It was most certainly an exciting time in my life but it was also a very challenging six months. Teaching is an art form and I am certain every person who has ever taught before will tell you it is no easy task. Now after teaching English abroad for over a year, 6 months in Thailand and 12 months in Korea, I am finally getting into the swing of things and I am excited to share my experiences on both countries.
I love Thailand and I love Korea, both places are very unique and the classroom of Thailand and the classroom of Korea have very different set ups. If you are thinking of teaching abroad in a public school and can't decide where to go, I hope this list can help you gain some extra insight. These are just my personal experiences and thoughts on both locations. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by.
Teaching in Thailand
1) Classroom size:
Matthayom level (Ages 12 through 17) - I taught Matthayom level in a public school and my classes were really big about fifty students per class. It can be a bit over whelming but hang in there!
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| My summer school class. (This class is smaller than the classes during the normal semester.) |
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| Going on a field trip with my students. |
2) Classroom discipline:
Many of the strict teachers would carry around sticks and slam them really hard on the desk directly in front of students. Other strange punishments I saw were hair pulling and Indian burns. I never used physical punishment, I don't believed in it.
3) Testing
You are usually expected to test and grade all of your students, for me this was about 650 kids.
4) Air conditioning
What?! you wanted air conditioning... our school had only fans and this is fairly common. It can get really hot, prepare to sweat it out.
5) Technology
Each classroom usually only has a chalk board, my school had one room with a projector that I could use on special occasions.
6) Welcoming duty
You will probably be assigned a morning welcoming duty where you will wai (Thai bow) to all the students as the enter school grounds.
7) Morning announcements
Every morning students line up and sit down in rows by there class assignments for the morning announcements, don't be surprised if you are expected to speak on some mornings (even though mostly everyone won't be able to understand you).
8) Uniforms
Thai students where uniforms, knee length skirts for the girls and knee length shorts for boys. Teachers are expected to dress conservatively, for girls this means either a dress or a skirt.
9) Respect
As a teacher in Thailand you are highly respected. It is one of the greatest things about working here, your work is really appreciated and you feel like you can really make a difference.
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| summer class |
At my school, I was expected to be there all day from Monday to Friday, usually you will have a lot of desk warming time (or nap time).
11) Involvement
My school loved for me to be involved, I participated in sports day, summer camp, parents day and helped with many a speech competition. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first but it is truly a blessing as you always feel welcomed and are able to pick up the language faster.
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| Students participating in sports day. |
Cheating in any school is not good but in Thailand cheating tends to be a big problem. Maybe it is seen more as sharing but I had to tell my students multiple times not to cheat, sometimes to no avail.
13) School food
School lunch is cheap and good, you can get a wide variety for about 30 to 40 baht (around 1 dollar). I could eat at the staff table or take it back to the English department where my office was located.
Living in Thailand
1) Cost of living
You won't make nearly as much in Korea but you won't need to as living in Thailand is ridiculously cheap. A good meal will cost you around 60 baht (2 dollars) and mini-vans and buses are very reasonable.
2) Apartment
Usually you won't get a washer or dryer and can either do your laundry by hand or have it sent off for some one to do it for you (this is usually really cheap). Also many apartments won't come with kitchens but as the cost of food is so cheap you don't really need one. Housing is provided in most teaching contracts.
3) Food
The food in Thailand is to die for. It is so good and so cheap and while sometimes it can get pretty greasy, especially pad thai, the food is overall fairly healthy and fresh. Be sure to check out the local open air markets, almost every town has them and the food is cheap, good and fresh. Thailand is also really good about cutting up fruit for you so you don't have to do it at home. Fresh fruit galore, yum!!
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| My local food market. |
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| Khao Soi (A famous northern Thai dish, this meal cost about 60 baht - 2 dollars) |
4) Transportation
Mini-vans in Thailand are cheap and fast.. they are also known to be a bit dangerous but they usually get you where you want for a good price. Watch out for motorbikes! They are everywhere and don't be surprised when your 12 year old students pull up to school on one with two of three of their buddies on the back.
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| Motorbikes are everywhere in Thailand. |
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| How I got to school most days. |
5) How conservative is Thailand?
Thailand is very conservative, it is not common to show public affection, show your shoulders or show anything above your knee also don't point your feet at people it is considered rude.
6) The wonders of Thailand
Living in Thailand is truly different but also amazing. The people are so kind and working as a teacher you feel respected. There are many astounding places to visit in Thailand. I came no where near close to seeing all I wanted to and I traveled almost every weekend during my sixth months abroad. Some of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life have been in Thailand, including breathtaking temples, mountains and beaches.
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| Phu Chi Fa, Thailand |
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| Wat Pho, Bankok |
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| Koh Chang, Thailand |
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| Chiang Rai, Thailand |
7) Scams
As with any country with a lot of tourists you will run into many scam artist, be on the look out especially in Bangkok.
8) Development/poverty/dog problems/prostitution
Outside of the big cities, development in Thailand is not very modern. If you are working in the country side you will most likely see more poverty. There are also many dog problems. It is often hard to see as many dogs get hit by motorbikes and are left with severe injuries on the street. Also, if you are not in a tourist area dogs tend to be very territorial and can attack. Prostitution is big in Thailand and a lot of older expats come here for the wrong reasons... they can be really creepy and give a bad name to other expats teaching in Thailand.
9) Level of English
A lot of Thai people are very happy to speak to you in English or teach you a few words in Thai. Since Thailand has many tourists, you will often find someone who knows enough basic English to help you out. For the most part Thai people are very warm hearted and like to help, they are upfront and tend not to be shy about there English skills even when they know very little. Be warned most Thai people will not approach you unless you approach them first, if you are in a tourist area and approached by someone who can speak English very well, they might be trying to scam you.
10) Time
Thai's tend to be laid back when it comes to time... really laid back. I would often have my classes show up only for the last 10 minutes of class.
11) My thoughts
Teaching and living in Thailand was one of the hardest and most rewarding experiences of my life. I was welcomed with kindness, experienced some of the most beautiful locations of my life and pushed back some of my greatest fears. I will forever hold a piece of this beautiful country dear to my heart.
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| Spirit houses can be seen all over Thailand. |
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| A view of Bangkok fro Wat Saket. |
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| Our local elephant, roaming the beach front. |
Teaching in Korea
1) Class size
I teach in a public elementary after school program and the class size ranges from about 5 to 10 students. If you are a full time public school teacher in Korea your class will usually be around 15 to 30 max. There is more structure in Korean classrooms (this makes things more manageable) where as in Thailand things tend to be a bit more laid back.
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| My student in Korea. |
2) Classroom discipline
The discipline is not as strict as in Thailand. Sometimes teachers will ask students to do strange physical positions as punishments or have the students stand while everyone else is sitting. In my opinion, punishments in Korea are fairer than in Thailand.
3) Technology
Korea is really technology advanced and most classrooms will have a t.v or smart board.
4) Testing
If you are an after school teacher you are not expected to grade and test your students.
5) Co-teacher
If you teach a full class, you will have a korean co-teacher to help you. This is great as sometimes the students simply don't understand what you want them to do.
6) Air conditioning
Most school have air conditioning but sometimes you are not allowed to turn them on due to the government power mandate.
7) Organization
Where Thailand tends to be more laid back about teaching, Korea has more of a system. It was much easier to manage my Korean classroom compared to my Thai classroom.
8) Involvement
As an after school teacher I am not expected to be as involved. This really depend from school to school though.
9) School lunch
Usually you eat school lunch with your students. It is a good way to bond. The meals are usually pretty good and healthy. My school charges 58,000 won per month for lunch (around 55 dollars).
10) Cheating
Cheating is not nearly as big of a problem as compared to Thailand.
Living in Korea
1) Modern
The first difference I noticed about Korea is how modern it is. The internet is super fast, the buildings are super tall and new technology is all around.
2) Buildings
There are many more apartments compared to Thailand and all the apartments tend to look very similar.
3) Cost of living
Costs add up but in my opinion it is still cheaper than America especially since you don't have the added expense of housing. Groceries tend to be costly and fruit is super expensive! My expenses in Thailand were easily half of what they are in Korea (but pay is about double if not more).
4) Food
There is so much exciting food to try in Korea but unlike in Thailand where it is easy to buy cheap food for one person this is not the case in Korea. In Korea, you usually eat out with friends as portions are often for two or more. You will have many amazing choices though from samgyeopsal to kimchi.
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| kimchi |
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| samgyeopsal |
5) Apartments
Apartments usually have a kitchen but no oven and a washing machine but no dryer. Housing is provided in most teaching contracts.
6) Coffee culture
There are coffee shops on every corner in South Korea, as well as bingsu places.
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| bingsu |
7) Festivals
You will find more festivals in Korea then you probably will anywhere else. They are great!
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| Jinju, lantern festival |
If you enjoy hiking, there are amazing hiking trails. You can join all the super fit ajima's (Korean aunts) and ajussi's (Korean uncles) on the trails, it is a lot of fun. When you get to the top of most mountains you will find a workout station because of course after you go for a good hike you need to work out even more. :P
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| We made it to the top of the mountain in Jinju, South Korea |
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| Seoraksan, South Korea - Great hiking location |
9) Public transportation
Public transportation is great and easy to use. Most cities have signs in English and you can get from one side of Korea to another either via express buses, intercity buses or trains. Local city buses are great but the ride can be very rocky, hold on tight! There are metro systems in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon. Taxi's are everywhere and easy to use but usually cab drivers speak no English.
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| Train in Daegu. |
10) Drinking culture
All I have to say is Soju (a Korean alcoholic beverage). Be warned it is every where, it is cheap, you can drink it at most restaurants or sitting outside of your local convince store. Also Koreans love drinking games, there are tons of them, prepare to become a drinking game expert.
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| My friends enjoying a night of Soju and pajeon (Korean pancake) |
11) My thoughts
In South Korea, I was able to develop my skills as an educator, take the time to settle into a comfortable life and enjoy the rewards of teaching. Living in South Korea has been great. It is a modern country with beautiful traditions and I felt comfortable, safe and happy during my time in this colorful country.
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| Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. |
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| A Korean temple. |
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| A friend of mine teaching an open class. |
-> One of the greatest things about teaching abroad in Asia is traveling and exploring many countries while having financial independence!
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| Visiting Hong Kong, China. |
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| Visiting Osaka, Japan. |
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| Visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia. |
Thanks for making it to the end. This is just a brief overview of my individual experiences in both countries. Take care and happy travels!
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| Don't forget to pack wisely :P |
