 'happy vacation' and bade me farewell. Holy Shit! No work until the 9th of January, when I start my two-week Winter Camp at English Town. And after that? Nothing, probably. I might get called in for a few days around the students' graduation ceremony in February, but whatever happens, I'm at leisure for the next ten days.
It would have been nice to know this in advance; I could have booked a few days abroad. However, with flights home looking ominously expensive, maybe it's best to save a few quid for my Grand Tour of Europe. I can also work full-time on the novel, and make sure it's well and truly completed by the time I come home. It's a little bit of a poignant departure; I can't really remember how I felt on my first day in Sangju Elementary. Wide-eyed, taking it all in; enjoying the near-hysterical attention from the kids and polite greetings from teachers... Part of me being hugely confused and wondering how the fuck I was going to manage this job.
Like any job, it became a routine, and once I found out where to get decent resources and how to effectively manage the curriculum, I settled into it. 21 months, 17 co-teachers, roughly 700 students, hundreds of weird CD-ROM dialogues, songs, role-play activities and Power Point games later, I'm done. I was looking forward to finishing up, because it's been a hectic few months since late August, with extra classes all semester. I've had no real break, aside from two days for Chuseok in September. I've been a little stressed out over the last couple of days, and now it feels like a weight has been lifted. Time to recharge the batteries.
Its not the time to wax nostalgic, as most of what I've enjoyed in Korea has occurred outside of the 영어실, and outside of the countless hours mindlessly browsing the web in my office, but I will have fond memories of the school. It's been a relatively easy ride, and my first year was particularly special, with 'Patrick' and his mates looking after me, making sure I was getting involved in things, and welcome to join in the general 'mischief' outside of school hours. Some of the students have been great, and I've had a good rapport with them, in general.
But that's that. The kids will be someone else's responsibility next year. Another foreigner will be in my seat, probably wondering what kind of irresponsible slob had 'Championship Manager' and 'Sonic 3' installed on the work computer.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Foreign English teachers: 네 or 아니요?
There's been some talk recently about Korea reducing the numbers of foreign teachers in their public school system, and questions arising about the actual effectiveness of the English teaching policy here. With more and more teachers brought in to fill vacancies in rural schools, the hiring criteria for Native English Teachers is certainly less stringent than in Europe, South America, or even other Asian countries like Japan and Vietnam, where relevant experience and further teaching certifications are required. People get accepted without any experience - a degree in any discipline being the minimum requirement. Some teachers in the TALK programme, for example, are hired as part of 'work experience' for mid-college gap years.
Thus, the job attracts all sorts. Most teachers are able to get a handle on their duties, and on basic Korean language and cultural idiosyncrasies, and they adapt accordingly. Some turn into 'Super-Waegooks' - they learn the language near-fluently, completely immerse, find a Korean significant other, and stay in Korea for years and years. Some people decide after a few weeks that teaching in Korea is not for them, and just go through the motions and bitch about the place until it's time to go home. Then there's a melange of personalities in between. Like in any large community, you get the minorities of piss-heads, spoiled brats, recluses, religious nuts, party animals, manic depressives, moaners, sociopaths, and sometimes a combination of all the above - even if the vast majority of NETs are just normal people trying to make an honest living, while having a new and interesting experience.
There's a similar mix in terms of teaching ability; some won't be cut out for it. Some will be amazingly gifted, passionate teachers, and in a position to really make a difference to their students. Some people land in jobs with limited responsibility, where they're never given a chance to develop any teaching skills, and are working as glorified babysitters or tape-recorders. And some are simply terrible, and only here because they're doing nothing else.
In retrospect, I was pretty awful starting out (as I was in my early Spain days), but I'd like to think I've improved and got to grips with things. I'm outgoing in class, I explain things simply, I speak slowly and try to make things as clear as possible, while giving students every chance to speak and practice for themselves. I try to interact with the kids outside of class, and the kids tend to enjoy my activities. I do tend to over-use PowerPoint games, but with an average of 28-30 kids in each class, with very little space to move tables, my options are limited. Even dice and flashcard games tend to end in chaos, while print-out or project-based activities are simply impractical, given that I generally teach 120-150 different kids in any given day. So I have to work and make the best of my situation, like most teachers here. You try to make a difference in what little way you can, and hope that some of the proverbial shit will stick to the wall.
Given these difficulties, are Native English Teachers really worth the investment to the Korean public education system? Given the vast numbers involved, it may appear to be a slightly dysfunctional policy. I've met people here that I wouldn't trust to boil an egg without burning their apartment down, let alone be an English educator, but they are in the vast minority. Most of the people I've met, particularly from the EPIK programme, are genuinely decent, well-behaved, intelligent and well-travelled folk, and it's a pleasure to meet such people. I don't see how exposing Korean children to educated English-speakers could be anything but beneficial.
However, for all our 'cultural ambassadorship', are we actually making a difference to the general proficiency of English in Korea, for our 18,000 euros a year? Could our job be done just as effectively by Korean teachers? That's the big question in Korea at the moment, and there are valid arguments on both sides. The best case scenario for Korea is a higher level of fluency among Korean teachers, but at the moment, that's something of a pipe-dream, as many designated KETs lack basic pronunciation and syntax skills, having limited experience of interacting with Native English speakers at home or abroad. If they're passing Konglish habits (change-ee, nice-uh, page-ee, hwighting) to kids, it simply becomes a self-perpetuating linguistic basket-case. Without NETs, kids aren't going to learn a lot of basic pronunciation or sentence structure, let alone the more advanced subtleties within the English language.
It's a fair point that, given the difficulty of translating between Korean and English, most kids will grow up without any real handle on English. Most kids lose interest over time, as the curriculum gets more complex. Most kids simply don't have the kind of linguistic intelligence to deal with it - similar to how I could never saw or chisel in a straight line in secondary school Woodwork class, no matter how I tried. Some kids have a certain kind of intelligence, some don't. That's life. I would see our most valuable assets in terms of enabling the gifted kids to polish their raw ability and reach their potential, while making sure that, at least, the average kid learns some basic vocabulary and useful expressions. It's not much, but there are plenty of people out there who get paid fortunes for far less, and for far less ethical practices.
Some of the criticism of NETs is based on xenophobia, and an inherent fear of diluting Korea's preciously homogeneous society with Western arrogance, excess and perversions. However, despite our sporadic propensity for letting loose and making retards of ourselves in the odd Korean bar, it's not like we - as a tiny ethnic group within Korean society - are causing the kind of socio-economic issues that immigration has caused in other developed societies. The 'foreigners don't respect Korean society or culture' argument from Korean nationalist types is a well-worn, emotive, over-generalized, over-simplified and, let's face it, pretty moronic and borderline racist line of argument.
Of course, there could be a more rigorous screening process, with a higher standard of qualifications required - but let's face it, a fully qualified teacher in Ireland, with a H.Dip and experience of teaching in Ireland, isn't going to take a salary cut of 20,000 euros a year to travel 6,000 miles from home and teach in a rural town. Even a Native English teacher with some experience, and a TEFL/CELTA course, has the option of teaching in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, the Middle East, South America, or even Continental Europe, if they dig deep enough. Even from a jingoistic Korean point of view, it would make no sense for Korea to throw out their Native English Teachers, just to provide a 'brain drain' for direct economic rivals.
Having English teachers who can't communicate with the students in their first language, or put things in context in that language, is undoubtedly not the most efficient way of engendering widespread fluency in a second language. However, it's preferable to the alternative, of possibly cultivating a bastardized, indecipherable mutation of English, or breeding a generation of students who lack the confidence to speak to foreigners. It's not a perfect system, but in the short-to-medium term, it'll have to do - at least until Korea can meet the difficult task of appointing fluent Korean-English teachers to every school in the country.
Thus, the job attracts all sorts. Most teachers are able to get a handle on their duties, and on basic Korean language and cultural idiosyncrasies, and they adapt accordingly. Some turn into 'Super-Waegooks' - they learn the language near-fluently, completely immerse, find a Korean significant other, and stay in Korea for years and years. Some people decide after a few weeks that teaching in Korea is not for them, and just go through the motions and bitch about the place until it's time to go home. Then there's a melange of personalities in between. Like in any large community, you get the minorities of piss-heads, spoiled brats, recluses, religious nuts, party animals, manic depressives, moaners, sociopaths, and sometimes a combination of all the above - even if the vast majority of NETs are just normal people trying to make an honest living, while having a new and interesting experience.
There's a similar mix in terms of teaching ability; some won't be cut out for it. Some will be amazingly gifted, passionate teachers, and in a position to really make a difference to their students. Some people land in jobs with limited responsibility, where they're never given a chance to develop any teaching skills, and are working as glorified babysitters or tape-recorders. And some are simply terrible, and only here because they're doing nothing else.
In retrospect, I was pretty awful starting out (as I was in my early Spain days), but I'd like to think I've improved and got to grips with things. I'm outgoing in class, I explain things simply, I speak slowly and try to make things as clear as possible, while giving students every chance to speak and practice for themselves. I try to interact with the kids outside of class, and the kids tend to enjoy my activities. I do tend to over-use PowerPoint games, but with an average of 28-30 kids in each class, with very little space to move tables, my options are limited. Even dice and flashcard games tend to end in chaos, while print-out or project-based activities are simply impractical, given that I generally teach 120-150 different kids in any given day. So I have to work and make the best of my situation, like most teachers here. You try to make a difference in what little way you can, and hope that some of the proverbial shit will stick to the wall.
Given these difficulties, are Native English Teachers really worth the investment to the Korean public education system? Given the vast numbers involved, it may appear to be a slightly dysfunctional policy. I've met people here that I wouldn't trust to boil an egg without burning their apartment down, let alone be an English educator, but they are in the vast minority. Most of the people I've met, particularly from the EPIK programme, are genuinely decent, well-behaved, intelligent and well-travelled folk, and it's a pleasure to meet such people. I don't see how exposing Korean children to educated English-speakers could be anything but beneficial.
However, for all our 'cultural ambassadorship', are we actually making a difference to the general proficiency of English in Korea, for our 18,000 euros a year? Could our job be done just as effectively by Korean teachers? That's the big question in Korea at the moment, and there are valid arguments on both sides. The best case scenario for Korea is a higher level of fluency among Korean teachers, but at the moment, that's something of a pipe-dream, as many designated KETs lack basic pronunciation and syntax skills, having limited experience of interacting with Native English speakers at home or abroad. If they're passing Konglish habits (change-ee, nice-uh, page-ee, hwighting) to kids, it simply becomes a self-perpetuating linguistic basket-case. Without NETs, kids aren't going to learn a lot of basic pronunciation or sentence structure, let alone the more advanced subtleties within the English language.
It's a fair point that, given the difficulty of translating between Korean and English, most kids will grow up without any real handle on English. Most kids lose interest over time, as the curriculum gets more complex. Most kids simply don't have the kind of linguistic intelligence to deal with it - similar to how I could never saw or chisel in a straight line in secondary school Woodwork class, no matter how I tried. Some kids have a certain kind of intelligence, some don't. That's life. I would see our most valuable assets in terms of enabling the gifted kids to polish their raw ability and reach their potential, while making sure that, at least, the average kid learns some basic vocabulary and useful expressions. It's not much, but there are plenty of people out there who get paid fortunes for far less, and for far less ethical practices.
Some of the criticism of NETs is based on xenophobia, and an inherent fear of diluting Korea's preciously homogeneous society with Western arrogance, excess and perversions. However, despite our sporadic propensity for letting loose and making retards of ourselves in the odd Korean bar, it's not like we - as a tiny ethnic group within Korean society - are causing the kind of socio-economic issues that immigration has caused in other developed societies. The 'foreigners don't respect Korean society or culture' argument from Korean nationalist types is a well-worn, emotive, over-generalized, over-simplified and, let's face it, pretty moronic and borderline racist line of argument.
Of course, there could be a more rigorous screening process, with a higher standard of qualifications required - but let's face it, a fully qualified teacher in Ireland, with a H.Dip and experience of teaching in Ireland, isn't going to take a salary cut of 20,000 euros a year to travel 6,000 miles from home and teach in a rural town. Even a Native English teacher with some experience, and a TEFL/CELTA course, has the option of teaching in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, the Middle East, South America, or even Continental Europe, if they dig deep enough. Even from a jingoistic Korean point of view, it would make no sense for Korea to throw out their Native English Teachers, just to provide a 'brain drain' for direct economic rivals.
Having English teachers who can't communicate with the students in their first language, or put things in context in that language, is undoubtedly not the most efficient way of engendering widespread fluency in a second language. However, it's preferable to the alternative, of possibly cultivating a bastardized, indecipherable mutation of English, or breeding a generation of students who lack the confidence to speak to foreigners. It's not a perfect system, but in the short-to-medium term, it'll have to do - at least until Korea can meet the difficult task of appointing fluent Korean-English teachers to every school in the country.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Dad's visit/Back to the grind
So, that's the end of my summer vacation. Work resumes from tomorrow until my winter vacation in February, with only a smattering of public holidays for a break. Can't believe how quickly the two weeks have gone; Dad has been here for the duration, and we've taken in Seoul, Gangneung, Hwanseong caves, Busan, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Daegu on our travels, along with a boozy succession of nights in Sangju with my fellow waegooks.
It's been interesting having Dad around; I'm not sure what his expectations were before coming, and I've no idea whether or not the trip has lived up any pre-conceived ideas, but it's certainly a different experience for him. He's more used to 'resort' holidays, rather than slumming it in dodgy motels in between long-haul bus/train journeys and bouts of heavy hill-walking. Korea isn't exactly a 'tourist' country; most of its foreign visitors are either English Teachers or US Marines, so they don't have too many resorts or Western-style 'tourist' amenities. Although Korea's inter-city transport system is very reliable and comprehensive, it's much more difficult to get to the areas of real natural beauty; such journeys involve entire days of bus and train-hopping, trying to decipher the all-Hangeul schedules at some of the more 'rustic' stations.
I've also had a few hungover/run-down days when I wouldn't have been the most buoyant of travel companions, but I'd like to think he's enjoyed the trip. He hasn't been complaining too vociferously though, which is a good sign! I've seen a few places that I really wanted to see - such as Nagasaki and the Hwanseonggul caves - and I've had a good quota of pintage with Dad and the Sangju lads, so it's been a good two weeks overall. I've slipped behind on the marathon training, after being well on track before the vacation; so I'll have to get cracking again this week. A diet of booze and burgers (Dad didn't take kindly to Korean grub) is not quite appropriate for an aspiring runner!
Dad returns to Ireland on Wednesday morning, and I return to Sangju Elementary tomorrow. Back to the office. Thankfully, no Citizen's Classes until October, so no long Mondays for a while. The weather is still quite hot, but the first signs of relative moderation are beginning to appear - yesterday was very cool, and today's sunshine was bright and breezy. Barbecues will surely be on the weekend agenda during the autumn!
I'm desk-warming for the next week, as classes don't begin until next Monday. I'm pretty much at liberty to show up whenever I please, as long as I show a face at some stage of the day. Contractually, I'm obliged to sit at my desk from 8:40 to 4:40, but thankfully, I think my school realises the pointlessness of the exercise. It effectively gives me another week of long lie-ins, lazy days and late nights. Hurrah!
It's been interesting having Dad around; I'm not sure what his expectations were before coming, and I've no idea whether or not the trip has lived up any pre-conceived ideas, but it's certainly a different experience for him. He's more used to 'resort' holidays, rather than slumming it in dodgy motels in between long-haul bus/train journeys and bouts of heavy hill-walking. Korea isn't exactly a 'tourist' country; most of its foreign visitors are either English Teachers or US Marines, so they don't have too many resorts or Western-style 'tourist' amenities. Although Korea's inter-city transport system is very reliable and comprehensive, it's much more difficult to get to the areas of real natural beauty; such journeys involve entire days of bus and train-hopping, trying to decipher the all-Hangeul schedules at some of the more 'rustic' stations.
I've also had a few hungover/run-down days when I wouldn't have been the most buoyant of travel companions, but I'd like to think he's enjoyed the trip. He hasn't been complaining too vociferously though, which is a good sign! I've seen a few places that I really wanted to see - such as Nagasaki and the Hwanseonggul caves - and I've had a good quota of pintage with Dad and the Sangju lads, so it's been a good two weeks overall. I've slipped behind on the marathon training, after being well on track before the vacation; so I'll have to get cracking again this week. A diet of booze and burgers (Dad didn't take kindly to Korean grub) is not quite appropriate for an aspiring runner!
Dad returns to Ireland on Wednesday morning, and I return to Sangju Elementary tomorrow. Back to the office. Thankfully, no Citizen's Classes until October, so no long Mondays for a while. The weather is still quite hot, but the first signs of relative moderation are beginning to appear - yesterday was very cool, and today's sunshine was bright and breezy. Barbecues will surely be on the weekend agenda during the autumn!
I'm desk-warming for the next week, as classes don't begin until next Monday. I'm pretty much at liberty to show up whenever I please, as long as I show a face at some stage of the day. Contractually, I'm obliged to sit at my desk from 8:40 to 4:40, but thankfully, I think my school realises the pointlessness of the exercise. It effectively gives me another week of long lie-ins, lazy days and late nights. Hurrah!
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