I discovered KoreanClass101.com in October of 2007. A little while later, I was invited to join the blogging team. Since then the site has grown a lot! So for new members, and even old ones ^^ Here's a little bit about of info about me:
My name is Austin. I'm a 26 year-old American English Teacher living in Seoul. After a few years of teaching in the States, I decided to look into teaching abroad. I didn't have any specific plan about where I wanted to go, I wasn't picky! But I had one friend who was already in Korea, so it seemed like a good place to start. It also didn't hurt that getting a job teaching English is really easy!
I came to Seoul in August of 2006, and almost immediately started studying the language. I planned to spend at least 2 years in Korea, and if I left without speaking any of the language, I would really be embarrassed. To start, I didn't take any formal classes, I just joined a weekly "language club" meeting. I studied there for nearly a year (practicing all the time).
I also started to volunteer at an orphanage, which is usually the topic of my blog.
Because the children there don't speak English, it was a wonderful place to practice LOTS of Korean. Since my job is to teach English, I don't have many opportunities to speak Korean at school. It's a bit unfortunate for my selfish desire to become more fluent!:oops:
I have spent almost two years in Korea and have really enjoyed it. It was a wonderful country with amazing people. It certainly has been challenging at times, language being only one part! This fall, I will leave to go on another adventure, but I am optimistic that I'll be returning to Korea in the future. It will always be an important part of me.
