I liked it- first online course I've ever taken and it was actually very interactive while allowing me to lead my normal life. I learned a lot about teaching and lesson planning an educational theories in general. The instructor was nice and very helpful and the other students provided good discussion. How has your TEFL training helped you in your current teaching position? To be honest I wish there had been more in the course about teaching to very young kids- but I think when I start teaching to older generations all the knowledge from my TEFL classes will become very useful.
Which city and country did you decide to teach English in and why? I am teaching English in Busan, South Korea - as a first time teacher I wanted my hand held through the process and Korea seemed to offer that.
I chose Busan because I didn't want to be landlocked in Seoul and am very happy to be here because this city has a different better! How long have you been in this country and how long do you plan to stay?
I have been here for 5 months and plan to stay for a full year before I begin exploring other country options. My recruiter helped me get a work visa VERY quickly- there's a lot of paperwork but it finally got sorted. I work "31" hours per week but that only counts the hours that I am standing and teaching in front of the class. I get paid 2. I was told that everything in Korea is cheap and while that's not necessarily true its not hard to find good deals. I am working for a Hagwon- Kindergarten in the morning and elementary school in the afternoon.
I get one week vacation in the summer going to Thailand and one week in winter perhaps India? My school also goes on lots of field trips and has special play days which helps break up the monotony of teaching such long hours every day. I made friends quickly and easily and I have been hiking and exploring and seeing something new every weekend. There is so much to do in Busan.
How did you find somewhere to live and what is it like? Do you have roommates? I did not care if it was a small beach, a crowded beach, or even a dirty and polluted beach. I simply wanted to be near a beach.
Busan known as Pusan until made sense to me because I hated the cold, and from the stories I had heard about the South Korean winters in Seoul, I wanted to be as far away from the tundra as possible.
With a population of over 3. Even though it is second to Seoul in terms of population, it is still number one in a many other qualitative ways.
Rooted on the southeastern coast, Busan is known for its exotic seafood, sultry beaches, rowdy baseball fans, and much slower pace of life compared to its big brother capital. Although salaries are relatively lower than average in contrast to Seoul, hospitality in Busan makes up for the pay.
In Busan I discovered that it was not just a coincidence that so many expats trumpet the kindness of South Koreans. Because the city has a smaller population than Seoul, there are fewer foreigners. This means that those who are not natives tend to be viewed in a special and often peculiar manner.
To illustrate the unusual kindness I found in Busan, one of my fondest memories occurred when I was jogging by an elementary class on a local bike path. All fifty of their little faces lit up. Every one of them waved and said hello as if I was a rock star. Needless to say, I started to feel like one after a few months. Even on the last day prior to leaving, I had people coming up to me continuing to offer a welcome to Korea.
It is definitely a shock coming to a country when you are not used to receiving such kindness. At first it seems strange, but then you realize that such consideration is not a front but a driving force in their way of life. Becoming familiar with the fine points of their culture and language will not only help you out but will assist you in your assimilation by leaps and bounds.
Koreans love anyone who takes the time to learn about their way of life and they will welcome you with open arms if you choose to do so. It will not take long until one of your students wants to be your personal tour guide and shows you around the area. Even if you think that you can manage, Koreans want to make sure that you are able to find and get to everything with no problems at all.
Do not be surprised if your Korean friends grab your hand when crossing the street or to prevent you from getting lost in a mob of people. One benefit of living in a city such as Busan is that the public transportation is excellent. Compared to Seoul, the subway system of Busan only has three lines, making it much easier to get around.
It is the best system of transportation for anyone new to the country because the subway map is in both Korean and English. The buses, on the other hand, do not all have English translations and you may find it confusing to figure out which route you are on. Not sure if you should teach English in Korea in Busan or Seoul? Then this is for you, but I have to tell you that I am biased as I prefer Busan.
I lived in Busan for close to three years and visited Seoul a few times. I think Busan is better for the most part, but there are a few things that Seoul is better for. Let's take a look. Here's a little drawing I did that compares some of the differences between these two Korean cities.
After the picture you will find further details on the differences. Busan is roughly 3. Seoul is going to be more crowded.
The weather is going to be better in Busan, unless of course you like the cold and the snow. I remember seeing snow flurries fly one time in Busan, but it didn't stick. In Seoul the daily average is about 27 degrees in January and in Busan it's about 37 degrees taken from Wiki. Even though the winters can be cold in Korea chances are you will have heated floors. Those are really nice. The summers will be hot in both places.
You're going to see more sun in Busan as well, approximately 2, hours of sunlight a year versus 2, in Seoul. Seoul is more sprawling. It is relatively flat with the Han river running through it. There is Namsan mountain with the tower on it and mountains to the east.
It's spread out among the mountains and lies on the coast. In Busan, I felt like I was living in such an easy life. My life was simple: wake up, roll out of bed, shower, have breakfast, go to work which was across the street from my apartment , workout, and then the nights were free to do whatever I liked.
My schedule was much more relaxed than it is in Seoul, and I had far fewer work-related responsibilities. I never felt excessively busy, and I always had time to maintain my blog, hit the gym hard, meet up with friends, and even had time to cook. My social life was very active and I actually ended up dropping about 40 stress pounds by staying active, having the time and energy to go to the gym, and focus on a healthy diet each day.
Teaching English has intrigued me since a young age. I first started to be involved with it as a teenager.
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