What?
An interactive English education centre
Where?
744 Yeonhwa-ri, Jicheon-myeon
When?
Year-round.
How do I get there?
From Daegu Station
As a foreign English teacher in Korea, you have the choice to work in a public or private school. A private school is called a hagwon (학원), and it serves as an after school academy for students specializing in English whose parents can afford the extra schooling.
In my two and a half years here I have unintentionally managed to avoid teaching at private or public school, opting instead to spend most of my time instructing at a university. Continuing in this vein I have found a job at the Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village and will be spending the next year trying to figure out exactly what an English Village is and how it works.
Before I begin, here is a slight headache-inducing 3D video of what the village looks like:
An interactive English education centre
Where?
744 Yeonhwa-ri, Jicheon-myeon
When?
Year-round.
How do I get there?
From Daegu Station
As a foreign English teacher in Korea, you have the choice to work in a public or private school. A private school is called a hagwon (학원), and it serves as an after school academy for students specializing in English whose parents can afford the extra schooling.
In my two and a half years here I have unintentionally managed to avoid teaching at private or public school, opting instead to spend most of my time instructing at a university. Continuing in this vein I have found a job at the Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village and will be spending the next year trying to figure out exactly what an English Village is and how it works.
Before I begin, here is a slight headache-inducing 3D video of what the village looks like:
If you get past all the 3D fuzziness, it's a good look at the campus.
Except we don't actually have a clock tower. Not sure why that's there...
Except we don't actually have a clock tower. Not sure why that's there...
Pretty isn't it? Unlike private and public schools, English villages are basically year-round summer camps set in a mini theme park where students practice using English in life-like situations. The airplane pictured below is a real airplane. Most of the lesson takes place inside the plane. Then, upon exiting, there is a mock security checkpoint, immigration desk, flight listings and even a duty free shop.
There are many more of these situational classrooms with ornate hands-on fixtures and props for interactive learning such as a gift shop, a hospital, a print shop, a restaurant, various forms of transportation (complete with a bus stop and taxi service), and a grocery store.
The age range is elementary, primarily 5th graders. They enrol for one week and take seven classes a day in English. They live on campus, away from their parents. Less commonly you'll find adults, high schoolers, middle schoolers, and kindergarten groups, each accommodated by their own instructor-run committee.
There are many more of these situational classrooms with ornate hands-on fixtures and props for interactive learning such as a gift shop, a hospital, a print shop, a restaurant, various forms of transportation (complete with a bus stop and taxi service), and a grocery store.
The age range is elementary, primarily 5th graders. They enrol for one week and take seven classes a day in English. They live on campus, away from their parents. Less commonly you'll find adults, high schoolers, middle schoolers, and kindergarten groups, each accommodated by their own instructor-run committee.
The committees are probably the weirdest part of this job so far. All the foreign teachers seem to be on one and those who show exemplary leadership skills are eligible for a cash bonus every six months. The bonus can be up to 5 million won (about $4,675) but only a few people qualify, so it's competitive. Added to living in a dorm on top of a mountain with the closest town being a 20-minute drive away and you get a very interesting fishbowl of social culture among the expats.
I've just started training for the job and I begin work on Monday. Stay tuned for my village life adventures in future posts.
I've just started training for the job and I begin work on Monday. Stay tuned for my village life adventures in future posts.
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| I'm so amused by this plane! |
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