By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter
Kim Hun-yong wants to prove that a physical handicap will not prevent him from becoming a good English teacher.
The 24-year-old has already passed the 2010 state-run exam to become a teacher. It is the first time in Seoul that a person with level 1 blindness has passed the test and can now teach at a regular middle or high school, not at a special school for the disabled.
"I want to show that the physical disability won't become an obstacle in my dream to become a good teacher," Kim told The Korea Times. "I've been confident about becoming a teacher at a regular school since I practiced teaching at a regular middle school when I was a senior."
He graduated from Kongju National University in South Chungchong Province with a bachelor's degree in special education and English education.
The Seoul resident expects to be dispatched to a middle school in the capital by as early as later this week to start teaching from the spring semester.
"When I first heard the news that I passed the test, I was so pleased ... In particular, my parents were more than happy," Kim said. "Now I'm looking forward to meeting the students."
He has been undergoing on-the-job training since last week, commuting by subway to the training institute in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul from his home in Nokbeong-dong, northern Seoul.
Kim lost his sight at the age of five due to a detached retina, which worsened following a car accident.
He developed an interest in English in middle school thanks to his homeroom teacher who taught the subject. "I started studying English hard when I was a first grader in middle school thanks to my homeroom teacher who was very considerate and showed great interest in my learning of English."
Kim studied English further over the Internet. The key method he used to study was through listening.
He has improved his English proficiency by listening to all kinds of English-language programs and various texts using a screen reader, which interprets texts on a computer monitor.
"I'm a fan of Manchester United's Park Ji-sung and I like to listen to Premier League football games through Internet broadcasting. To understand what they broadcast, I studied about football and the players, and, eventually, I found my English was getting better," he said.
His official score on the TOEIC was 975 and he received a 918 on the TEPS.
While he wants to become an effective teacher, he also would like to befriend the students as well.
"When I first went to the middle school for practice-teaching, I worried a lot. But I realized that I was able to communicate with the students very well," Kim said. "I think I can be a teacher who can understand students and their troubles. I will try to become a good teacher who is like a friend."
While Kim is set to teach, not everything has been sorted out yet. For instance, whether he will teach alone or with an assistant teacher has not been determined, and he may need some guide blocks at school.
Despite the uncertainties, Kim remains optimistic.
"If some guide blocks are built, that will be good. But even if not, I can manage once I get accustomed to the school environment," Kim said. "Those kinds of things won't become major stumbling blocks to my goal to become a good teacher."