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Between July 2006 and June 2007, 28,562 working holiday visas were issued toKoreans, and since then the number has steadily grown.
The immigration officer at the Australian Embassy Paul Smith, however, said thenumber of Korean participants who are actually in Australia exceeds that of Britishparticipants, which is an indication of its popularity in Korea. Korea joinedAustralia's Working Holiday Visa Program in 1995.
Three young Koreans who have left Korea to acquire English fluency and travel at thesame time in Australia say it takes a decent level of English fluency to kill twobirds with one stone.
Kim Hyung-dong, 27, went to Australia last year with little expectation, as hedescribes. "It just sounded charming to earn to travel and learn English,'' Kimsaid.
It was his friend who motivated him. Soon after he arrived in Australia, Kim said herealized that there weren't many options at hand.
He worked for a painting company owned by a Korean. And he shared a room with one ofco-workers.
After a few months, he took a job picking oranges outside Sydney, as one of therequirements of the Australian Working Holiday Visa (WHV).
A WHV participant cannot work longer than six months with one employer, Smithexplained, which is why it's called `` a holiday visa.''
He said those who are more interested in working in Australia must apply for aworking visa, not a working holiday visa.
Kim said that he had learned some basic English at the workplace and while traveling.
But ``it would have been successful if I'd had some level of basic language beforedeparture,'' he said.
``I wish I had known more English. I'd suggest people who are going to Australiastudy English prior to their departure. It would get you better chances.''
Nam Wan-wook went to Australia in 1999 for a one-year stay. She considers herexperience in Australia `` a grand success.''
She attributes her success to the Sydney Summer Olympics that took place during herprogram. "I volunteered during the Olympics, which nurtured my English fluency andconfidence."
Drawing on the experience and English skills she gained in Austrailia, Nam went onto do two more working holiday programs in Canada and New Zealand.
Jung Kyoung-jin, 28 has just returned from Australia for a temporary visit. Sheworked at various hair salons as a hairdresser.
She found an employer who wished to hire her, and returned home to switch to aworking visa.
All three shared the view that without a certain level of English ability, it's hardto get into an ideal work environment that people expect.
``It is almost out of the question to get a job you'd want without a certain levelof English,'' Jung says. ``Simple jobs like a waitress using a rather limited levelof language wouldn't even be available unless you speak English. And those who failto do that seem to create their own downfall.''
A few weeks ago, SBS televised a program that shed light on those Korean holidayworkers in Australia whose holidays had not turned out that well. Among theinterviewees were some who had fallen into prostitution or who had been abused bytheir employers mostly Korean.
To avoid such pitfalls Smith suggested students enroll a short-term English coursewhen first arriving in Australia before hunting for a job.
``You would get to know people in the class,'' which are more likely to help youland on a job, Smith said.
- Kim Se-jeong, The Korea Times
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