Professional Pathways 2

Discovering Your Community and Initiating Change

Can't find what you are looking for? Create it.

The world is vast, yet intimately interconnected. In recent years, I've witnessed individuals younger than myself venture beyond the traditional summer backpacking experience, exploring avenues beyond the conventional notion of entering 'real life.' While my background includes teaching business, a field often associated with multinational corporations (MNCs), my advocacy leans towards social entrepreneurship.

Teaching, to me, is a calling. However, I am a pragmatist as much as an idealist. I believe teaching is gradually breaking free from the constraints of institutionalism. Learning undeniably occurs within classrooms—controlled environments providing a safe space for practice under the guidance of mentors and within a community of practice. Yet, classrooms are not reality; they serve as a training ground for real-life scenarios.

In contemporary Korea, many English speakers, possessing degrees (occasionally without one or with questionable credentials), can teach through on-the-job training (OJT). Approaching teaching in Korea as an internship, OJT, or more fittingly, an apprenticeship, transforms the world into the classroom for an EFL teacher.

Unfortunately, some of the knocks that Korea gives the nascent or long-term English teacher are pretty harsh and irrevocable. My advice to those embarking on a teaching journey in Korea is to give back to the communities supporting them financially, communities they may not find the equivalent of in their home countries.

Whether your passion lies in beer or Korean pop stars, go beyond mere consumption. Find or initiate a community. Join a microbrewers club inclusive of Korean members. Start a fanzine or contribute to a blog about your favorite Korean pop stars. Engage in ways that contribute to Korea. I'm not suggesting everyone dedicate their Saturdays to teaching English to Korean orphans. However, it irks me when expats complain about the absence of 'real' live jazz music yet make no effort to start a jazz night at a local coffee shop, curate a playlist, and invite Korean friends or students to enjoy and, possibly, catalyze the very jazz event they desire.

Leverage social media to bring your community in Korea together. They are here— and they extend beyond English teachers. Embrace the multicultural opportunities Korea offers with its fast-growing international demographics.

Initiate Change - Forming Your Movement

The world craves engaged individuals. Be a global citizen, not a back-alley bystander. Living life to the fullest is wonderful, but if you're secluded, devouring your Paris Baguette salad or home-cooked ramen to save money for the next binge-drinking night out, you're missing an opportunity to shape your world instead of being shaped by it. What kind of world do you want to inhabit? Cease passively accepting roles, like being an EFL teacher, when it doesn't align with your true passion. If you aspire to be an environmental photographer or the guitarist in your own band, pursue it in Korea. Dedicate the time between lessons to honing your skills. Share photos of orangutans from your Indonesian trip, initiate discussions about wildlife protection with your students. Take your guitar to a local coffee shop or set up outside a convenience store, playing for passersby. Move. Move towards your goal. Launch a movement—advocate for yourself, your aspirations, your values. While working as an EFL teacher, gather feedback from the world and who knows, you might be the next Ansel Adams or Eric Clapton. Move. Movement. Initiate your movement. Find your community. Launch a movement with them.


Find more chapters of Prof Dev 4 EFL here.


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