You graduated from LTS in 2022 and are now teaching your 2nd year in Korea! Can you tell us more about your decision to teach there and how you got there?
I hadn’t planned to become a teacher during my time in LTS. My hope when I entered the program was to prepare myself for a career in the language field outside of classroom teaching. While job-hunting near the end of the LTS program, I concluded teaching was an invaluable experience that would make me better equipped for any future language career. I also realized I had some internalized biases about English teachers abroad and thought the best way to confront those biases was to become one myself. My initial reaction was, I can’t just move to another country, that’s wild. My sister’s reaction was, Why not? She was right, I was at a pretty good transition point; I had no job, no kids, no partner, no pets, no house, and generally nothing keeping me from selling most of my belongings and moving across the world. Except my family, who did their best to support me, and my extensive collection of houseplants, which were left in the care of said family. It was time for a life adventure.
I met some Korean friends while studying abroad in France back in 2018, and because of them I’ve had a growing interest in Korean language and culture. I had a feeling South Korea would be a good fit, and it seemed they offered good support for English teachers. I convinced my sister (who had more things to leave, but who always loves a good adventure) to apply with me, and we both got hired after an extensive application and interview process. We chose to go through the national public school system, EPIK (English Program In Korea), and used a recruiting agency, Korvia, to help us keep our documents in order. Our applications were submitted in September, 2022, we were hired in December, and we moved to Korea in February, 2023.
What are you enjoying most about living in Korea?
My students! Many of them live close to me so I see them when I’m out and about. I have loved getting to know them and watching them grow. They show me all the best snack shops and teach me all the new Korean slang. I really got lucky with the school where I was placed. I love the students, the teachers, my class schedule, my office, the neighborhood, my apartment, and my town. My other favorite things about Korea are the language, transportation, nature, food, and the range of activities. With options like 찜질방 (bathhouses), 만화방 (comic book cafes), PC방 (computer cafes), riverside parks, historic sites, theme parks, and festivals, it’s hard to ever be bored. Korea really puts effort into creating enjoyable public spaces. There are also major aspects of Korean government and culture that I enjoy, but I won’t get into a deep discussion of Korean society here.
Did anything surprise you?
Things change so quickly in Korea. Before coming, I had heard that South Korea was known for quickly changing infrastructure, but I wasn’t prepared for speedy change to also extend to the education system. Public school teachers (with some exceptions) change schools every four years in South Korea, sometimes on a half year cycle. This means a handful of teachers leave and join my school every 6 months. This can be sad and challenging (when a surprise departure leaves a 6th grade class without a homeroom teacher, for example), but also keeps things exciting and provides great opportunities for continuous growth.
A bonus surprise has been experiencing North Korea’s interesting shenanigans. Usually it’s easy to forget the border is a mere 5km (about 3 miles) from my town, but recently they’ve been flying trash balloons over our way, and broadcasting screeching ghostly noises via loudspeaker, which makes for some unconventional office small talk.
What do you feel has been most useful for you from your year in LTS in terms of how it is applying to your teaching now?
Generally, the foundational information taught in LT 535 Language Learning Design has been really helpful to me in understanding and interacting with the other teachers at my school. I’m able to recognize different teaching perspectives, which has enabled me to better learn from my peers. Aside from that, curriculum/material design skills and pronunciation instruction come to mind as most useful. One of the classes I teach has no required textbook or curriculum; I essentially have full control over what and how I teach. I’ve surprised myself with how much I enjoy designing my own curriculum. Rather than choosing a textbook to adapt, I’ve been deciding and making everything myself – from workbooks, to instructional presentations, and even simple animated games. This is something I definitely wouldn’t have the skills or confidence to do without the LT 548 Curriculum and Material Design course. While it’s certainly not perfect, it’s a fun sandbox class and I’ve gained a lot from it. What I learned in the 539 Pronunciation class has also been directly applicable, as I’ve had some students seek additional pronunciation tutoring. I’ve been able to listen to them, diagnose a few key things to work on, and give tailored guidance. I can honestly say that I use various key lessons learned throughout the LTS program daily in my teaching.
Would you give any advice to incoming or current LTS students?
I have two main recommendations and they’re somewhat contradictory but equally important…
1. Think about the details of each class from the perspective of how you’ll apply it to your future context. One of my favorite things about the program was how flexible professors can be if you work creatively within assignment parameters. Try to approach the assignments from unique angles and shape them to match your interests. When possible, complete assignments so they can contribute toward your final project.
At the same time…
2. Take the opportunity to collaborate with your cohort, learn about their languages, and what they hope to do with them. If you can, co-teach with them on the languages they specialize in. Get out of your comfort zone and try something you’ve never tried before, even if it doesn’t seem directly related to your future context.
Are you still able to do your amazing artwork or pursue any other interests while you’ve been there?
Unfortunately, I had to leave many of my art tools behind in the US, which has slowed my creativity and drive for personal projects a bit. Fortunately, I’ve redirected my free time into exploring Korea, international travel, and picking up old hobbies like reading and knitting. Korea provides a new home base for me to reach parts of the world I’ve never been before. I’ve been doing my best to save money and plan my trips wisely so I can visit two countries each school year. This year it was Vietnam and Indonesia. I’ve also been able to apply my art skills in fun ways to my teaching job. I drew our school as a gift to my coworkers at the end of my first year. I also create my own illustrations for teaching materials when I can’t find what I’m looking for online. One of my bigger projects was making a 40 second frame-by-frame animation that I used for dialogue practice in one of my classes. It took a long time and was entirely unnecessary, but it was lots of fun, as I think is the case with many hobbies.
