GAC008 Assessment Event 4: Academic Research Essay

Compare and Contrast:

Attitudes toward Gap Year in

Korea and U.K

Student’s Name : Jihye Yang

Student ID #: HUK 21995

Teacher: Jooyong Choi

Due Date: 16 July 2012

Word Count: 1,018

GAC008 AE#4 Jihye Yang HUK 21995

Topic: Compare and contrast attitudes towards students taking a gap year in your country and

in the U.K. Use specific examples and provide appropriate evidence to explain your answer.

“Gap year” means a year between leaving school and starting university life which is generally spent

travelling or working (CDO). Today, this term is used to suggest students to enjoy wide range of

activities, provide pre-university students opportunities to find appropriate work, enjoy leisure and trip

travel (Heath 89). However, in two countries, in Korea and U.K., the attitudes towards these people, who

take a gap year, are quietly quite separated with each other the opposite. Their points of view are different

in can be explained further by3 sections three related aspects. First one is emotional part, second one is

environment, and last one is associated to with cultural circumstances.

First, the attitudes towards taking a gap year are showing distinct phases in emotional part. In Korea, the

term ‘gap year’ is very unfamiliar to Koreans. In contrast, however, in U.K., gap year is already

something familiar market for British Britons. Over 45,000 British students are taking gap year course

(Heath 89). However, finding information about gap year in Korea is difficult because there aren’t many

sites about it except for site ‘Korea Gap Year’ which is only one official web site of Korea. These

evidences mean that in U.K., gap year concept was already established so people had more chances to see

or meet the concept, so they could feel more comfortable and familiar with the word. In other words, the

British think consider the gap year as a very close friend. However, in contrast, Koreans have few

opportunities to run into the term “gap year”. Therefore, it can be concluded that Koreans have

uncomfortable emotion with gap year, however British students feel freer and more comfortable with the

gap year compared to Koreans’ case.

Secondly, the attitudes of Koreans and British are different in with regards to environmental aspectpart.

Koreans think the environment of Korea is not appropriate for taking a gap year, while British Britons

think it’s just simple. Especially, in Koreans, there is a unique national system, which is mandatory

military service. All the Korean men should take this for 2years and a half. Therefore, they don’t have

page 116/7/2012

GAC008 AE#4 Jihye Yang HUK 21995

enough time. Generally, most of the Korean males apply for leave of absence for participating military

service. Therefore, they don’t think they can take a gap year because if they take a year off before

entering a uUniversity, they could waste their time a lot. Additionally, according to Robert Dickey, who

was a formal president of Korea TESOL and now is now a professor at Gyeongju University, said that

many Koreans tend to start their own professional jobs before they go to a university (Robert). It

demonstrates that Koreans are willing to get a job and finish their university course as soon as possible,

without wasting time. However, in the U.K., the whole environment is suitable for taking a gap year. For

example, there are a lot of web sites about gap year, like Gap Year Jobs, Real Gap. Hence there are many

chances to know about gap year for students. According to BBC News, in a survey, most of interviewees

said gap year is a chance to taste the a real world (BBC). Also, compared to Koreans, in the U.K., there

isn’t much official limit. Therefore, today, lots of British University students are willing to take a gap

year as a practice for work, volunteering, and also for taking a trip (Dover et al. 305). That is , Koreans

think because of their environmental limit, a gap year is a waste of time and whereas the British think that

there are lots of sources about gap year, so they don’t waste time even they take a gap year.

Lastly, the difference between Koreans and British’s view of looking a student who takes gap year is at

futurity. The British think about the gap year seriously, so they even worry about the side effects of gap

year. In contrast, Koreans don’t think about the gap year deeply. To the British, however, these days, as

the gap year becomes “a hot issues” among them, the fatal accidents happen more often. As a result,

British they started to worry about the future’s gap year problems. For instance, according to The

Guardian, there was an accident in 2008. which was the fact that Aa British student who was taking a gap

year in Fiji as a conservation servicer got electrocuted. Because of this accident, the parents of the student

strongly urge for new safety policy to provide protection to British students who take a trip time going

abroad (Russell and Davies). In addition, like described in “Gap Year Travel section” of The Guardian,

there are serious dangerous happenings while taking a gap year. In this column, Steve Jones, the observer,

describes his experience while gap year travelling. When he was in Venezuela, his money belt was gotten

page 216/7/2012

GAC008 AE#4 Jihye Yang HUK 21995

rid of from him with his shoulder pouch which contained his credit cards (Steve). Like this, British

Britons have come to think more deeply and worry about taking a gap year. In contrast, Koreans are not

yet think that seriously about gap year, because the concept of “Gap year” is not yet a prevalent issue in

Korea.

To sum up, there were clear differences between Korean’s and British’s points of view towards students

who takes a gap year. They are different at the sections of emotion, environment, and futurity. As a

whole, Koreans seem to tend to be passive toward a gap year . Bbecause they are one of the countries

who just got to know about the gap year. In contrast, the British seem to be active to with a the gap year.

They look already adjusted to the system, and furthermore, they are thinking of expected future’s gap

year’s problems. Considering all these facts, if Korean national statement is improved, gap year can be

another solution for Korean education’s dilemma. Even though for decades, Korean education was has

enlarged its territory, the quality of observation and teaching didn’t advance much further (Kim et al.

557). Therefore, as the an education educated country, if Koreans change their point of view toward the

gap year more actively and positively, then they could reach a greater education and job-searching

chances to for students. Also, if the British strengthen their gap year students’ safety insurance, then it

will be a better system for them. Even though there were many differences between the Korean’s and

British’s points of view, the gap year can be innovative educational method for both of the counties.

page 316/7/2012

GAC008 AE#4 Jihye Yang HUK 21995

References “Are Gap Years a Waste of Time?” BBC News. BBC News, 8 Aug. 2001. Web. 15 Jul. 2012.

Dover, Graham and Thomas B. Lawrence. “A Gap Year for Institutional Theory: Integrating the Study of Institutional Work and Participatory Action Research.” Journal of Management Inquiry 19.4 (2010): 305-16. SAGE. Web. 8 Jul. 2012.

“Gap year.” Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Cambridge University Press, 2011. Web. 6 Jul. 2012.

Heath, Sue. “Widening the Gap: Pre-university Gap Years and the ‘Economy of Experience.” British Journal of Sociology of Education 28.1 (2007): 89-103. JSTOR. Web. 5 Jul. 2012.

Jones, Steve. “How do I survived my year of living dangerously.” The Guardian: Travel. The Guardian, 17 Aug. 2003. Web. 6 Jul. 2012.

Kim, Sunwoong and Ju-Ho Lee. “Changing Facets of Korean Higher Education: Market Competition and the Role of the State.” Higher Education 52.3 (2006): 557-87. Springer. Web. 5 Jul. 2012.

Robert, Dickey. “Education Is Not All About Getting a Job.” The Korea Times. The Korea Times, 24 Feb. 2009. Web. 8 Jul. 2012.

Russell, Andrew. “Parents Warn of Gap-year Perils.” The Guardian. The Guardian, 13 Jul. 2008. Web. 5 Jul. 2012.

page 416/7/2012