I can’t believe we’ve been in Korea for a month now— not a day more, not a day less. The beginning of my experience here was filled with a wave of hesitation, anxiety, cautiousness, and homesickness. This wave has since turned into fleeting ripples, as I’ve been able to form bonds within our program cohort and within Jiguchon that I hope will last a long time.
This week is our last week at Jiguchon, and I have not yet prepared myself for what I anticipate to be a tearful goodbye. With their endless exuberance, it was such a pleasure meeting the 5th and 6th graders this past week and learning fun dances, singing karaoke, and playing games such as Jeopardy and Pictionary in order to expand their vocabulary and teach them useful phrases. A total of 14 students, the classroom often grew to immense volumes that were hard to dial down, but seeing the kids have fun was definitely worth the chaos. Compared to the grades before, the 5th and 6th graders seemed the most interested in me and my personal life— the most common question being “Do you have a boyfriend?” I think I laughed during every class we had with them and I look forward to seeing them again on our last day at Jiguchon during the showcase.
Teaching the after school class, with a mix of middle and high school students, has also been a blast! Although there are a few students who have been more difficult to engage during the lessons, I think that we’ve made tremendous progress since our first day with them. We’ve covered topics such as travel, shopping, occupations, culture and traditions, and emotions with the hopes of teaching practical English in a way that promotes self-reflection, discovery, and curiosity about the world. Only two more days remain with this really sweet group of students, so I want to make sure everyone has as much fun as possible. For our final day, we plan to organize a Game Day/Talent Show(case) where students can reflect on all that they’ve learned and accomplished as well as share their passions and dreams with one another.
Next week, we will be teaching a group of students who do not speak Korean or only speak it a little. With the majority of students speaking Chinese, differences in language ability may present a challenge. However, with how well we’ve learned to adapt and work around language barriers using translation apps for example, I’m optimistic that the students will enjoy learning English with us and that they’ll be able to see us as friends just as much as, if not more than, we are teachers. All in all, I feel like this month has flown by, and I strive to savor every moment we have left together in Korea and create more meaningful memories!
~ Riana Coffman
