Mr. Mao, I think the message is Canadians are lesser North Americans. I think this is what you are trying to draw out. Come on you know what you read. You took the bait. I don’t have an issue with you guys who come over to teach English, but you seem to draw negative attention to yourselves at every turn. People ask me if I am an English teacher and I immediately take offense, I wonder why?

Lesser? You mean like the Japanese think the Koreans are lesser Asians?

You take offense at English teachers because you are a judgmental snob, perhaps?

I don´t think you should be teaching anyone.

Blame James R. Kincaid for ruining our moment:

This story allows us to fulminate against trivial problems while ignoring huge problems close to home, meanwhile wallowing in self-righteous porn babble: We are able to use the half-clothed bodies of ch…

Well, in my case, I like the hours, I like the benefits which far exceed what I could get in the US– housing is a big thing, coming from a place where a hole in the wall costs upwards of US$1000 per month. My taxes are lower, and Korea is strategically located to visit places that are considered ‘exotic’ back home.

On top of that, PC is not out of control like it is in the US. Anyone who has ever worked in an American classroom knows what I am talking about. When I add together savings on housing and lower taxation, I am making a hell of a lot more than I would in the US doing the same thing.

Culture and language are also aspects of Korean society that I am interested in and would not be able to experience back home.

Immigration should make a successful criminal background check a condition for issuing work visas– not just E2 visas, but ALL work visas. I am sure that it isn’t that hard to get a report after the appropriate paperwork is filled out.

TMC1233 wrote:
As a long-time English teacher here, I would support ANYTHING to raise the standards in hagwons. I am so tired of being lumped in the same category as so many LOSERS who are only here to make enough cash to get drunk every night and hook up with as many women as possible, and who don’t give a rat’s ass about the students whom they teach. I also find it embarrassing and culturally insensitive that so many of them dress like bums and have all kinds of metal hanging out of their faces. Don’t even get me started about guys with unkempt hair down to their waists…. What sort of impression does that leave on a closed society, such as Korea?

The fake degrees and irresponsible behavior have cheapened the whole concept of native-English-speaking teachers.

I agree 100% with this statement. I also support criminal background checks but I think that the school should pay rather than the individual teacher.

http://64.233.161.104/search?q.....=firefox-a

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