South Korea: A Glimpse into the World of Edutaining
SOUTH KOREA | Tuesday, 29 September 2009 | Views [497]
Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Debt. Many things loom in life. Yet none are worse than the terrible
phenomenon that occurs every spring across millions of towns: Graduation.
I did not
receive the memo about the available antidote for Post-Graduation Crisis. Many
of my friends didn’t either. I loved college, loved what I studied, but the
idea of not being in school anymore and becoming an adult? That scared me ten
times more than when I went skydiving or bungee jumping. However - lucky for me - after a few months of
worry and searching, one of the most perfect jobs in the world came my
way.
Here’s what a
typical day might entail at this perfect job starting at 9:00am. Pretty normal
so far, but at 9:00am I might be in rehearsal learning a dance to Michael Jackson’s
“Thriller” or getting ready to do an island adventure themed game show. In the
afternoon? Well, you might find me working on a new script or new music, then
performing in a concert hall dressed as a Greek God or Monster King.
Now,
you’re probably asking yourself... what the heck is this job?! Stop making me
guess! Three words: Gyeonggi English Village.
I am an
Edutainer at Gyeonggi English Village (GEV), in Paju, South Korea. Picture something like a theme park,
with an educational twist. Think Disney or Bush Gardens.
Add: 7 cups of education, a heaped spoonful of English language, 4 sticks of immersion and 5 cups of entertainment. Mix vigorously for 5 minutes and
you’ll have yourself a giant bowl of Edutainer.
I’m one of three
departments operating at Gyeonggi
English Village:
One Day Programs, One Week Programs and Edutainers. It has been one of the most
rewarding jobs in my life so far. Since coming here I’ve co-written a new
musical, worked on 4 musicals and I’m about to start directing our upcoming
winter musical. I also worked as a drama instructor for a program GEV hosted
for elementary school teachers, taught entirely in English. The antithesis of
desk job, I feel lucky to have this position.
I graduated with a Bachelor of
Fine Arts in performance from The University of Michigan in the U.S. and I’ve
been involved with music theatre since I was little. Nowadays, I get to have a
ball performing in various musicals, hosting game shows, and working on
different interactive entertainment activities where entertainment is the focus,
but learning and being exposed to English is at the heart and soul. I’m constantly
using so many different skill sets and I’ve grown so much as a person since
signing my contract. So imagine doing all of this in a foreign country too?
Korea has been
home for me since December 2008 and I love her very much. I’ve had the
chance to immerse myself in a culture so rich and fulfilling. I see the world
from a whole new perspective and get a chance to see things from the Korean viewpoint. My extended engagement with a new society offers me so much more beyond
the quick tourist trip. It’s something everyone should take part in. It’s
priceless.
Recently, I sat
down with some friends at a restaurant in one of my favorite neighborhoods of
Seoul. An Israeli backpacker passed by as we ate. The backpacker happened to
have met one of my friends the previous weekend. He chatted for a bit then trekked off to his
hostel. After a quick back-story from our mutual friend I found out the
backpacker had been in China and was heading to Japan. He had been doing on his way
for a few weeks now. One day he looked at a map and noticed, “Hey! There’s a
country between China and Japan!” He had never even been exposed to Korea. He
planned a quick three-day stop over to fix that and to add a notch to this
global belt. He has been in Korea for almost two weeks now. He too fell in love
with the country.
Don’t let this
oversight happen to you. Make the trip or put South Korea on your dream list. Then come
visit me at Gyeonggi English Village.
Cheers to
adventurous and safe travels!
-Matt Semler
All Photos Courtesy of Matt Semler and Gyeonggi English Village
Tags: south korea, tefl, teaching, entertainment, seoul, work and holiday, working holiday, tesl
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