This is the first time I’ve seen anything like corporal punishment in Korea. I witnessed my old boss grab students by the ears, but generally this was done without malice and only if students had really been misbehaving, e.g. hitting others, making others cry with insults. Nevertheless, my current employer is taking things to...
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So, a little background. I’ve taught in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Most of my experience with non-native speakers has been in east Asia, where standards are low, pay is high, and the majority of expats sure to be English teachers. All well and good. South America is a completely different...
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It’s not the same as it was before, when I had to return to Dallas with my head hung low, lacking any job prospects and feeling pretty miserable about myself and the direction my life was headed. Such was the state I was in when I decided to apply to schools in South Korea....
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Disclaimer: Based on initial impressions, I realized I really should have been much more specific when referring to “expats”. In this scenario, I’m certainly not referring to the zainichi and those with Japanese citizenship, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t considering foreigners with permanent residency. In any case, this is...
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Four years ago I was doing pretty much the same thing I am now: staring at my computer screen and contemplating life abroad. The difference is, I was fresh from wrist surgery at Imakiire Hospital in Kagoshima, having shattered my distal radius in December 2007. How could I possibly feel nostalgic for such a...
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I had one of the most depressing and culturally insightful classes with some of my higher-level students this week. Unlike in some hagwon, where foreign teachers are not allowed their say when it come to class format and textbooks, my boss really values my input; I have had total creative control of the gold...
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Having just completed one year in Korea, I thought I’d give prospective expats an idea of how much one can pocket and live on in a year here. You hear stories all the time about how Korea is the country to go teach EFL if you want to make money, but has anyone actually...
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Some of the business practices I’ve seen my hagwon doing, and why I believe Korea has more of a relationship-based culture vs. a legal one.
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Greetings from Korea. I’m still trying to integrate Google+ into my blog (and deciding if I really want to do it). If you’d like to add me, go right ahead. In the meantime, with my videos from the Boryeong Mud Festival still in the buffer, I thought I’d discuss something that’s been going on...
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I throw my opinion into the ongoing debate for incoming English teachers: public schools or privates (hagwons)? Most of the time, it’s a no-brainer: public schools for better vacations, stability, and sick days. But there are some reasons why you might want to risk a hagwon.
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