Cauldron

Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Kyle White Kyle White poses with fellow participants of the Jungmun Penguin Swim, an annual January plunge into the Pacific Ocean. All EPIK teachers were given one extra day of vacation to attend the event.

In a time when the euro and the pound dominate the U.S. dollar, the traditional backpacking trip across Europe upon graduation is unfeasible for most students who are unwilling to sleep on park benches to afford it. Instead, many are opting for an altogether different experience: teaching English abroad.

UST alumnus Kyle White said he desired to see the world and experience other cultures for years, and that he wanted to do it soon after graduation.

"I was afraid that other things-a career, house and car payments, children, illness and all the other inconveniences that come with growing up-would get in the way," he said. "I wanted to travel before I was bound."

His girlfriend, alumna Alicia Acevedo, said she was feeling a little bored with her post-college life and was inspired to teach abroad by her mother and sister, who both had good experiences doing just that. "I saw how well-rounded they were and wanted that for myself," she said.

White applied for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, a government-sponsored program in Japan with notoriously high standards for acceptance. But, with no teaching certification or ESL training, he did not make the cut. He also applied to a program in France and to the English Program in Korea.

Acevedo said they both elected to go through EPIK because of the program's simplicity as well as the demand for English-teaching jobs in Korea.

"Korea combined the East Asian culture I was interested in and with a much more reasonable and open application process, as well as a much better rate of pay," White said.

Established in 1995, the Korean Ministry of Education-sponsored EPIK employs native English speakers in public schools in both rural and urban areas to teach alongside the Korean English teachers who they are paired with. Applicants to the program must have a bachelor's degree, a requirement that is common in English teaching programs all over the world. EPIK also requires that applicants live in an English-speaking country for 10 years before applying.

"As an English major, I had a rather limited array of entry-level job opportunities," White said. "This is one of the few lines of work that actually celebrates a bachelor's in English."

After a one-week orientation at Korea University in Jochiwon, White and Acevedo moved to Jeju-Si, South Korea, the largest city on Jeju Island, to begin teaching.

Although White and Acevedo have picked up a few words and phrases in Korean, teaching the children has been far from easy. "The kids are cute, but it's very challenging with them because of the language barrier," Acevedo said. "I've been really bad about learning because it's not a country where you have to pick up the language out of necessity."

One advantage to teaching abroad is the salary that many programs offer. Acevedo said that she and White are able to save around $1,000 per month. With plenty of vacation time provided, the two recently spent New Year's in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

"We get paid well, and Korea has one of the best ratios of money earned to cost of living," White said.

Those vacation days have also provided plenty of time for White and Acevedo to fully immerse themselves in Korean culture. "I'm always trying to get the most out of my time here," White said. "I've gone to every festival, tried every strange food I can get my hands on and made Korean friends. Ultimately, I feel like a better person for having done it all-at least, a more knowledgeable and well-rounded one."

The experience has not been without its challenges, however. Both White and Acevedo said that they face a language barrier both in and out of the classroom.

"Having now dealt with finding housing, hospital stays and ordering food over the phone, I am better at improvisation," White said. "But I am still far from self-sufficient, and would be much worse off without the help of my local friends."

Acevedo said that the Korean English teachers they are paired with do not always have a firm grasp of the English language. "For a country that is obsessed with English and learning it, you would be amazed at how poor the English ability is with teachers that have supposedly learned it," she said.

In spite of the many challenges teaching abroad can present, White and Acevedo agreed that the experience is a worthwhile one.

"Considering how well we get paid for the work we do and the experience of living abroad, I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's adventurous enough and can adapt at least moderately well," White said.

Acevedo said she recommends teaching abroad, but that those interested should research different programs and cultures as much as possible. "Don't expect things to be like they are at home," she said. "It is different and you have to be prepared for that."

Almost halfway through their one-year contract, the two said that they will be returning to Houston when their term is complete. However, neither said that would be the end of their time in South Korea.

"I would like to stay another year here in Jeju, but both me and Alicia have reasons to come home," White said. "But there's no way I'm done teaching abroad."

TEACHING PROGRAMS

JET Programme
The Japanese ministry of foreign affairs-sponsored Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme recruits thousands of participants each year to fill three types of positions. Assistant language teachers work with children in elementary, middle and high schools; coordinators for international relations work in various communities, promoting international exchange; and sports exchange advisers attempt to foster and improve relations through sports. For more information, visit www.jetprogramme.org.

WorldTeach
Volunteers in this program assist developing countries by teaching English and sometimes computer skills, math, science and HIV/AIDS awareness. WorldTeach offers 10-12 month programs in addition to summer programs, an option for those who desire a shorter commitment and are at least 18. Because WorldTeach receives no government funding, a fee could be charged. Programs are offered in diverse locations For more information, visit www.worldteach.org.

The Fulbright Program for Students
Each year, this U.S. State Department-sponsored program gives millions of dollars to students who use the money to teach and/or conduct research in more than 150 countries. More than 1,400 grants are awarded each academic year to fund university course work, independent research or professional training in the arts. For more information, visit http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html.

French Culture Assistantship Program
The French Ministry of Education and Cultural Services at the French Embassy offers 1,600 teaching assistantship positions in French schools. Students will spend six to nine months in France and receive a monthly stipend of $945€. American assistants must make their own residential arrangements. For more information, visit http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article396.

Info compiled by Abby Haun

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