We live in time
We are always at rest
We are passive
We like to contemplate
We accept the world as it is
We live in peace with nature
Religion is our first love
We delight to think about the meaning of life
We believe in freedom of silence
We lapse into meditation
We marry first, then love
Our marriage is the beginning of a love affair
Our love it Mute
We try to conceal it from the world
Self-denial is a secret to our survival
We are taught from the cradle to want less and less
We glorify austerity and renunciation
Poverty is to us a badge of spiritual salvation
In the sunset years of life we renounce the world and prepare for the hereafter
The West
We live in space
We are always on the move
We are aggressive
We like to act
We try to change it according to our blueprint
Technology is our passion
We delight in physics
We believe in freedom of speech
We strive for articulation
We love first, then marry
Our marriage is the happy end of a romance
It is a contract
Our love is vocal
We delight in showing it to others
Self-assertiveness is the key to our success
We are urged every day to want more and more
We emphasize gracious living and enjoyments
Poverty is to us a sign of degradation
We retire to enjoy the fruits of our labor
Experts who have written about culture shock have identified four distinct phases that anyone going to live abroad passes through; the amount of time it takes for a person to get through each phase can vary with the individual, but in general, each phase will last longer than the preceding one. The four phases are:
Fascination: an initial period when everything is new and exciting where there are seemingly few problems since everyone is being extremely accommodating. The predominant feeling during this period is one of exhilaration at finally being abroad after a long period of anticipation.
Friendship: immediately following the initial excitement comes the stage where the need to structure a new social support system to replace the one that was left behind at home becomes very important. At this time there is an understandable, but potentially dangerous tendency to find people from the same part of the world for friendship. The problem is that relationships created at this stage could turn into a ‘we-they’ scenario.
Frustration: After enough time has elapsed to become familiar with the new surroundings, as well as to become familiar with the requirements of the new job, a stage of depression begins. The result is that hostility towards anyone in your new life becomes the prominent feeling. It seems that every situation, no matter how big or small, turns into something that becomes overly frustrating. This is the period where frustration is at a level where the entire experience is seen as a mistake.
Fulfillment:Although the previous stage is very difficult to overcome, the good news is that the next period is one where the entire experience of teaching overseas becomes fulfilling and rewarding. The understanding of the new surroundings and the people that are interacted with daily now become interesting. Compromises are made which lead to a realization that conflicts can be worked out.
As with any new experience in life, it is what you make of it.
Before you get on the flight to Korea to start your new adventure teaching English, it is a good idea to try to make sure that your first days in Korea are as pleasant as it can be. In order to do this, you want to do your best to make the flight is as enjoyable as possible and do your best to reduce your jet lag. Here are a few tips:
1) Fight jet lag: Drink a good amount of water to avoid dehydration (it enhances jet lag)
2) Avoid caffeinated of alcoholic drinks as they cause dehydration
3) Wear loose fitting clothing and bring extra tops or pants as the cabin pressure can change. It is important to remember that the weather in Korea could be very different from the weather in the country that you are leaving from.
4) Do your best to stay awake until it is bedtime in Korea: you want to try and get on the same time clock as soon as possible so as to overcome jet lag.
5) If you wear glasses, be sure to bring eye drops and remove your contacts.
There is a lot of preparation that you need to do before teaching in Korea, especially for those of you who have no teaching experience. Classroom management is often the most difficult thing to accomplish, but you will enjoy the rewards when you get the hang of it!
10 Helpful Hints for Better Classroom Management
Lesson planning is the most important factor in managing a classroom. In order for students to enjoy your class and to be stimulated, the activities in your lesson need to be age and level appropriate. If a class is planned well, keeping the students attentive and busy, there will be no time for disruptive behavior; conversely, a poorly planned class will give the students a chance to talk and will take focus away from your lesson.
Here are a few things to remember if you are looking to manage your classroom more successfully in your new English teaching job in Korea:
• Prepare, prepare, prepare: Students will have more respect for teachers when they see that they have put time and effort into preparing their lessons
• Learn (and remember!) the names of your students: You want your students to know that they are a part of the class. You also do not want anyone to feel left out
• Keep the interest of all of your students: It is important to be sure that each student is in some way involved with your lesson so that no students feel bored. This is also important so that you do not give them a chance to talk or fool around with their friends
• Never leave the class unattended: This will result in losing the children’s focus which will take valuable classroom time to get back. Try your very best to always come to class fully prepared so that you do not have to leave during class time
• Change up your teaching approach and activities: Make sure to keep your lessons new and fresh in order to keep the students’ interest. This will result in better comprehension of the lesson
• Lay down the law: Make sure your students fully understand the consequences of bad behavior. It is extremely important to follow through with the punishment that you have promised as this will act as a deterrent for the other students
• Always face the classroom: It is crucial that the students know you are aware of everything going on in the class. Kids will often have a short attention span, so be sure that they know you are paying attention to their behavior
• Make seating plans and change if necessary: Pretty much every kid in the class will want to sit with their friends, so let them. What is important is that they know that this is a privilege and it will be taken away if they are disruptive. If students are acting up in class, do not be afraid to change the seating arrangement; this will not make them happy, but it will make them respect the rules and improve their behaviour if they are given the chance to sit with their friends again.
• Use positive reinforcement: Make sure to always reward correct answers and good behavior as it will increase further participation from your students
• Smile smile smile! This might sound simple, but a smile goes a long way in the classroom as it does in life
The advice below is for both females as well as males. It might be obvious to say, but females will naturally have more to pack.
Below are some suggestions for what you should consider bringing with you when going overseas to Korea to teach English.
Here is a quick list of what to bring:
1) Something to remind you of home: You might get a little bit homesick, especially when you first arrive in Korea, so it is good to bring some reminders from home. This might be in the form of pictures or keepsakes that remind you of family and friends.
2) A present for your new Korean boss: While this is not something that is expected, it is always a nice gesture that will start off the relationship on the right foot.
3) Deodorant: This is often really hard to find in Korea (or expensive if you do find it), as mostly all Korean men and women do not use deordorant. The reason for this is that Koreans lack the gland that causes body odor.
4) Shaving cream and razors: Again, hard to find and expensive if you are able to find these items. Korean men do not grow much hair on their face as men from western countries do, so these are not very popular items.
5) Your own towel: Korean towels are usually less than half of the size of towels that are used in western countries, as Koreans usually them once or twice, then throw them in the wash. If you do not think that you can get used to using these ‘mini’ towels, you may want to bring your own.
6) Your own pillow: Korean pillows tend to be hard and are usually small in size. If you’re used to a comfy down-filled pillow, you may want to bring your own.
7) Medication: If you require certain medication, you may want to stock up before you go. Medicine in Korea is very cheap, so if you can find out if pharmacies in Korea carry your medication, it might be best to buy it there.
8) Work clothes: When you are teaching English, you want to look professional, but you don’t want to wear your best clothes, as kids tend to be a little dirty, and will most likely get their hands on you. It is good to bring enough work clothes to last you for a week or so, and to rotate your wardrobe. You will not have the room in your backpack to bring more than this, and it is important to remember that you will want to travel light, especially if you plan to travel after your contract in Korea is finished.
9) Clothes for each season: Korea has four seasons, so you need to bring clothes to account for each of these seasons. It is possible to find larger sizes for clothes in Korea, but you can’t really rely on the styles that you will find, especially if you are in a smaller city.
Keep in mind that even if you forget some items from home, you might be able to find them in Korea, or failing that, you can always have them sent to you.
When you first start your teaching job in Korea, you will need to learn the basics to understand what it takes to teach ESL abroad. However, once you are familiar with the curriculum and the level of understanding of your students, you can incorporate different teaching methods in your class, including the use of music.
Music is a great way for the students to get involved, have fun, and most importantly, learn. Take a look at a the technique in this video to see how using songs in your ESL classroom can spice things up:
Below are a few tips on how to prepare yourself for your first day of teaching ESL in Korea:
•Dress professionally. You want to make the best first impression that you possibly can with your new students. This is so important as your first impression will last with them and will dictate how they will behave in your class. If you look professional, you will get much more respect than if you look too casual
•Get to school early. As with any new job, you want to get off to a good start with your new boss. Since you will be new to Korea, you want to not only impress your boss on your first teaching day, but also your new co-workers as well as the students. This doesn’t mean that you need to be early everyday, but your first day is important
•Introduce yourself to the teaching staff. If you have not met your co-teachers that you will be working with, make sure you introduce yourself to get your relationship with them off to the right start.
•Be a teacher, not a friend. While you want to be seen as a nice, friendly teacher, you do not want to be friends with your students. Sometimes if a teacher is too nice in class, the students will see this as a weakness that they can take advantage of. Be sure to be nice, but make sure the students know who is in charge
•Speak slow, loud and clearly. When you first start teaching ESL, you need to get used to the fact that your students will speak English at a much lower level than you are used to. In addition to this, the levels of each individual student in your classes will range. Until you know what level of understanding the students are at, start off slow until you know what they are capable of understanding
•Introduce yourself and interesting things about you. This will allow your students to get to know you a bit better, which will also create interest in you. Allow the students to ask questions, as this will force them to speak English because of their curiosity
•Have the students introduce themselves. This will allow them to use their English so that you can see their ability and will enable you to get to know them a little bit better.
• Learn their names. Luckily, when you are teaching English in Korea, you only have to learn the English names of your students and not their Korean names. This is still a difficult task, but with effort and time, you should be able to learn who is who in your classes. This really goes a long way with students, as they feel more important when the teacher is able to call them out by name
Before you take off for your year teaching English in Korea, make sure that you don’t forget to take a few important items with you on the plane, as it could mean the difference between an enjoyable journey and a terrible one. Thanks to WatchMojo.com and Layla for this video:
Thanks to Charlie Sposato for his great video. Whether you are teaching in Korea, the US or in a classroom anywhere in the world, the same rules for apply for how to best deal with students in the classroom while you are teaching.
Take a look at this video where Charlie discusses ‘Do-nows’, ‘Aims’, and ‘Being strict’:
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The advice below is for both females as well as males. It might be obvious to say, but females will naturally have more to pack.