Have you always been curious as to what my experience is like teaching in the classroom? This video shows a snippet of what my Kindergarten and 5th grade classes are usually like.  It honestly depends on the day!

Today’s article is written for the Reach To Teach Teach Abroad Blog Carnival, a monthly series that focuses on providing helpful tips and advice to ESL teachers around the globe. I'll be posting a new ESL related article on my blog on the 10th of every month. Check back for more articles, and if you'd like to contribute to next month's Blog Carnival, please get in touch with me by leaving me your details in the contact form, and I'll let you know how you can start participating! 

Language can be expressed in many different forms which makes it so great when people can't communicate verbally. I know a few key phrases and greetings in Korean but I am still learning as I go and it can get pretty frustrating at times when I need more than a few key phrases to get through an important transaction, a request with my bank teller, or to simply ask "do you deliver? if so, can I purchase this dresser and have it delivered at this address on this particular day and specific time!" See...I bet that was a mouthful just reading it!

Good thing we live in a world that is so technologically advanced that no matter what your needs, they can be easily met through a simple application on your phone. I use iTransalate and it has done wonders for me so far. With this app, I was basically able to type that mouthful you just read and have it translated into Korean for the store associate. Then of course I had to immediately switch the settings so that she could respond in Korean and have it translated into English. Yes, it took about a good 30 minutes but at least I have a dresser now!
 
Here I am at Homeplus (Korean version of a Super Walmart) and I have my dresser ordered and feeling quite accomplished. Before exiting, I quickly remembered that I needed a stepping stool for my kitchen because I can't reach the top shelf (short girl problems). This is where iTranslate sort of "failed" me. See, you have to buy the app in order to use it limitlessly and I had been putting it off since it allows you 10 free uses per day and I've never had to use it that much or rely on it everyday. I didn't happen to keep track of the "conversation" the previous store associate and I had but apparently, we must've talked up a storm because I had used up all my 10 uses. Thinking back, I could've pulled an image of a stepping stool from google but at the time I was focused on other creative ways to ask a group of four store associates, that were conversing among themselves, where I could find a stepping stool.

After getting their attention, I began mimicking how a stepping stool was used. Filled with confusion, they tried to follow my body gestures as I kept emphasizing on this invisible "object" beneath my feet that I continuously kept climbing.  
Well before you know it, all four of them were mimicking my steps in hopes of better understanding me but we created a situation that looked more like we were attempting to do a Korean version of the "cha cha slide" with me being the lead of course! We couldn't help but laugh at ourselves for a good five minutes at how silly we must've looked in the middle of the aisle. Truly a memory I can never forget about my first month in Korea.

Living abroad can be challenging and the adjustment may take more time than you may have anticipated. I knew I was ready to leave my home country and explore living overseas, specifically Korea, and I thought it'd be so simple; just pack my bags and go, the rest will figure itself out....right? Not that I'm impulsive (maybe a little) but too much planning robs you from the fun of your encounter with the unknown. Not knowing what lies ahead or what you may discover is what traveling is all about! The people who have the best experiences are the least planners....
or so I've been told. 

This is my third week in Korea and it hasn't been a walk in the park. I love my job and I fell in love with my students on the first day but my life outside of work became isolating and often times frustrating beginning my second week. The frustrations of not being able to communicate with people or buying the wrong items because the only thing you can understand is the price and pictures become overwhelming. Everyday I felt like I was playing a guessing game and up-to-date I still feel this way. Stories of others' experiences here as teachers created false expectations because in reality your experience will be entirely different from their's. You may not necessarily have internet in your home (just got mine today) hooked up waiting for you or the awesome apartment you imagined you'd have in comparison to the ones you saw on YouTube and you may have to pay for unexpected expenses, things that will put a dent in your budget. 

Truth is, all these minor inconveniences have not taken away from my positive experiences thus far. I truly like it here. Not having enough money to cook every day leaves me no choice than to eat cafeteria food.  Eating in the cafeteria allows me to bond with my students and co-workers, although most times we exchange no more than friendly smiles. Making friendships and building relationships is far more rewarding to me than being able to check my Facebook messages and browse the web. I have re-evaluated my life more times in the three weeks I've been here than I have in all of my 25 years and I am constantly discovering new and sometimes exciting things about me. 

Apart from the inevitable growth in number (age), wisdom and maturity are also a part of growth that lie in your hands if you allow experiences to teach you. If you have read some of my posts you must know that I am very keen on being introspective, personal growth and development. Living abroad teaches you to let go of idealistic expectations,  adjust your dependency to material things and adapt to changes much more quickly. I know my life here will change me for the better and I can't wait to come back to this post a year later and see how far I've come! 

For some, Airports can be dreadful if you have long layovers or have to spend the majority of the day there for whatever reason. Before arriving in Korea, I had an 8 hour layover in Istanbul, Turkey and it was horrible. I've spent more hours than that in Dubai (11 hours) and they went by much quicker than the 8 in Istanbul. It all depends on the size of the Airport and what they offer. Istanbul was ridiculously expensive with everything sold in Euros. Thank goodness I saved my two bottles of wine bought for me by a Turkish passenger sitting next to me on the flight. Those wine bottles and a good book made the time a bit more tolerable since ONE cocktail ranged from $16-$19 and everything else was above my traveling budget. The wifi wasn't free, cost about 1 Euro but required credit card information and if your bank is like mine and suspicious of every country then a layover in Istanbul won't count as part of "traveling" and most likely block that transaction.

Welcome to Korea!! Not only is there free wifi but there's also an internet cafe where you can relax with a big desk and comfortable seats. I would advice to carry a personal small transformer fit for your phone or laptop since they don't provide those there. The cafe doesn't have a time limit and its only restriction is bringing in outside food or beverages.  Speaking of food and beverages, there are plenty of places to eat here including food courts. For those who prefer American franchises, you can get them here. I haven't explored the whole entire Airport from Gate 1-14 (pretty decent sized airport) nor all the 3 floors but I did find a Jamba Juice, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, Quizno's, Subway, and a Baskin Robbins. If you are a shopper, you can find a duty free with nice brand name items from cosmetics and perfumes to apparel and gifts. There is also entertainment here. The day I arrived was a live Opera show and it was really nice and lively. Overall, I give this Airport a thumbs up for cleanliness, easy to maneuver in, excellent customer service, friendliness, food, and entertainment.

Before arriving in Korea, I tried researching online to see if I could possibly use my iPhone 4s in Korea. I figured it had to be factory unlocked and that would be the only pre-requisite to getting my phone set up. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any YouTube videos on that particular topic. I asked around as much as I could to my fellow EPIK teachers and just like me, we were all lost and had no idea where to find that information. The main thing that kept circling around us was that it would be not only difficult to find a sim card that "fit" an iPhone 4 but that if you got lucky, your contract would be sky high. Heard numerous stories of how Koreans don't like Apple products and that your iPhone will most likely not be compatible. I decided to pre-purchase a Korean phone because I didn't want to take chances of being stranded at the airport and with no communication since I was traveling solo. F.Y.I. there are many pay phones posted at the Incheon Airport. Once arriving in Korea, it was fairly simple getting around the airport and the customer service was amazing. I never once got lost because every staff member that helped gave me clear and concise directions. I bought a bus ticket to Osan Air Base to visit a friend for the weekend and as soon as I met with her, I noticed she had an iPhone in her hand and so did her friend! I soon came to find out through them that getting your iphone set up in Korea is not at all like I had imagined it would be. I literally went down the street and found a pre-paid store that sold sim cards and phones. The sales guy popped in a korean sim card and activated it in under 20 minutes. It cost me $30 ($10 for sim, $10 for minutes and data, and $10 for activation fee). The monthly pre-paid plan is about $10 a month with 60 minutes and 1 GB of data. That may not seem much to you but for me it was perfect being able to get this service immediately. I have apps like whats app, viber, and magic jack that allows me to communicate for free and get by in the time being until I find other options and possibly even a contract later on down the line, should I decide to go down that route. For now this will do and I truly regret going with a Korean phone initially, not because there is anything wrong with one but because I wasted money doing so. I'm hoping that this video can benefit someone else and yield them from making the same mistake as I did.

EPIK (English Program In Korea) is a reputable South Korean  government sponsored program that hires English teachers in Korean public schools. Many people apply to this program through recruiting companies (the middle man that answers all your questions, handles your visa documents and ensures you're on track) but you also have the option to apply directly through EPIK. The recruiting company I will be specifically referring to in this blog/vlog is Reach To Teach ( www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com) because that's the one I dealt with in my application process.  There are many other recruiting companies out there that can provide you the same assistance depending on your personal preference. My video below provides you a more detailed description of my application process and experience but I will also write some basic to-the-point do's and don'ts to steer you from making the same mistakes as I did when applying and reduce much of that unnecessary stress. 

DO.....


RESEARCH:
I researched teaching abroad opportunities  about 7 months before actually applying. There is a vast of information via YouTube and the web, including blogs such as mine. When I realized that S. Korea was the country I wanted to start teaching in, I focused my research on Korea and Korean culture to confirm if this is a place I really want to go.
 
SAVE:
If you're working, start saving money for future unexpected payments. It's not just about filling out your application and sending it off to Korea. You will be required to do much more than that before you even get accepted, like getting a full FBI background check, getting documents notarized and apostilled, acquiring a passport if you don't already have one, pay for your ESL certification, and much much more. All these things cost money that will add up in no time.

ESL CERTIFICATION:
Make sure you get your TESOL/TEFL/CELTA or whichever one you prefer. I am currently almost in possession of a TEFL (2 lesson plans away). I decided to get mine from i to i because I was so confused as to which one was the right one (since there are so many) and Reach To Teach recommended it as well as provided a discount for booking one through them. These certificates are partially self paced but can take a long time to complete depending on the individual person. Self paced in the sense that you take your time on how much you're willing to get done in a day but you also do have an expiration date on a module, they usually give you 30 days to complete it. The modules are NOT easy and require a lot of thinking and planning as some of them will require you to come up with lesson plans with a given scenario. i to i is very thorough and they really test your knowledge of the English language, esp. the grammar section.  I would never recommend what I did, completing 140 hours in a month and a half.

TAKE CARE OF BILLS:
Thank God that I stay with the rents and don't have much to get rid of  besides two credit cards and my car. Luckily, my sister needed a car and I needed to get rid of one. That made this a little easier on me plus added some money in my pockets to finance my ticket to Korea. If you have more than I have to get rid of,  handle all those things before the last minute. This is a perfect ending of Do's and beginning of Don'ts...

DON'T....

PROCRASTINATE:
Even though this may be common-sensical for many, it isn't for all. I tend to procrastinate when I think I have plenty of time to get things done and that was mistake number 1. Because of that, I was late requesting my FBI CRC!! It usually takes 8-10 weeks to get completed but I happened to be lucky that it only took a month. Doing one module a day will not work when you have no time to waste and have to be certified by a specific time. Although I don't start teaching til' August, I already bought a ticket to travel elsewhere this summer so everything has to be done before I leave the United States, which is in less than a week. 

TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER:
Even though I was done with all my classes for my undergrad in February, my commencement wasn't til' middle of May.  I assumed I was getting my diploma during the ceremony.....uuhhh NO! I later found out that you get awarded a letter of completion on graduation day and your diploma is mailed to you 2 months post the graduation,which would mean I wouldn't receive mine til' July! I will be in another country in July!! This would have delayed my process and my visa documents, possibly messed up my chance to even begin in Korea.  Long story short, I didn't allow the first no from the registrar's office to discourage me. I called back again, twice more and the third time it was a yes. The person I spoke to was much more helpful and sympathetic of my situation. She had my diploma mailed to me the next day. There may be 10 people unwilling to help and that 11th one may be just make all the difference.