Ny Times Article on Five Possible Ways for Korea to War
Some friends have asked me if the recent North Korean actions are changing my decision to go abroad. My initial answer was no, as we’ve seen this jockeying from Kim Jong-il before. I’m more afraid of possible successor Kim Jong-un, which is a real growing fear each day.
It’s annoying more than anything. Time will tell how this changes things.
I found a reading that may be helpful to others interested in going abroad.
Adapting to International Differences
Many people find it hard to picture themselves in international contexts. Yet statistics show us that more and more people are crossing international borders every year. Here are some guidelines to help you adapt to this kind of communication situation and develop a “third culture” perspective.
1. Prepare yourself ahead of time. Preparedness is an important aspect of successful adaptation. While still in this country, read some books, take a course, or try to meet people from your host country. Ask them what you can expect. This knowledge will give you a sense of confidence and will impress host nationals with the effort you’ve made to understand their culture.
2. When you travel abroad, expect differences in material culture. In many countries housing, transportation, sanitation, food, and medical facilities may not meet the standards you are used to. Don’t dismiss the importance of these differences, but don’t let them overwhelm you either. Know that from time to time the lack of luxury and privacy will be frustrating. Don’t take your frustration out on host nationals. Instead of complaining, see how they cope. Above all, practice patience.
3. Realize that it is naturally stressful to be cut off from familiar customs and landmarks. When you feel the stress of culture shock, take a break and relax. This may mean periods in which you withdraw a bit until you regain the equilibrium needed to explore your new environment. Give yourself occasional rest periods.
4. Make friends with host nationals and ask them to introduce you to their culture. Interpersonal contacts are an important source of information. Host nationals will usually be delighted to show you the ropes, and they can take you places you’d never have the courage to explore on your own. Your trip will be much more rewarding if you have made new friends.
5. Realize that you will make mistakes. From time to time you will violate norms of your new culture, and host nationals will undoubtedly violate some of your new norms. Laugh off these mistakes and learn from them. If reactions to your behavior suddenly seem strained, ask someone what went wrong and discuss what you should have done instead. Similarly, if a new acquaintance violates one of your customs, explain the violation in a nonjudgmental and nonthreatening way. Like other forms of communication, cross-cultural misunderstandings are best repaired by metacommunication.
6. Develop an attitude of nonjudgmental curiosity. While it is natural to see differences as “wrong,” it is generally nonproductive. When you encounter a new custom, suspend your judgment and try to find out why the custom exists and how it functions within the culture. Instead of being a critic, be an observer. And remember the old proverb, “To understand all is to forgive all.” (Trenholm & Jenson, 2008, p. 405-406)
Trenholm, S. & Jensen, A. (2008). Interpersonal Communication. New York: Oxford University Press.
I’ve known a few people that have taught English in Korea. Here is some of their advice that they were kind enough to share with me. Amanda says:
Dave’s is a good site. Another one is Serious Teachers. After you post your resume you will most likely be contacted by a recruiter, and they will do all of the work for you. They find you schools and set up interviews and once you’re hired they help you with the flight and settling in process. [You might want to wait] until August when public schools are hiring … 2.1 [million won] is a pretty average starting salary. You can sometimes get higher as a first year teacher in Seoul especially if you have a teaching degree or you are TOEFL certified. Like around 2.2 or 2.3. I wouldn’t go below 2.1 though.
Tess’ advice to me included:
I’d say about 1/2 of the hagwons are horrid, and 1/2 are totally great. It’s all about finding one with honest owners. Def try to talk to at least 1 teacher at the school, so you can get an opinion from a teacher. And whatever you do… don’t teach at Choo Choo Train English in Anyang. Ha..I’ve sent out a lot of these, so I kinda have a back-up that I copy and paste …
Here’s my go-to message:
Most schools hiring English teachers are after school programs, called Hagwons. People have really great and really bad experiences depending on their school, so it’s really worth doing the research on your school and talking to teachers there. This often depends on your boss. It’s harder to work at public schools without experience teaching/a teaching degree/knowing Korean, but it’s a better gig if you get a chance.
When i was there the average salary was between 2.1 and 2.3 million won, which was about 2,000 US a month, but with the dollar and won down, it’s worth less now. Your school pays for your rent, sometimes utilities, and they should pay for your ticket over there and the cost of your visa. You also get a bonus of one month salary at the completion of your 1-year contract. This varies depending on where you live (big city or small) and how desperate schools are, and they usually are pretty desperate.
The visa laws changed right after I got there. You now go through the screening and background stuff here, so it might be different if they pay for it. It’s hard not to get stuck in a 1-year contract. Your visa is totally dependent on your school. You can’t change schools or quit your job and still have a visa.
Korean culture is very conservative and family oriented. Older people are very traditional, and the younger population is more open. In general they are very friendly, respectful and lovely people. I met lots of good friends, and younger Koreans are really fun to party with and love meeting foreigners. I had a great experience with the culture, but not so much with my school.
I also got a TEFL certificate, which is not necessary in Korea, but will help with getting higher pay and the job you want. Most jobs work through recruiters.
It has been almost four years since I regularly updated this site. Since then, I worked as cubicle crusader, my boyfriend and I bought a place together, and I was accepted to grad school.
I am back, because I want to document the next year. I want to go to Korea. Specifically, working abroad as an English teacher. If I don’t go abroad now, life is going to continue to get in the way. This is my journey to achieve that goal.
I want to go to Busan, the largest port city in South Korea. Busan is located on the Southeastern most tip of the Korean Peninsula, and its weather ranges from hot and humid to cold and snow.
Many Koreans learn English, and other subjects, from private for-profit academies called Hagwons. Native English speakers are often hired to teach at Hagwons. The minimum requirements for such teaching positions are citizenship of USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, and a full university degree obtained in one of those countries [1]. In return for signing a contract, the institute provides an instructor with a monthly salary, round-trip airfare from his or her country of origin, a rent-free apartment or housing stipend for the duration of the instructor’s contract, and an additional one month “severance pay” at the completion of the contract [2].
[1] Hi KOREA. (2007). Foreign Language teaching (E-2). Retrieved November 17, 2009 from http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/InfoDetailR_en.pt?categoryId=2&parentId=382&catSeq=385&showMenuId=374&visaId=E2.
[2] Cerralbo, Y. (2005). The good, the bad and the hagwon. Retrieved November 21, 2009 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_cerralbo/20050530.html.
