I have to apologize for my absence from blog world lately, the homework load is proving to be a little more than I expected, and I started doing my tutoring this week for my scholarship. To sum up, I have been granted the opportunity to take part in the Global Leaders Scholarship. This scholarship gives native English speakers to chance to talk to non-native English speakers in a comfortable and stimulating environment. The university offers the E-lounge here, a free service to any student here at Chung-Ang who wants to improve his/her English. (keep in mind that English tutors in this part of the country typically earn up to $50/hour for their services!) Needless to say, I am excited to take part in this awesome opportunity to get to know some new people, and we have been having some great conversations! Another awesome part of the scholarship gives students the options to volunteer in an elementary school right off campus. I have been placed in a kindergarten class of 10-14 children, some of who speak English, and some who don't. Isn't this difficult you may ask? I have to say that after almost a month of living here in Korea, I am hardly phased at the concept of someone not speaking English, in fact...I expect it. What I am fascinated by however, is that humans find endless ways to communicate. Often I find myself using hand motions in restaurants and grocery stores, just hoping the cashier catches my drift. In my kindergarten class, children always will find a way to tell you what they need to...even if it means just taking your hand and dragging you to what they want to show you. So why is everyone here so hell-bent on learning English?
Honestly, this is a topic even I grapple with when I consider my future job prospects and the advantages/ consequences. On the one hand, English tutoring is an extremely lucrative and...well, easy living here in Korea, as well as any other relatively wealthy country that considers English to be a necessary education. Anyplace you can find industrialization + money, you are bound to find an English learning community. All this gets me thinking however, what exactly are the consequences to English becoming a globalized language? Are I simply becoming a linguistic imperialist by teaching my native language to willing learners? This questions nags my mind often, especially when I consider that I am very possibly replacing a native's future career in education. It is a well known fact that parents here insist their children learn English. It is the only way to secure good job prospects, as well as academic respect, and a native English speaker is almost always guaranteed a job in teaching English over a non-native speaker. The problem is however, that the issue always weighs around money. While English is taught K-12 in public schools here for free, parents still attempt to have their children be the best and brightest in every subject, including and especially English. Those families who have money to pay for continuing English education classes, private English tutors and trips abroad to English-speaking countries consequently have a better chance at succeeding in a globalized world because of their enhanced English skills, and those that don't have little hope of standing out in such a competitive job-market....how very archaic, and well...un-American. Aren't we taught that no matter your rank or social status, you can rise above it and become successful despite your circumstances? This is true in a world where English is the first language, but sadly...the opposite is hardly ever true. Non-native English speakers both in their native countries and abroad are praised for having excellent English skills, but when an American chooses to pursue language study in say, Japanese or German...the response is often something akin to..."oh really, how interesting! but what are you going to do with that?" We like to think that we have learned from our past days of imperialistic conquests in which we dominate other cultures through forcing our religions, our cuisines, our cultural traditions onto them...but truly, how is linguistic imperialism any different? I won't profess to have an answer to any of this, but I will tell you how I have come to cope with my own personal guilt with teaching English abroad...and the answer is simple: quid pro quo. I have relieved my guilt by making a promise to myself that I will never teach English in another country without at least trying to learn the native language myself. I will not pretend that my semester of learning Korean, and feebly being able to sound out Hangul letters even compares to the hours upon hours students here spend trying to become fluent in English....but, it's something I tell my students all the time: it doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to be able to communicate, and as humans... we always seem to find a way.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Korean People Don't Say Bless You
Before I got here, a lot of people warned me that Korean people are very unfriendly. Since being here, I can't exactly dispel this stereotype, but I can't exactly confirm it either. I will say that it's not so much that they are unfriendly people, but that they aren't overtly friendly. If you look lost on the street, it's very unlikely they will offer you directions, but if you ask politely, they will do their best to assist you... unless of course they don't speak English, in which case they will wave you off, or attempt to ignore you. Oh! and don't be surprised if when walking down the street, and you see a group of people taking up the entire sidewalk, without moving over or attempting to make room for you to pass; they will nonchalantly bump shoulders with you, with no mention of "excuse me!" or "oh, I'm sorry, did I bump you?"
Korean people stare... a lot! I have to say that this country has a severe case of xenophobia, they neither welcome nor appreciate foreigners coming to their country- especially those who don't bother to learn their culture, or speak their language. I have become the racial anomaly in almost all my classes... professors constantly point out that I am an American, and in regards to the English language..."oh! perhaps Morgan can shed some light on this issue, since she is a native English speaker!" (as if I have the right to speak for the entire English language, because I am but one native English speaker) Being an outsider has become a way of life, and I'll be honest...it's very uncomfortable, and very disconcerting.
Now, before I get labeled into the ethnocentric American role who feels the need to stereotype everyone ("all Asian people are so rude!") I took the time to discuss this matter with a native Korean. This girl has spent two years in the U.S. as an exchange student, and upon her return to Korea, she herself is having trouble adjusting to her very own cultural norms. She explained to me, that life here in Korea is a matter of vying for space- in the same way that New Yorkers vie for real estate. This whole city is crowded with thousands of people all trying to get somewhere and be somebody. Competition becomes a way of life. So, when someone bumps you in the street without apologizing, it probably isn't that he did it on purpose to peeve you- he is simply asserting his space, or, on the other hand, he is so used to bumping shoulders with people, he hardly notices it anymore. He must be crowded with other Koreans in the elevator, on the bus, in his cubicle at work- even his house is most likely awkwardly jammed up against another, for the lack of space in Seoul is growing every day. In regards to race, it is true that Korean people are prejudiced, but part of this attributes to the space thing as well. For one thing, foreigners are few and far between here, since Korea is a largely homogeneous society. Another opinion might be that they view foreigners as invaders of their space- in the same way that indigenous people saw incoming settlers as invaders of their land. Korea is a rapidly changing society, much like the rest of Asia, so all of these cultural norms are slowly changing. You will notice the younger generation is slightly more apt to befriend an non-Korean than a person of the older generation...and this is how society changes, however slowly it may seem.
So...allow me to put my own, slightly positive spin on this. Back at home, I deal with people known as "foreigners" all the time. Some have only been in the U.S. a few weeks, some a few years, and some all their lives...and they constantly try to express to me their frustrations, their longings for home, their difficulty learning the language, their inability to just "fit in"- even simple everyday tasks become a burden; tasks such as, getting a job, finding a way to get to that job without the ability to obtain a driver's license, buying groceries...everything becomes foreign, unfamiliar.
And so we learn humility. We learn to ask for help when we need it, and we learn compassion. How can I, after living in a foreign country for a mere 1 week, presume to understand how others, who may have lived in the U.S. their entire lives, are treated as outsiders, because perhaps, their accent, their color, or habits that, to them, are simply a part of everyday culture. I cannot presume to know this. I am given, however, a glimpse into their lives. The obstacles I am forced to overcome here, everyday, may later serve as my motivation as a teacher for those eager to learn, and eager to be accepted.
So... next time you are at the grocery store, or at the bank, and sense yourself feeling boiling frustration- "How can you live in our country, and not speak our language?" ask yourself- how many times have you visited a foreign country and expressed this same annoyance that "ugh, no one here speaks any English!" yet... you are in their country? Remember to have compassion. Chances are, these people are trying to learn, and overcome great difficulty every day doing simple tasks. It's not easy to be different, an outsider, but if we were all the same, how boring it would be!
Korean people stare... a lot! I have to say that this country has a severe case of xenophobia, they neither welcome nor appreciate foreigners coming to their country- especially those who don't bother to learn their culture, or speak their language. I have become the racial anomaly in almost all my classes... professors constantly point out that I am an American, and in regards to the English language..."oh! perhaps Morgan can shed some light on this issue, since she is a native English speaker!" (as if I have the right to speak for the entire English language, because I am but one native English speaker) Being an outsider has become a way of life, and I'll be honest...it's very uncomfortable, and very disconcerting.
Now, before I get labeled into the ethnocentric American role who feels the need to stereotype everyone ("all Asian people are so rude!") I took the time to discuss this matter with a native Korean. This girl has spent two years in the U.S. as an exchange student, and upon her return to Korea, she herself is having trouble adjusting to her very own cultural norms. She explained to me, that life here in Korea is a matter of vying for space- in the same way that New Yorkers vie for real estate. This whole city is crowded with thousands of people all trying to get somewhere and be somebody. Competition becomes a way of life. So, when someone bumps you in the street without apologizing, it probably isn't that he did it on purpose to peeve you- he is simply asserting his space, or, on the other hand, he is so used to bumping shoulders with people, he hardly notices it anymore. He must be crowded with other Koreans in the elevator, on the bus, in his cubicle at work- even his house is most likely awkwardly jammed up against another, for the lack of space in Seoul is growing every day. In regards to race, it is true that Korean people are prejudiced, but part of this attributes to the space thing as well. For one thing, foreigners are few and far between here, since Korea is a largely homogeneous society. Another opinion might be that they view foreigners as invaders of their space- in the same way that indigenous people saw incoming settlers as invaders of their land. Korea is a rapidly changing society, much like the rest of Asia, so all of these cultural norms are slowly changing. You will notice the younger generation is slightly more apt to befriend an non-Korean than a person of the older generation...and this is how society changes, however slowly it may seem.
So...allow me to put my own, slightly positive spin on this. Back at home, I deal with people known as "foreigners" all the time. Some have only been in the U.S. a few weeks, some a few years, and some all their lives...and they constantly try to express to me their frustrations, their longings for home, their difficulty learning the language, their inability to just "fit in"- even simple everyday tasks become a burden; tasks such as, getting a job, finding a way to get to that job without the ability to obtain a driver's license, buying groceries...everything becomes foreign, unfamiliar.
And so we learn humility. We learn to ask for help when we need it, and we learn compassion. How can I, after living in a foreign country for a mere 1 week, presume to understand how others, who may have lived in the U.S. their entire lives, are treated as outsiders, because perhaps, their accent, their color, or habits that, to them, are simply a part of everyday culture. I cannot presume to know this. I am given, however, a glimpse into their lives. The obstacles I am forced to overcome here, everyday, may later serve as my motivation as a teacher for those eager to learn, and eager to be accepted.
So... next time you are at the grocery store, or at the bank, and sense yourself feeling boiling frustration- "How can you live in our country, and not speak our language?" ask yourself- how many times have you visited a foreign country and expressed this same annoyance that "ugh, no one here speaks any English!" yet... you are in their country? Remember to have compassion. Chances are, these people are trying to learn, and overcome great difficulty every day doing simple tasks. It's not easy to be different, an outsider, but if we were all the same, how boring it would be!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Home sweet home
Hi everyone!
This is the first time I am blogging from South Korea!
I've been here about 3 days, and so far I've been very busy attempting to adjust to life here.
My arrival here was a little chaotic, with the airline losing my bags & I had to sleep my first night here on a sheetless bed...but since then they have been recovered :)
I am living in the dormitories here at Chung-Ang university, which are a very coveted real estate, believe it or not... Many students who live up to an hour away are denied rooms because there are other students who live even further! The dorms here are pretty nice, comparable to what you'd see in American universities. The only big difference is that there is no kitchenette or anywhere to have a fridge or stove. Cooking in the dorms is strictly prohibited, along with many other things such as:
- having outside friends visit the dorms
- visiting the dormitory of the opposite sex
- alcohol, tobacco or drugs of any kind may not be kept in the dorms
- cooked food and food that can go bad may not be kept in the dorms
- a strict curfew of 1am is kept at all times- if you get to the dorms after 1am you will be denied access!
But for the most part life here is pretty similar to an American dormitory, but you will notice that Korean students are NOT here to party! They are here to study, and are rarely distracted by outside influences (unlike many American students!)
My roommate's name is Minh Nguyet, she is a Vietnamese American from San Diego, California, and she has 14 brothers and sisters! She is such a sweetheart, and we are getting along quite well already.
The dormitory also offers a meal plan here for a very affordable price. The meals served are a choice between Korean and Western options, although I honestly don't even know what some of the Western options are, let alone the Korean options, haha. Meal times are strictly observed here, so if you miss the time breakfast/lunch/dinner is served, you're on your own! Luckily though, there are myriad of little restaurants and shops close by for all your meal and snacking needs. Since breakfast is served from 7-8 (way too early for me!) I took it upon myself to provide my own breakfast:
Now...I know what you guys are thinking- really Morgan? you're in Korea, and you're eating corn flakes?? But let me explain! Breakfast in Asian countries is not anything like breakfast in Western countries, in fact, if you walked into the cafeteria at breakfast time, you'd have no idea it was breakfast! There is little distinction between foods eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. and YES! kimchi is even served at breakfast. Now, I'm sorry, but there is no way my stomach can handle spicy fermented cabbage at 9oclock in the morning. Gimme a chance to adjust guys! Thus the corn flakes, haha. I promise, once I become more familiar with my surroundings, I will share all of my Korean foodie experiences :)
I also started classes today, Beginning Korean and ELT curriculum (which is basically a class about different ways to teach ESL learners using different curriculums) So far, the classes here are similar to home, except the professors are a LOT stricter! Attendance is fiercely enforced, and much of your grade is dependent on midterms and finals....with little supplementation from homework or projects.
I still have a lot to share...but alas! lunch and class are waiting....stay tuned for more soon :)
This is the first time I am blogging from South Korea!
I've been here about 3 days, and so far I've been very busy attempting to adjust to life here.
My arrival here was a little chaotic, with the airline losing my bags & I had to sleep my first night here on a sheetless bed...but since then they have been recovered :)
I am living in the dormitories here at Chung-Ang university, which are a very coveted real estate, believe it or not... Many students who live up to an hour away are denied rooms because there are other students who live even further! The dorms here are pretty nice, comparable to what you'd see in American universities. The only big difference is that there is no kitchenette or anywhere to have a fridge or stove. Cooking in the dorms is strictly prohibited, along with many other things such as:
- having outside friends visit the dorms
- visiting the dormitory of the opposite sex
- alcohol, tobacco or drugs of any kind may not be kept in the dorms
- cooked food and food that can go bad may not be kept in the dorms
- a strict curfew of 1am is kept at all times- if you get to the dorms after 1am you will be denied access!
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| here is a picture of the dormitory- see that steep hill? I have to climb about 4 of those just to get to and from the dorms every day! |
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| my bed has sheets now :) |
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| closet |
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| desk |
But for the most part life here is pretty similar to an American dormitory, but you will notice that Korean students are NOT here to party! They are here to study, and are rarely distracted by outside influences (unlike many American students!)
My roommate's name is Minh Nguyet, she is a Vietnamese American from San Diego, California, and she has 14 brothers and sisters! She is such a sweetheart, and we are getting along quite well already.
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| our first meal out.... pho ;) (so much for Korean culture immersion!) |
The dormitory also offers a meal plan here for a very affordable price. The meals served are a choice between Korean and Western options, although I honestly don't even know what some of the Western options are, let alone the Korean options, haha. Meal times are strictly observed here, so if you miss the time breakfast/lunch/dinner is served, you're on your own! Luckily though, there are myriad of little restaurants and shops close by for all your meal and snacking needs. Since breakfast is served from 7-8 (way too early for me!) I took it upon myself to provide my own breakfast:
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| wala! |
I also started classes today, Beginning Korean and ELT curriculum (which is basically a class about different ways to teach ESL learners using different curriculums) So far, the classes here are similar to home, except the professors are a LOT stricter! Attendance is fiercely enforced, and much of your grade is dependent on midterms and finals....with little supplementation from homework or projects.
I still have a lot to share...but alas! lunch and class are waiting....stay tuned for more soon :)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Goodbye Miss Havisham
What was I thinking?
Did I seriously think I could do this? Just up and leave for five whole months?
I guess I thought I would be too excited about going to even miss the people I care so much about... so why is it that I haven't even left yet & I already miss them?
Reassurance is comforting, but it doesn't relieve the sinking feeling I feel in my heart.
Yes, I know I'll be back before I know it, but it's exactly the "before I know it" part I'm worried about!
I know I'm going to have a great time, great experiences, meet exciting people and see wonderful sights, but I'm so scared to leave what I know. I guess in my dreams and fantasies of leaving home to explore the world, I never thought of the actual act of leaving home.
But this is life. Life is change, and those that can't accept it become remnants of the past, left to reminisce of a world that no longer exists.
So although it's scary, and unfamiliar, and everyone is scared of the F word- failure, Life goes on;.Whether you fail or not, whether you accomplished what you wanted to do or you didn't, life goes on, and in a way, it's reassuring.
I guess what I am afraid of most is the people who are important to me forgetting me and moving on. But in a way, while we do all move on eventually, truly part of us never really does. Each person in our life, whether they are a constant companion, or simply an acquaintance on your journey, each person will impact you, they will add to your experience, and if & when they leave, they will leave an indelible mark on your life. To leave is inevitable. To move on is certain, but for the people and experiences that are of any real importance, to forget these is impossible.
"Because maybe, in a way, we didn't leave it behind nearly as much as we might once have thought. Because somewhere underneath, a part of us stayed like that: fearful of the world around us, and no matter how much we despised ourselves for it--unable quite to let each other go." -kazuo ishiguro
Did I seriously think I could do this? Just up and leave for five whole months?
I guess I thought I would be too excited about going to even miss the people I care so much about... so why is it that I haven't even left yet & I already miss them?
Reassurance is comforting, but it doesn't relieve the sinking feeling I feel in my heart.
Yes, I know I'll be back before I know it, but it's exactly the "before I know it" part I'm worried about!
I know I'm going to have a great time, great experiences, meet exciting people and see wonderful sights, but I'm so scared to leave what I know. I guess in my dreams and fantasies of leaving home to explore the world, I never thought of the actual act of leaving home.
But this is life. Life is change, and those that can't accept it become remnants of the past, left to reminisce of a world that no longer exists.
So although it's scary, and unfamiliar, and everyone is scared of the F word- failure, Life goes on;.Whether you fail or not, whether you accomplished what you wanted to do or you didn't, life goes on, and in a way, it's reassuring.
I guess what I am afraid of most is the people who are important to me forgetting me and moving on. But in a way, while we do all move on eventually, truly part of us never really does. Each person in our life, whether they are a constant companion, or simply an acquaintance on your journey, each person will impact you, they will add to your experience, and if & when they leave, they will leave an indelible mark on your life. To leave is inevitable. To move on is certain, but for the people and experiences that are of any real importance, to forget these is impossible.
"Because maybe, in a way, we didn't leave it behind nearly as much as we might once have thought. Because somewhere underneath, a part of us stayed like that: fearful of the world around us, and no matter how much we despised ourselves for it--unable quite to let each other go." -kazuo ishiguro
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Airlines & Antibiotics
Bought my ticket!
I’m one of those people that procrastinates to no end, and I will almost always hold out if I think I can get a better deal…. After weeks of price watching however, I broke down & bought a three-way tickets- yep! You heard correctly, a three way ticket. After my semester studying abroad in South Korea I will continue my travels in Vietnam with the company of my wonderful boyfriend :) We are extremely excited for the trip, and have been doing nothing but planning & talking about it for weeks (truth be told, we are a little tired of just talking about it… we want to go already!) But alas, another five months until our trip L Meanwhile, plans and preparations continue. What will we be doing in Vietnam you may ask? We have decided to take full advantage of our Christmas break, and attempt to see as much of the country as we can in three to four weeks, returning mid-January just in time for Spring semester to start!
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| Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam |
Aside from buying my plane ticket, I also made steps towards getting my vaccinations before leaving. Needless to say, I was not too happy about this part of the trip, can we just not, and say we did??
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| I was excited.... |
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| until I got into the doctor's office....ouch! |
After I got off the phone with the travel nurse, I was literally terrified! She told me I need vaccinations for Typhoid, Hepatitis, Meningitis, Japanese Encephalitis as well as antibiotics for Malaria…. Oh yeah! And while you’re in Vietnam, don't pet the monkeys…and that’s an order!! Apparently many people contract Rabies in Vietnam from getting a little too friendly with the wildlife. Obviously, I made a mental note to avoid doing just that!
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Monday, June 27, 2011
South Korea here I Come!
For those of you who don't know, I am planning on studying abroad one semester this fall in Seoul, South Korea. Among the wonderful sights and sounds that Seoul has to offer is Chung-Ang University, a private University of about 30,000 students. To answer some of the questions I have been asked about my study abroad decision, here are a few notes:
- I like to think that I didn't exactly choose to go to Chung-ang University, or even South Korea for that matter.... it chose me! I always knew that I wanted to study abroad, but I didn't really have a definitive choice of where. Instead, I looked at a lot of different programs, and looked for one that catered to my academic needs over my personal preference. Because of my interest in the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Chung-Ang University offered itself as a perfect choice because they offer the TESOL program. Because the TESOL program is so specific to native English speakers, it is rare to find the program taught in universities outside the United States, so you can imagine my delight when I found Chung-Ang! I also see South Korea as a possible location to pursue my future career in Teaching English as a Second Language, so it presents itself as a perfect location for my study abroad adventure, and perhaps beyond!
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| Here is a picture of the university...it looks sooo big! |
- I would like to thank the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for awarding me a generous scholarship of $3,500 towards my trip to South Korea. The Gilman scholarship is designed to further international education, which is part of the reason I am starting this blog. As part of my follow-on project in order to receive the scholarship, I am required to design a project that serves both my community and my own personal academic goals. Therefore, my project is two-fold: to experience and to share. Currently, I am volunteering with the International Services Center in Cleveland, which offers a myriad of services as well as career and education opportunities for refugees and immigrants to the United States. While volunteering at the ISC, I have gotten the opportunity to work one-on-one with ESL students, from beginner levels to advanced. All of the students are beyond eager to learn, and love coming to class! I also plan to volunteer during my time abroad. Thanks to Chung-Ang University, I have been granted the Global Leadership Scholarship. This scholarship also offers me the opportunity to work with ESL students in South Korea for 15 hours a week, in exchange for free room & board. Therefore, my project will focus on these two volunteer experiences- how the students here in the United States may differ from those in South Korea, or perhaps not at all....that is what I am eager to find out! My blog will document my experiences with the students I am working with, as well as showing some attention to the cultural differences abroad ( I am prepared for a shock! )
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| A picture of a typical Korean meal...would now be a good time to confess I don't like kimchi?? *flinches* (guess I'll have to work on that!) |
For anyone looking into study abroad, I must warn you: be prepared for lots and lots of writing! And I don't mean essay writing....dull, tedious, annoyingly persistent forms!!!!! The forms never end, from the time I looked into study abroad over a year ago to now, and probably until I return I have been filling out application after application, form after form. There are applications up the wazoo, and believe you me, if they kind find a way to make you fill out another one, they will! Not only are there applications, there are applications to fill out applications!
But enough about that, I would really like this blog to be as interactive as possible, while it is designed to be a project to further international education, this also entails education of my immediate community, so if anyone reading my blog has any questions be it on my study abroad experience, tutoring, or just something you've wondered about Korean culture, feel free to ask! I'll have no shortage of material to blog about, but ideas are certainly more than welcome, enjoy! :)
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