Last week I began sharing about my experience teaching English in a summer program in South Korea in 2006. The school was located near Seoul. I traveled there with some other American teachers. While we enjoyed working with our students, working with the administration had its challenges.
One of the positive things for me at the school was their technology. I was teaching in a private school at that time, and our technology was not at a very high level. We basically had a computer to work with in our room for grading and creating classroom material, but that was about as far as it went.
By contrast the classrooms we were using had much of the latest technology available. We could create material on our computers and then project them onto a screen for the class to see. We could tap into movies and show them to the class. While my school now has all of this capability and more, it was a surprise to me in 2006 and an eyeopener as to the level of technology that the Koreans had. Since Samsung is the largest company in Korea, I guess I should not have been surprised at their technology.
As teachers we faced other differences in the classroom as well. In fact all of us teachers struggled to some extent with the difference in the educational values and perceptions between the US and Korea. Korean students work towards one thing, and that is a final test upon graduating from high school. How well they do on that test determines their future. Those who do well go to the best Korean Universities and are looking at a great future. Those who do not do as well go to lesser schools or come to the US, if they can afford it, to attend university here.
As a result Koreans focus on learning facts and information. As American teachers we were working with our students to help them comprehend and analyze the English material we were reading together. It turns out the parents were asking about the number of new English words their students were learning. In fact during the final week the administration gave the students a long list of vocabulary words. They tested them over the words the next day despite our protests. This was so they could inform parents as to how many words their student knew out of the list.
We also discovered that there were reports going home to parents. However, it was our college helpers writing these reports with no input from us. While we did fill out some evaluation forms for students, apparently those were ignored. We had no idea what they were telling parents. It seemed that the leadership was concerned more about the perception of the school rather than the reality. At least some of those in leadership did, and that was part of the problem. We were often confused as to who was in charge and making decisions. Overall it seemed that people were working at cross purposes with each other, and it was frustrating and discouraging. Because of our frustrations they designated a couple of the teachers to represent us in discussion when we had complaints. It helped some.
I believe a local newspaper sponsored this particular English program. It was the first year for the program. I think it may have been the last. At least as a school in the US, we were never approached again about providing teachers for this program.
While the teaching aspect of my journey may not have been the best, it was still a great opportunity to see and learn about this fascinating country. Because of American involvement in the Korean War, South Korea continues to be of significance for us today. I really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and see as much as I could.
Our school was not in the downtown Seoul area. There was a small village nearby that we could walk to. From there we could take a bus to a larger town which some of us did once. We checked out the town and had a meal at a local restaurant. We explored the area and discovered a bit more about Korean life.
From that town there was a train that ran into downtown Seoul. It was fast and convenient so we took it a couple of times to go into the city. One of the challenges for me while in Korea was the language. I had spent quite a bit of time in a Spanish speaking country and was used to being able to see words and perhaps guess what their meaning was. Korean characters were a total mystery to me, and I felt somewhat lost and more anxious being there as a result of that. It also seemed there were less people who spoke English there so I didn’t feel comfortable traveling on my own as I had in the past. I always went with someone else; not that any of them knew Korean.
The program did provide us with another experience taking us to the Gyeongbokgung Palace. This is a significant location for Koreans. Built in 1395, it was the main palace for the Joseon Dynasty. It is a large grounds, and the details of the buildings are amazing. There are also traditional guards present, and they do a changing of the guard ceremony. We also enjoyed a group of young drummers during our visit.
Some unique rock carvings also caught my attention. These were located near the Korean Folk Museum which was on the palace grounds. Apparently these statues come from Jeju Island off of the south coast. They are thought to be gods, perhaps fertility gods or protectors.
My roommate Dave and I went to Seoul alone the next weekend. One of our stops was N Seoul Tower which one can see from around Seoul. This is of course a modern structure, and we could go up to the top and look around at the city. Sadly the city was pretty foggy/smoggy so visibility wasn’t that great. However, one of the fun points was the bathroom. It was surrounded with windows which is of course not typical of must public restrooms.
We also visited an area that demonstrated life for the common Korean. We could see elements of their home and life. During our visit we stumbled across what looked to be a photographer taking pictures of a wedding party which was fun. I particularly liked the nearby, quiet pond, a place of solitude in a busy city.
Another location we visited was known as Insadong. This is a great shopping area. I bought some celadon pottery, a typical Korea pottery known for its green color. There was also a Starbucks there which added some familiarity.
On our final weekend in Seoul, after we finished our classes, we went to The War Memorial of Korea. Dave’s dad served in the Korean War so he wanted to go see the memorial. It was a large Memorial. There was a museum which had various displays including some large dioramas that represented activities during the war. Airplanes hung from the ceiling in another part of the museum.
Around the outside a lot of the military equipment used during the war was on display. I enjoyed seeing the various types of vehicles. There were also a number of statues around. One is the Peace Clock which gives the present time and the time the war broke apart the country. Another significant one represents two brothers in military garb embracing. This was to indicate the desires for reunification of the two Koreas. Unfortunately, that wish still seems a long way off.
After our day visiting The War Memorial of Korea, it was time to return to the United States. Despite some of the frustrations I had experienced, being in South Korea had been a good experience. I think Americans in general struggle more with understanding Asian cultures than European cultures so I was glad for this opportunity, but I was also glad to return home.
Have you visited a region where non European letters are used? How did you cope with the language there? I’d love to have you share your experiences in the comment box below.
To my American friends, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.