재미없어요!

First off, my apologies to any Koreans that may be reading this site for any spelling and grammar mistakes in Hangul...feel free to correct me, as 센가 업서요 !!! 바보 이에요!!!

This week was the first week of the Korean academic year. My timetable changed a further two times this week..something I have got used to. The Boss didn't bother giving a new 1 to 1 student a speaking test, thus he arrived to class with book that was difficult for him. I took the initiative and conducted a speaking test during the lesson, and concluded that book 1 is far more suitable than book 4, as both his confidence and speaking ability is low. How could the Boss make such a blunder? He must have gone by age without taking ability into account (given lack of speaking test prior to the lesson). Thus after class the boy accompanied me to the Bosses office whereupon I explained that he had been given the wrong book, and the reasons why I am choosing book 1 for him. He has now been placed with 3 other students who are on the same book...but they are at the end of the book, while the new student is at the beginning!!!!

Today I had a new 4th grade student whose English level blew me away...I could actually hold a conversation with him, unlike my Middle School students. As it turns out, his previous Hagwon was SLP, the same hagwon that my best 1 to 1 student attends (who is nearly fluent at age 12). I am wondering what SLP's secret is, as is his Korean English teacher. I suggested that maybe SLP only does English, and that they have more than one foreign teacher, unlike my hagwon, which has only one foreign teacher (me!) and covers a wide range of subjects. Each class gets to see me only once a week, which really isn't enough, but the Boss clearly is more concerned about money than he is about the standard of education that the students are receiving. The most successful hagwons actually have an interest in their students education, have a child-friendly, fun environment, and retain students as a result. Meanwhile our hagwon is constantly "recruiting" new students to make up for the rapid fall in numbers. (I only hope that I will continue to get paid...and get my severance at the end of my contract, in which case I will hop, skip and jump all the way to Thailand!).

I really don't like the way the English department is organised, right down to the books that we use; Look and Say is far too easy, while Stoma is too hard and doesn't represent real conversation...and the Korean English teachers agree with me...but it not our decision, unfortunately. Meanwhile the Middle School books are not at all interesting, I am bored my it (and I have expressed as such to my students-in Korean, and won some respect) the students are bored by it, and there is no way I can make it interesting (trust me!). At least I get full autonomy in my 1 to 1s, whereupon I have inadvertently chosen some famous conversation books to teach them conversation. I much prefer my 1 to 1s; I choose the book, I decide the pace, I design the tests, and as a result I can really see my students progress.

Today and yesterday I held an hours conversation with Seok-Jae's wife...50% Korean!!!! I'm so proud!!!! Though to be honest, it was only because the Korean I have studied so far just happened to be relevant to the topic of conversation in hand. Still, its better than nothing!

This weekend will be a quiet one, as will next weekend. The aim is to reduce spending over the next couple of weeks so that I can afford the trip to Gyeongju (and province) with Rob. I will probably take a walk in the local park, and take some more photos of the view of Gunsan city and Gunsan port (see later). Still, it is pay day at the end of next week...and The Boss owes me another 1/4 of my flight (woo hoo!!!). I am prepared for another round of smutty remarks from his Gracious Perverted Self (변태, always on pay day), which don't bother me in the slightest, as I feel sorry for him rather than angry with him. The other week, I chased him round the office with a tube of lipstick...which amused the Korean teachers as they are so scared of him.

Oh dear, yet more complaining! I am enjoying life here in Korea, honest!!!