First Day at the Hagwan

Yesterday, we parted for the first time since arriving in Korea and went to our separate hagwans (Korean after-school tutoring centers). Scott's is within walking distance of Rochelle's apartment, and Amy took a bus to get to hers (the situation will be reversed when we move into our own apartment). We both spent the day observing the Korean teachers and NSTs (native speaking teachers). Class sizes range from 3 to 16, and ages range from kindergarden to middle school.

These hagwans are owned by the same people and have very similar curriculum. The curriculum is very focused on rote memorization, which does little good in helping the students truly learn to speak English conversationally. Because it is a business for privileged families in Korea, the hagwan is very focused on keeping the business of the parents, so they have the students memorize speeches and conversations to display to their parents. If the student does not perform up to the parent's expectations, the parent will simply pull the child from the hagwan and send them to another one next door (there is literally a hagwan on EVERY corner here). Thus, it is a very big deal at the hagwan to make sure the students are well-prepared to "show off" their knowledge to their parents.

The Korean teachers are very strict with their students and many use corporal punishment (slap on the back, flick on the head, slap on the hand with a ruler) to punish them for bad behavior and even for incorrect answers. This kind of punishment is the norm in Korea and the children seem very used to it. It causes the students to be very attentive and well behaved, but also quite terrified of their Korean teachers.

The students' time with the foreign teacher is thus viewed as a break from the intensity of their Korean teacher, which is why many of the students either act out with pent-up energy or feel comfortable putting their heads down and showing how tired they really are. It is a very heartbreaking experience to see these children (many of them are very sweet, kind, and truly want to learn) spend their entire days in such a strict environment with little room for fun or recovery.
It is going to be a great challenge for us to find a balance of getting through the curriculum to the owner's and parent's satisfaction, getting them to have a little fun, plus actually doing our own thing that will help them speak better conversationally. All in 30-40 minutes sessions.

We went out to dinner with all the other foreign teachers after work, and had a good time getting to know them all. Other than Rochelle, we are the only other Americans. There are teachers from England and South Africa. Amy is hoping to come home with a British accent since the only proper English she will hear around work other than her own will be with spoken with a British accent. :)

Please pray that we can find small ways to get through to these kids, and find volunteer opportunities to help out in other areas. There is a weekend orphanage trip that we are interested in getting involved in, and Amy would also like to find poorer Korean families who can't afford hagwans looking for English education and tutor the children for free (or perhaps for a home-cooked meal and some Korean lessons).

Please also keep in your prayers our health. We are both struggling with the spiciness and fishiness of the food, and are eating considerably less than normal. Amy is also struggling with stomach aches and head aches. We are hoping not to get sick as we adjust to our new environment.

Today we will be doing some more observation, and tomorrow we will be teaching most of our classes. We are looking forward to the weekend, exploring the city, and hopefully going to church on Sunday.

Thank you all for your support, and we will write again soon.