South Korea (aka "the year of slavery in asia")
So here I am, an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Changwon, Gyungnam, South Korea. My boyfriend (Ryan) and I decided to pack up our bags, say goodbye to America and venture out into the unknown abyss. Now, to those who know nothing about South Korea (like 80% of the American population) you might be thinking that I live in a stone temple and I am constantly scared to and from my commute to work because North Korea has been testing missiles. Well, let me reassure you that I am not fearing for my life on a daily basis, and I live in a well furnished apartment. Although the work environment in Korea is far different from anywhere else I have worked, I have fallen in love with these children. Not only are Asian children the cutest things in the WORLD, but they are also just as brilliant as the stereotypes make them out to be. This is probably because their parents force them to go to school for 11 hours a day, but hey who's counting?
Now before I begin, let me begin by saying that there are PLENTY of amazing jobs in Korea. You can read more about them under my link Teaching in Korea. We unfortunately got the shit end of the stick, but I would never change a second of my experience for anything.
We have learned a lot about the school systems in Korea. Prior to our arrival we went with the common misconception that private schools would ensure the most competitive salary and benefits, just as it is in America. Boy, were we wrong. Not only are hogwans (private schools) extremely corrupt and likely to exploit foreign teachers who come to Korea, but the working conditions are not what we imagined. I currently teach 39 (40 min.) classes a week. This seems normal to a rookie, right? That's less than the common 40 hour work week in America. However, what we didn't take into consideration was the additional lesson planning, lunch time, and break times. So instead of less than 40 hours a week that leaves us with 45 hours each week at our school! Oh did I also mention that of those 39 classes, 10 of them are kindergarten?! Ohhhh....kindergarten. I am not a fan of something I cannot reason with...or speak to. Our lives have just been extremely stressful and entirely busy. This year has become one of the hardest experiences of my life. It is even more nerve-racking because after arrival, we learned that this is not the case for public school jobs, or even some of the other hogwans. The amazing jobs that are offered here are after-school programs and public school positions that only require you to teach 4-5 classes a day. That means you are only at work for 20 hours a week....oh what I would give to have that schedule...ok, sorry, that's enough venting. You live and learn right?
We would definitely come back to Korea again. We would just do it differently. There is a learning curve when it comes to teaching English, and we learned quickly. My advice:
In addition to these awe-inspiring moments, Ryan and I also did numerous hiking and camping all over Korea. We have found that best way to appreciate any country you are in is to visit the local nature parks and make some delicious hot dogs over an open flame :) I can truly say that this experience has been life changing. I have learned a lot about myself and realized how resilient I am in many aspects of traveling. I hope to continue down this path for as long as my wallet allows it and see all the great places that captivate our immense planet. I am so lucky to be living my dream and explore as much as I can while I can.
We have learned a lot about the school systems in Korea. Prior to our arrival we went with the common misconception that private schools would ensure the most competitive salary and benefits, just as it is in America. Boy, were we wrong. Not only are hogwans (private schools) extremely corrupt and likely to exploit foreign teachers who come to Korea, but the working conditions are not what we imagined. I currently teach 39 (40 min.) classes a week. This seems normal to a rookie, right? That's less than the common 40 hour work week in America. However, what we didn't take into consideration was the additional lesson planning, lunch time, and break times. So instead of less than 40 hours a week that leaves us with 45 hours each week at our school! Oh did I also mention that of those 39 classes, 10 of them are kindergarten?! Ohhhh....kindergarten. I am not a fan of something I cannot reason with...or speak to. Our lives have just been extremely stressful and entirely busy. This year has become one of the hardest experiences of my life. It is even more nerve-racking because after arrival, we learned that this is not the case for public school jobs, or even some of the other hogwans. The amazing jobs that are offered here are after-school programs and public school positions that only require you to teach 4-5 classes a day. That means you are only at work for 20 hours a week....oh what I would give to have that schedule...ok, sorry, that's enough venting. You live and learn right?
We would definitely come back to Korea again. We would just do it differently. There is a learning curve when it comes to teaching English, and we learned quickly. My advice:
- Don't assume you know anything. Research, research, research. If we took the time to realize that our contract was not the best set-up, we could have had a much better experience. But we wanted to get to Korea ASAP.
- Look into groups on Facebook or other forums. There are loads of other expats who are leaving and have great recommendations, and chances are you can sign over on their contract after they leave.
- Ask people to look at your contract. Post it on the internet and get some feedback. If it seems the slightest bit sketchy, then opt out. Only when teachers begin to advocate for their right to receive good working conditions will employers change.
In addition to these awe-inspiring moments, Ryan and I also did numerous hiking and camping all over Korea. We have found that best way to appreciate any country you are in is to visit the local nature parks and make some delicious hot dogs over an open flame :) I can truly say that this experience has been life changing. I have learned a lot about myself and realized how resilient I am in many aspects of traveling. I hope to continue down this path for as long as my wallet allows it and see all the great places that captivate our immense planet. I am so lucky to be living my dream and explore as much as I can while I can.