Conversation with a friend

By David Thiessen

Recently a friend of mine tried to participate in one of the native English teacher (NETs) discussion websites. After his unceremonious departure we sat down and had a conversation about his experience.

David Thiessen (DT):

Well, how did it go?

Cal:

It went pretty much like you said it would. I didn’t last long.

DT:

How long did you last?

About two weeks. That is one of the weirdest groups of people I have had discussions with.

What do you mean?

To begin with, that has to be the most xenophobic group of people in this country. Anyone who disagrees with their popular ideas is immediately attacked without mercy. Even their so-called apologists are not really defending the Korean nation. It is no wonder Westerners experience trouble in this country?

How so?

Well, you and I both know that there are some good foreigners in this country and who do good work but the majority of the Korean people will never be exposed to them as they usually operate very low key and out of the public eye. Sadly, that website, and many others like it, are very public and give the Korean people a real look at what their supposed foreign teachers (FTs) are really like.

It is no wonder organizations like Anti-English Spectrum exist, the public only sees the negatives of the FTs. If anyone attempts to defend the Korean employer, more abuse and hatred are spewed out by the members. So if the FTs experience trouble, they only have themselves to blame.

Wouldn’t be going a little far to say that their ‘venting’ is causing their problems?

Not really, because the attitudes they display on those forums would carry through to their classroom. Kids are not stupid and will see the hypocrisy. Their attitudes towards the students are disgusting as their selfishness over-shadows any work the FT does. With these FTs it is all about ‘me’ and to heck with the students. That is not what teaching is all about.

Did you notice anything else in your brief stay at this forum?

Yes. One of the biggest problems I saw there was that the FTs on that board would attack, accuse, and criticize the Korean people for the very same things they did themselves. In one example, they would complain about how the Koreans would not honor their contracts but sure enough, they advocated the use of midnight runs instead of honoring their side of the deal. They even tried to read the labor rules in their favor even though they do no such thing. You only get one side of the story and every FT there makes themselves out to be angels while painting a defenseless employer or citizen in a very bad light.

They are cowardly but it has gone on for years. Not just that forum but on the others as well. It never ceases to amaze me how the NETs set themselves up as judge, jury and executioner of the Korean nation when they have no qualification nor right to do so.

That reminds me of their two big rants of that week ― sick days and a Korean opinion author. They were bellyaching about their right to them and how it was wrong of the Koreans to not let them take them when they wanted to. Then they attacked a Korean contributor simply because he used FTs as his examples. One person there went ballistic and went as far as calling it illegal behavior while remaining silent when an FT did the exact same thing.

Yes they do like to demand things when it is in their favor. They ignore the fact that they have the option to choose not to exercise that right. Hypocrisy and unfairness are their favorite hiding places.

What gets me is that they are learning firsthand how immigrants to their lands are treated yet in their greed and selfishness, ignore helping those people.

What can I say? The majority of NETs in this country are simply using the Korean people for their own gain. Other people’s plights are not their problem.

This is the first installment of a two-part story. ― ED

The writer is an English teacher in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. He can be reached at archaeologist@fastmail.fm.