There aren't words enough......

to describe the feelings I had, as a teacher, a father, and a human being when I read the following article in the Korea Times:


Elementary Schoolboy Kills Himself Over Exam Failures

By Kim Rahn Staff Reporter

A 10-year-old boy killed himself because he was disappointed with his low school exam scores.

The father of the boy, Park, found his son dead in his room at their apartment in Gwangju around 7 p.m. Tuesday, and reported it to police. The boy was found to have hanged himself using a clothes rack.

Park told police that his son was already dead when he found him after coming home from work.

A written note was found in the room, in which the boy said: ``I'm leaving because I don't like to live in this world. Mom and Dad, I'm sorry.''

Police believe he committed suicide, following testimonies from his parents and teacher that he cried loudly in a classroom a few days before because he was discouraged by his low mark in a midterm exam.

(Note: The difference in how Koreans count age means that the boy would be 9 years old in the West.)

This article made me feel all the more uneasy when I realized that the CSAT, the Korean college entrance test, is just 13 days away.......

Bitching

In response to my post about HyundaiCard I received the response I was waiting for. I knew sooner or later I would be asked something akin to why I don’t just leave if I don’t like it. Unfortunately, the responses of “Why don’t you just leave” or “Why are you still living here,” or something similar are actually insulting to Jeju and Korea. I received a comment from “anonymous” today.

“Anonymous” sent the following short comment to my story on HyundaiCard:

Why do you still live here?

“Anonymous” asks a common question/comment that is often made to anyone who complains about something in Korea. “Anonymous’” question reminds me of those immigrants who are told to go back to where they came from if they dare to complain about something in the U.S. or Canada or Auzzie Land or etc, etc, etc.

What is funny is these same people, who rightfully find such comments ridiculous in their own countries, will see no problem making them when they live in Korea and read anything critical of “The Land of the Not Quite Right.” A tad bit hypocritical me thinks.

To answer the question directly (not that it matters): I have too much invested here and care too much to simply pack up and move.

I am reminded of something I heard once during a teacher training class. The presenter stated that the worst thing that can happen to a student is that a teacher stops bugging them for not studying, or not doing their homework, etc. When the teacher stops badgering the student it really means the teacher no longer cares about the student. The student has become hopeless and not worth the effort in the teachers mind. It is a tragedy for both of them.

To use the above as an analogy, if I stop bitching about the blatant and ridiculous discrimination by certain people and institutions on Jeju and/or in Korea, it means I no longer care about Jeju and/or Korea. It means my hope, that Jeju and Korea can realize their potential, is dead.

The common excuse "Well, that's just Korea. If you don't like it you should leave." really means Jeju and Korea are not worth caring enough about to bitch.

If I didn’t care about how the actions of KB and Hyundai directly affect Korea’s ability to become “international,” I wouldn’t bitch.

If I didn’t care that Korea routinely ranks at the bottom of surveys about foreigner quality of life in Asia, I wouldn’t bitch.

If I didn’t care about the young people in Korea, I wouldn’t bitch about the education system here.

If I didn’t care about how Jeju and Korea are viewed by the outside world I wouldn’t bitch about how migrants and immigrants are treated.

If I didn’t care about how foreigner teachers are regarded on the island, I wouldn’t bitch when I see one acting like a horse’s ass.

If I didn’t care about the quality of hospital care for all people on Jeju, I wouldn’t bitch about doctors, nurses and hospitals.

If I didn’t care I wouldn’t say anything because I know I’d eventually hear “Well, if you don’t like it leave” or something along those lines.

I hope this clears it up. And, I will continue to get pissed and bitch – because I care about Jeju, Korea, other foreigners, students, etc. If you don’t like what I have to say, you don’t have to read the blog. That may sound a bit harsh, but it’s true. We all have the choice to read or to not read what we want.

If you’d rather read stuff that is better suited for a tourism brochure, and will just blow cyber smoke up your butt, this blog is definitely not the place for you. I will tell it like I see it – the good and the bad.

I will not sugar coat anything just because it might hurt someone’s feelings or violate someone’s warped sense of national pride. I will not sugar coat anything just because it offends some person’s ridiculous idea of “cultural awareness.” I will not sugar coat anything to suit this or that reader who may not like what I have to say. I care too much to sugar coat anything.

Enough about that. “Anonymous,” thanks for the comment. I now have to get back to writing my next post bitching about (fill in the blank).

Take care.

LOJ

HyundaiCard / Hyundai Credit Card - Foreigner Beware #2

Well, I guess you can add Hyundai Credit Card (aka HyundaiCard) to the list of xenophobic and racist companies that laughingly refer to themselves as a “World Leader.” After my experience with KB Bank and their refusal to renew my credit card unless I place 10,000,000 Won in a “Special Account,” I wanted to see how many more “International” Korean companies are xenophobic and racist.

I applied for a Hyundai Credit Card. I had applied previously when I had an F-2 Visa and was rejected because, I was told by a manager, “HyundaiCard only gives credit cards to F-5 Visa holders because F-5’s don’t have an expiration date on their visa.” OK, I could understand their reasoning.

So, now that I have an F-5 Visa, I applied again to see what they’d say. Guess what? That’s right. They now tell me that won’t issue a credit card to me because I am a foreigner. Never mind the fact that I purchased a new Hyundai Car and paid it off. Never mind the fact that I have stable employment, a good credit history, yada, yada, yada. No card for you white boy!

The thing that really gets me, besides the blatant discrimination by HyundaiCard against permanent legal resident foreigners, is that HyundaiCard proudly displays that they are a partner with GE, and American Company.

I will never again purchase any Hyundai product. I will never again purchase a GE product. I know it doesn’t matter at all. I know my personal boycott of Hyundai will not even amount to a hill of beans. But, I won’t sell white bed sheets to the KKK and I won’t put any money into the pockets of people at Hyundai. In my mind there is little difference between the two of them.

So, the count so far:

Xenophobic and/or Racist Korean Banks or Financial Institutions:

1) Kookmin Bank / KB Bank / KB Star
2) Hyundai Card

As I keep up my personal investigation into discriminatory practices by Korean financial institutions I’ll keep you posted.

Coming To Jeju? Don't Forget About The Computers!

So, you’ve ignored all the warnings and have decided to throw caution to the wind and come over to Jeju for a stint as an English teacher. After all, you’re the “glass-is-half-full” kind of person. So, you know there will be challenges, but you feel you are prepared to meet any challenge. Good on ya.

One of the things many first-timers worry about is what to pack. Packing for a year in Korea can be a daunting task. Clothes, books, toiletries, etc, etc, etc. One thing that always seems to be forgotten is computer stuff. People often forget that most, if not all, computers you will use in Korea have Korean software. It sounds obvious, but it is one of those things that people often forget to plan for. If this is you, as it was me, there may be an answer if you coming over or are already over here and banging your head against the wall.

A teacher with EPIK, Sasha Sheppard (sp?) wrote a post for the “Rhymes with Jeju” Yahoo group. In the post he offers some helpful suggestions if you are, or will be, dealing with computers and that use Korean software. I thought I’d post the majority of it here. All credit for the information goes to Sasha. I’m just a copy machine of sorts. Anyways, here is what Sasha had to say:

A question came up at the EPIK meeting today about how to navigate computers when everything is all in Korean. Yeah, it is really annoying - especially whenyou have class in five minutes and you are trying to find some damn menu item in Word or Powerpoint and suddenly all your text is backwards, spinning around, and covered in glowing purple polka dots. It's something that I've been trying to figure out the best way around for awhile, here's a few solutions I've come up with:

1) Download and install openoffice.org onto your computer. It's a pretty decent replacement for MS Office, including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. It's not quite as good as MS Office, maybe 90%, but it is quite workable and free :) Abiword.com is also a good free English word processor.

2) Go to Portableapps.com. You can install something that goes onto a USB drive, so that you can carry around a bunch of applications along with your documents wherever you go. These other things include Openoffice, pidgin, a universal IM client (can connect with AIM, Yahoo, MSN, etc.), Firefox, and quite a few others ("celestia" - you can fly through the stars!). Useful if you have to go from computer to computer, or use cyber cafes a lot.

3) Bittorrent "portable office 2003" or something like that. This is a version of MS Office designed to run off a USB stick. I downloaded it once from someshady website, it's pretty good.

4) If you are able to, format your hard drive and install an English version of XP on your computer. I have a good disc for this that doesn't need a CD key or anything, if anyone wants a copy of it. You can also install English XP next toyour existing Korean XP, and then restore everything like it was before when you leave, although it is not too simple to do.

5) Try Linux! You can install it on your computer and still leave Windows on, so you have a choice when you turn your computer on whether to go into Windows or Linux. Installing Linux leaves Windows untouched. It's a great, free operating system with all kinds of useful software and basically no viruses or spyware. All the software is free and easy to install. It is a lot like getting a brand new computer for free. I've had some problem with Skype using it, so I wouldn't recommend getting rid of windows entirely - but it's great for doing most day today tasks. I really enjoy teaching about Linux and helping people transition to it, so I am happy to give you advice if you're curious. If I have the time, I can even help you install it if you're serious. You can get away from Microsoftand all these crummy corporations entirely, do everything you need to do, and have a much better experience. It's great, I rarely use Windows anymore when I have the choice.

6) You can also install Linux onto a USB drive. This way, when you reboot any newer computer, you will suddenly have your own, personal computer. It will be all in English, with your own programs, docs, and settings. You are running the whole computer just off the USB drive, without needing to access the hard drive at all. Shut the computer down, take your drive out, turn it back on - the computer was the same as before, all in Korean, and nothing is changed. The only downside is it only works on newer computers, made in the last couple of years.Going to Pendrivelinux.com, choosing "Ubuntu 8.10 Persistent Flash Drive Installfrom CD", and following the automatic installation instructions is a good way to do this. Then, there you go, you've got a whole computer in your pocket. Make sure to always shut down the computer properly when booting off a USB drive. Alright, probably more than anyone needed to know. Hope it helps ;)

It does Sasha. Thanks so much.

If you are coming to Jeju don’t forget to think about computer stuff. Oh, and if you bring your own laptop or desktop, don’t forget that the Korean electrical grid operates on a 220V system, NOT the 110V system like back in the U.S. I speak from tragic experience about the importance of knowing the difference.

LOJ

A View From Jeju About The US Presidential Election

Recently, I have been asked by some who I favor in the U.S. Predidential race. My stock answer is "They are just two different fleas on the same dog." I don't like either candidate.

I was actually soooo bored the other day that I spent some time thinking about the election. I mean I was REALLY bored. If McCain wins, it will be business as usual circa 2000. If Obama is elected it will be business as usual circa 1978. Huh?

I see way too many parallels between what happened post Nixon-Ford Watergate and what is happening now. After the Nixon/Ford fiasco, the nation was
(1) calling for "Change" (sound familiar?)
(2) and there was a candidate who was an "outsider" (sound familiar?)
(3) who had little Washington experience (sound familiar?)
(4) who was considered a champion for the little guy against the mean ole' corporations that steal wealth and need to be taxed almost out of existence (sound familiar?)
(5) whose message was "Hope" (sound familiar?)
(6) and the previous Republican administration had royally screwed up (sound familiar?)

Who was the Proto-Obama? It was Jimmy Carter of course, you silly.

As one who was alive and kickin' during the Carter years, and actually survived the monumental incompetence of that administration, I am a little bit apprehensive about another every-man's wonder child occupying the White House. If you want to know what an Obama adminstration will be like, just walk down memory lane and do some objective research into the Carter years. I think it'll give you an idea.

But hey let's face it, it doesn't really matter. I honestly don't give a crap. Although I do find the drooling, wide-eyed, idiots who are chanting "Obama, Obama,Obama" and are yet too young to remember "Carter, Carter, Carter" quite humorous. I also find the news media humorous. It seems weekly I see some story about mean ole' whitey who won't vote for Obama just because he's black. I have yet to see a story about blacks who will vote for Obama just because he is black. Enough about that.

Kookmin Bank, KB, KBStar - Foreigner Beware

That was the only way I could think of to title this post. Kookmin Bank, otherwise known as KB or KBStar, is nothing more than a racist and/or xenophobic institution. Why do I think that? Well, because of what happened last week at the branch near Lotte Mart in Shin Jeju.

A little background. In 2002 I received a credit card from the bank. No problems. For the last 6 years I have used it for purchases in Korea and in the U.S. I have never been late on a payment or otherwise caused a black mark to be placed on my credit history.

So, seeing that my card expires in December I went to get it renewed. RENEWED. I was not applying for a new card. So, I go to the bank with my credit card, passport, alien registration card (F-5 Visa) and several documents to show my employment at a government school. After waiting 45 minutes, Mrs. LOJ and I get to the counter. The lady looks at the documents and then calls someone. Never a good sign. After a lengthy conversation with someone on the phone I get told by the lady that Kookmin Bank, KB, KBStar won’t renew my card unless I immediately deposit 10,000,000 Won in one of their "special accounts." I was reminded of the "special accounts" that the Nazi's set up for Jews headed to the death camps during WWII. You know, the "special accounts" where the Nazis kept the Jews rings, watches, gold teeth, etc. for "safekeeping" while the Jews were gassed and incinerated in the ovens.

Unbelievable. I have had the card for 6 friggin’ years, I have an F-5 Visa (Permanent Legal Resident), a stable employment history, a spotless credit history, and am employed by a government school. But, I have to give them 10,000,000 Won because I am a foreigner. Those were their exact words – because I am a foreigner. In other words, despite almost a decade in Korea, paying taxes and trying to integrate into society by obtaining permanent legal residency, I am still considered to be someone that can’t be trusted. Their policy is in contravention to existing laws in Korea, but they don’t seem to care.

After leaving the bank I went to another bank, opened an account and, after my next paycheck is deposited today, will close all of my accounts with Kookmin Bank, KB, KBStar. I can’t tell you what to do, but if you have an account at Kookmin Bank, KB, KBStar, I would seriously reconsider using that bank. In my opinion, based on my own experience and the experience of other foreigners, they are nothing more than a racist, xenophobic small-minded bank that, as a financial institution with branches in other countries, should know better.

Some may say, well, why don’t you go to another branch? Well, why should we as foreigners have to shop around for a branch that will actually follow the laws of Korea? To heck with that. They lost mine, and my family’s business.

If you use Kookmin Bank, KB, KBStar you are like the black man that was the cook, butler and driver for the local KKK Chapter. If you like being thought of as the Korean version of a n**ger, keep using them. They will be more than happy to take your money and spit on you. Enjoy.

I am not telling you to close your account or boycott the bank. That would be illegal, I think, in Korea (where truth came to die). However, if you do close your account with Kookmin Bank, KB, KBStar because of their racist and xenophobic treatment of foreigners, do me a favor. Tell them LOJ sent you.

KEB Begging For Money

Not a good sign. I was surfing over at Dave's ESL this morning (OK, so I was really bored, so sue me) and came across a thread about an e-mail sent out by Korea Exchange Bank:

"In this financial turmoil and plummeting exchange rates there is still something that you can benefit from. The increasing won/dollar exchange rate gives you a never before opportunity to receive wire transfers from you country or abroad. So please stop by your nearest KEB branch and avail of our special discounts on inward remittance! (my emphasis)

If you don't have a KEB Account Don't worry! You can still receive wire transfer without A/C if the beneficiary details include your name, passport number and contact details in Korea. our staff will immediately notify you. Moreover you can avail of a 30% preferential rate while exchanging to Korean Won!

The more efficient way is , of course, to open an A/C at a KEB branch. To do so you just need to bring your passport or ID to our branch."

So, I guess KEB is begging for foreigners to bring money into the bank to help increase their foreign deposits as the Won goes into freefall. This is so transparent it isn't even funny.

Isn't it funny that when everything is rosy, foreigners are discriminated against and treated like virtual criminals by the Korean banks, but when times are tough they try to be your biggest buddy. Yeah, right. As soon as times are good again, foreigners will be back to their "rightful place." That being, evil round eyes who conspire to steal the wealth of Korea and must be stopped at all costs!!!!

I guess I could classify this under the heading "They just don't get it."

Some Links For Ya

I was looking at my bookmarks on my computer and thought I'd post some of them here in case they may be of use to anyone. Sorry, no porn or anything like that. Mrs. LOJ would do a penisectomy on me if she found those on my computer - that's why I bought a laptop! heh, heh, heh.

Anyways, here ya go:

http://jejulife.net/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rhymeswithjeju/

http://www.jejunews.com/

http://www.jejusori.net/

http://www.hallailbo.co.kr/

http://www.jemin.com/

http://english.jeju.go.kr/?ss=6263623530336563653661633937383966393664346236356465653133376164

http://www.seogwipo.go.kr/

http://native.jje.go.kr/info/sub_01.php

http://www.jedcast.net/

Some of the links are all in Korean, but some of the pictures are nice. It might help you get a feel for the place if you are thinking of coming over for a year or so. Rhymes with Jeju is a Yahoo group so you'll need to get a Yahoo ID to get into it. Jedcast is a local education site. It is in Korean but if you get into the video courses for English you can see what your co-teachers are teaching, and get a feel for the teachers general English ability. I hope some of these help. Have a great weekend.

English Teaching Materials on the Web

As most teachers on Jeju know, most of the government sponsored curriculums and textbooks in the schools are..... how shall I say it............. CRAP. That is, even if a teacher is fortunate enough to even be provided a curriculum and text when they arrive at the school. I didn't mention being provided "supplementary materials" because if I did so, some would think I was hitting the happy weed.

Anyways, teachers often have to search the 'net to find something (anything) that they can use in the classroom. I am no different. I recently joined a site that may be of interest to others. It is free and has A LOT of information and materials including audio and video, for those who have the facilities to employ them. I recommend you check it out. It is called EFL Classroom 2.0 and can be found at the link below:

http://eflclassroom.ning.com/

David Ddeubel, a SMOE teacher, is in charge of the site and has done A LOT of good work. My hats off to him. Good job, Dave ..... and thank you.

Teacher Training Presentation

I was surfin' the 'net and came across a series of videos that may be of use to new teachers on the island. I originally found the videos on Youtube and later rediscovered them on a website for a recruiter. Since they are all in one location at the recruiter's site I will post that link instead of several different links from Youtube.

My posting of a link to a recruiter's website DOES NOT mean that I endorse the recruiter. I know nothing about the recruiter and/or their reputation. With that being said, I think the videos may help new teachers on the island who feel lost and/or clueless about what they are supposed to do in the classroom. Enjoy.

http://www.asknow.ca/training.aspx

LOJ

Health Insurance For Teachers, etc

I saw the following article in the Korean Herald and decided to post it here. Getting signed up for health insurance is an area where many foreign teachers, especially in hogwans (private academies), have found they have been ripped off. The Director will take deductions but not sign the teacher up for insurance - or won't even deduct anything and not sign the teacher up.

I have also heard stories where the teacher will stupidly agree to the Director's suggestion that the teacher doesn't need health insurance because the hogwan would cover any and all medical expenses. Yeah, right. Just get seriously ill and see how long that agreement will last. If your Director fudges on medical insurance, quit.

Most hospitals that I have experience with require a pre-payment or insurance card for treatment - even in emergency situations.

Anyways, there is some good info in the article so I thought I'd post it. I highlighted some areas to which you should pay attention.

Health insurance for non-Koreans

Anyone who has had the experience of residing in a foreign country will understand that one of the biggest fears is getting sick or being injured. Such fears are compounded by communication difficulties due to a language barrier.

As a part of the social security system, Korea's National Health Insurance provides health care benefits to all those insured. The insurance policies can be classified into two categories - individuals employed and those self-employed.

Those who are registered as foreigners with the immigration office and those insured by their workplace are entitled to "employed" coverage. Application for enrollment should be made by the employer, who is responsible by law for covering its employees under the National Health Insurance policy.

It is important to make sure your employer is following the law and providing you with health insurance. If the employer fails to do so, you should contact the local administrative office - and it will help a great deal to have someone with you that speaks Korean.

In the case of "self-employed" coverage, non-Koreans not eligible for employed coverage - mainly holders of the following visa types; F-1 to 5, D-1 to 9, E-1 to 10, H-2 - can voluntarily apply for "self-employed" coverage by visiting the nearest NHIC branch office.

The monthly contribution for "employed" coverage is computed by multiplying one's monthly wage by the contribution rate with half of the monthly contribution being paid by the employer.

The obligation of the contribution payment is retroactive to the date when the enrollee was employed and the contribution will be deducted from the monthly salary.

With "self-employed" coverage, the monthly contribution is calculated by multiplying one's monthly income by the contribution rate. If the monthly contribution is below average, the enrollee will be imposed the average contribution, and where income information is unavailable, the average contribution for the previous year will be applied. D-6 visa holders can get a 30 percent reduction and a 50 percent reduction is applicable for D-2 visa holders.

The obligation for the monthly payment is retroactive to the date when the applicant was registered as an alien in Korea and the contribution must be paid in advance each month.

The insurance benefits for non-Koreans are the same as those for Korean nationals. Inpatients are required to pay 20 percent of the whole medical expense and for outpatient service, 30 to 50 percent of the medical expense is charged. In addition, the NHIC also provides various support programs for those who are covered by its scheme.

Understanding the National Health Insurance program helps to reduce one of the biggest fears for non-Koreans living here.

For further inquiries, please call the NHIC call center for non-Koreans at (02) 390-2000.

(In Shin Jeju the NHIC office is across the street diagonally from the tall Cheju Tourism College building.)

Hope the information helps. Remember, if you are employed say for six months and then your employer wants to, or is brow-beat into, signing you up for health insurance, you and he/she will be liable for paying for all months that you have been in Korea and not covered. So, if you arrived in January, but didn't get signed up until June, you and your boss would still have to pay the premiums from the past January through June. If it were me, I would sure as hell tell my boss he/she would have to be responsible for 100% of the back premiums.

Don't let him/her tell you YOU have to pay for 100% of the back premiums in total because "It's the law." Yeah, it's the law and your employer is the one that broke it. Health insurance, in any country, is one area you should never gamble.

All it will take is one drunk ajosshi on a scooter hitting you and you will be in a world of hurt both physically AND financially. Why risk it?

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/

Korean Racist Visa Policy in the Korean Times

I saw this on the Korea Times website this morning. It discusses the loopholes (can you say "Swiss cheese?) that are in the current Korean visa system. All I can say is "Amen."

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/117_32169.html

A couple of things jumped out at me as I read the article. Among them was this:

Kim Tae-soo, an immigration official said, ``It’s our authority and policy to favor ethnic Koreans. We know there might be unqualified ethnic Koreans teaching English here, but you also need to understand there is no 100 percent perfect system. Other European countries also favor to their own people.’’

Besides admitting to racist policies, Mr. Kim does not seem to understand that European countries are specifically prohibited from discriminating based on race. His reference to "their own people" is illuminating as it shows he does not understand the difference between citizenship (EU) and race. I think Mr. Kim would do well in the Chosun Dynasty, and not in the 21st Century.

It is good that the article appears on the front page of a paper targeted towards English speakers. I wonder (doubt) if it will make it into the mainstream press.

I also wonder if anyone will write an article that discusses that when a "gyopo" commits a crime in Korea they are referred to as a "foreigner" and yet when they do something noteworthy they are referred to as "Korean-_________" or as a "Korean living in___________."

I believe all teachers who come into contact with kids should undergo criminal, drug and employment history checks prior to issuance of a visa or offer of employment is made. This should be done for ALL persons desiring employment as a teacher, regardless of nationality or race.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, "I have a dream............"

I Guess Some Do "Get It"

I was cruising around the 'net and came across the following article from JoongAng Ilbo. It talks about what I was referring to in my previous posts.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2892470

Some tidbits:

Despite the 60-inch flat screen television and travel-themed design, a fifth grader with the family name Kim is not too impressed. “It’s nice that the classroom is now bright and clean, but none of the class materials had changed,” he said.

It's nice to see that a 5th grader "get's it."

Despite the ample budget, software is insufficient. Besides a selection of teaching materials including books, DVDs and dictionaries, there is no standard English education system. “Although the facilities are pleasant and encourage student motivation, there is an urgent need for a program to utilize these benefits,” said a female English teacher who only gave the name Park.

I see Ms. Park "get's it." Too bad she was probably too nervous to give her full name. Such are the dangers of stating the obvious sometimes.

Despite this internal deficiency, however, the project is a financial jackpot for the interior design companies remodeling the classrooms. “Last year our sales were 1 billion; this year they have increased to 10 billion won. We are getting inquiries from all over the country,” said one company representative.

The real winners in all of this. Too bad. I thought education was about the kids. Stupid me.

Regardless of the country, why do governments always find it easier to throw money at a problem rather than rolling up their sleeves and fixing it?

English City on Jeju - They Just Don't Get It 2

Today I was reading JoongAng Ilbo, a paper in Korea that has an English edition, and came across the story about the planned "English City" on Jeju.

English education city planned for Jeju Island
October 02, 2008

In 2011, an entire city devoted to English education will open its gates on Jeju Island.

The Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs announced yesterday that the 3.8-million-square-meter (890-acre) Jeju English Education City will be established near Seogwipo.

The development of the international education area is aimed at reducing the amount of foreign currency that leaves the country with the vast number of students going to study abroad. It also hopes to attract foreign students and become an education hub in Northeast Asia. Several local governments, including Gyeonggi Province, have been running English villages where students can learn English as a second language, but this is the first time a whole city has been planned.

Jeju International City Development Center will be in charge of the project, the cost of which is estimated at 1.4 trillion won ($1.17 billion). The plan includes the establishment of 12 schools in total, including four elementary, five middle and three high schools, by 2015. There will also be other facilities such as cultural complexes and residential areas.

The government is planning to attract 9,000 students from Korea and abroad. All classes other than Korean language and history will be conducted in English, with native speakers as teachers.

Construction is expected to begin as early as the first half of next year.

The first three schools are scheduled to open in 2011 and the rest will open gradually by 2015.

The city hopes to draw in a total of over 22,000 people. Sales of apartments and commercial spaces are scheduled to begin in 2011.

I put in bold a couple of things that kind of bothered me. The first is the primary reason for the project, to keep "Korean money" in Korea. The second is in furtherance of the "hub" dream (fantasy). Little is spoken of as to the benefits of a such a complex with regards to students acquiring English as a Foreign Language.

The only thing mentioned about learning English was a reference to other English "villages" that have been built willy-nilly around Korea. What this article fails to mention is that those villages are almost universally regarded in Korea as complete and utter failures with regards to learning English. As an aside, they have also proven to be financial blackholes for those local governments that went head long into the projects without any serious thought. I'm not saying anything that hasn't been written in Korean newspapers over the past year, by the way.

So, here again they are going to spend 1.17 billion dollars U.S. on the "hardware" project. (1.17 BILLION DOLLARS!???). That's a heck-of-a-lot of money to spend on nice looking buildings and facilities that real estate speculators can make a killing on in 2011.

I could write numerous paragraphs on what is wrong with the idea. But, why waste my breath.

I will say that the money earmarked for the Jeju Island version of a white elephant could be better spent in the existing public schools on Jeju with improving the "software" problems that plague English education on Jeju.

For example, professionally developing Korean English teachers to conduct English classes in English would be nice. How about really doing the research and inviting both Korean AND non-Korean experts in the field of EFL to develop an effective curriculum for use in the public schools and stop relying on 20-something no-experience native speakers to "wing-it." Or, how about hiring enough qualified native speaking teachers so that speaking classes in public schools can be limited to no more than 15 students each. Or, how about establishing a program for the hiring native speaking teachers, providing them with Korean language instruction, professional development and such and finally establishing a career path for those foreign native speaking teachers with the talent and desire to stay for the long term.

But, alas, they just don't, or want to, get it.

Ya know, if I didn't care so darn much for this island, and its kids, this kind of stuff wouldn't be so darn frustrating. But, I do and it is.

They Just Don't Get It

Live on the island long enough, say more than a day, and you are sure to hear the mantra "Jeju Free International City" or "Hub of (fill in the blank)." That's all fine and good, but no matter how many times you say something, it is not going to happen unless you do the work to make it happen. I'm not talking about yet another friggin' golf course or MOU signed with some company from another country to build some grand resort or facility or whatever. I'm talking about understanding what the heck you are talking about with regards to whom you are talking about. This where Jeju Island, and Korea, fails miserably.

Jeju Island, and Korea as a whole, hasn't figured out that a computer is only as good as the software. Huh? Yeah, software is what I said. Let me explain.

The latest big push for English education is on. A lot of money is being budgeted for upgrading facilities. They want to making very nice classrooms, buy multi-media equipment, books, etc., etc. In other words, they are spending it all on hardware. Very little, if any, is being spent on software - improving the quality the teaching and classroom environments. In other words, if they can't touch it or see it, it is not important. I could go on and on, but let me just give an example.

I know of a school that is getting a lot of money to make a whole new classroom for English language instruction. Everybody is so happy, and it is nice. However, there are still going to be over 45 students in each class. The students will be in a speaking class only one time a week for 45 minutes.The foreign teacher still won't have a thoroughly researched and proven curriculum and/or lesson plans, but will continue to be expected to come up with their own. Etc, etc. etc. So, they'll end up with a nice classroom, but the students will not improve in their speaking ability. And the powers that be will be unable to figure out why. It's the crappy software, stupid!

Until the powers that be on the island figure out that crap, no matter how well packaged, is still crap, the students on the island will be at a disadvantage. They are the victims in all of this.

What got me thinking about all of this? Believe it or not, it was a tour. A tour? Yep, a tour for foreign teachers. Or, rather an advertisement for a tour for foreign teachers. Let me show you a page from a local newspaper:

LINK TO JEJU ILBO

The page in the newspaper/website is for foreigners to sign up for a free tour of the island. Did you notice anything about the advertisement/registration information? How about that it is all in Korean. Uhhh, most, if not all, foreign teachers on the island are English speakers. Few are skilled enough in Korean to figure out what the heck you are talking about.

It takes a Korean speaker to find out the information about the tour, translate it for the foreigner and help them sign up. Now, for EPIK teachers on the island Ria Kim, remember her, has tranlated it and sent an e-mail out to all the EPIK teachers. But, the original notice, addressed to teachers was written only in Korean. The notice that came to me at my school was in Korean, only. The newspaper ad is only in Korean. Yet the target audience are English speakers.

To lay it out again. The hardware is the "tour." All the people at the Jeju Ilbo and the Education Administration are probably patting themselves on the back for having a tour. The software is the "language" it is communicated to the target audience in. Here, as always, they fail miserably. This software problem is a constant barrier in Jeju Island's striving to become something more than a tangerine soaked backwater in Asia.

They just don't get it.