I’ve seen a number of blogs covering their authors’ first day in a foreign country, and I have to say I didn’t really do a thorough job of it for Korea. Granted, I had arrived hot and sweaty to find it pouring rain and facing a four-hour bus ride, but who hasn’t? Rather than...
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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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I’ve been getting a little frustrated with teaching lately. Part of the reason is my students’ growing disrespect: - One boy in my blue class actually pulled out a Harry Potter book (in Korean) and started to read in the middle of a lesson. - A gold class student lied right to my face...
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Health Insurance Just like the Japanese, Koreans enjoy two types of insurance and pension plans: the national plan, which covers all citizens by default, and the employee plan, which is only available for companies that employ five or more workers. As an employee of a small hagwon (학원), I only qualify for the national...
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I take being surrounded by English speakers for granted. I imagine I’d feel completely liberated in one way if I were to return to Japan and begin my life with the Japanese people, but, in a far more accurate way, I’m slowly forgetting what it’s like to be in the language minority (never mind...
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