send mail to korea cheap

thankyou to "two roads" of eslcafe.com: "The U.S. post office has flat rate envelopes you can use to ship overseas. I think they're called "global priority flat rate envelopes" or something like that. They cost $6.50 for the smaller envelopes and $9.50 for the larger evelopes, and only take 4-6 days from the U.S. to Korea. You can put as much stuff in as will fit, no weight limit. The larger size envelopes are quite roomy, and it's surprising how much stuff you can cram in there. Except for a couple fragile items, I've had everything that I've had sent to me (including toiletries) sent by these envelopes, and it's always worked out great."

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another update: ive been in korea for 10 months now. every couple of weeks, my pops sends me magazines and such in the mail, using the envelope pictured above, at $11 a pop.

report all spelling errors to the instructor.

if you see typos in my blog, please tell me. i dont capitalize or punctuate as i should, but if i straight misspell or misuse a word, let a sista know. i just saw that i used "their" when i meant "they're." *blush* geez, what kind of esl teacher am i...

my cdi essay

5. Should an introduction to art, music, and drama be a part of every college student's education? Explain why or why not.

An introduction to art, music, and drama need to remain a requirement for every college student’s education. The arts are the component of a well-rounded education that helps to develop critical thinking, intelligent analysis, and cognitive skills. In school, your basic education will teach you how to read; the artistic component of your education will help you to comprehend what you read. These students will grow to become our next generation of not just writers, musicians, and visual artists, but our next architects, inventors, computer web designers, and technicians because the arts helped develop their creative and independent thinking as well as logistical and mathematical skills. With this ability of comprehension, the Arts will help a student excel in school and therefore develop the competencies needed to succeed in whatever path they choose in life.

A student who understands the curriculum will exceed academically. One can help a student to understand the curriculum by using the arts to supplement traditional academic lectures. Take for example a study of the American Civil Rights Movement. It is one thing to read the history textbook memorizing names and dates. But think of how much more this student would understand and truly come to comprehend and empathize when s/he reads the struggles of being young and Black in Richard Wrights Black Boy or watch the racial injustice in director Robert Mulligan’s To Kill a Mockingbird. A student will become more invested in the curriculum and course work when s/he understands what they’re studying. The student will not just memorize that 1965 is the year of the Voting Rights Act; this student will remember the poetry, literature, film, and arts, that showed s/he what America was like at the time the Voting Rights Act was enacted.

Knowledge of the arts opens up a student’s creativity. It makes him/her think outside of the box. All great discoveries and inventions started with “what if” or “what will happen,” and these ideas and questions rooted in science come from minds with some arts sensibility. Had Christopher Columbus not questioned the widely accepted belief that the world was flat, perhaps Europe wouldn’t have known what we know now as America even existed.

Every field, be it professional, corporate, medical, or technical, use both art and science and invaluable results come from this collaboration. Leonardo Da Vinci, for example: this artist is famous for his painterly skills on the Mona Lisa, but Da Vinci was also an inventor and scientist. He had a fascination with the human body evident in his many drawings of perfectly proportioned human bodies. He studied cadavers in the name of art to help him develop in figurative painting and as a result, some of our early knowledge of human anatomy can be attributed to his artwork. Da Vinci’s original and creative mind also lent itself to many inventions. He had a fascination with flight and tried many times to invent a flying machine. He was successful in inventing a hang glider that, when tested years after his death, did work. This is proof that art is beneficial everywhere. Every mind flourishes with exposure to the arts and can help students develop into successful adults.

Having a college education infused with artistic elements benefit the student in so many ways. It’s an artistic sensibility that helps a student to understand every other school subject and therefore helps him or her to excel in every class. A student who understand the curriculum is a student that is going to develop in terms of creative thinking, problem solving, independent thinking, decision making and communications skills, leadership skills; the life skills necessary to become a successful adult.

the cdi essay topics

These are generic topics for a stand 5 paragraph essay, so i feel ok about posting them here, i dont think i'm giving away any secrets or something. One complaint about cdi that i'd read on an esl forum was having to write this essay. I think it's fair, tho, you'll be teaching english and this is a school that wants to hire people who are capable of that. The only requirement to teach in korea, aside from being a citizen of a specific country, is having a 4 year degree. And certainly not every single person with a college degree is “capable.” I could tell you some stories about some of the people i'd tutored...

Essay Topics for CDI Instructor Candidates

Directions: select one of the topics below and write a coherent essay in the Standard TOEFL format (introduction, body, and conclusion). Please save a Microsoft Word document to the DESKTOP under your FIRST and LAST name. Also, please write the ENTIRE question you choose to answer at the top. Length: 400 – 500 words (4-5 paragraphs, 1.5 - 2 pages) Time: 60 minutes

Philosophy

1. Do you suppose you would be happier if you lived more simply, eliminating the effort it takes to acquire an abundance of luxuries? Why or why not?

Psychology

2. "Self-discipline is the most important ingredient for success." Attack or defend.

Education

3. We often hear education attacked or defended on the basis of its utility. Define and explain what you mean by "useful" or "useless" when you apply those terms to education.

History

4. If you could live in some other historical period, which would you choose, and why?

Art and Culture

5. Should an introduction to art, music, and drama be a part of every college student's education? Explain why or why not.

education

im here at work clearing things out of the hard drive. i know i dont leave for months yet, but im always thinking of little things i can do to clear up, finish up, get rid of, reduce, etc. Makes me feel in motion. i had this quote on a document in my hard drive, i dont remember where i read this, but i really love it. i remember in high school students would complain about all the "extra work" and why cant teachers just teach us what we NEED to know (like for the upcoming test). i dont know why, but i never agreed with that. then i read this, and it pretty much sums it up: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”

hogwan or not, take every application process seriously.

Part of the CDI application process is that you write an essay in standard 5 paragraph format. They're simple "attack or defend" debate questions, no need to research or anything, and I spent three stinkin' days on it! *sigh* i just emailed it to the school an hour ago. im so nervous!!! i really was over-thinking it, i re-wrote it a bunch of times, and of course i wasnt happy with what i finished with. OK, but i still feel overall confident, tho. i feel really positive about the phone interview, i have teaching experience, i minored in english, im a substitute teacher... that's not a lot here, really, but i think it's valuable in the korean esl market... loyal readers, remember that Aeon fiasco that happened a few months ago? sure thought i had that one in the bag! :) man, i ate so much food today, my back hurts. happy thanksgiving!

my brother is aiight sometimes.

this morning i called my brother to explain to me the difference between an iPod and an mp3 player. "An iPod is and mp3 player," he explained, "Just like Kleenex is tissue." im so old and lame... anyways, i asked him b/c im always thinking about how to reduce all my possessions for when i leave for korea. i know that ipods are these small things that hold a lot of music. he explained to me that you turn your music into i-tunes and then you can put them on an ipod, or something? hey, i said already that im lame, OK?! i have a lot of cds, and i was wondering if i should invest in an mp3 player to store my music. later i went to my parents house for thanksgiving dinner, and when my brother got there, he gave me an mp3 player. one he'd had for a while, actually, bought it for a friend who got one on his own before my brother could give it to him. but anyway, thanks again, brother. just wanted to give you props where everyone can see it. :) edit: how to fix an ipod

cheap flights to korea

wow, pretty cheap flights on this website: http://www.bt-store.com/ thanks, random user on eslcafe! ah well, actually, it is standard that the employers in korea are to pay for your ticket over, but i've heard often that you just get reimbursed. so, good to have this website on hand just in case i have to buy my own ticket at first. but hopefully not. we'll find out in march.

march 2007, i'll be in korea.

update: i got a job to start in february. i bought my ticket to seoul in late december 2006 via this bt website. cost me a little over $500 USD one way.

update: found this on eslcafe, people use it for thier vacations.

CDI (Chung Dahm Institute)

a recruiter called me the other night asking if i'd like to interview with CDI (Chung Dahm Institute). i know i'd made up my mind before to just stick with jobbusan, but this woman was so nice over the phone. if you do a google image search for "cdi" you dont get anything related to the school, so instead here's a cute poster for some korean movie called "Please Teach Me English."

What I learned about CDI on eslcafe.com:


 the students are grouped by english ability/comprehension as well as by age. Issues at private hogwans- mom insisting her child be put in level x, not getting paid on time, not getting paid in full, having your schedule changed unannounced- are not commonplace there as they are at most other hogwons. complaints that i have tried to read like positives:

• a full week of training, but with no pay (well, that happens sometimes here in the states. at least you'll get training instead of a book and instructions of "go teach" as happens in many other schools. and it's not a surprise, they tell you youre not getting paid for it).
  
  
• Solid scheduled of 4pm-10pm, sometimes not M-F, likely working a weekend day (again, at least it's not a surprise. they tell you you'll might have to work weekends. and schedules change every 3 months, at least, so if one term sucks, hope for good for the following term).
  
  
• you dont get all national holidays off, and only 7 non paid vacation days off a year (well, yeah. others insist, and deserve, the usual full 2-8 weeks korean vacation time).
  
  
• airfare is not paid for you upfront, you get half when you arrive, and the other half upon completion of the contract (i think that's fair, tho other jobs are easily had where your ticket is paid ahead for you).
  
  
• you have to write an essay when you apply (many complain about this, and understandably so b/c many jobs are to be had without this requirement, but it's only a standard 5 paragraph and no big chore).
  
  
• classes are three hours long (but you get a breakdown of how to use those three hours. many complain there's no freedom to teach what you want, but for some, this translates into "this is too much actual work/teaching.")
  

seems like everything is straightforward. yes, you'll work weekends. yes, sometimes you'll have to go to meetings. but they tell you about it, it's not tricky. i do understand that there is a difference between the cdi branch and the cdi franchise, also, some differences between opting to be paid hourly or flat monthly salary. but my word is not bond. please check out other forums and do a search for cdi.

Subject: Good position
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2006 11:43:30 +0900

This is Cindy from Good English in Korea. I have good teaching positions in Seoul, Bundang, Ilsan, Incheon, Kangneung and Busan. If you are interested , please send me your resume, photo and a copy of bachelor's degree and passport. I will definitely find a great teaching position for you. Please let me know your available time to start to work and convenient time for an interview. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks and kind regards,
Cindy
82 11 311 8242
www.goodenglish1st.net
=====================
10/11/06
Thank you for your email. I have attached my resume and cover letter.
====================
On 11/18/06, CindyPark <goodenglish1st@gmail.com > wrote:
Dear S
I wonder if you are available.
I'd like to recommend a good position of CDI.
I've attached the information of CDI.
There are over 50 branches and franchises.
lease let me know if you are interested.
And then I will recommend you to the company.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks and kind regards,
Cindy
========================
Subject: Interview at 11:30pm Korean time on Tuesday(your Monday evening )
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 22:43:45 +0900
Dear
It was nice talking to you on the phone.
You seemed very nice.
As I told you, I set up an interview at 11:30am Korean time on Tuesday(your Monday evening).
The manager will call you.
I hope the itnerview will be successful.

Thanks and kind regards,
========================
On 11/21/06:
Hi Cindy! Thank you so much for your call last night. I have been reading about CDI and I am VERY excited to interview with them tonight; they seem to be very professional with a good reputation, and I hope they will find me to be a good asset to their staff.

I do have some questions for you: what is the age range of the students? If CDI decides to offer me a position, I do have a couple of concerns if you are able to shed some light on these: I've read that CDI generally does not pay for airfare upfront. Is this negotiable? Could CDI pay for my ticket to Korea, and then deduct it from the first paycheck? Also, I've read that CDI generally doesn't provide housing, is this correct? If they do not, would they provide housing search assistance and key money? This will be my first time to Korea and understandably I'd like to make sure I would have a place to live arranged before I arrive.

Please forgive my multitude of questions. I'd like to bring up again my overall flexibility: I understand that CDI is open 365 days a year, and I'd like to reiterate that I have no problems working weekends, holidays, or split shifts. Attending occasional meetings or other work related events before or after the regular schedule is not an issue for me as well. When I graduated from college with two BA's, I concurrently earned a minor in English. I am certified to substitute teach here and I do have a good deal of experience working with full classes as well as one on one tutoring. I really hope that CDI finds me to be a worthwhile candidate. I'm very excited for the call tonight, thank you again for arranging it! :)

Thank you again, Cindy, I look forward to hearing from you.
==========================
11/21/06
Dear
The CDI will reimburse the airfare when you come to Korea.
There are 2 types of payment.
Monthly payment with a single housing or High hourly payment without housing(the school will provide a key money and help you to find a housing.

The manager will answer very kindly and specifically to you questions.

I hope the interview will be successful, as well.

Thanks and kind regards,
Cindy