Tefl in South Korea

cloneslad · 29-09-2010 5:35am

livinginkorea wrote: »

Ah now I realise why the school emailed you directly. I just told my wife your situation and she spotted it right away. The school is afraid that the agency will contact you and say that the school is bad, going bust, etc and therefore they will lose you. They obviously want to have you as a teacher.

Have the agency contacted you yet? They could say anything and you would believe them more than the school in nearly all cases. Of course there are two sides to every story but it seems that the school really does want you. That is something to consider.

I say work with the school and forget the agency for now. If the school has your documents then that's all you need to care about.

+1

and get in touch with the other foreign teacher working there. They should be able to let you know everything you need.

I asked a lad working in Jeju but he had never heard of the school as he lives on the other side of the island.

Get in touch with the teacher working there as soon as possible.

LimerickJoe · 29-09-2010 4:26pm

Hi guys,

Thanks for the advice " LivinginKorea" and your help "Cloneslad".
I wasn't contacted at all today by either the school or the agency which I thought was very odd and worrying on the back of that big long email from the school yesterday.

I took your advice and emailed the school and said if the contract is the same. That they will still pay for my flight over and if i could contact the current foreign teacher, I'd be willing to work for them directly.

Haven't heard from either party though. Bad form.
I wonder will they even post me back my documents.

I'm after applying for about 20 jobs there now. I don't mind where I go as long as it's not too rural. I just want a school I can trust.

Thanks again guys. I'll keep ye posted.

livinginkorea · 29-09-2010 5:12pm

LimerickJoe wrote: »

Hi guys,

Thanks for the advice " LivinginKorea" and your help "Cloneslad".
I wasn't contacted at all today by either the school or the agency which I thought was very odd and worrying on the back of that big long email from the school yesterday.

I took your advice and emailed the school and said if the contract is the same. That they will still pay for my flight over and if i could contact the current foreign teacher, I'd be willing to work for them directly.

Haven't heard from either party though. Bad form.
I wonder will they even post me back my documents.

I'm after applying for about 20 jobs there now. I don't mind where I go as long as it's not too rural. I just want a school I can trust.

Thanks again guys. I'll keep ye posted.

They'll get back to you I'm sure. I would be very surprised if they didn't. Perhaps they are trying to smooth things over with the agency first.

ARGINITE · 29-09-2010 5:23pm

I found the school I worked for a little slow to get back to me. I would give it a day or two.

cloneslad · 29-09-2010 5:30pm

yeah, i'd give it a bit of time.

Chances are it's not the person's primary e-mail adress, but one they use exclusively for work so they wouldn't check it as often as you check yours.

They also have a business to run and may not have had the chance to check their e-mails today. I would give them until the end of the week before I'd start getting worried.

Remember, they want and need to hire a teacher. They already have some ground work done with you, as well as a long interview so it makes sense for them to hire you rather than going through the entire process again (especially when they can get you without having to pay for a recruiter)

kraggy · 29-09-2010 5:36pm

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

It's public school I'm going for so I will be booking my own flights.

I take it you'll get reimbursed for them?

Public schools pay for flights as well, don't they?

Also, how do Public School and Private School holidays compare? How many days/weeks off in each?

cloneslad · 29-09-2010 7:52pm

I take it you'll get reimbursed for them?

Yes, they reimburse you

Public schools pay for flights as well, don't they?

They pay for your flight out and back home. 1.3 million is the exit allowance they give you upon departure as far as I know. They will also give you 200-300k settling allowance upon arrival.

Also, how do Public School and Private School holidays compare? How many days/weeks off in each?

Public schools usually give 2 weeks in summer and a week or possible 2 in winter. Private schools are all different. Generally giving 10-16 days off per year.

LimerickJoe · 30-09-2010 9:48am

I finally got an email from the Agency on the matter.

Hi Joseph,

Sorry for the late reply. EE Academy said they will return your documents because they decided to hire someone else.

I’m so sorry about this.. Do you want to find a job only in Jeju? If you’re interested in other coastal cities, I can offer you a position in Ulsan.

Please let me know what you think. Thank you

I hope the school does get in touch with me soon because I am applying for other jobs now is well.

Anyone know anything about these locations Daegu City or Ansan?
Possibility of interviews.

What is Ulsan like anyway? Even though I don't know would I trust that agency again. They are responsible for messing up the job with the other school and not much explanation from them.

Thanks a million for all the advice.

Cheers guys

Joe

ARGINITE · 30-09-2010 9:55am

Even though I don't know would I trust that agency again. They are responsible for messing up the job with the other school and not much explanation from them.

If you are unsure about the agency then move on, there are plenty of other agencies to pick from.

LimerickJoe · 30-09-2010 10:07am

Ya I know, Do you have any recommendations of good reliable agencies by any chance?
I am finding it quite difficult to get interviews. I have got plenty of job offers but they don't seem to materialise into interviews because I keep getting told they only want North Americans.

I am very flexible regarding location as long as I'm not in too rural an area. I just want to be in a place where it is easy to make friends and has a bit of life to it.

Thanks Arginite

ARGINITE · 30-09-2010 10:15am

I will be honest I have only used one recruitment agency (Tiger English). Both my girlfriend and I got our jobs in Korea through them. They were very helpful, honest and didn't screw us about.

The Korean's really seem to thing the sun shines out of the Americans' h*l*s. We were even asked to teach real (American) English while we were teaching over there

Keep applying and you will find a job, they can all get "real" English speakers :P

LimerickJoe · 30-09-2010 10:23am

ha ha

, madness ! What is your location like? Where are you ? How has your experience been overall. I don't have a clue what to expect, if I ever get there

. Did ye meet many other ex-pats ? Is the teaching hard going? Did you have a tefl course done? I've only been offered one job from Tiger English unfortunately and it was in an extremely rural area, even the lady interviewing me said I might be bored there. I have no doubt that they are a great agency for helping you once you get something with them. They just keep telling me the job situation is really bad at the moment because employers are only interested in Americans!
Hope ye are enjoying it over in Korea anyway. Are ye glad ye went?

ARGINITE · 30-09-2010 10:39am

LimerickJoe wrote: »

ha ha , madness ! What is your location like? Where are you ? How has your experience been overall. I don't have a clue what to expect, if I ever get there . Did ye meet many other ex-pats ? Is the teaching hard going? Did you have a tefl course done? I've only been offered one job from Tiger English unfortunately and it was in an extremely rural area, even the lady interviewing me said I might be bored there. I have no doubt that they are a great agency for helping you once you get something with them. They just keep telling me the job situation is really bad at the moment because employers are only interested in Americans!
Hope ye are enjoying it over in Korea anyway. Are ye glad ye went?

Well our current location is London, UK, we did our year in Korea last year

While I enjoyed it, my girlfriend hated it. We were in Seoul, but no where near the centre of it. We met plenty of Canadians, Americans and on one occasion even saw someone wearing a GAA jersey, that was as close as we got to meeting an Irish person in Korea

The teaching it's self was very easy, then again the school that we worked for was a complete joke.
My girlfriend had a TEFL course done, but I didn't. It was my first time teaching anything outside of C\C++

It's funny, when we were there the schools were having a hard time getting Americans and so we found it very easy to get jobs.
Ya we are both happy we went, the Korean experience was great and it also provided the money to do some travelling on the way home.

LimerickJoe · 30-09-2010 11:04am

Ah great stuff

!

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like a great experience anyway.
Best of luck with your life in London. Great to hear how you got in Korea.

Cheers mate

cloneslad · 30-09-2010 1:02pm

Daegu is a great city. I went up there for a night during Chuseok, there is loads to do there and you are even pretty close to both seoul and busan. There are loads of western restaurants, shops and even a couple of large shopping centres.

I wouldn't mind living there myself having visited it. I think the only downside to it is that it's not convenient for the beach and it is rediculously hot during the summer...40 degrees plus, and serious humidity!!

Where I live (on an island) there are quite a few Irish people and we are getting another one in two weeks when she comes over to replace an American teacher.

The teaching isn't very difficult and for the most part is enjoyable. The whole experience has been enjoyable for me and it's an easy way to save money too.

LimerickJoe · 30-09-2010 1:24pm

Thanks Cloneslad ,

I would be happy to get a job in Daegu so.

I emailed back the agency today telling them how disappointed I was about the job in Jeju falling through.The school still hasn't contacted me since that long email they sent the other day. As I expected the agency have told me what bad people they are at the school. I don't know who to believe but the school hasn't asked me to still come without the agency yet. Anyway here is the email from the agency, see what you make of it.
Cheers

Hi Joseph,

I feel bad as well but I think it’s good that you don’t work there because I got a vibe that they’re not good people.

The lady was nice at the beginning but as time went, they kept on changing their words and demanded more and more.

I can tell you about it later when I’m able to call you maybe next Monday.

I understand how much you were disappointed that you lost this job but for a long term, it’s good that you don’t work with them I think.

I don’t make money if I don’t make a contract but still if the school owners are not nice, I don’t recommend teachers to them because I need to think about later.

I don’t want my teachers get in trouble with their schools and become unhappy. As I’ve been working in this field, I can tell pretty well what kind of people when I talk to them.

So, hope you would understand this and I will contact you next Monday because I won’t come to work tomorrow due to a personal business.

And my boss told them to return your documents to us so we can send your documents to you or we can keep your documents until you find a job through us or the agent if you want.

So you don’t have to send them again and it’s easier. Hope you have a lovely weekend and I will talk to you next week.

Thank you

governor · 30-09-2010 2:11pm

livinginkorea wrote: »

To be honest, 12 months is not as long as you think. With a MA you should be getting a decent wage and with the time of year you are available you should consider a public school position which start in March (hiring process beings soon enough and runs until end of Feb).

15 hours a week in the countryside is a killer. To be honest, I am a city person so can't imagine working so little in the sticks and having so much free time off. After the first month there will be nothing much to do unless you want to travel to Seoul or a big city every week. That will be costly.

If you are not coming over to honor your contact from the start then maybe it's best not to come over. If your heart or intention is not in it from the start then I would consider another country, perhaps China or Taiwan. You could just fly over and try to get a job part-time or make some deal with your boss.

Thanks for the advice, but the reason I'm going for the TaLK thing is because it is six-months. As I've said, I really don't want to break a twelve-month contract. I can't do a twelve-month cause I'm starting a full-time job back in Ireland in September.

Thanks for your opinion re working in a rural area though. Taken on board.

cloneslad · 30-09-2010 2:12pm

If they are seiously willing to forward your documents on to some other recruiter then that is very nice of them. I do wonder if they really would do it though.

I would keep in with the agency and also see what happens with the school too. Make sure to look out for yourself, that's what's most important.

LimerickJoe · 30-09-2010 3:13pm

Thanks Cloneslad,

I just realised now that that's what they meant about sending my documents on to another agency. I emailed them back and thanked them for their email of explanation but I requested my documents be sent back to me in Ireland ASAP. I have a feeling I won't hear from the school at this stage.

I told the agency I anm still interested in getting a job through them , but i would prefer if I had my documents here in Ireland. God I really hope I get a solid interview soon.

When a school agree to interview you, does it normally mean they want to hire you? Or do they interview many people and it's just luck whether they ask you or not?

Should I just keep applying on Daveseslcafe for new jobs everyday?

How are other people getting on with the job hunt?

I thought I would find a job easy enough because I'm not too fussy about location. There must be a load of people applying for jobs in Korea and not that many positions available.

Cheers lad

kraggy · 30-09-2010 4:00pm

cloneslad wrote: »

I take it you'll get reimbursed for them?

Yes, they reimburse you

Public schools pay for flights as well, don't they?

They pay for your flight out and back home. 1.3 million is the exit allowance they give you upon departure as far as I know. They will also give you 200-300k settling allowance upon arrival.

Also, how do Public School and Private School holidays compare? How many days/weeks off in each?

Public schools usually give 2 weeks in summer and a week or possible 2 in winter. Private schools are all different. Generally giving 10-16 days off per year.

Is 2 weeks all you get in Summer from public schools? And 2 weeks in Winter?

That's equivalent to 10 days annual leave, which is only half of the legal minimum here.

Is that all the time you get off? Jaysus, teaching is draining enough as it is without getting short holidays like that.

I'm a primary school teacher here and would be exhausted to bad health if I had to teach that much here.

Jamie Starr · 30-09-2010 5:00pm

Agnostic Mantis wrote: »

Hey, I'd like to get some views on this if I could! I'm a second year English student and I've been offered a chance to go to South Korea to teach English in the writing centre of Kyungpook National University. It comes with about $800 a month for 30 hours a week, on-campus accomodation, a round-trip air fare etc. for a 6-month period.

Has anyone had experience with this university? I'm extremely interested, but it is a long way away and isn't something I was prepared for. Any advice for a conflicted wannabe ex-pat?

Sorry to post this again, but I don't know whether it was missed or just ignored! If there aren't any answers this time I'll take the hint!:)

cloneslad · 30-09-2010 6:34pm

Agnostic Mantis wrote: »

Sorry to post this again, but I don't know whether it was missed or just ignored! If there aren't any answers this time I'll take the hint!:)

Missed, not ignored.

I don't know much about the position you were offered because the details you gave were very limited.

The university is in Daegu, which, as you can see from about 5-6 posts ago I recommended as a really great place.

I think you should go for it. Sure why wouldn't you? It sounds like it is the talK program that Governor is considering, except you meet the requirements as you are an undergrad. I think you have to have 2 years completed to do the talK program though.

If you want to provide more details then the posters may be able to help out more, but I definitely think Daegu is a great place to end up.

cloneslad · 30-09-2010 6:40pm

kraggy wrote: »

Is 2 weeks all you get in Summer from public schools? And 2 weeks in Winter?

That's equivalent to 10 days annual leave, which is only half of the legal minimum here.

Is that all the time you get off? Jaysus, teaching is draining enough as it is without getting short holidays like that.

I'm a primary school teacher here and would be exhausted to bad health if I had to teach that much here.

summer holidays and winter holidays are both 6-7 weeks each. You will most likely have this time off as an English teacher (some schools run camps for a few of these weeks though).

When I say you have the time off, it doesn't mean you are on vacation. You are expected to go to school everyday and do your normal 8:30-4:30 hours that you usually do. The only exception is that you won't teach as no students will be there and there may be no other teachers there too. (it's known as desk warming)

You just sit there and supposedly do lesson plans etc but most people seem to just go on the internet, watch movies, study for an online course etc etc.

The other teachers (the Koreans) can do their work at home. The foreign teacher is not afforded such a luxury, but then again you are getting paid to sit on your a$$ doing very little for over a month so it's not such a bad deal.

Students change level in March here so the longer break comes in January-February. Koreans also don't take very long holidays as a rule of thumb. 5 day vacations to Europe are very common and getting a full week off work is a luxury.

sweetthing · 30-09-2010 7:08pm

Anyone know a lot about Iksan? Registered with www.saykimchirecruiting.com yesterday and they got back to me and my mate about a possible job there today. No interview yet, but before I start considering the place I was hoping to get some feedback from anyone who may have been there before. Anyone here with experience of the place?

Also for anyone still searching for a job in KOrea like me, I'd recommens that you register with these guys. Great website, speedy response, the girl that runs it Lindsay seems like a good egg

Cole · 30-09-2010 7:25pm

LimerickJoe wrote: »

Do you have any recommendations of good reliable agencies by any chance?

I found this site during my research, appears to be an agency or some kind of association of local schools. http://www.daegutefljob.com/

This is a great thread, hugely informative and very generous advice from those of you already in Korea. I'm going to add to the list of questions and ask for opinions on teaching adults and the inevitable split shifts.

I am used to early starts and have worked all kinds of different hours/shifts over the years, but have never specifically worked split shifts in a teaching job. I 've read some hysterically negative comments on international teaching forums regarding split shifts, can it be that bad?

kraggy · 30-09-2010 8:30pm

cloneslad wrote: »

summer holidays and winter holidays are both 6-7 weeks each. You will most likely have this time off as an English teacher (some schools run camps for a few of these weeks though).

When I say you have the time off, it doesn't mean you are on vacation. You are expected to go to school everyday and do your normal 8:30-4:30 hours that you usually do. The only exception is that you won't teach as no students will be there and there may be no other teachers there too. (it's known as desk warming)

You just sit there and supposedly do lesson plans etc but most people seem to just go on the internet, watch movies, study for an online course etc etc.

The other teachers (the Koreans) can do their work at home. The foreign teacher is not afforded such a luxury, but then again you are getting paid to sit on your a$$ doing very little for over a month so it's not such a bad deal.

Students change level in March here so the longer break comes in January-February. Koreans also don't take very long holidays as a rule of thumb. 5 day vacations to Europe are very common and getting a full week off work is a luxury.

Thanks again Cloneslad. Wasn't quite the answer I was hoping for though.

But not your fault! I was hoping to go over there and maybe see a bit of the country, but with only 5 days in the summer to be able to actually not go in to the school at all, the scope for sightseeing is limited I imagine.

That really puts doubts in my head as to whether it's a good idea for me to go at all.

livinginkorea · 01-10-2010 2:13am

Cole wrote: »

I am used to early starts and have worked all kinds of different hours/shifts over the years, but have never specifically worked split shifts in a teaching job. I 've read some hysterically negative comments on international teaching forums regarding split shifts, can it be that bad?

With split shifts you are in effect looking at the clock half of the time. Although in theory it sounds good, have some early classes, go back to bed or chill out at home and then back in for the evening classes. Personally, I did it for a year and towards the end I hated it. Always checking the time and felt like I never had any free time during the day. Couldn't go anywhere for the day after class 'cas I had to be back for class. Your day is never finished and naturally if you sleep during the day the school or somebody will call you because they work during the day.

But just because it's not for me doesn't mean it would be the same for you. Since you have experience already with split shifts then you will be fine. Just a short period of adjustment that's all.

livinginkorea · 01-10-2010 2:29am

LimerickJoe wrote: »

Thanks Cloneslad ,

I would be happy to get a job in Daegu so.

I emailed back the agency today telling them how disappointed I was about the job in Jeju falling through.The school still hasn't contacted me since that long email they sent the other day. As I expected the agency have told me what bad people they are at the school. I don't know who to believe but the school hasn't asked me to still come without the agency yet. Anyway here is the email from the agency, see what you make of it.
Cheers

Hi Joseph,

I feel bad as well but I think it’s good that you don’t work there because I got a vibe that they’re not good people.

The lady was nice at the beginning but as time went, they kept on changing their words and demanded more and more.

I can tell you about it later when I’m able to call you maybe next Monday.

I understand how much you were disappointed that you lost this job but for a long term, it’s good that you don’t work with them I think.

I don’t make money if I don’t make a contract but still if the school owners are not nice, I don’t recommend teachers to them because I need to think about later.

I don’t want my teachers get in trouble with their schools and become unhappy. As I’ve been working in this field, I can tell pretty well what kind of people when I talk to them.

So, hope you would understand this and I will contact you next Monday because I won’t come to work tomorrow due to a personal business.

And my boss told them to return your documents to us so we can send your documents to you or we can keep your documents until you find a job through us or the agent if you want.

So you don’t have to send them again and it’s easier. Hope you have a lovely weekend and I will talk to you next week.

Thank you

Wow this email has alarm bells ringing for me....the agency are going to hold your documents now, in effect that means you have to work with them. That limits your options a lot. They could have a job for you next week or it could be a long wait. Hopefully, they would be willing to send back the documents easily without any trouble although they won't pay for it.

It was interesting that the agency kept saying that the school owner was not 'nice' or not 'good.' Naturally that is their opinion and they wouldn't have asked you to send your papers to that school in the first place if they didn't think the school wasn't 'nice' or 'good' to begin with!

I think the agency has threatened the school so that may be why they are giving back your papers. I would contact the school one last time to hear their side of the story. If you have their phone number then a quick call would give you an answer fast. It's difficult to see who is in the wrong here but if the agency doesn't have a decent job for you and you ask for your papers back then more complications might arise. I would definitely be wary as Cloneslad said.

livinginkorea · 01-10-2010 2:46am

kraggy wrote: »

Is 2 weeks all you get in Summer from public schools? And 2 weeks in Winter?

That's equivalent to 10 days annual leave, which is only half of the legal minimum here.

Is that all the time you get off? Jaysus, teaching is draining enough as it is without getting short holidays like that.

I'm a primary school teacher here and would be exhausted to bad health if I had to teach that much here.

The amount of work you have to do as an elementary school teacher in Ireland and the amount or work for an elementary langauge teacher in Korea are very, very different. The work in Korea is very easy, the students level is a lot lower than what you expect so bad health from exhaustion is never going to be an issue. At least, I have never heard of anybody working in the public sector getting drained. Now in the private sector, that is a different matter.

The holidays used to be a lot longer but in recent years they have become more 'private school-like' with language camps (held in school) and desk-warming the norm in most schools. There are still some lucky teachers getting longer holidays but they usually have made some deal with the principal and kept it on the quiet from the education office.

I totally agree that 2 weeks is not enough. However, the actual work itself is a lot easier than Ireland since you are teaching English and not content-based teaching. I know a few people who use their free time 'desk-warming' during the holidays to study their MA or a language or even write. Just because you are there does not mean they are going to give you a load of work to do. They will give you the odd job but if you tell them you are studying (especially Korean - they would be delighted!) then they will ease up. At least that's the way it was for me. If you looked bored then they will pile work on you.

Oh, and I never had to take my work home with me. A lot to be said about that. Nowadays it's normal for me to take work home! I miss not doing that!

livinginkorea · 01-10-2010 2:58am

governor wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, but the reason I'm going for the TaLK thing is because it is six-months. As I've said, I really don't want to break a twelve-month contract. I can't do a twelve-month cause I'm starting a full-time job back in Ireland in September.

Thanks for your opinion re working in a rural area though. Taken on board.

The rural situation was ok at first for me and then became really difficult towards the end. The last bus to my town from the local city was 8 pm! That or pay for a taxi and sure once you meet a couple of the lads, taxis were the norm.

Don't get me wrong, the people are nice, air is clean, plenty of mountains but the lack of stuff to do is a problem for me. I spent a lot of time in my apartment near the end of my contract downloading TV shows or ordering books. I went up the same mountain about twice a week, the same beach every other week. Locals must have thought I was one of them!

cloneslad · 01-10-2010 5:00am

kraggy wrote: »

Thanks again Cloneslad. Wasn't quite the answer I was hoping for though.

But not your fault! I was hoping to go over there and maybe see a bit of the country, but with only 5 days in the summer to be able to actually not go in to the school at all, the scope for sightseeing is limited I imagine.

That really puts doubts in my head as to whether it's a good idea for me to go at all.

it won't be five days in summer it will be 10 (14 including weekends). Winter will be the same.

Sure it doesn't sound like a lot when you compare it to teaching back home, but you should compare it to a normal job back home. Most people working in industry don't get 2 blocks of 2 weeks off and also get to sit around doing nothing (or very little) for another 2 months of the year.

You will also only teach, at most, 22 hours a week. I think about 15-18 are usually much more common too.

If you want to compare it to teaching back home then think of these:

No targets to meet
No junior / leaving cert to worry about
The principal will never bother you
If there are any exams in the school then you don't have class
If there is anything on in the school then you prob won't have class
You will be the novelty and most teachers will be friendly and helpful to you
You get to do nothing or pretty much nothing for 2 months of the year
Your entire tax is less than the new 2% compulsory tax the government brough in (in fact it's 0% for two years in a public school)
you will get to save a crap load of money
Utilities for a month will be about €60 (gas, elec, internet, tv, phone, water and apartment charges such as bins and recycling)
The kids are much more polite than back home
You won't have to take work home with you
You get free air fare
you get an apartment paid for
you get entire weekends to travel a new country (they are long enough to do it)
You get to experience a whole new culture
You will do much more with your weekends off here than you would ever do in Ireland..........much much more!!

these are just some of them off the top of my head, there are many many more advantages to living here. No point being stuck in a rut back home when you can come over here and enjoy yourself for a year or 2. Sure the holidays aren't as long as back home, but you will always feel like you're on a bit of a holiday anyway (expecially when you can get away with most things just for being white :P )

Cole · 01-10-2010 3:55pm

livinginkorea wrote: »

With split shifts you are in effect looking at the clock half of the time. Although in theory it sounds good, have some early classes, go back to bed or chill out at home and then back in for the evening classes. Personally, I did it for a year and towards the end I hated it. Always checking the time and felt like I never had any free time during the day. Couldn't go anywhere for the day after class 'cas I had to be back for class. Your day is never finished and naturally if you sleep during the day the school or somebody will call you because they work during the day.

But just because it's not for me doesn't mean it would be the same for you. Since you have experience already with split shifts then you will be fine. Just a short period of adjustment that's all.

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty adamant that I want to teach adults, although I could cope with teaching kids for part of the week. My options in South Korea seem to be jobs teaching either kids or adults, but not a mix of both. If that is the case, then it's definitely adults for me.

I know that there are some benefits in teaching kids, longer holidays, no split shifts etc. but I would struggle to maintain my sanity if I had to spend everyday with a class full of kids. I could do the stern, strict teacher but I don't think that's what the schools are looking for.:D

Any thoughts?

monosharp · 01-10-2010 4:26pm

Cole wrote: »

I know that there are some benefits in teaching kids, longer holidays, no split shifts etc. but I would struggle to maintain my sanity if I had to spend everyday with a class full of kids. I could do the stern, strict teacher but I don't think that's what the schools are looking for.:D

Split shifts, probably. Less holidays No.

http://www.wsikorea.com/about/recruit_lecture6.asp?recruitlist_idx=11&listtype=Teacher%20Recruiting

http://www.jobpagoda.com/

The first institution is very flexible regarding holidays. The second will give you a month off and you can talk your way into more if you want.

Adult hagwons are much more flexible than childrens institutions.

Cole · 01-10-2010 5:09pm

Thanks for the Wall Street link. I've read very positive reviews of them, didn't realise they were in South Korea.

I looked at Pagoda already but was put off by the lack of rent free accommodation, which seems to be almost a standard perk with most schools in South Korea....just noticed that Wall Street don't provide accommodation either.

sweetthing · 01-10-2010 6:14pm

Hey, myself and my mate have an interview for two jobs for schools in Iksan in Jeollabuk-do province (nearby to Jeonju). Any experienced heads in Korea have an opinion on the following job description?

The schools are in Iksan and they are looking for two teachers.

Name of School : Avalon English School and Chungsol Language School (but the housing would be together)
Location: Iksan, Jeollabukdo
Salary: 2.1 mil won
Starting date: ASAP
Type of students: elementary- middle students
Maximum teaching hours per week: 30
Class hours: 3-10 pm
Working week: Mon – Fri
Overtime payment: 18,000-20,000 won
Number of foreign teachers 4
Holidays: 10 days of paid vacation in addition to public holiday

Housing: single or you could live together, you choose.

Benefits: Medical Insurance, air ticket, Contract Completion bonus

Seems standard enough. 2.1 million seems at the lower end of the scale however. Considering it's rural should i try to bargain for more or would that be greedy in the current job market? Already have a year's esl exp in the middle east.

Already asked this, but anyone have any opinions on Iksan? seems small enough, but it's very near Jeonju (about 20 miles) and on the KXL line which means visiting other cities should be easy. Only fear is I might be a little too isolated/bored. Thanks in advance guys!

cloneslad · 01-10-2010 6:32pm

type in 'Avalon korea' into google.

Have a read over some of the thread you find on daves esl.

I have heard some terrible stories about them and would never choose to work for them.

Also 2.1 is a bit low but you take what you can get (though I'd prefer nothing over avalon)

monosharp · 02-10-2010 5:05am

Cole wrote: »

I looked at Pagoda already but was put off by the lack of rent free accommodation, which seems to be almost a standard perk with most schools in South Korea....just noticed that Wall Street don't provide accommodation either.

Where did you read that ? They absolutely do provide free accommodation.

The only possible difference I can think of is that they usually give you a limit on how much they are willing to fork up for key money and you have to choose accommodation within that limit.

Cole · 02-10-2010 10:43am

monosharp wrote: »

Where did you read that ? They absolutely do provide free accommodation.

According to WSI's website, they provide "housing assistance". Whatever that consists of, it's not free housing and this seems to be confirmed from what I've read from other online discussions regarding WSI in Korea.

On Pagoda's site;
"We help you every step of the way
Upon arrival, you will be taken to a motel where you will stay for about 5-7 days. During this time our housing manager will show you several apartments.
After you choose the one that you like we will move in the furniture provided by Pagodaa and the rest of your belongings".

"You can either use our key money or put down your own.
Most teachers use our key money, however if you have your own housing or key money then you would receive a higher housing allowance from Pagoda".

"Rent is conveniently deducted from your monthly salary".

"If you use our key money then we provide W100,000/month housing allowance.
If you have your own housing or use your own key money then you get W250,000/month".

There's a lot of help there, but my understanding is that there are plenty of jobs out there where all you have to pay are utility bills.

cloneslad · 02-10-2010 11:18am

I think Pagoda pay more than most other jobs though.

Cole · 02-10-2010 11:40am

Fair point. Do you have any further info on Pagoda, cloneslad?

livinginkorea · 02-10-2010 12:08pm

Cole wrote: »

According to WSI's website, they provide "housing assistance". Whatever that consists of, it's not free housing and this seems to be confirmed from what I've read from other online discussions regarding WSI in Korea.

On Pagoda's site;
"We help you every step of the way
Upon arrival, you will be taken to a motel where you will stay for about 5-7 days. During this time our housing manager will show you several apartments.
After you choose the one that you like we will move in the furniture provided by Pagodaa and the rest of your belongings".

"You can either use our key money or put down your own.
Most teachers use our key money, however if you have your own housing or key money then you would receive a higher housing allowance from Pagoda".

"Rent is conveniently deducted from your monthly salary".

"If you use our key money then we provide W100,000/month housing allowance.
If you have your own housing or use your own key money then you get W250,000/month".

There's a lot of help there, but my understanding is that there are plenty of jobs out there where all you have to pay are utility bills.

The 'housing manager' will probably show you one house on the day you arrive. Can't see them forking out money to keep you in a motel for the week. That would be at least 30,000~40,000 won a day.

livinginkorea · 02-10-2010 12:10pm

cloneslad wrote: »

I think Pagoda pay more than most other jobs though.

Are they the ones where you can work lots of over time if you want including weekends? Might be wrong but thought it was Pagoda. Ah anyway might not apply now.

Edit - extra payment to help with the housing?

livinginkorea · 02-10-2010 12:17pm

Cole wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty adamant that I want to teach adults, although I could cope with teaching kids for part of the week. My options in South Korea seem to be jobs teaching either kids or adults, but not a mix of both. If that is the case, then it's definitely adults for me.

I know that there are some benefits in teaching kids, longer holidays, no split shifts etc. but I would struggle to maintain my sanity if I had to spend everyday with a class full of kids. I could do the stern, strict teacher but I don't think that's what the schools are looking for.:D

Any thoughts?

I know how you feel but practically everyone does their stint in the beginning teaching kids. Do it for a year and work your way out of it. If you were friendly with the boss you could convince them to let you teach a mother's class or open an evening class if there are some companies / high schools in the area. If the boss has any business sense then they usually offer this before you can say it to them.

Generally if the hours of the school finish late then there could very well be an adult class thrown in there. Happened a lot to me and definitely got me out of teaching kids. I end up being very strict with them too, much to the disappointment of the owners

Private schools all have roughly the same length of holidays - 10 days. I used to teach a TESOL Certificate course and only got 10 days too; the nature of the work rarely matters. Once it's a private school then forget about long vacations.

cloneslad · 02-10-2010 12:45pm

livinginkorea wrote: »

Are they the ones where you can work lots of over time if you want including weekends? Might be wrong but thought it was Pagoda. Ah anyway might not apply now.

Edit - extra payment to help with the housing?

As far as I know, yes.

I have only read about Pagoda, don't actually know anything about them.

From what I have heard, they pay you by the class but guarantee you a certain number of classes per month and you usually work a hell of a lot more than that.

People make well over the average wage when they work for Pagoda (usually between 3-4million a month) but they do this by working the asses off and having no life at all.

Personally I would prefer to have a personal life and make less money that Pagoda. I also have the certainty that I won't get fired for not being what Pagoda want and not doing all those hours.

Cole · 02-10-2010 1:09pm

Thanks for the feedback, livinginkorea and cloneslad. If I only consider adult teaching jobs, I realise that I will be severely limiting my options and could miss out on other jobs with very good benefits....even if it means a class full of kids everyday.

cloneslad wrote: »

Personally I would prefer to have a personal life and make less money

I completely agree. The main reason for wanting to teach abroad is to experience a different country and culture, can't do that if all you're doing is working.

I'll give it a bit of thought, but I'm still leaning towards adult teaching. I'm a novice teacher but have delivered in-house training courses in the past, have a CELTA and years of 'people skills/experience'. I'm just trying to play to my strengths, which I think would come into play more when teaching adults.

Cole · 02-10-2010 1:20pm

I heard this on The Business, on RTE radio 1, this morning.

From The Far West To The Far East
Michelle Burke is a 27-year-old from Ennis in Co. Clare who's pitched up in the exotic location of Chilgok, near Daegu in South Korea. She told George about her life abroad and why she left Ireland in the first place.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thebusiness/index.html#Podcasts

It's the latest podcast and the interview begins at 00:28:10

cloneslad · 02-10-2010 2:12pm

Daegu is hardly exotic. There are more western restaurants and fast food places as well as shops than you would find in most places in Ireland.

It is pretty nice though.

As for teaching kids, you should have a go at it. The kids are nice and it's surprising how fond of them you will become. It's not stressful and the hours are great too. I teach 3:45-9 m/w/f and 3:30-7:10 on tues/thurs. I have the whole morning and afternoon to relax and i'm still hom epretty early.

Cole · 02-10-2010 2:23pm

Looks like you hit the jackpot with that position cloneslad, nice schedule. I'll keep an open mind on things, thanks.

cloneslad · 02-10-2010 2:29pm

I just had a listen to the podcast. She sounds like a newbie. Chilgok is a fairly large place in itself and is only across the river from Daegu, if the people in her area have never seen a foreigner before then I'm guessing they've either been walking aroun dwith their eyes closed in Chilgok and have never taken the short trip to Daegu.

I'd imagine they told her to make it sound much weirder than it actually is. She can probably get a bus into daegu for about a Euro and a taxi for about €5 so she's hardly isolated. I have also been to a few cities in Japan, you go down a side street there and you are also down in a darker area, but you will always feel safe, so that's a bonus.

She came across quite friendly and happy though so at least she's enjoying it.

cloneslad · 02-10-2010 2:30pm

Cole wrote: »

Looks like you hit the jackpot with that position cloneslad, nice schedule. I'll keep an open mind on things, thanks.

It's why I came back to it. They also gave me a nice big apartment too

Tefl in South Korea

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