Hello. I am Haru Baeum Instructor Kim Tae-young, providing you with a joyful day of learning.
Former) Full-time instructor for HSK Levels 4 and 5 at Busan Seomyeon Confucius Institute Chinese Language Education Center
Former) Interpreter for the Korea-China Game Industry Exchange Meeting hosted by the Korea Game Industry Association and the Korea Copyright Commission
Former) Pukyong National University COVID-19 Emergency Response Team Chinese Translator/Interpreter
Former) Ranked 2nd most popular expert in the Naver eXpert Chinese language category
Current) Operating Haru Baeum Chinese Language Lab
This is the schedule from my days teaching at the academy, a time I spent with youthful ambition and passion. They were good times, but back then, I didn't know how to take care of myself and nearly collapsed several times during lectures due to overwork.
Whenever I felt my consciousness fading for a moment, I would lean against the chalkboard as if I were writing on it. Part of it was because I didn't want the students to feel anxious, but I was also grateful to be able to lecture like this, and I endured it by thinking that it was only natural to feel exhausted since my lectures were so well-loved.
This is a photo from the conversation class at that time. In the conversation class, I taught in a way that encouraged speaking as much as possible, and the students started bringing me drinks from the second day after attending the first class. Their passion fired me up even more. There was even a time when we received a complaint because my voice and the students' voices were echoing into other classrooms. At that moment, I thought, "Ah, I'm doing a great job," and put even more heat into the lecture.
It was a course where we watched dramas together, practiced speaking, and learned the process of translating Chinese into Korean. Since it was a class I really wanted to teach, it was held as a special weekend lecture without a tuition fee, and unexpectedly, many people showed up. There weren't enough seats in the designated classroom, so we had no choice but to arrange extra chairs to make space. I felt so bad for the students who were sitting on chairs in the back of the room where they couldn't see well. So, I spoke with the director and moved the class to a larger room starting from the next session. Even after moving, we had to create more spots than originally available, but I was relieved that we could at least provide desks for everyone. It was such an enjoyable class.
I remember how much the students' reviews gave me strength when I was teaching. Students who were with me from Conversation Class 1 to HSK wrote down their stories, and thanks to their sincerity, I think I was able to keep my sense of gratitude and always strive to deliver better lectures.
Currently, I am working in a small office, creating my own textbooks, providing private Chinese tutoring, and developing various courses to teach Chinese.
"Join a company and live a stable life." I received a lot of realistic advice like this, but
I want to do this work. I must do this work. Therefore, I will do this work.
I think about what defines 'my own lecture' as I write by hand, watch recordings of myself to reflect, and after finishing a session, sit in the quiet lab to enjoy a brief moment of solitude; then, I prepare for the next lesson, believing that I can deliver an even better lecture with better materials and better content.
I will not give up on helping the student reach the level of Chinese proficiency they desire.
If it is content that the student must know, I will stay with them, repeating it over and over again until they can do it.
If a student is anxious about whether they can make it, I will reassure them through both the process and the results.
Thank you.
