Hayleah was a dual language track major in our department, with a concentration in Chinese and French. She wanted to teach English abroad and found a position in South Korean in 2022. She has been living there ever since. Our interview took place 19 September 2023.
Bonjour Hayleah,
Thank you for agreeing to this interview. You left the country in 2022? To teach English as a second language abroad … in South Korea where you had secured a position.
Yes, I left the country in August 2022 to teach English abroad in South Korea. I currently work for the public school system in Gwangju, which is on the southwest coast of South Korea. I was accepted in the EPIK program. EPIK stands for “English Program in Korea” and is sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Education.
Question 1) How was your travel experience to your new country?
It was pretty smooth. It actually was my first time abroad since most of my study abroad opportunities were cancelled due to COVID. It was a pretty great experience. The program gave me a notice months in advance on what to prepare so it wasn’t that stressful. The hardest part was adjusting to the language and the new travel system.
I actually made a YouTube video if anyone is interested in watching the process.
Question 2) Are you acclimated to your new place yet?
I am very comfortable where I am. My language has improved a lot. I actually thought the help of my major would make it easier to learn Korean. If I’m honest, I deeply underestimated the language. However, I found a huge foreigner community here. I’ve spoken French several times and it has helped me make friends out here.
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Question 3) Now that you have been teaching English for over a year, has it become easier?
My public speaking has improved. I’m a lot more comfortable in a crowd and more calm when things go wrong.
However, I teach middle school students. In short, my students are moody and can be hard to motivate. But nevertheless, I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else. They’re honestly the highlight of my days since I am the only English speaker at my school. My coworkers don’t speak much English.
(I legally can’t take pictures of my students, so sorry for those who want to see. They are very adorable but Korea has strict picture laws. Out of respect for my students and their parents, I can’t include any photos)
Question 4) You were in the dual language track at UF, are you able to apply some of the language skills you acquired in Chinese, and French?
Most definitely, the Korean language is influenced by so many languages. There are so many French cafes and food here. I made friends from all parts of Europe who can also speak French fluently. South Korea is a major hot spot for French students to study abroad.
Also, the older writing system of Korea is called Hanja which is Korean written in Chinese characters. There also is a huge Chinese community of students who come to study.
