South Korea is an advanced East Asian country. Many Korean brands are household names across the world. Since 1948, when the country began to expand economically many people from the Western hemisphere have been offered opportunities to teach in Korea.
In line with its policy of international 18.moa trade and economic advancement the Korean government encouraged its citizens to learn English. People who are engaged in international trade relations are assisted by an ability to speak, read and write English because it is an international language. For this reason students are extremely well motivated but determination and persistence are required, nevertheless.
Korean people are friendly and cooperative. They have welcomed teachers from all over the world to their country for many years. People have come from all over the English speaking world. They have come from Britain, America and the former British colonies. Many of the teachers have been adventurous young people wishing to travel and earn and others have been married couples looking to travel, learn and earn. Most have had rewarding experiences.
Korean people deserve the best possible service from the people who teach them. The English language teaching industry attracts many native speakers and in some cases even young adventurers who are not actually first language speakers themselves. They may be graduates in some discipline other than English who have complete a TEFL course lasting a few weeks.
Education authorities in many countries seem to subscribe to the notion that teachers have to be young. Age limits are set barring more experienced teachers from obtaining employment. It is believed that young teachers will be popular. However, popularity is not a prerequisite of good teaching. Wisdom and learning efficiency are. In the natural order of things good teaching knows no age barriers.
Learning is not always easy and pleasant though it can be the most uplifting of human experiences. As athletes know, there is 'no gain without pain'. Teaching is really a noble profession because it involves entering into the minds of students and guiding them tactfully towards healthy personal growth.
In the case of language teaching, students and teachers and students must perforce entwine themselves intellectually. This implies great trust on the part of learners and an equal sense of responsibility on the part of teachers. Teachers cannot really afford to be ignorant since they play the role of trusted arbiters of truth. One approach is to employ communicative language learning techniques and another, at the opposite pole is to teach grammar rules and vocabulary in a sort of semantic vacuum.
Teaching English to foreigners is a lucrative and widely researched industry. The communicative approach is widely recommended by theoretical experts but this approach really requires a deep understanding of the language and its culture. Without such knowledge a teacher can bluff or fumble his way through lessons or prescribed works without actually accomplishing anything more than a normal native speaker could do without any professional credential. The eager, upturned and trusting faces of students deserve much more from those who teach in Korea.
