News from our grads
Emily in South Korea
1. How/Why did you first think of doing a TESOL course and going overseas?
I chose to do a TESOL course because I was going to live in Colombia and wanted to have a job while there.
2. Why did you choose Teach International?
I chose Teach International because when I attended an information night it was very obvious that the instructors have a lot of experience and are really passionate about teaching. There was a very infectious buzz that made me excited, not only for going overseas, but also for a different career.
3. How did the course help you prepare for the journey ahead?
The course gave me many great ideas that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. In particular, when walking into classes with children that speak absolutely no English I find that I use a lot of the tips that I received. It also made the whole idea a lot less daunting and provided a lot of useful resources.
4. Where are you teaching, how long have you been there and how did you get the job?
I’m teaching in a private English academy in Changwon, South Korea. We have students from kindergarten age up to high school. I got the job through searching the internet and finding an academy that suited me. It’s a large organisation and I was looking for security and professionalism for my first whole year contract.
5. What do you enjoy most about
living there?
I enjoy the day to day interactions of living in a different country. It’s all the little things, speaking in broken Korean/English with a taxi driver, watching the grandmothers making kimchi, the incredible hospitality that is often shown…and of course, singing bad 80’s songs in a noraebang (karaoke room) with my friends.
6. What do you find challenging about living there?
In terms of teaching, at times it is frustrating because many of the students are forced to be learning English rather than actually wanting to, which means that they can be disinterested and disruptive. In terms of living in Korea, sometimes it can be a confusing culture and can seem a little backward, but there are many reasons for that and it’s interesting seeing how far this country has come in a very short time.
7. Do you have any funny stories?
I attended the wedding of one of my Korean co-workers and it is custom for all the guests to have a group photo with the Bride and Groom. As I was participating in this the photographer who didn’t speak any English decided that I had to be the one to participate in the staged catching of the bouquet photo….I guess as the only redhead I must have stood out. He proceeded to bark orders at me and I had to do several takes as a room of people watched me catch the bouquet several times and my face colour increasingly matched the colour of my hair.
8. What advice would you give to someone planning on teaching there?
Get out there and do it. The benefits are enormous and living in another country is very different to travelling through it. I’ve now made life long friends both with Koreans and other foreigners. Previous to this job I had been focussing on my ‘career’, but dreaming of when I would travel again. Now I don’t really feel like I am going to work at all and life changes every day. Sometimes I forget I am overseas, and then I will walk past some teens who will yell out ‘Hello, I love you!’ and I realise that I am actually overseas and doing what I’ve always dreamed of.
I would also say that if you come to this part of China, it is useful to try and learn some of the language.
9. What are your future plans? Will you keep teaching and travelling?
Definitely, I’m about to finish up my contract here and then myself and a Canadian I met here are planning on travelling through India, Nepal and SE Asia for as long as our money will take us. After that I envisage returning to Korea or somewhere else and teaching at least for another year.
Emily Hardwick - Teach
International Graduate
