Language Class

When I first came to Korea I knew absolutely no Korean, but like many newcomers was determined to learn at least the basics.  I picked up the alphabet rather quickly (which is not saying much; it is easy to do!) but didn’t make much progress in December.  I learned days of the week, simple counting, and a few basic phrases.

Matt, my coworker who also arrived in late November, bought a Korean language book that seemed to help his studies considerably.  I decided to do the same, and while at the book store met a Korean teacher who invited me to a language class.  She worked at a public school during the day and in the evenings taught English to foreigners.  Apparently a new beginner class was about to open up, so I agreed to visit the school.

When I arrived they gave me a placement test, which was daunting to say the least.  As I expected I was placed into the beginner class.  The school took up one floor of a ten or so story office building, and although small, seemed professional.  I was taken back when they told me the lessons were free!  My next thought was, “well then, what’s the catch?”  What I gathered was that a wealthy benefactor had set up the school to facilitate cultural exchanges and to help foreigners better understand Korea.  There were no upfront commitments necessary on my part and it all seemed legit, so I decided to give it a try.

The class was originally located in Sincheon (not to be confused with Sinchon, near Hongdae), only
one subway stop from my apartment in Jamsil

I started class in late January, initially three times a week.  It was a bit much for my schedule but I tried to make most of the classes.  The class sizes were small – typically around half a dozen students.  After a month or so a core group of 4 or 5 students developed, and we all got along well.  Two of the other “regulars” were married to Korean women, and nearly all of us were English teachers (there were a few Chinese university students who came and went).

Bobby (left), one of the regulars; a few classmates have watched 
him do stand-up comedy in Itaewon

In the spring our class was switched to twice a week, which definitely made it easier.  If I only went once a week, which was not uncommon, my Korean wouldn’t improve much.  But it was nice to keep the material fresh and spend time with the friends I had made too.

In June I got an offer to teach extra classes with 5 university students, and unfortunately their class conflicted with my Korean group.  My plan was (and still is) to spend the year here and then leave for travel, so I figured the extra money was more important than learning something that I would only be able to use for a few more months.  Besides, I had made good progress – not great, but better than many teachers I know – so in my mind there was no immediate need to keep studying.

My schedule became crowded when I lucked out and
landed a conversational class teaching five uni students

I still meet up with the other students, and a few weeks ago our teacher invited us all to a Peace Festival.  It was supposed to be a huge event with over 100,000 participants and spectators from all over the world.  After attending I can say those were both probably true – but the festival was not exactly what I expected.

The festival was at the olympic stadium in Jamsil

It turns out that this gathering was organized by a religious group who has a reputation as quite the spurious organization here in Korea.  I don’t want to mention their name or go into details, and I must add that most of what I’ve heard is second hand information.  The show was actually amazing, with Olympic style choreography and showmanship.  Things seemed to be normal until the performers spelled out Jesus, to a roaring applause.  Odd, I thought.  Well maybe they will just review the major world religions?  Then the show took a turn for the fanatical with scenes of Adam and Eve (in the year 4000 BCE of course), Bible verses, and, oddly enough, a dragon eating through what looked to be a menorah.

When my classmate’s Korean wife heard the name of the group that organized the event, she told him that he couldn’t go back to the language school.  And I do mean couldn’t, not shouldn’t; she refused to talk to him when he said he was considering attending the next class.  Koreans have a penchant for over-dramatization, but I don’t think she would get that wound up over nothing.  I wasn’t even sure if the school was connected to the religion, but it seemed that at the very least some of the teachers went to the Church, and possibly the school was directly funded by it (or one of its members).

Many Korean Christians are extremely devoted to their Church

Thanks in large part to insistence by their wives, two of the “regulars” decided to quit language class.  I figured that even if my schedule opened up I wouldn’t go back either.  Not that I was scared of being converted, but I still felt duped in the sense that they presented it as a free class to try and guilt trip you into attending their religious events.  Recently my (ex) Korean teacher also texted me to say she was quitting.  I haven’t found out why, but I think that makes it easier for us to quit.  In the end I gained a lot from a class that was essentially free, so I would certainly still consider it a positive!  Let’s hope they don’t stumble across my blog and realize I’m posting about their Church!