Madter's Travel Adventures: Korean Show Biz??

There are many days that I feel I should 'write a book' about Korea and my Korean experiences. I guess this blog will have to suffice for now. I got contacted on Thursday night to see if I could be on this TV show as a judge for Korean students speaking English on Saturday. It was my friend Jill who graciously passed down the job to me because she takes Yoga courses on Saturdays. I thought why not, a chunk of change, and some advertising for our school, as they'd metion where I work each time I spoke. The program is called SpeaKing (Play on words with King) and it airs on an Educational Broadcasting Program, which is on Friday afternoons, and parents love watching it.

If I've not before described the CRAZE (understatement) of Koreans wanting to learn and perfect their English, let me do this now. This is all hear-say for me, more than actual observation because it's not Korean students that I teach. But Koreans students go to Public school until the afternoon, and 99.9% of the students attend some sort of Hagwon (Private School). This could be music, math, art or science hawgon for extra practise. But generally they attend English hagwons. This is where most all the foreingers who come over, come into play of course. Supply and Demand. Korean students attend school collectively from about 8 am to 8 pm and then they have homework for both schools there after. They stay up late, study hard, get TUTORS on top of this and compete over how well they can speak English (or should I say the parents compete with each other). It's a very strick society for education. I both agree and disagree with this type of lifestyle. I give them respect for wanting to better themselves academially, but never would I change in my playful childhood for one filled with evenings of books books and more books (thanks Ma and Pa)...baseball was a much better past time. haha.

Having said all that, the Koreans also enter speaking contests *bragging rights,* this is where I come into play. I got randomly chosen for a judge because I teach at an International School, which is pretty cool and honourable. The concept was this. Four students from a designated school were polled and chosen for the show. While on the show, they were asked to describle a series of 3 pictures (3 pictures that told a story) and then infer what would happen next. From there two were chosen and they had a topic to debate about.

But allow me to start from the beginning. I arrive Friday night for orientation, and was told I needed 4 different outfits for the show, as they were filming for 4 different weeks in one day (for convenience). Subsequently I stopped off at an underground mall for some cheapy, yet fashionable outfits (Love excuses to shop). I didn't get a lot of info out of the meeting because it as all in Korean. But I arrived at 10am the following day to the studio and was asked to do some voice recording for the scenario/debates, which would later be played in the studio ... like Ron on The Price is Right hahaha!

We were supposed to start filming at 11. But, true Korean styles (God love 'em), it wasn't until 12, and at that there was a lot of confusion about the expectation from the students. So the 1st of 4 tapes took 4 hours. Bellies rummbling, sore butt from sitting, suntan from spotlights ... we finally broke for lunch at 2:30. But I need to explain how I felt, which is one word. Confused. I really wasn't given too much information besides I had to mark them based on critera. No problem. One person told me I didnt have to speak, b/c the program is in Korean and they won't really understand my comments anyways. So good to go, I jotted notes but didn't prepare anything to say. Well, long behold she calls on the judges (She-The MC-Nancy Lang-a pop artist) ... So there's "American Idol's Judge wanna-bes" Randy, Simon and myself (Paula Abdul). But I didn't get to sit pretty for long, because the camera panned to me and I was flabbergasted. Auh! There were a million take 2s, 3s, 4s, so I said AH! I need a minute to prepare. (This is what happens when you enter a studio with Korean all around you ... I knew I'd learn what was happening on the spot ... and thus it did). I threw something together, but was MUCH more prepared for the latter 3.

So the MC spoke in Korean, and the other judges critiqued in Korean. The only time I understood anything was when the students explained the pictures and/or debated...and well, I understood myself. Otherwise it was an interesting day of guess work. It was cool too, you had to pay attenton to which camera had the light on and filming, they had the whole "ON AIR" red sign lol. It went until 9:00pm (2 hours later than anicipated). But hey, a GREAT CHUNK of change in my pocket for one day's work, and dropped some info about my great school to some big wigs. Overall a really cool day, and I was asked to come back for March's taping!

The show can be viewed online, so I can see if the camera really does add 10lbs haha.

One thing I did confirm. I am much better suited in a classroom. Glad I found my forte!