For many students who are unsure about their post-college plans, Happy Time Go Fast—an account of author Wes Weston’s experiences teaching English in South Korea—should provide a reassuring look at the future.
Weston, a graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder in business management, had no idea what he wanted to do with his life after school. After trekking across the Appalachian Trail and working for Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica, Weston thought he would try his hand at teaching abroad.
Happy Time Go Fast chronicles Weston’s successes and failures at teaching in an unfamiliar country, and the cultural differences that pose challenges in communication. While Weston said that the book is primarily written for an audience of prospective teachers and particularly those going abroad to teach English, he discusses how Americans are perceived overseas as well as the nature of education.
Weston is open about his experiences in the classroom, whether positive or negative. He describes a nightmarish scene in which he became a “candy teacher” at the academy where he taught English to elementary and middle school students. In an attempt to gain control over the classroom, Weston promised the children candy if they worked hard. To reward them, he threw piles of Tootsie Rolls into the air and the classroom dissolved into chaos. Students fought over the candy, and complained about the unequal share. One student even found the bag of Tootsie Rolls and dumped them out on the desk, where they were quickly snatched up. The incident led Weston to reevaluate his system of rewards and discipline.
By describing his tribulations, he encourages potential teachers to avoid the same mistakes. Weston’s growth as a teacher at the academy and later at a university in another area of South Korea is the strongest part of the narrative. It’s interspersed with cultural anecdotes that range from purchasing a motorcycle without knowing how to ride one to experiencing the elaborate South Korean saunas. Weston also briefly explains basic differences between the Korean and English languages to reveal some of the challenges that he and his students faced.
One such struggle is Konglish, or language that results from poor translation. The title of the book comes from a Konglish statement on a T-shirt that meant to say “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun.”
If Happy Time Go Fast isn’t for everyone, it’s because Weston documents a very specific experience. Teaching English abroad is vastly different in South Korea than it is in Namibia, where Weston went on to teach. Each culture poses its own challenges, but Weston’s message is a crucial one.
The book explains that English is the most widely-used second language in the world and there is a growing demand for teachers. It’s estimated that over a billion people are currently learning English worldwide.
It is encouraging that Weston was able to learn from these experiences despite never having taught before visiting South Korea, and the lifestyle involved is ideal for those who love to travel. The process to become a teacher abroad has become stricter since Weston first applied, but the job still remains an option for experiencing different cultures and developing a strong teaching approach.
Weston’s book will undoubtedly help those who are trying to decide whether embarking overseas is the best move after graduation.