It's been a long time since I've posted, so I'll try to make up for it by posting something a bit longer than usual.
I was going through some of my old files and documents and I came across my original application essay for my first job in Korea at YBM/ELS Sisa-yong-o-sa I thought I would share it with those of you who might be wondering why I came to Korea. I not too proud of the prose (I think it's a little bloated), but the sentiment stands! I think I've accomplised most if not all of the missions I set out for myself. Read on...
There is a question that has been asked of me a great deal as of late. My friends have asked me; my family has asked me; my employers, past, present, and prospective have asked me: "Why do you want to teach in Korea?" My answer to all of them is the same: opportunity. Teaching in Korea affords me the opportunity to do many things that I have always wanted to do in my lifetime.
At the forefront of my life's ambitions is a desire to see the world. Not just to travel, but to actually see the world as it exists. In doing so, I hope to be more than just a causal observer. I want to experience different cultures, learn new customs, and achieve a greater understanding of the differences and similarities that make us all human. Visiting various countries around the world as a tourist would allow me to achieve some of my objectives, but I believe that it is only by working in a different part of the world that I could truly become immersed in the cultures and customs of that land. Korea, and indeed all of what North Americans call East Asia, fascinates me. By working and living in Korea, I hope to expand my knowledge and awareness of that country and of the world around me.
A second opportunity that arises from teaching in Korea is the opportunity to explore myself and my language. As a student of English I have always been fascinated with the power of words. I have explored that fascination as a novice poet. I hope that by teaching my language to people who are not already fluent in English I can achieve a better understanding of my own language while at the same time receiving exposure to a new language. By living in such a different part of the world than what I am used to, I hope to learn more about who I am. I feel that a person can learn a wealth of information about him or herself simply by changing his or her environment. That is what I hope to achieve by moving to and working in Korea. A change of environment that will allow me to further appreciate my own language and to better understand my own self.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not include employment as one the reasons behind my decision to move to Korea. As a result of the Saskatchewan educational system being inundated with newly graduating teachers each year, the chance of finding employment grows slimmer and slimmer. What employment is available requires me to relocate. So if faced with relocation within my own province or relocation to a different part of the world where I could both teach and learn so much, I choose the latter.
I view employment in Korea as the single greatest opportunity I have yet encountered. I believe that I posses the talent, ambition, desire, and ability to do what is required of me. I feel that by gaining employment in Korea, both Korean students and I would benefit. I have a wealth of skills and abilities to offer and am looking forward to supplementing my life experiences through employment in Korea.
