I have a friend who is starting graduate school this fall, in Asian Studies (with an emphasis, presumeably, on Korea).
He sent me a message marking the milestone of his starting graduate school. I was deeply moved by his message, and although I'm not always comfortable "bragging" on this blog, I just feel really grateful for his gratitude (if that makes sense). He wrote, addressing me,
I know I've said it before, it was you more than any single person I met personally, who was responsible for where I have ended up today. Life is a series of adventures and stumbling around from thing to thing, and it is a great fortune to meet good people along the way, who, some believe, are placed there for a purpose. You showed me that Korea, being in Korea, can be intellectually challenging, a great puzzle to unravel. I was quite ignorant after that first year, but have made great strides. It's all come to this.
I suppose this is the same feeling of accomplishment that I get when I feel like my teaching is successful.
In fact, I had a moment like that with one of my students yesterday, too. Grace had come into my classroom momentarily to ask me some quick question about where I'd placed a student's paper. I answered quickly, and Grace ran out and back in and said she found it, and thanks. It was a quick exchange, but entirely between native speakers, so full of the typical elisions and fast speech that I mostly have learned to avoid when speaking at work to my students or Korean coworkers.
Anyway, one of my very long-term students, Hansaem (I've taught her for four years, now), said something to the effect of, "That was so amazing!"
I laughed, and asked her what she meant.
She said, "well, you and Grace, two foreigners, talking English. So fast. And I understood everything."
"I guess that means you have learned some English then," I observed somewhat drily.
"I guess so," she answered, looking pleased with herself.
I understand that feeling of excitement when you understand something in a language you're trying to learn. So I felt pleased, too.
[daily log: walking, 6.5km]