A Cultural and Educational Experience
By Elizabeth Chin

EPIK held its first split-orientation program this past February for new Guest English Teachers (GETs). Over 24 orientation staff members and 22 lecturers at Eulji University in Gyeonggi-do welcomed 345 GETs to EPIK with a program full of cultural experiences, lectures, and opportunities to socialize with teachers from all over the world and Korea. Teachers who attended this orientation were placed in Daegu, Daejeon, Incheon, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Chungbuk and Jeju Provinces. It was EPIK's first orientation at Eulji University, so there was a lot of adjusting to be done. However, that did not stop our staff from making the orientation the best it could be.

Midong Elementary school students kick-started the orientation with a powerful, fire-crackling Taekwondo performance during the Opening Ceremony. This school is well-known for its ¡®National Children's Taekwondo Demonstration Team', a group that has performed in many locations world-wide.

Then teachers went on a tour of the Korean Folk Village in Yongin City for a picturesque view of traditional Korean culture. This establishment was built to promote the country's culture and to allow domestic and international visitors to experience Korean tradition first-hand. There teachers witnessed a popular farmer's music and dance performance known as sangmodolligi followed by tightrope acrobatics that left teachers awestruck. Many of them even took the chance to pose for photos with the musicians after their energetic performance. Having strolled around the village for some time, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal of Bulgogi or Bibimbab that was truly a treat for the palate.
Imagination ran free at the next destination, the ceramic expo site in Icheon city, as teachers and orientation staff alike created colorful works of art on ceramics they also got to keep as souvenirs. The trip also included a tour of the Woljeon Museum of Art which had on display a plethora of artwork from the artist Woljeon Jang Wu Seong who mastered in poetry, writing, and painting. Because Icheon is famous for its rice, the day was topped off with an exceptional meal at Taepyeong Sungdae, a restaurant well-known for its stone-pot-cooked rice.

After their taste of Korean culture, teachers took on the role of students as they attended lectures with an array of topics from "Lesson Planning" to "Drama Techniques in the Classroom" and "Adapting Materials: Education & Technology". Lecturers from provinces all over Korea came to speak about the Korean curriculum, English camps, teaching strategies and tips, co-teaching, and much more.


As lectures came to a close, the Farewell Dinner found its way to the forefront. This event featured two breath-taking acts, Seungmoo, a traditional Buddhist dance, and "Flower of a Storm", a modern Korean dance, by students of Kyunghee Girls' High School and a four-instrument percussion performance, Samulnori, by Moonil High School students that was so explosive it shook the walls of the gymnasium. Korean students weren't the only stars that shined that night though. EPIK Teachers also took the stage in fashion with their vocal talent, instrumental abilities, and two acts of glowsticking that generated rave responses.
The Closing Ceremony was commenced on February 26th, and the atmosphere was a bit melancholy but also peppered with excitement and anticipation. GETs were dressed to impress and anxious to meet their POE or MOE Coordinators and Supervisors, but some of them were also sad to bid farewell to their newly-found friends. Even the orientation staff found themselves a little teary-eyed as buses drove off University grounds.

To EPIK, the end of one orientation means the start of another one even greater. For most Guest English Teachers, this event is just the beginning of their careers here in Korea.
"The orientation gave me an excellent insight into Korean culture and life," wrote one teacher. "I feel prepared and ready to face life in Korea."