When the final year of my undergrad degree arrived, I was totally clueless when it came to deciding which road to take. The exit sign pointed in two different directions: full-time employment or postgraduate study.
Having sat exams annually since the age of 15, I felt pretty unmotivated by a postgrad and although employment seemed like a sensible option, it wasn’t something I was ready to dive into.
So I decided that I could use a break from routine. I started looking into working abroad and discovered the magical online TEFL course which prepares and qualifies its graduates to teach English as a foreign language in schools worldwide. It was a golden ticket out of the UK, so, I began planning my getaway. By August 2011, I was at Glasgow International Airport ready for take off. At the other end, I would be landing in Land of the Morning Calm – South Korea.
Everyone thought I was crazy for wanting to go to Korea – especially by myself. It was an out-of-the box choice, but it ticked all of my boxes; I had a 12 month contract teaching in an elementary school in the city of Incheon and couldn’t wait to get started.
Upon arrival, there was a lot to take in. Everything was completely different with little familiarity. Luckily, before starting work, I attended a week-long orientation with fellow expats who would be living and working in Incheon alongside me. During this week I met a cocktail of people from the US, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Ireland and, of course, the Brits were there too. All in the same boat, miles away from home, everybody was keen to make friends so conversation flowed in every direction in various accents (some definitely had trouble understanding my Scottish brogue) and friendship circles were soon formed.
School, on the other hand, took a little longer to settle into, but eventually fell into place. Working weekdays from 8.30-16.30, I was responsible for planning and conducting lessons for pupils aged eight to 13. As I followed the national curriculum, planning was quite easy but so was the content. My pupils sailed through the chapters and I consistently needed back up activities and games at the ready. The English department I worked in was unfortunately disorganised which, at times, got a bit much.
After 10 months the offer came to renew my contract. I wasn’t 100% happy at the elementary school but also didn’t want to sacrifice the lifestyle Korea rendered. Walking around attractions in Seoul at weekends, sitting in cute coffee shops, eating weird and wonderful food, being able to afford holidays around Asia, great nights with great friends… I just wasn’t ready to leave. I requested to transfer schools and was placed in a girls’ middle school, also in Incheon.
I loved working at the middle school. I formed a good relationship with my 13 to 16-year-old pupils and wasn’t restricted to working from a textbook. I was able to get creative with the syllabus and taught lessons based on International Women’s Day, zodiac signs, rock bands, folk tales and bullying. It was refreshing not having to focus primarily on grammar skills and have the girls practice expressing themselves in English whilst discussing culture and lifestyle. I worked at the middle school for a year before returning to the UK this month.
I absolutely recommend the experience for any recent graduates seeking adventure as there’s so much more to the lifestyle than teaching English; participating in sports like football and snowboarding as well as activities such as hiking and marathoning are just a few things the expat community offers. I’m more of an indoor person so became involved with a magazine and photography and book clubs – there really is something for everyone. And the generous salary allows holidays in intriguing places – I was fortunate enough to visit Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. Of course there will be days when you just want to hide under the duvet and stuff your face with Chilli Heatwave Doritos and Dairy Milk chocolate, two home comforts which are not available in Korea, but hey, that’s part of the adventure.
On my last day, although I was sad to be going, the excitement of home took over and I could barely concentrate on anything! When my friends were helping me load suitcases into the taxi’s boot it hit me that all I had known for two years was about to become a memory. The tears just started forming and out they ran. The end came round so quickly that I hadn’t processed it thoroughly. But I know I will, at some point, see my Korea friends again – it helps that I live in an interesting country filled with kilts, cake and castles and is therefore on a lot of bucket lists.
And to clear up some misconceptions about Korea: the pupils are not as well behaved as the stereotype suggests, Koreans are not as busy as they appear and the type of dog eaten by natives is specifically bred for eating – they don’t just throw Clifford in the oven! That being said, I still didn’t fancy trying it…
