Customer Reviews

Chopsticks and French Fries: How and Why to Teach English in South Korea

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When this arrived, I couldn't believe it qualified as a book, so I checked out the product pages. Yup, there it was--50 pages. IMHO, that's a fat pamphlet, and at $7.95, somewhat overpriced.

Nonetheless this book contains some practical knowledge. For example, a list of things that aren't readily available, and therefore worth taking; other items that are available, but a lot more expensive. But most important, though no one expects to need it, she includes a list on phone numbers. You can find numbers for embassies easily enough elsewhere, but the true gem is an assortment of phone numbers for Korean government agencies that deal with foreign English language teachers.

So, okay, maybe a lot of the rest of this book could have been found on the internet. Here it's gathered in one place.

Overall, it's worth at least a read at the library even if you have to request an interlibrary loan, if it's not in the bookstore--because it's so short, it won't take long! And if you're short on cash, copy out those phone numbers for the Korean agencies involved with foreign language teachers.

Another book to consider: Korea Calling: The essential handbook for teaching English and living in South Korea. At 173 pages, it has more than triple the coverage of what are mostly the same topics. At $14.95, that's the better value--except for thost phone numbers...

This book is only 50 pages and it was written years ago. It's not a very helpful guide. I have been living and teaching in Korea for the past 4 years, so I know what I'm talking about. Just do a web search for Korea blogs or Korea teaching memoir and get all the information you need.

This book helped me be prepared for teaching English in Korea. Now I'm here in Anyang, Korea and loving it. Check out my blog at [...]

...both for the author and the reader. This little book was my first guide to teaching English in South Korea (not including a full and witty 70 page document prepared by my recruiting agency). This book is short (but see below), attractively presented, and inexpensive. The author adopts a frank, reasonable, informal voice, and is quite likeable. As a foreign-English-teacher-to-be (I'll be leaving for Seoul next month), I'm glad to have read the book. The book contains a number of nuggets which should help to minimize culture shock.

There is a welcome warning about the Korean preference for rote memorization. Apart from this, however, and one page of suggested teaching activities, there is actually nothing on teaching methodology, no small disappointment to me. Korean language aquisition is completely overlooked. There is absolutely no bibliography, a serious defect which will hopefully be remedied in future editions. Any book of this nature should include at least one or two annotated entries on each of the following:
-general guides to traveling South Korea (travel guides often include cultural orientation in addition to travel information)
-general guides to teaching English in S.K. or in the far East
-introductory and intermediate Korean-language resources

Despite the author's respectably-sized database of interviews, there are no percentages or figures of people quoted on any subject.

In short, the book only lived up to half its subtitle (which probably should have been "...Cautions in Culture-Shock"). The price means you can't go wrong buying it; the ommissions mean you'll need to shell out more elsewhere (after having researched the titles you'll need to purchase).

Last month I got a job in Kwangju, and looked for info about my future experience. I bought Chopsticks and came here to Kwangju, and have used the book to help me get centered here in Korea. It's good, but short, and when a book leaves you wanting for more it makes you wish it were longer.

I was worried about going abroad to teach English in South Korea, and this is the best source I found to calm my fears. It has a list of resources in case you run into trouble, too, at the back.

I just bought this book for a job in Kwangju and have already used it. It's made life in my new home comfortable just knowing a few things about what to expect. Recommended!

I thought Korea was great, and enjoyed my year there. I was surprised to see the review, and then checked out other Korea books and the same person said the same things about Korea. I doubt M Jo read the book.

Korea has the worst reputation in terms of teaching jobs. Look up "Korean school blacklist" on Google and see the State Department's travel advisory on Korea - gives a lot more useful info than this piece of fluff.