Page 29 - ELG1806 June Issue 458

Ronny teaching
English in North Korea

Koreans are amongst the humblest, kindest The college is allowing me to interview Teachers need to be prepared to sponsor
and most welcoming people anywhere. When candidates and ensure that teachers want to go themselves or find financial support somewhere
we listen to the foreign media we are supposed for the right reasons. – this is volunteaching with no employment
to believe that the North Korean citizens are Korean students must not be seen as an contract.
unthinking robots and machines who have no (See web address below for more details).
feelings, thoughts, opinions or dreams. Nothing When we listen to the
could be further from the truth. They are foreign media we are Are you hopeful about the future
exactly like us – they just operate in a different for people in North Korea, given the
system (not of their own making). supposed to believe that apparent recent thawing of relations?
the North Korean citizens Of course we all hope that the recent
What challenges did you face? are unthinking robots. developments will lead to good things and to a
Largely only practical ones: there are better future, but only time will tell. It will be a
occasional power cuts in Pyongyang, and this is Nothing could be further long and difficult road.
partly (or mainly) due to the harsh sanctions on from the truth Ultimately, I would like to see the two Koreas
the country. reunite and establish the first international
The lack of internet access means that, prior oddity or an attraction – I don’t want people to school right in the middle of what is now the
to going to North Korea, I need to ensure that join me so they can just go and ‘check out’ these Demilitarised Zone.
I have all the materials that I need ready on my Korean kids, spend some time with them and I cannot think of a more powerful and
laptop or in print. When I am in North Korea then let the whole world know how ‘weird’ the appropriate location for an educational
I don’t have access to a printer and there is a Koreans are or how narrow their world is. institution that will try to bridge the distance
scarcity of good quality paper. This is a real college training real students between two very different halves of a single
– it’s not a freak show out of some dystopian nation, people and culture.
How hard would it be for another novel. I welcome expressions of interest from
English teacher to go and work in North any experienced teachers of English who would n Ronny Mintjens is head of languages at an
Korea? like to join me for a week or two weeks in international school in Hong Kong. For more
Very easy! The college has agreed for me to Pyongyang, teaching these wonderful students information on how to join Ronny teaching in
bring a number of English teachers over with me and helping me break through some educational North Korea, go to https://www.mihunlimited.com/
every time I visit. frontiers. volunteaching.html
editorial@elgazette.com 29

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