Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

       It’s been a little over 11 months since I’ve started teaching English in Korea with Chungdahm, and already my one year contract is coming to an end. I must say the time flew by. I remember before coming here, I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d get out of it other than a new experience. My friends and family assumed that I was going for fun and thought that it wouldn’t benefit me career wise. However, I knew there was nothing to lose and that there would be something to learn. In fact, teaching English in Korea has been more rewarding than I expected. 

       One of those rewards is public speaking. Public speaking was never my thing. Whenever I had to speak in front of a crowd, actually even just a group of people, I would get nervous, blank out, and have the voice of a chick. Teaching and speaking in front of a group of students on a daily basis, has allowed me to practice and become a better public speaker. Confidence can be heard through the projection of my voice and have learned to relax, take my time to collect my ideas and speak.

I came to teach in Korea straight after graduating from college, so I had never lived on my own until now. The idea of being free and living independently did excite me, but this being my first time living alone, I anticipated  feeling homesick. That’s why it was so important for me to set up my apartment to have a real sense of home. Here’s how I did it, and some tips on how you can achieve the same.

Scotch tape is your new best friend!

  Picture of how I decorated my workspace

You’ll find the apartments in Korea to be simple and compact, with just the right amount of living space. Ideally, there will be a dining area for two, a small kitchen, a corner for any media outlets, and space to put a bed. Working with a limited amount of surface area can be tough, but luckily this method of turning your apartment into your new home doesn’t require any floor space! You can fill up the bare walls of your apartment with just about anything and it will already feel more like home. I have sticky notes of recipes I’d like to try, post cards and greeting cards from friends and family, calendars, pictures, and just about anything that’s colorful. I’m even thinking of bringing home some of the posters my students have made at ChungDahm for their Critical Thinking Projects. Coming home to an apartment filled with pictures and memos gives a comforting feeling that someone lives there. 

For this installation of my misconceptions blog, I'm going to ask you to evaluate your personality. How open are you to the opportunity of moving overseas to teach English as a second language and to live in Korea and work with the children of Chungdahm? Are you ready to expand your cultural horizons beyond anything close to 'home'?

One of the best parts of any job is having great co-workers. Teaching in Korea is no different. Whether your ChungDahm school is big and you have 15-20 co-workers, or small (like mine) with only 5 other co-workers, you will certainly be able to bond with the people you see every day.

So you’re thinking of going over to Korea, but scared to death about going alone? Well, you’re certainly not alone in thinking that, but the reality is that it will be much easier than you think to get adjusted and start meeting people through the various outlets open to you! Remember, the number of foreigners in Korea is always increasing, which means there are so many people you can meet from all over the world who you'll have a lot in common with!

“Hope! I saw (insert over-dramatized event) on CNN! Are you alive?!! Stay away from the DMZ!”