HAGWON LIFE

HAGWON LIFE

A Hagwon is a private academy where Korean students come to learn English after they have already had a school day. At the Hagwon they get to practice speaking English with a native English speaker.  My Hagwon specializes in late elementary to high school students. I have about 18 classes of students that I see once a week, with a maximum number of 10 in a class. With my elementary school students I see them two times a week. For all my students we work out of a textbook the first half the class where they are asked to fill in the blanks to various English sentences. Korean education is very rooted in memorization.

In the second half they are asked to answer some free write questions and we 

discuss them orally (this week we talked about out hometowns).  

My hours are typically from 2PM - 10PM. I see the elementary school students (5th, 6th grade) earlier in the day and the high school students later in the day. I am the only foreigner in my office, and aside from Mr. Park, the only man. I work with about 6 other people. 

A classroom in the Hagwon

My prep office

Another Hagwon Classroom

Working in a Hagwon has many perks                    . 

Groceries courtesy of Mr. Park

Steak Lunch

 The Hagwon paid for my airline ticket, paid for my motel, and continues to pay for my apartment while I live here (I pay utilities). My boss, Mr. Park, runs the Hagwon with his wife. His wife runs the business side of things (quite well) and Mr. Park teaches classes. Mr. Park has been very generous. He has taken me out to meals and even bought groceries for me upon my arrival (note the Budweiser) . He took me to a steak lunch (y'know because I am American), and when I asked if he was getting steak he told me: "most Koreans don't eat steak for lunch." I'm not sure of anywhere that has steak for lunch, but I didn't want to seem rude so I enjoyed my lunchtime steak.