Interview with Daniel Holt, May 27, 2021

Partial Transcript: I'm Joyce Jenkins. I served in Cambodia as a Peace Corps Volunteer in education, uh, from 2011 to 2013. Today, I'm talking to Daniel Holt who was a Volunteer in Korea from 1970 to '72 and who also, uh, served as a staff member in Korea over the next 4 years.

Segment Synopsis: Holt grew up in a small town in Ohio. As a student at Ohio State University, Holt was inspired by President Kennedy's call for Americans to serve the nation and applied to the Peace Corps although he had done little previous traveling. Holt's parents supported his application. Holt's application was approved rapidly.

Keywords: Application; Application process; Confidence; Influences; John F. Kennedy; Motivation; Ohio; Ohio State University; Peace Corps staff; Support; Traveling

Subjects: Korea; Korea (South); Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1970-1980; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea; Universities and colleges; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: By the middle of '69, I was in Salt Lake City training for Peace Corps Libya.

Segment Synopsis: For a program in Libya, Holt was sent to Salt Lake City for pre-service training. Shortly before the end of pre-service training, King Idris of Libya was overthrown by Muammar Gaddafi who asked the Volunteers to leave Libya. The 30 members of Holt's cohort were offered openings in other countries. The trainees were challenged to come to Korea and Holt accepted. Subsequently, Holt had 3 months of pre-service training for Korea at the School for International Training at Brattleboro, Vermont.

Keywords: Anti-Americanism; Arabic (Language); Arizona; Brattleboro (Vt.); Challenges; Cultural training; Decisions; Kevin O'Donnell; King Idris; Korean (Language); Language training; Leaving; Montreal (Canada); Muammar Gaddafi; Peace Corps directors; Practice teaching; Salt Lake City (Utah); School for International Training; Teaching English as a foreign language; Technical training; Traveling; University of Utah

Subjects: International travel; Korea; Korea (South); Libya; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea; Universities and colleges; World politics

Partial Transcript: We were ready to go and we landed in Korea, uh, in January of 1970.

Segment Synopsis: Holt's cohort landed in Seoul and had 2 weeks of orientation and additional language training before meeting their counterparts. Holt's cohort had about 40 Volunteers, of which about a third were female and all were white except for one Japanese-American. The Volunteers were housed in modest, Korean style hotels in Seoul.

Keywords: Asian Americans; Counterparts; Differences; Diversity in the Peace Corps; Housing; Language training; Orientation; Running water; Seoul (Korea, South); Traveling

Subjects: International travel; Korea; Korea (South); Minorities; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Seoul (Korea); South Korea

Partial Transcript: What was your first impression then of Korea once you landed?

Segment Synopsis: Holt found Seoul congested and busy. He found the rural areas more pristine and scenic. The Volunteers were eager to get to their work sites.

Keywords: Rural areas; Seoul (Korea, South); Transportation; Weather

Subjects: Emotions; Korea; Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Seoul (Korea); South Korea

Partial Transcript: Where--what was your site? What was the name of your site?

Segment Synopsis: Holt was assigned to the town of Chuncheon, population about 100,000. Holt describes his town, which was the location of a U.S. military base. Holt's group was the first cohort in Korea to employ the co-teaching method in their English instruction. Volunteers were assigned to middle schools with class sizes of about 70, which made things difficult. With co-teaching, the Korean teacher would mostly deal with grammar and the Volunteer would mostly deal with pronunciation and conversation.

Keywords: Awareness; Borders; Challenging; Changes; Chuncheon (Korea, South); Class sizes; Cohorts; Community economic development; Conversations; Difficult; Distance; Fluency; Foreigners; Middle schools; Pronunciation; Seoul (Korea, South); Teacher training; Teaching English as a foreign language; Techniques; Towns

Subjects: Ch'unch'ŏn-si (Korea); Korea; Korea (North); Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Seoul (Korea); South Korea

Partial Transcript: At Chuncheon, did you live with a family?

Segment Synopsis: At his work site, Holt lived with the principal's family right by the school. Holt enjoyed his host family and says they liked him as well. Holt shared music with his host family as well as playing basketball and practicing Korean with them. The Peace Corps provided tapes to help Holt improve his fluency in Korean.

Keywords: Activities; Chuncheon (Korea, South); Excited; Host family; Language training; Ohio; Support

Subjects: Ch'unch'ŏn-si (Korea); Emotions; Interpersonal relations; Korea; Korea (South); Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea

Partial Transcript: Uh, tell me about your work assignment.

Segment Synopsis: Holt typically had 5 classes a day. When not teaching, Holt would be at his desk in the teachers' room. The school was open from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays and for half a day on Saturdays. For relaxation, occasionally, Holt would travel to Seoul which was 2 and a half hours away by road. Three other Volunteers were assigned to Holt's town and Holt would occasionally socialize with them.

Keywords: Counterparts; Seoul (Korea, South); Site mates; Social interactions; Telephone calls; Traveling

Subjects: Korea; Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Seoul (Korea); South Korea; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: How long do you think it took before you felt comfortable, uh, with the Korean language?

Segment Synopsis: After a year, Holt feels his Korean fluency was sufficient for basic conversations. As he learned Korean, Holt found his conversation partners very patient as the only other Americans with whom they might have had contact were American soldiers and missionaries. The Peace Corps was also supportive, offering additional language training during school vacation periods. When he left Korea, Holt's mastery was at the near fluent level.

Keywords: Books; Conversations; Fluency; Foreigners; Improvements; Language skills; Learning; Local people; Locals; Mid-service training; Patience; Pronunciation; Support; Techniques

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Korea; Korea (South); Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea

Partial Transcript: Did you, um, have the opportunity to engage in so-called secondary projects apart from your English teaching job?

Segment Synopsis: As a secondary project, Holt started a weekly conversation class for about 10 of his better middle school students. Holt also had a weekly conversation-focused English class for English teachers at his school. During his 2 years of service, Holt worked with 5 different co-teachers. After Holt became a Peace Corps staff member in Korea, one of his former co-teachers came to work for the Peace Corps first as a language instructor and later as a technical trainer in education. She followed Holt as coordinator of English programs in Korea when Holt left the Peace Corps staff. Later, she studied for a Ph.D. in linguistics at Georgetown University.

Keywords: Activities; Changes; Class sizes; Co-teachers; College majors; Friends; Georgetown University; Illness; Interests; Interpersonal relations; Invitations; Jobs; Language training; Learning; Letters; Middle schools; Pre-service training; Pronunciation; Questions; Sickness; Socializing; Students; Teacher training; Teaching English as a foreign language; Technical training; Traveling

Subjects: Education, Higher; Health; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Korea; Korea (South); Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea; Universities and colleges; Volunteer workers in education; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: After I left my assignment in, uh, in Chuncheon in 1972, then I started working on Peace Corps training programs, of course my relationship with the family continued. And every chance I'd get, I go back to Chuncheon to see them.

Segment Synopsis: As a Peace Corps staff member in Korea, Holt continued to visit his host family. Thrice, pre-service training was held in Chuncheon and trainees did practice teaching at Holt's former work site. Since leaving Korea, Holt has maintained contact with his host family.

Keywords: Cell phones; Chuncheon (Korea, South); Friendship; Practice teaching; Pre-service training; Relationships; Returning

Subjects: Ch'unch'ŏn-si (Korea); Interpersonal relations; Korea; Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Schools; South Korea; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: Um, did you have a chance as a Volunteer to travel in the area?

Segment Synopsis: While a Volunteer, Holt didn't travel much as the domestic transportation was difficult and slow. As a Peace Corps staff member, it was necessary for Holt to travel domestically more extensively.

Keywords: Chuncheon (Korea, South); Difficult; Mid-service training; Pre-service training; Site visits; Transportation

Subjects: Ch'unch'ŏn-si (Korea); Korea; Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea

Partial Transcript: W--how would you sum up your Volunteer experience in terms of things you were most gratified by, things that you, uh, struggled with?

Segment Synopsis: A high point for Holt was the forming of mutually trusting relationships with people in Korea. A second accomplishment was gaining confidence and respect as a teacher. Holt found mastering Korean language to be one of his major challenges.

Keywords: Acceptance; Accomplishments; Challenges; Co-teachers; Cultural differences; Food culture; Host family; Inoculations; Invitations; Korean (Language); Language skills; Ohio; Relationships; Self-confidence; Social interactions; Struggles; Support

Subjects: Acculturation; Health; Hygiene; Interpersonal relations; Korea; Korea (South); Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea; Teaching

Partial Transcript: So, it's time to go home at the end--

Segment Synopsis: Holt decided not to extend his service and returned to see his parents in Ohio. Holt started looking for a job and went to see some friends in Philadelphia, where he found work as a substitute teacher. Holt was not completely satisfied with teaching and had a desire to return to Korea.

Keywords: Career paths; Chuncheon (Korea, South); Close of Service; Columbus (Ohio); Danville (Ohio); Decisions; Friends; Jobs; Philadelphia (Pa.); Re-entry; Readjustment; Teaching English as a second language; Transition periods; Traveling

Subjects: Ch'unch'ŏn-si (Korea); International travel; Korea; Korea (South); Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea

Partial Transcript: And a letter came from a Peace Corps friend, uh, who'd been in the--in Chuncheon with me, Giles Ryan. I'll always be grateful for what he did.

Segment Synopsis: Holt got a letter from a former site mate which informed him that Peace Corps would be starting pre-service training in South Korea rather than in the U.S. and was, consequently, looking for additional training staff members. Holt applied for the opening and was hired.

Keywords: Applying; Brattleboro (Vt.); Changes; Chuncheon (Korea, South); Contact; Cultural training; Friends; Invitations; Letters; News; On-site training; Peace Corps offices; Pre-service training; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Salt Lake City (Utah); Site mates; Technical training; Techniques

Subjects: Ch'unch'ŏn-si (Korea); Emotions; Korea; Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea; Teaching

Partial Transcript: I worked on the first in-country training program for English teachers. That was the 23rd program in the history of Korea. That was in 1973.

Segment Synopsis: Holt started work as a staff member with the first cohort to have pre-service training in South Korea. Holt was responsible for technical training. Over time, Holt was given other staff duties at the Peace Corps office in Seoul such as mid-service training for Volunteers who were teaching English and for making site visits. Holt also worked with the Ministry of Education to coordinate the responsibilities of the Volunteers in the schools.

Keywords: Career paths; Cohorts; Distance; Flexibility; Indiana; Mid-service training; On-site training; Peace Corps offices; Pre-service training; Seoul (Korea, South); Site visits; Support; Taegu (Korea, South); Teaching English as a foreign language; Transportation; Traveling

Subjects: Korea; Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1970-1980; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Seoul (Korea); South Korea; Taegu (Korea); Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: And that connection led to, uh, maybe one of the most significant experiences in my professional life.

Segment Synopsis: Officials in the Ministry of Education decided to standardize the English language textbooks used in the middle and high schools. Holt worked with two Korean co-authors to develop these new materials. Subsequently, a bilingual companion book on teaching methods was developed to be introduced in pre-service training.

Keywords: Changes; Co-teachers; Communication; Cooperation; Criticism; Education programs; English education projects; Examinations; Exams; Fluency; High schools; Improvements; Mid-service training; Middle schools; Peace Corps staff; Pre-service training; Resources; School systems; Support; Technical training; Techniques; Translation

Subjects: Korea; Korea (South); Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; School management and organization; South Korea; Teachers; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Uh, once I left in '76, I, you know, I came back here and started graduate school and then I, I started looking for a job.

Segment Synopsis: Holt returned to the U.S. in 1976 and began graduate school. On occasion, Holt would travel back to Korea and meet Volunteers who were familiar with the textbooks he had co-authored. Peace Corps ended its programs in South Korea in 1981. During school vacations, the Ministry of Education would sponsor training programs for Korean teachers of English. Volunteers also participated in these conversation programs.

Keywords: Books; Classrooms; Confidence; Graduate schools; Improvements; Returning; Risks; Secondary projects; Sustainability; Teacher training; Traveling; Volunteering; Weather; Workshops

Subjects: Emotions; International travel; Korea; Korea (South); Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea; Teachers; Teaching; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Were you able to travel in the broader region outside of Korea?

Segment Synopsis: For vacation, Holt traveled to Japan with two other Volunteers for three weeks. It was common for other Volunteers from Korea to visit Southeast Asia.

Keywords: Budgets; Traveling

Subjects: Cambodia; Finance; International travel; Japan; Korea; Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Philippines; South Korea; Southeast Asia; Vietnam; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Uh, well, I often say that, uh, I started my career as an educator with the best job I ever had.

Segment Synopsis: Before joining the Peace Corps, Holt had little contact with people from other cultures. Experiences with the Peace Corps broadened Holt's personal outlook. Holt came to appreciate both the diversity and universality of humankind. Holt recalls when his mother and sister visited him in Korea in 1974 for two weeks and how his mother, as an older person, was received with great respect by the Koreans they met.

Keywords: Attitudes; Awareness; Career paths; Cultural differences; Diversity; Family; High schools; Host family; Marriage; Ohio; Ohio State University; Personal development; Perspectives; Special occasions; Understanding

Subjects: College students--Conduct of life; Korea; Korea (South); Manners and customs; Older people; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; South Korea; Universities and colleges

Partial Transcript: Well, what advice would you give to someone who wants to go into the Peace Corps, a young person, or an older person, uh, who wants to go into the Peace Corps at this point in time?

Segment Synopsis: Holt feels that the benefits of Peace Corps service far outweigh the negatives. Great effort can lead to great rewards. Volunteers should first concentrate on observing and listening. The same is true in the U.S. One should not first base action on assumptions. Holt argues that successful Volunteers can develop many transferable skills which can help their career.

Keywords: Advantages; Assumptions; Cultural exchange; Relationships; Risks; Skills; Support; Tourism; Tourists; Young people

Subjects: Careers; Peace Corps (U.S.)

Partial Transcript: Just--I, I didn't really talk about what I did when I came back--

Segment Synopsis: Starting in 1977, Holt had a 29-year career with the California Department of Education. Holt worked with people who came to the U.S. from Southeast Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe, Mexico, and Latin America and needed to learn English. Holt found his linguistic and cross cultural experiences from Peace Corps service applicable to his work in California.

Keywords: Acclimation; California; Challenges; Diversity; Jobs; Teacher training; Third Goal; Vietnam War

Subjects: Acculturation; Eastern Europe; Emigration and immigration; Immigrants; Korea; Korea (South); Latin America; Mexico; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Korea (South); Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Korea; Russia; South Korea; Southeast Asia; Students