[Whistleblower]

Umm, I wouldn't really say I have encoutered racism, but I would say that I have encountered disagreements with Koreans. These Koreans are normally I wouldn't associate with though. They are bus or taxi drivers who have the guts to question me or pretend not to understand me. I think that this is very simple. They are not racist but they are just narrow-minded.

I remember when I had to take a bus home each evening and to be honest it was torture, but it did teach me the confidence to speak up in Korean. I would board the bus and tell the bus driver where I wanted to go (eg. the name of the Apartment). I was then looked at with a stare and a grunt "Uhh!". This was painful for me because I used to practice each day and night the usual sentence of where I wanted to go. After about ten months of this usual grunt of the bus driver, even though sometimes it was the same guy, I had enough. You know people can only take so much. So I spoke in my classroom voice with all aboard the bus hearing me the name of the Apartment. Nothing. Then the people on the bus started shouting to the driver the name of the bus. He even dismissed this and acted absent minded. When I got near the apartment I pointed to the Apartment and shouted "테산 (Taesan)!!!". He replied "ahhhh .... 테선 (Taeson)". I looked at him when he stopped and I said "Igouyaya" (a Korean expression used to say "you poor thing"). He got completely red and apologised. And since this experience it was so odd, I had no other problems since that incident. I used to think that the bus drivers would have bets on teasing the foreigner when he got on the bus.

Anyways, that was the worst incident I had in Korea. Of course you always have in your mind "is it me?". I think that it is not just how you think but how you really deal with the experiences that are important. If you really have something on your mind, then you should speak out. If you feel you are right just say it. But you need to act professionally, especially when dealing with the Korean English teachers. If you are right and you know you are right, then your fellow colleagues will understand your logic.

Nonetheless, I really appreciate the hardwork that non-natives provide when they teach at a school, but the teaching of English must have some relevance with experience of learning English earlier, preferably abroad. I understand that L2 must be used at a certain time to provide an understanding for the students if they find something difficult or hard to understand. However, if classes are conducted in a "Korean Style" then this is questionable. Korean classes are conducted by speaking in Korean and translating a paragraph of text. This is great if students what to be translators, but this is not good if students what to learn English. My wife's middle school student had just finished his English Exam at school. We looked at his papers and he got good results. But then we asked, "how do they test your speaking?" They don't is the answer and this is the major problem with Korean education of English. Koreans need to be more aware of English acquisition and the learning style of students. They really need to update their teaching methods if they want English as second language in Korea by 2008. But it won't work because the politicians or people in power learnt the Korean method and by them it works. They don't see the other points of view. Nonetheless, this is a great topic.