Genre: Travel
Memoir
Description:
“For many young people, the idea of teaching English abroad is an
appealing one. In this book you will find out what it's really like to teach
for a year in a Korean private school. There will be good times and bad times.
But will it be worthwhile?”
Author:
A UK native, DJ (Dan) Baird has lived in 6 different countries since
leaving university. One of those was obviously Korea. (Canada and the US are
two others.) Find out more at his blog.
Appraisal:
For those who don't know (I sure didn't) a “hagwon” is a private
school in Korea. The one where Dan Baird taught for a year and chronicles his
experiences in this book was for young (some very young, nursery or pre-school
age) students.
I've read several books like this one where someone is plopped down in
a foreign place and expected to teach the locals. They all have some similar
qualities. Issues of language, culture, and food are three areas that always
come up. Despite this, the specifics are always different. Different places,
different people with different personalities and different reactions to the
situations they find themselves in. Those differences keep the stories fresh for
me.
I enjoy hearing about the different cultures and the logistics of
figuring out how things work in a foreign place. One Year in a Hagwon
was an interesting and enjoyable read. It's a short, quick read. Yet I didn't
feel like there were things that needed to be expanded, so the length seems
appropriate for the story the author wanted to tell.
FYI:
Uses UK spelling conventions.
A small amount of adult language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
A small number of typos and other proofing misses.
Rating:
**** Four Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate word count:20-25,000 words
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