UlsanOnline.com in association with Skype English Club (this site is in Korean – here’s a related story in English) is pleased to announce the formation of the UlsanOnline SEC Buddy System.

The buddy system is a mutually beneficial pairing of Koreans and English speaking foreigners. Skype English club is a national group, head-quartered here in Ulsan, of Koreans who are very interested in practising  English and meeting English speaking foreigners. They hope to improve their speaking ability as well as make friends with the many foreigners residing here in Korea. Foreigners may benefit from the Buddy system in a number of ways, some obvious and some not so obvious.

Naturally, an English speaking foreigner might ask what benefit they might gain from making friends with Koreans who want to practice English. Quite a few of the readers of UlsanOnline make their living by teaching English and may not want to engage in what they may perceive as simply glorified private lessons.  Not so, says Skype President Lee Sung-Mo who goes by the unlikely English name of Jack Bauer (his name reminds me of the old 1988 sci-fi movie Alien Nation where aliens took on names such as Rudyard Kipling and Sam Francisco.)  Skype members believe that they have a lot to offer foreigners beyond simply language exchange.  Foreigners can expect to benefit from the buddy system in the following ways:

• Networking – meeting people is great way to expand your social support structure. That’s just a fancy way to say making friends makes more friends, whether its just for social activities or for business. Skype members come from all walks of life, and the potential for a foreigner to make business contacts such as paid private lessons, corporate teaching gigs or even a new job once that comfy little hagwon job loses its lustre.
• Help with surviving Korean culture – Maybe its just finding where to buy a needed item. Or perhaps its dealing with official business such as the Police,  your employer, or other emergencies. Having someone who can translate for you make life much easier.
• Guides – Not all businesses are foreigner-friendly. A Korean can help navigate those places that are afraid they won’t be able to communicate with foreigners or are just xenophobic. Having a Korean as part of your posse can help you gain entrance to those places that are difficult, if not impossible, for foreigners to attend.
• Recreational Trips – If you’ve ever organized a trip for you and your foreigner friends, you know you either have to speak and understand Korean yourself deal with a tour organizer who speaks English. Wouldn’t it be great to just get the best deal, regardless of whether language is the driving factor.
• Dating – we’re all adults here. Let’s not pretend that meeting new friends won’t involve the opposite sex. It could happen.

So, now that you’ve seen the benefits and are convinced there’s something there for you, how do become part of the Buddy System.  That’s the easy part. Attend a Skype English club, which happens every month in their Dal-dong offices.  Check the Calendar for details on when they occur. A map to their location is below.  Parties are a great mix of food, drink, and games designed to help people mingle and have fun. The cost is a mere 10,000 won (for food and drinks) to attend the Skype parties.

To attend a Skype English Club party and become involved in the Buddy system, please call or send a text message to Jack at 010-8519-0818 or email him at meetin@hanmail.net

One Response to “UlsanOnline SEC Buddy System”

1. Jack Bauer(S.M.Lee) says:

   February 27, 2010 at 10:24 am

   Please don’t hesitate to contact me, I am always waiting for you