Sorcha: United Kingdom: Feb 20, 2022

I studied history both at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Oxford University and Durham University from 2017 to 2021. Through my research I developed an interest in South-East Asian history, and in particular, Korean history. The ancient historical relationships between Korea, China, Japan and other surrounding countries is a source of fascination for me. Korea in the 21st century finds itself placed in a challenging geo-political context because of the legacy of the Second World War and the Cold War. I am hugely impressed with how Korea has created political stability and economic growth in such a challenging context. It is clear to me that Korean culture and traditions, allied to its drive to be at the heart of technological change and artistic creativity, gives Korea a special allure and a compelling strength. With this inspiration in mind I would like to discover as a teacher how Korean people live and thrive in such a society. As a teacher you are uniquely positioned to pick up the currents of political, economic, social and cultural imperatives and my respect for Korean people will underpin my approach to teaching. During the last year I have ‘trained’ myself to be a teacher and have developed advanced teaching and planning skills by taking on the role of ‘Tutor’ with the company ‘MyTutor’. This has meant fostering productive relationships online with students via teams/zoom all across the UK. I taught several sessions a week for individuals aged up to 21, specializing in English and History from KS1 to university level. I would love to combine both my passion for teaching and determination for travel by teaching EFL in Korea. I believe the experience and skills base I have garnered thus far will match the high expectations of Korean students. I am currently working towards achieving my TEFL qualification and I will be qualified in this respect in the next month. I would describe myself as having a very strong understanding and knowledge of my subject areas and pedagogy. I am empathetic, strong communicator who is highly diligent, inclusive and resilient. My higher education record demonstrates that I can absorb, analyse and make sense of complex concepts through the use of language that communicates sophisticated understanding and knowledge. I have long possessed a passion for working with young people and children, and I feel sure that I could further develop those qualities whilst teaching in Korea.