Bibimbap septr 2015

{bibimbap{ A Healthy Mix of EFL Teaching Resources, Information, and Korean Culture

Volume 3 • Issue 3

Classroom Projects Creative lessons for high school students. Page 6 A teacher's experience with the global community in the their classroom. Page 10

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EST. 2013 • Volume 3 • Issue 3 • September 2015

For questions and comments concerning articles please contact the writer via their emails listed at the end of their articles

For general inquiries contact: BibimbapNews@gmail.com general managment

Chris Devison chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com Dinh Nguyen d11nguye@gmail.com Lindsay Ross Ross6520@gmail.com

The Editorial Team

{bibimbap{

Chris Devison is the Provincial Coordinator for the Jeollanamdo Language Program. He has lived in South Korea for almost 10 years, and has spent six of those years in his current position.

Aside from assisting public school teachers with their contract and school life, he has a keen interest in health and wellness.

Having lived in both Western and Eastern cultures, he has a strong understanding of the healthiest practices of both worlds.

Before coming to South Korea, Dinh Nguyen was a Canadian journalist. He has 6 years experience as an editor, reporter, and desktop publishing designer. After obtaining his CELTA in 2012, he moved to Yeosu to follow his passion for teaching and traveling. He recently completed the CELTA YLE, and is working on his DELTA. He is also he co-founder of ESL Nomads.

Copy Editor, Edward Chaney worked for the Hayden's Ferry Review, a literary journal published out of Arizona State University (ASU). He was exposed to the Jeollanamdo Language Program during an internship with ASU’s MTESOL program. Since then, he and his wife has moved to South Korea, and will be finishing up their first year come April.

copy editor

Edward Chaney edwardtchaney@gmail.com art director

After completing his degree and travelling around Canada extensively, Joseph Campbell recently moved to South Korea to teach English and immerse himself in a foreign and fascinating culture.

He is always looking for something new to learn, and you won’t find many topics that don’t interest him.

Dinh Nguyen production team

Chris Devison Dinh Nguyen Edward Chaney Joe Campbell Kenny Short Kevin Flynn Lindsay Ross Richard Tang photographers

Richard Tang Joe Campbell front cover photo :

Dinh Nguyen

All non-credited photos, courtesy of creative commons.

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For over a year, Kenny Short has been a Native English Teacher in Yeosu. Prior to his time in South Korea, he has taught English in Colombia, Guatemala, and Seattle. He is currently completing his K-6 teaching endorsement through the online teacher training program, Teach-Now. Kenny is interested in student-centered teaching methodology, ed-tech, and ed-policy.

Kevin Flynn is an Elementary School Teacher in Mokpo who has lived in South Korea for 3 years. He obtained his B.A in Speech Communication in New Jersey, U.S.A, and is currently studying for his masters in Speech Pathology. Kevin likes to use his creative energies to inspire students to learn. He also coordinates the English program at the local orphanage with fellow teachers.

Lindsay Ross is a Canadian teacher in South Korea. After getting her bachelor of education in 2011, she moved to South Korea, and has been living in Mokpo since. She has taught at the middle and high school levels. Among other articles, Lindsay also researches and put together the Holiday schedule and events calendar for Bibimbap.

Starting off in Hong Kong with a Canon 550D, Richard Tang ventured out to experience Asian culture. 3 years later, he is now carrying his Olympus E-M10 across South Korea. As a NET and photographer, he hopes to share the views and culture he experiences with anyone who is interested.

Behind the cover

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Upcoming holiday and event calendar

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Creative projects for high school students

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Using Skype in the classroom part 2

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Letter from the Coordinator: A run down of your end-of-contract transactions

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Photo essay: An animal shelter out of kindness

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Healthy Musings: Supplement for women

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October continued, and October 2-4:

Gwangsan Woori Mil (Wheat) Festival

(광산우리밀문화축제;Gwangju)

October 2-4:

Wanju Wild Food Festival (완주와일드푸드축 제; Jeollabuk-do)

October 2-4:

Incheon BupyeongPungmul (Traditional Music) Festival

(부평풍물대축제; Incheon)

October 2-5:

Bonghwa Pine Mushroom Festival

(봉화송이축제; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

Upcoming holidays and events

October 2-6: dinh nguyen

Holidays September 26 – 29 Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) October 1 Armed Forces Day October 3 National Foundation Day October 9 Hangeul Day Oct 12 Canadian Thanksgiving Day October 31 Halloween November 11 Pepero Day November 11 Canadian Remembrance Day November 12 College Scholastic Ability Test (수능)

November 26 Thanksgiving Day (USA)

October

Let’s Rock Festival (렛츠락페스티벌; Seoul)

September 19 – October 4:

Hongseong Namdanhang Port Jumbo Shrimp Festival (홍성 남당항대하축제; Chungchangnam-do)

September 25-October 4:

Andong Mask Dance Festival

(안동국제탈춤페스티벌; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

September 26 – October 4:

Baekje Cultural Festival

October 1-4:

YangyangSongi (Pine Mushroom) Festival

(양양송이축제; Gangwon-do)

October 1-11:

Korea Drama Festival (KDF) (코리아드라마페스티벌; Gyeongsangnam-do)

October 1-11:

JinjuNamgangYudeung (Lantern) Festival (진주남강유등축 제; Gyeongsangnam-do)

October 1-10:

Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)

(백제문화제; Chungcheongnam-do)

(부산국제영화제; Busan)do)

September 30-October 18:

UljinGeumgangSongi Mushroom Festival

Seoul International Dance Festival (서울세계무용축제; Seoul)

by lindsay ross ross6520@gmail.com

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(계룡 군문화축제; Chungcheongnam-do)

September September 19-20:

Gyeryong Military Culture Festival

October 2-4:

October 2-11:

GeumsanInsam (Ginseng) Festival (금산인삼축제; Chungcheongnam-do)

October 3:

Seoul International Fireworks Festival (서울세계불꽃축제; Seoul)

October 4-11:

YeongjuPunggiInsam (Ginseng) Festival (영주풍기인삼축제; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

October 4:

Cheongwansan Eulalia (Reeds) Festival (천관산억새제; Jeollanam-do)

October 7-11:

Jeonju International Sori (Global Music) Festival (전주세계소리축제;

(울진금강송송이축제; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

Jeollabuk-do)

October 2-4:

Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi (Culture and Art) Festival

SeogwipoChilsimni “Homeland”Festival

(서귀포칠십리축제; Jeju-do)

October 7-11:

(안성남사당바우덕이축제; Gyeonggi-do)

November Cheonan World Dance Festival JeongseonArirang Festival

October 7-11:

October 9-12:

Daejeon Science Festival

October 17-21:

November 6-8:

(천안흥타령춤축제; Chungcheongnam-do)

(정선아리랑제; Gangwon-do)

(대전사이언스페스티벌; Daejeon)

(순천만갈대축제; Jeollanam-do)

October 9-11:

October 7-11:

Jarasum International Jazz Festival

October 21-November 3:

November 6-8:

(김제지평선축제; Jeollabuk-do)

(자라섬국제재즈페스티벌; Gyeonggi-do)

(광화문국제아트페스티벌; Seoul)

(군산세계철새축제; Jeollabuk-do)

October 21-25:

November 6-8:

Gimje Horizon Festival October 7-11:

HoengseongHanu(Korean Beef) Festival (횡성한우축제; Gangwon-do)

October 9-11:

Hyo Culture Ppuri(Roots/Family) Festival (대전효문화뿌리축제; Daejeon)

October 8-17:

Namyangju Slow Life Interna- October 9-11: Oktoberfest tional Festival (남양주슬로라이프국제대회; Gyeonggi-do)

October 8-11:

Hongcheon Ginseng Hanu(Korean Beef) Myeongpum Festival (홍천인삼한우명품축제; Gangwon-do)

October 8-11:

Gangneung Coffee Festival

(독일마을 맥주축제;Gyeongsangnam-do)

October 9-11:

The Great Battle of Myeongryang Festival (명량대첩축제;Jeollanam-do)

October 9-11:

SeosanHaemieupseong Fortress Festival (서산해미읍성역사체험축제; Chungcheongnam-do)

(강릉커피축제; Gangwon-do)

October 8-11:

SillaSori(King Seongdeok Divine Bell) Festival (신라소리축제에밀레전; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

October 8-11:

October 9-11:

Dongnaeeupseong History Festival (동래읍성역사축제; Busan)

October 9-10:

Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Culture Festival

Gwanghwamoon International Art Festival

Icheon Rice Cultural Festival (이천쌀문화축제; Gyeonggi-do)

October 22-25:

JeonjuBibimbap Festival (전주비빔밥축제; Jeollabuk-do)

October 23-November 8:

(대한민국국향대전; Jeollanam-do)

Autumn/Fall 가을(ga-eul)

October 23-25:

JangseongBaegyang Maple Festival (장성백양단풍축제; Jeollanam-do)

October 23-25:

Salmon Festival in Yangyang (양양연어축제; Gangwon-do)

October 23-24:

(서울약령시한방문화축제; Seoul)

October 14-18:

(광주세계김치축제; Gwangju)

(강경발효젓갈축제; Chungcheongnam-do

Sunchang Fermented Soybean Festival

BusanJagalchi(Sea Market) Festival (부산자갈치축제; Busan)

October 9-11:

SangjuGamgoeul(Persimmon Village) Story Festival (상주감고을이야기축제; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

Busan Fireworks Festival October 24-28:

October 29-November 1:

(순창장류축제; Jeollabuk-do)

October 15-18:

Yeongdong Nan-Gye Korean Traditional Music Festival

October 29-November 1:

GoseongMyeongtae (Pollack) Festival

(영동난계국악축제; Chungcheongbuk-do)

(통일고성명태축제; Gangwon-do)

October 16-18:

November 6-9:

(인천소래포구축제; Incheon)

(청송사과축제; Gyeongsangbukdo

Incheon Sorae Port Festival

Namdo Food Festival

Korean Expressions:

Hampyeong Grand Chrysanthemum Festival

Gwangju World Kimchi Festival

October 8-11:

Bangeo(Fish) Festival

(최남단방어축제; Jeju-do)

October 23-November 8:

(부산불꽃축제; Busan)

(한성백제문화제; Seoul)

November 12-15:

(남도음식문화큰잔치; Jeollanam-do)

October 9-10:

Ganggyeong Fermented Seafood Festival

(진영단감제; Gyeongsangnam-do)

(마산가고파국화축제; Gyeongsangnam-do)

(한국민속예술축제및전국청소년민 속예술제; Gyeonggi-do)

October 8-11:

Jinyeong Sweet Persimmon Festival

November 13-15:

(서울약령시한방문화축제; Seoul)

HanseongBaekje Cultural Festival

Gunsan International Migratory Bird Festival

Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival

Korean Folk Art Festival

Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Culture Festival

Suncheon Bay Reeds Festival

Cheongsong Apple Festival

The beginning of Autumn 입추 (ip-chu) September 23rd is the first day of Autumn.

9월 23일은입추에요 (gu-wolee-ship-sam-il-eunipchu-ay-yo) Autumn/Harvest Festival 추석(Chu-seok) Have a good Chuseok! 즐거운추석보내세요 (cheul-guh-oonchu-seokboney-say-yo) Coloured autumn leaves 단풍(dan-poong) Let's go see the autumn leaves 단풍놀이가자 (dan-poong-nol-eega-ja~) Fallen leaves 낙엽(na-gyup) The autumn leaves are starting to fall. 낙엽이지기시작하는군요. (na-gyup-eeji-gisi-jak-haneun-goon-yo) 5

Play, write, produce Creative English Camp Assignments for High School Students

edward chaney copy editor

T

he topic of creativity in the ESL community is nearly ubiquitous, as many teachers pit themselves in the epic struggle to get their stereotypically-collectivist students to think for themselves. I come from a creative background. Having studied Creative Writing in college, I hoped to be sitting in a cafe in some Mediterranean city with a black ball point pen and a notepad, slowly scribbling my next bestseller before taking my yacht out of the harbor to fish for my (and my bodacious wife’s) lunch.

That unlikely dream has been whittled down over the years, leaving me with only my teaching job and a bodacious wife; but retaining my desire to accomplish some great creative work. In this endeavor, my students are my outlets. And so I’ve encouraged, coaxed, and bribed them through a film project, wherein, my summer camp students would create an episode of their own TV show.

Overview My summer camp was two weeks long, divided into two grades: 1st (sophomore year in the U.S.) and 2nd (junior). I had five days with each group, two periods per day.

Between these groups, there was a vast divide in English and creative abilities of the students. My hope was that by assigning them a group project, they would pull together creatively and churn out something that they could be proud of.

The Project The days of the camp were broken up thusly: Day One: Spec Script* Students would write a “spec script (speculative screenplay),” briefly sketching out the rough idea for the episode, characters, story, and set. This is how that turned out: Day Two: Script Students would write the entirety of the script, in the ballpark of somewhere between twenty to thirty pages. This remained flexible depending on the schedule.

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dinh nguyen

On dress rehearsal and production days, student would make and bring in costumes and make-up for the project. Some students choose roles like "make-up and costume specialist" as their contribution to their group.

Day Three: Rehearsal and Pre-Production Students would make/bring costumes and make-up to do a dress rehearsal. They would also map out the blocking for each scene.

Day Four: Shooting Students would shoot their episode so I could take the footage home and edit it (in a perfect world, the students would have more time to edit it themselves, but, alas, it fell to me).

Day Five: Advertisement/ Wrap Party Students would make advertisements for their show and then watch it together.

Complete with snacks and prizes! *I should also say that, while I did some ill-fated theater productions as a late teen, I don’t have any background in making television, so I was excited to see what they would come up with and how it would all turn out.

The Camp My first week was appropriately spent with the first-grade students.

EDWARD CHANEY

If any teachers are thinking of the attempting this project, be warned. The first day can be a Sysphysian exercise in frustration, as you must essentially draw cheesecake from a stone when it comes with students and their scripts.

The exercise was structured thusly: First I introduced the project and presented them with their exercise for the day and the plan for the following days.

I told them of our deadlines and incentivized them with the promise of fame and popcorn for them at the end.

Then Students wrote their spec scripts together for about twenty to thirty minutes (if not more). This was one of the most difficult parts of the process, but the students seemed to enjoy coming up

with their shows. Many students tried to cheat the system by using shows they were already familiar with, but that was fine with me. Emulation is as good as creation and the students would still be forced to generate their own novel plot and characters, even if it was set in the Hannibal Universe (which one was).

Kwishin (a famous Korean ghost), Wonder Woman, Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc., Finn and Jake from Adventure Time, two body guards, and a host.

Next Students presented their scripts to their peers one-by-one. I wrote the names of each on the board because my students have short memories and, unless I’m not actively shooshing them, will generally talk over/through any presenter, including myself.

Continued on page 8,

Cooking up a show

Finally Students chose their favorite script and we delegated the tasks. Students chose their roles, which included: two directors, two camera women, one make-up and costume specialist, Frankenstein(‘s monster), Vampire,

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Cooking up a show Continued on page 7 The second day of camp was spent writing the script.

This task was delegated to each character, as the student wrote their own, sometimes self-aggrandizing, lines (“My name is _____ and I am the most beautiful woman in the world. Baekhyun is my husband.”).

The make-up and camera women drew up pictures of the characters and started to put together the set. They also helped the directors do the actual writing, taking the snippets from each character and plugging them into the plot. The general idea of the episode was this: A horror talk show where monsters come to share their stories.

During the show, all of the monsters are served cake (“Teacher! We eat the cake?”;”Yes, I will bring cake”; “Really? Okay!”).

But, during the intermission, Frankenstein’s cake goes missing.

She gets angry and starts a riot, accusing the other guests of stealing the cake, until a guard steps up and tells her that her cake is under her chair.

She apologizes and everyone is happy.

The End

The day of shooting was madcap compared to the rather relaxed day before.

We arranged three cameras, one of mine and two of the schools. I was worried about the students handling these, but they proved very responsible with them.

Again, if anyone is thinking of attempting this project, try to check with the school beforehand so you won’t be in the lurch by finding out your school doesn’t have any cameras or camcorders on the one day you have to shoot your show.

We set up the shoot by dividing it by the scenes and trying to shoot each scene at least twice and with both cameras going.

Every time someone messed up or started laughing, the directors cut and we picked up where we’d left off, in a way I found very professional. The students were very serious about the production by then, trying their best to remember their lines and react to the other character’s stories.

The third day of camp began with a nice surprise.

Once we finished, I took the footage home and cut it together. This wasn’t a terribly fancy process, but it was time-consuming. I have only made one other video before, in college, so I’m no expert on the process. For those teachers thinking of trying this activity, may my poor abilities give you confidence.

Our Make-up/Costume designer went out and made a bunch of costumes for the characters, including: a Wonder Woman tiara, cut-out eyes and mustache for Jake, and green body paint for Frankenstein. From there on out, the students were keyed into the project.

We set up the English classroom as our talk show set by bringing in some special lights from other classes and getting a microphone and some other props for the students. The directors also chose some music for the opening

It doesn’t take much to make a passable video. Just cut out the bad takes, where students flub their lines or miss their cues, and stick them right at the end and label it bloopers. It kills two birds as you’re working and who doesn’t like a good blooper reel? I was learning as I went, so a lot of my titles and sound effects were slipshod. I was using iMovie, because I had it handy and I’ve never used anything else. I’m sure other teachers/bloggers can suggest something better.

By the end of the second day, the students had written the entirety of the script, which I then edited for them for the next day.

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and closing sequences, as well as to add some drama for some of the bigger moments during the show. All the students took the time to get into costume and rehearse several times, even forgoing eating the cake I’d brought so it could be saved for shooting tomorrow and I wouldn’t have to buy another.

Of the five-day stretch, beyond the initial push to get the students working, this is the most work the teacher will have to do. If you can get through the tedium, you’re free and clear.

The fifth and final day of camp started with advertisements.

This is a simple enough project for the students. High school students still enjoy a bit of coloring. You can set them to making adverts for their TV show, combining elements from the show like characters, themes, etc. The students are waiting to see their work so it’s best to stall them a bit so you can get everything ready. And by that I mean, pop popcorn.

idea that is at the heart of my lessons this semester. I wanted and continue to strive to have my students be more than consumers, for them to make things for themselves and be inventive; and, with that caveat, they succeeded. I gave them a blank piece of paper and they made a TV show that they could watch together and enjoy, as well as creative advertising posters that they could put on display to remember their work by.

Epilogue This is only the first of many projects I’ll be having my students work on this semester, as my school does not

encourage to work from a textbook. I have ventured to invent different tasks that they can work on to improve their English abilities as well as try and stimulate them creatively. My students are doing a portfolio project next, wherein; they are completing different exercises like this one, exercises in spinning gold from hay. The first of these projects is a speech project which I hope to talk more about in later articles as the semester progresses, in the hopes of encouraging foreign teachers, as well as their students, to shake off the stereotypes and embrace the innate creativity I feel humanity possesses.

Photos by: Edward Chaney.

Left: Advert posters created by students for their productions.

Right: A student dressed up as Wonder Woman for the dress rehearsal

I also went out and bought a few treats for my students and gave out prizes for their hard work (best actor, best director, and those sorts of things). The last prize was a class vote for who they thought worked the hardest, which was a nice surprise for the student who won.

Once we were finished with the preliminaries, we hung the posters in the back of the room and watched our show. There were a lot of laughs and cringing, but the students loved it (as much as high schoolers can love anything that isn’t EXO/Big Bang).

Results I repeated this process the following week, with my second-grade students, with much the same degree of success. They made a cooking show completely based around the idea that I would bring them chicken and they would eat it. Everything else, including writing the script and finishing the shooting before eating everything, was a tertiary matter.

As for their creative output, it’s hard to measure. On the one hand, they didn’t reinvent the wheel. They had a cooking show and a talk show (though I thought the talk show was particularly inventive). They learned a bit about plot, as I tried to tell them that you can’t have a story in which there are no problems; and also a bit about making something--an 9

Going global, going Skype part 2 Engaging students with the use of technology and the global community.

kennyshort writer

I

n Part I of this series, I outlined the resources, methods, and potential best practices for leveraging one kind of information and communication technology in the classroom - Skype Education.

Now I’d like to share with you my experience using Skype in two of my 6th grade ESL classrooms: one being a couple months of recorded video exchange and the other a live video-class session.

Whether or not the Skype VOIP service is best for keeping in touch with your friends and family back home is debatable, but there is no doubt that their service offers the richest platform for teachers trying to connect to classrooms across the world. If you have a simple webcam, a monitor, and broadband internet connection in your classroom, like most of us do, you a download away from getting started.

Recorded Skype Exchange I mentioned in Part I of the series that I had made a connection with a teacher 10

in Florida and a teacher in an American school in northern China. As it turned out, the exchange with the classroom in Florida did not work out because of a combination of two factors: the learning objectives of that classroom teacher and scheduling difficulties. I have come to think that this is the norm when seeking out a Skype in the Classroom partner across the country or across the world.

I probably contacted close to ten teachers via the Skype Education platform in my initial search to find a partner teacher whose goals for the Skype exchange and schedule would work with mine. To date, I have successfully collaborated with two of those ten contacts. Keep this in mind.

Put a lot of hooks in the water and be patient if your schedule doesn’t immediately align with the first teacher that responds to you.

Nevertheless, I did successfully devise a #MysterySkype plan with the 5th grade teacher in an American school outside of Beijing. Ms. Hart’s homeroom class schedule and my schedule teaching five 6th grade English classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays did not initially mesh well,

particularly because I had one deserving high-level, hardworking and outgoing 6th grade class in mind for this initial foray into a Skype exchange. Thus, instead of a live lesson, we settled on a recorded weekly video exchange over the course of a few months.

Since we both taught ESL students, we first established a geography-themed vocabulary list to review with the students in preparation of the #MysterySkype questions to come. It included words like: hemisphere, equator, prime meridian, province, and the cardinal directions. I also prepared a PowerPointto present the idea and purpose of the #MysterySkype game and showing them how the exchange would work with a sample recording on Skype. My co-teacher translated it all and fielded many of the students’ questions in Korean. Our goal was to have all the students fully understanding the process and intention of the activity so that they could focus on the language and not be confused by this strange new activity that was definitely not in the curriculum.

During April, May, and June, Ms. Hart’s class and my specially-selected 6th grade

class went back and forth asking increasingly specific geographic questions in a race to figure out who lived where first. We started with, “Do you live in the northern hemisphere?” and ended with, “Do you live outside of Beijing in the Heibei province?”

In each successive round of question and answer, I chose two new students to work with me crafting an answer to the other class’ question, along with crafting our own new question for our mystery friends in China. We worked together during lunchtime, when I would sometimes have them write the response on a whiteboard to read during the recording; or we would just practice the question and answer repeatedly until they felt confident they had it down pat.

Then we recorded the video message on Skype, with me leading and introducing the students. We would watch it once through together to ensure clear speech and audio quality, send it on to Ms. Hart’s class and then waited for their response. In the last five minutes of every class, I would show Ms. Hart’s class’ latest video and it was always highly anticipated. My 6th grade class and their homeroom teacher resoundingly loved the exchange!

Live Skype I also mentioned in Part I that I had a plan to do a #MysterySkype class with a 6th grade teacher in Hobart, Tasmania. After much scheduling and rescheduling, we finally connected our classes in mid June, this time with a different, yet no less competent, 6th grade class of mine.

Mr. Fitzpatrick’s class was a group of native English speaking Australian 6th graders. Therefore, I requested that Mr. Fitzpatrick’s class ask us closed questions about our location and limit my ESL 6th graders to simply responses of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to their geography questions. I was admittedly nervous about asking my students to create ever more specific location questions in response to the Hobart students’ answers, in real-time during a live Skype session. Instead, I limited my students’ participation to primarily English listening comprehension, as opposed to production. In addition, I leaned heavily on my enthusiastic co-teacher to keep all the students in the loop in Korean regarding the questions being posed.

I did ask a small group of higher-level English speakers to prepare a show and tell presentation on Korean culture. The small group and I worked together to prepare a presentation on hanbok, ddeok, the danso flute, andjanggudrum. They practiced their English presentation three or four times for me before they performed live version.

The class was an absolute hit and went off without any problems except for, of course, a technical difficulty. Mr. Fitzpatrick and I did not test our VOIP connection on Skype before the actual class. We were left scrambling to fix an unknown connection issue, then a mysterious microphone problem, and had to hang up multiple times until the connection magically strengthened and the audio righted itself via restart. It was frustrating and would have crushed the students and I if it didn’t eventually work out. So my big advice is to run a test Skype video call from the classroom computer you will use during the live session. Otherwise, happy Skyping! kennyshort@gmail.com

11

The money before you leave

Breaking down all the financial information and transactions for when your contract ends.

Because of Korea’s labor code, teachers are also entitled to a severance. Severance is approximately 1/12th of their salary. If a teacher has worked multiple years they should be paid a severance for each year they’ve worked.

Letter from the Coordinator

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here is a lot happening during those last few months of a teacher’s contract; a busy social agenda, getting to those last places you’ve never had the opportunity to get too, and, of course, planning for the next adventure or chapter in your life.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, money and finances are something we must also plan and, in regards to getting ready to go home, there are a few things a teacher needs to consider.

First on the agenda is your final pay.

This should be prorated for the amount of days you’ve worked that final month.

You shouldn’t expect a full check unless you’ve worked the full month. The teacher should have already been paid for the initial portion of the month when they originally started their contract.

Next is the exit allowance of 1,300,000 KRW. This should be paid on the final day of the contract, as it is to help you purchase the plane ticket to go home. It isn’t given earlier, for fear some would leave without completing their contract.

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To figure out what a teacher’s severance payment will be, they must average the salary of the last 90 days they’ve worked to find a daily wage, which is then multiplied by 30 to find the severance for one year. If they are owed for two years, this is amount is multiplied by 60. With this system, it is important not to take any unpaid leave in the final 90 days of your contract, as it will affect the daily salary average greatly. However, it works in the teacher’s favor when being paid out for multiple years because the last 90 days of salary are likely higher than when the teacher originally started working, due to pay raises causing them to be paid out a higher amount than if the severance was given at the end of each year.

Severance must be paid within 14 days of the last day of your contract, however most schools pay it on the last day because they know you will be leaving.

Teachers should have paid a damage deposit of 600,000 through a deduction of 200,000 over the first 3 months of their contract. The damage deposit will be held when the teacher leaves because the school will have to make adjustments to health insurance and taxes if applicable after the teacher leaves. Arrange-

ments to have any outstanding money sent to their home bank account or deposited in an active Korea account they have access to can be made. This is where an NH One or KEB Easy One Automatic Foreign Transmission account is helpful, instantly wiring any outstanding money directly to the teacher’s home account.

Last up is the teacher’s pension contribution, if they are eligible. Australians, Canadians, and Americans are all eligible to receive their pension contribution of 4.5% back, which is also matcher by their employer for a total of 9% of their total salary. It can be applied for up to a month in advance at the nearest National Pension Office. The nearest local pension office can be found by visiting this link: click here The teacher will need a ticket out of the country (e-ticket will suffice), their ARC, passport, home banking info, and personal details. It cannot be a return ticket to Korea because this can only be applied for when the teacher is finished working in Korea. With a return ticket, pension officials will expect the teacher’s return.

To apply for this, thorough details are needed including the bank’s name, telephone number, address, swift/routing/transit code, as well as the teacher’s personal details that were given to the bank when their home account was initially set up. It is also useful to have a void check or a receipt of a transfer to your home account. The application

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It is important not to take any unpaid leave in the final 90 days of your contract, as it will affect the daily salary average greatly.

form is at the pension office and the money will take up to two months from the day the teacher leaves the country, not from when they apply, to be deposited.

On a teacher’s final day they can expect: • Final pay prorated for days worked • Exit allowance 1,300,000 • Any additional money owed for extra classes Other money owed: • Severance (within 14 days of contract completion) • Damage deposit after adjustments completed (approx. 1 month) • Pension (if applicable) applied for at pension office (up to 2 months) Something else to keep in mind is that it is wise to take care of your taxes, or at least getting evidence of taxes paid while working in Korea. This is much easier to accomplish in country than when a teacher returns home.

There are several ways to do this.

First, teachers can ask for a pay stub

of their monthly salary (원천징수).

The school should do one for you and you can pick this up from your school’s administration office. It’s a good idea to do this anyway so you can watch to see what your monthly deductions are.

Next, teachers can ask for Receipt of Salary and Tax Withholding Form (근로소득원천징수영수증 ) which is equivalent to a T4 or W2. This more highly recommended as proof of tax paid as it lists the teacher’s salary as well as all their deductions for the year. The administration office can prepare this document. Don’t expect the admin office to do this unless it is requested.

Both of these are going to be in Korean, but a translation of the Receipt of Salary and Tax Withholding Form can be found by going to http:// www.nts.go.kr/eng/ and opening the link for the Easyguide under the “2015 Year- End Tax Settlement” heading on the bottom left.

A third option is to visit a National Tax Service office and requesting a “Certificate of Income.” This link can be used to find the appropriate office: click here Lastly, teachers can use the NTS Hometax website - www.hometax. go.kr, but may need help to navigate the page because it is only in Korean.

It is the teacher’s responsibility to look after obtaining record of taxes paid for their home country. It is always wise to discuss the final salary obligations of the school in the teacher’s final month of work, so the school knows what to expect and has time to prepare.

Don’t let money at the end of your contract ruin your experience in Korea. I see too many people get upset and sour their relationship with their school over a few dollars that they will end up getting anyway.

Everyone receives all the money they are legally entitled to; there may be some delays or complications but that is why our office if here, to help you sort those things out.

Chris Devison is the Provincial Coordinator for the Jeollanamdo Language Program. He has lived in South Korea for almost 10 years.

He also writes a health column for Bibimbap. See Page 18.

If you a a question you want answered in this column, feel free to contact him. chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com

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photo essay

A shelter for all

Many animal shelters in South Korea operate without support from the Government. Those that get aid usually run on profit, or must follow strict rules at the animal's expense. Take a look inside a non-profit shelter.

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dinh nguyen

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hile South Korea has had laws outlining pet owner responsibilities, and prohibiting animal cruelty since 1991, many dogs and cats still end up abandoned, or abused. Today there are a growing number of organizations and shelters that aim to provide for, and find homes for unfortunate pet-potential animals. Richard Tang interviews a passionate owner of an animal shelter in Naju, who managed his not-for-profit organization without support for the Korean Government.

Q

What are some of the things you do at the shelter?

Here at the shelter, we hold many responsibilities, and therefore many daily tasks. We rescue, cure, and protect stray animals. It goes without saying that we also help them get adopted. We also give food and water regularly to stray dogs and cats, which in poor conditions and environments in Naju. We conduct a campaign once a month, which consists of a photo exhibition, signature-seeking campaign for revision of animal protection law, charity bazaars, and more to raise funds and awareness. There is voluntary activity every Sunday for those who wish to contribute their time and energy. The activities include grooming, cleaning, walking, vaccinations, facility repair and cleaning, and much more.

Q

How long have you been looking after stray animals, and how long have you had the shelter open?

[We] have been rescuing and carrying out voluntary activities for more than 10 years, and she opened the shelter on September 15, 2009.

Photos by Richard Tang

Q

When someone is looking to adopt an animal, what qualities do you look for in that person?

That person should have the proper personality and knowledge to take care of animals. They should have a comfortable and safe residential environment for the animals to stay. If an animal causes problems such as bowl control, barking, illnesses, etc; the owner should be able to take responsibility for such situations. It also helps someone’s credibility if they have someone to take care of the animal when the main adopter is absent.

Continued on page 16

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Continued from page 15

Q

What made you want to open your own shelter without help from the government?

If a shelter gets support from the government, they should administer euthanasia 10 days after an animal has entered the shelter. Due to this regulation, almost every private shelter cannot get support from the government. A bigger problem is that public shelters pursue benefits rather than the welfare of animals. Therefore, private shelters like us are struggling more and more as the number of animals that we protect increases.

Q

What are the most important things that someone should do before bringing a stray animal to the shelter?

How to take responsibility of that animal is more difficult than rescue itself. Because the shelter mostly relies on donations, it is impossible to take every rescued animal due to the limitations of space, personnel, and finance. Therefore it is necessary to have the will to take responsibility of the animal, more than the two-thirds of effort and money.

Q

What are the shelters around Jeollanamdo and how they can we help them out?

Suncheon (순천) shelter has good reputation. It was established and is being operated by volunteers. We can help out them by donation, participation in internet café activities, voluntary activity, andvoluntary transport activity. For donation, it is possible to support financially or donate feed, snacks, medicine, or detergent. As an internet café (community) activity, we can participate in web-donation campaigns, publicity to other websites, and keeping the café active writing articles or replies. Voluntary activities include grooming, cleaning, walking, facility repair, facility cleaning, and also we can use help supporting vehicles to transport animals to the hospital or adoption places.

Suncheon Shelter infromation Naver website : http://cafe.naver.com/suncheoncat Address : 순천시서면구상길 82 (Goosang-gil 82, Seo-myun, Sooncheon-si) Phone number : 061-751-7565 Donation bank account : 국민은행(Kookmin Bank)789401-01-562645

Photos by Richard Tang / richardtang1991@gmail.com

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Nutrients for women's health

A guide on dietary supplements to aid women in a balanced lifesytle.

of B6 are sunflower seeds, pistachio nuts, fish (tuna, wild salmon, halibut, herring), sweet potatoes, prunes, bananas, avocado, sprouts, and spinach. B6 or B complex vitamins are also readily available in pill form at your local supplement store.

Healthy Musings

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omen have some unique needs that should be considered,which, with proper nutrition and supplements, can sometimes be managedor at least minimized so they can maintain a happier and healthier lifestyle.

A common issue many women have is a lack of iron in their diet, as iron is often lost through menstruation. Exacerbating this problem, many diets are deficient in iron to begin with. A continuous loss of iron and low levels of dietary replacement of it can lead women to become anemic.

A simple iron supplement will help to increase a woman’s iron levels, but there are many natural sources of iron readily available. Liver, shellfish (clams, mussels, oysters), seaweed,beef, organ meats, sardines, turkey, lentils, beans, spinach, tofu, brown rice, molasses, beetroot, and peanut butter; are all good sources of iron. It is helpful to take a vitamin C supplement with these foods or to pair vitamin C with an iron supplement,as it can help your body to better absorb dietary iron.

A second deficiency many women have is of B vitamins and, in particular, B6.

This vitamin is required for the production of serotonin or the happiness neurotransmitter.Some good natural sources 18

A common complaint many women also share is that of menstrual cramps.Calcium is good way to help relieve cramps, but it can also deplete the body of magnesium. A magnesium supplement should be taken in addition to a calcium supplement or crampscan become more serious the following monthas a result of magnesium deficiency. Many over-the-counter vitamins can be found to contain both calcium and magnesium. Turmeric is also a natural anti-inflammatory, which can help with cramping. Try a soothing turmeric tea for natural relief.

It is also important to consider various ways that you can help balance your hormone levels.It is important to eliminate or limit caffeine, alcohol, and food or drinks that might cause spikes in your blood sugar.

Try to eat organic foods, to avoid hormone-altering pesticides. Perhaps cut dairy, gluten, or other common allergens,as well. It can help to replace healthy bacteria in the gut, to help normalize estrogen levels. Try sources such as miso, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, kimchi, or any other fermented vegetables to improve gut flora.

You might try fermenting some vegetables yourself at home.

It can help to increase dietary fiber from vegetables, beans, and seeds andeat more omega 3s from fish, eggs, walnuts and flaxseeds. Exercise can also help to balance hormones and is overall good for the health of the body.If you’re feeling

particularly stressed, it can help to deal with your stress in a relaxing ways, such as yoga, massages, or other relaxation therapies. A warm cup of chamomile tea can help to balance hormones and has the added benefit, in that, it makes you sleepy and can help you go to bed earlier.Regular and sufficient sleep can also help to balance the hormone levels.

For further supplementation, a daily multivitamin is always helpful and evening primrose oil is a common supplement thought to be helpful especially with middle-aged women. Next issue I’ll discuss issues that I often asked about by men and will touch on the issue of how much protein do we really need in our diets. chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com