Korean Students Are...

Before coming to Korea, I was full of ideas of what a Korean student looked and acted like. We all have that idea in our head of the respectful Asian student. The student that sits at their desk quietly, taking notes on every word that comes out of your mouth. The scientific or math prodigy. The amazing violinist or pianist. You think about those "studies." You know the "studies" that rank schools, and put Japan and China in the number one and two slots and the USA is number 893. You know what I'm talking about. This is the idea that we all have in our heads of the average Asian student.

Now for a dose of reality. The average Korean student is the same as the average American student. They spend their time in class talking, playing with their cellular phones, trying to listen to their mp3 players, doodling, applying make-up, staring into a mirror. This is whom I have to try to teach to.

On top of this normal behavior, my school is a vocational school, and the vast majority of high school students have no interrest in learning English. Sure, if you want to get a good job working for Samsung or LG you have to have excellent English skills. But the fact is that every student is forced to take English, so the one's that gave up long ago are still being forced to work at it. Getting these students to speak English is like pulling teeth.

This is my life, for 22 hours a week. 22 classes that do not want to be there, that do not want to learn English. This is not the "reality" that exists in my American mind. How strange it is when actual reality butts in and ruins everything.