Tim Scroggins is a Biola graduate currently teaching in Korea. Andrew Mauzey is a faculty member in Biola’s Department of English and was Scroggins’ instructor for Studies in Critical Thinking and Writing. Hear about Scroggins’ career journey from Biola. The following conversation took place in February of 2021.
Andrew Mauzey: Hi, Tim, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about the role of writing and literature in your journey since graduating. Let’s start with that—what have you been up to since graduating?
Tim Scroggins: I graduated from Biola in May 2019, and nine months later I left California to teach English in Korea, in a small countryside town named Danyang. My first year went so well that I signed on to teach for a second year at the same public middle school.
AM: Moving from Biola to Korea seems like a big leap for most people. How has writing played a part in helping you adjust and process?
TS: At Biola I was able to process my thoughts and feelings through daily face-to-face conversations with friends. However, I haven't had that luxury since graduating. So, writing has played an important part in helping me process my experience of living in a different country. When I first came to Korea, I wrote several blog posts that I shared with friends and family. Since then, I began posting directly to social media instead. I often get excited about what I learn of the culture or language and want to tell someone about it. I'm thankful that modern technology allows me to do so.
AM: In regard to social media, are you writing mostly to people back home or to people in Korea as well?
TS: Through Facebook I keep in touch with loved ones back home. When I read words of encouragement from people who are dear to me, that's always especially comforting. And through HelloTalk I've made many friends in Korea who help me improve my Korean.
AM: Talk to me more about this dynamic—you came to Korea to teach, but it also sounds like you’re learning from the friends you’ve made.
TS: I came to Korea with the motto "becoming a teacher, remaining a student." I'm a teacher of English but a student of culture, language, and of course teaching itself. So in some sense I am actually more of a student than a teacher. I have to present myself in class as an authority on the English language but not Korean, so I often ask students questions about Korean and let them teach me. The transition has been easier than I expected. I think writing helped with this. When I write, I practice communicating my thoughts in a structured and simple way. When I teach, I try to do likewise. I use short sentences. I don't use big words. I hope this supports the students' comprehension and keeps them motivated.
AM: How did your experience with writing at Biola give you these kinds of effective teaching habits?
TS: Since I majored in biblical studies, a lot of my writing assignments were about analyzing discourse. Learning to see structure in writings gave me guidance in better structuring my own writing. I also learned to write to greater effect. In this regard, aiming for simplicity and following the "show don't tell" guideline are two habits that I formed as a student. Perhaps most importantly, I realized that becoming a better writer requires learning from the best.
AM: Speaking of learning from the best, who or what are you reading these days?
TS: So, these days I read a lot of poetry with the goal of learning to write better poetry.
AM: Why poetry?
TS: I have loved poetry ever since I was young. As a kid, I remember showing a poem that I wrote about a kite to my grandpa who also loves poetry. His praise made me feel proud of my writing. Later, I grew passionate about foreign languages and devoted a lot of my free time in high school and then in college to studying French and German. However, neither of these caught my affection quite like Korean. So, long story short, today one of my biggest interests is in the best of both worlds: poetry in a foreign language. While I enjoy Korean poetry, I also think there is value in translating it that goes beyond enjoyment. Some Korean poetry is truly and uniquely beautiful. I hope to contribute to the spreading of that beauty.
AM: What are some of the biggest challenges of translating Korean poetry for an English-reading audience?
TS: There are many that stand in the way of translating Korean poetry well. The most difficult one is cultural difference. For example, if a poem refers to a traditional tool or piece of clothing that most western readers won't know about, there is likely no perfect way to translate it. Another difficulty is the difference of word order. In Korean, speakers can naturally withhold key information until the very end of a sentence in a way that English can't. This is sometimes used in poetry to build anticipation, in which case it is important to the poem and desirable to translate. It can be done but usually only by sacrificing something else that was working well in the translation. Translators juggle so many challenges at once. I think they have to be okay with letting something drop at times.
AM: Are there any particular poets or material you hope to work with in the future?
TS: I would be thrilled if someday I could translate for Sosdae Munhak (솟대문학), a publishing company dedicated to writers with disabilities. Recognition is hard to find as a poet and even more as a disabled poet. I privately translated some poems by poets connected with Sosdae and asked Korean friends about parts I would get stuck on. This is one reason why I love poetry specifically. All my Korean friends like poetry and are more than willing to talk with me about it and help me understand. It is a great way for me to connect with people around me.
AM: Other than poetry, in what other ways do you see yourself using translation to help people?
TS: My long-term goal, different from my goal of translating Korean poetry, is to help translate the Bible into a language that does not have a full translation. Similar to how I currently help Korean friends understand difficult English so that they can translate into Korean, I would be helping speakers of a less popular language understand Scripture while they translate it themselves. This would most likely mean moving to another country, but I would stay connected with Korea and continue to translate Korean poetry. Either way, I see writing playing an essential role in my future.
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