Canadian English teachers in South Korea: A look at how interpersonal and intercultural communication impacts the experience of working abroad

Abstract

Teaching English abroad, particularly in South Korea, is a popular choice for many Canadian university graduates. This research begins to examine the unique experiences of young, educated Canadians who lived and worked in this East Asian country for an extended period of time. This study is based on a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with 10 Canadians in the Ottawa area who taught English in South Korea for a period of one year or longer between 2001 and 2006. The findings show that while most of those interviewed had little knowledge of South Korea before leaving, their communication with other expatriates and the local Korean population resulted in predominantly positive perceptions of both their time abroad and of the Korean culture. This thesis contributes to the field of expatriate literature, where limited attention has been devoted to teaching abroad, and adds to the field of communication by bringing into it existing literature on expatriate management. Key words: expatriate management, social support, intercultural contact, repatriation.