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| Danielle Henderson |
By Danielle Henderson
I chose to live and teach in Korea because I heard that it is a safe and clean country in which to live. After being here for nearly one year, I must agree with the people who told me this information. I feel safe not only in the classroom, but also walking home alone at night after making a trip to the supermarket.
I think that it is natural to experience difficulties, especially in terms of cultural differences while living in a foreign country. In the beginning, I was so embarrassed by my inability to speak Korean. I did not know how to say thank you or the magic word please! My decision to teach in Korea was, however, rather last minute, which made it difficult to learn Korean prior to my arrival.
Even if you are an English teacher, having knowledge of Korean can not only help you when out and about, but it will also impress your students and your school’s staff, thus gaining their respect. I wish I had at least a weekend crash course in the Korean language. I was only given a few travel brochures and tourist maps of Seoul and Cheongju, which were of little help to me since I live in neither of those locations.
In regards to schedule changes and exam dates, it appears that the last people to be informed are the native English teachers, in my case anyways. For example, I would go to class and, either it would be empty, or my students would have a confused look on their face. I would then return to my desk in the office and my co-teachers would find me and inform me that the schedule had changed. There was another time when I arrived to school only to be told to go home because the students had an exam and that my classes were cancelled. I soon realized that things are done differently here. So I had to adapt and expect that my schedule may change at any moment.
Tips for future EPIK teachers: get to know your students, ask them questions and do your research. For example, find out what music groups or singers are popular. I did just that. When I told my students that I enjoyed listening to Big Bang and the Wonder Girls, not only were they impressed that I knew of these groups, but they were proud that I took an interest in Korean music. Finding a commonality can also open many doors with regards to mutual understanding.
Danielle Henderson is from Canada and has worked at schools in North Chungcheong Province with her master's degree in early childhood education. She can be reached at danielle_mj_henderson@hotmail.com
[출처 : 코리아타임스]
