Tefl in South Korea

Hi -I've been trying to get through to the DFA too. Ridiculous!
Simple question too, maybe someone here can help?
Does anybody know what the current waiting time for postal applications on Apostilles is?

RingTheAlarm! wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm considering moving to Korea in a few months (I can start in August) but I have to be back home for a week in April/May and have no choice in the matter. I contacted EPIK who basically told me not to even bother applying. Does anyone have any advice for me please? I know the holidays are different in Korea to Ireland but I don't want to have to wait an extra 8/9 months

RingTheAlarm!

Some one had a similar question a few pages back.

You could apply for private jobs and hope that they give you the time off. I really doubt it though.

RingTheAlarm! wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm considering moving to Korea in a few months (I can start in August) but I have to be back home for a week in April/May and have no choice in the matter. I contacted EPIK who basically told me not to even bother applying. Does anyone have any advice for me please? I know the holidays are different in Korea to Ireland but I don't want to have to wait an extra 8/9 months

RingTheAlarm!

Just go for a private job, as said above. Let them know that you'll need a week off in April / May but you are willing to pay the fare yourself. I did it easily enough when I first went to Korea. That was 7 years ago though and they didn't have such a big pick of teachers back then.

You could just get a job and then once you are there for 3-4 months, and have built a relationship with your boss, you can just mention that you have a wedding, or whatever, that you have to go home for. Again, let them know you'll pay for it yourself and be really appreciative of their help with allowing you to do this. Tell them you love the job etc etc, just butter them up.

Choccie Lover wrote: »

Yeah, I would agree with Clones Lad.

Are you open to going to a private school/hagwon?

Of course there are no guarantees, but I think after 3/4 or months, once you have proven your worth to the school, you could mention it (and that you would pay for your flights). That gives them 4/5 months notice. I would say they could leave it up to you to find a replacement for that week.

I never had to do this myself, but know a couple of people that did. They had a good working relationship with their employers, so they worked something out.

If you go the EPIK route, that may be a different story. Have no experience of this.

Choccie

Since EPIK said not to apply, I don't really have many other options. Would you recommend any agency in particular? I am looking to save money for a masters and I have several years previous experience teaching if that stands for anything. I am literally starting from square one right now!

Is anyone else waiting on an EPIK interview now?

EPIK doesn't work like that. You have to do a full year's contract to get all the entitlements. you cannot do six months, simple as...If you missed the boat then apply in a few months time. I'm actually quite surprised that it is over so soon.
Keep an eye out for public jobs though. They don't always fill the places for public schools and I often see them advertised on daves esl cafe in early August to September. You can still get public jobs without going through EPIK.

Cornelius the 3rd wrote: »

Thanks for the reply xinchao,

So if a contract is for less than a year/part-time or casual, then it usually will not include benefits. Is that correct?

If so, and I'm planning on going over around Feb '15 until end of school term, would I be better off going over myself (no recruitment agency, pay for my flights, accom etc) and just knocking door to door for a job?

.. and is it likely I could bargain a higher salary this way?

Thanks,
Matt.

Do you have a particular reason for wanting to go to Korea? If you only want to go for a short time then you can earn good money elsewhere without the visa hassle that Korea brings.

The norm in Korea is to do a one year contract. People do go over and earn their money for a few months and then do a runner. I personally don't recommend it because it is a lot of hassle.

If you have a lot of restrictions you could consider China or Vietnam. Both can pay good wages. It would seem like a lot of effort to fly over their yourself and look for jobs for such a short time.

Exactly as the other posters said, there are other websites like eslemployment.com and also waygook.org.
Vietnam is ok money but private schools tend to fluctutae their hours. No perks as such you'll be lucky to get a good one with perks, such as free flights and accommodation. When I worked in Vietnam I didn't get holidays and if i was sick i didn't get paid. My hours were seasonal so some months were slack. I got paid an hourly rate. not sure if the same conditions exist in China but i'd say they wouldn't be too dissimilar.
China is a very viable option. But to get the good jobs you really need to be in China. Take nothing less than 13,000 or 14,000 per month.
Otherwise you won't live and save too well.
Korea is top dollar to do this, you get as standard flights and accommodation included. You'll be starting at around 1.9 - 2.1million won per month. That's the going rate at the moment.
Hagwons are ok to work but you'll be working evenings and maybe split shifts. Same for vietnam and China you'll more than likely be working weeknds too, maybe not all weekends but definitely a Saturday.
These things need to be taken into consideration.
What i would do is think very carefully about what i want to do.
What kind of life do i want there? Do i want to save money or just go out and travel a lot?
The answers to these questions will help you make a decision pretty easily.
Again just do your research.
Personally, I have worked in Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea; i had a ball in the latter two and saved zero money.
South Korea I have saved quite a bit to come home with.
You could also try Indonesia? Might be a bit of a road less travelled and more culturally exciting than Korea to be fair. but that's only my opinion.
But the best course of action is to do your research..It often takes a month or two to scope out a country through the websites. If you find a school make sure to find out about it on davesesl cafe or waygook.org to see if they are blacklisted....
Best of luck

Cornelius the 3rd wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies, theyre very helpful.

There's nothing in particular about south korea, I think I'd enjoy almost any of the available countries. As Im only looking to do this short-term (2 years max) I was looking for somewhere I would enjoy, earn good money and learn a language that would be beneficial for me. Everyplace has at least one con, for me, in terms of the three listed, but Korea and the Middle East look like the best places in terms of income. However while I would like to visit the Middle East, I think I'm too liberal to live there (and the coronvirus hasn't made it any more appealing).

Ive heard a lot of horror stories about the Hagwons and from what I can gather they're a complete gamble. Although that would be one advantage of being over there job seeking door to door; you could see if they actually have a door.. and/or a building and real people.

I think this is my final question: If I got a 1 year contract at a public school with a February/March start, how would that work in terms of summer holidays? I mean would I get paid for the 6 weeks holidays in July or whatever their summer break is?

You won't get six weeks off work in the summer, if that's what you're thinking. You will most likely have to work summer camps, or sit at your desk, in your school, on your own, just counting down the hours until you can go home.

You will get 2 weeks off in summer and 2 weeks I winter, I would imagine.

Yeah, definitely do your research......there are dud set-ups out there, for sure!

I did two yearlong contracts at hagwons. On both occasions I was hired from Ireland and had two positive experiences, hence why I encourage people to at least consider hagwons as an alternative to public schools. I was always paid on time, had no hassle getting my severance, had great accommodation and was treated really well. I wouldn't rule out a hagwon though for not paying airfare upfront (though that is definitely preferable). Neither of mine paid upfront, but I was reimbursed within days of arriving (I made sure to clarify that with my employers and checked with the current teacher that there was no messing in this regard).

The main disadvantage for me was the lack of holidays. The job can be exhausting, so come holiday time, I was fit to crawl into my bed for the whole duration. Come the end of the year, I was floored! But then again, I'm old :-) I can understand why holidays could be a dealbreaker for someone with regard to hagwons.

Another disadvantage for people can be having to work evening hours. Note, that isn't necessarily the case. For both my contracts, I worked 9.30-6.00 as I opted for the kindergarten/elementary route. I enjoy that age, but it's not for everyone.

The advantages for me were:

-Small classes: anything between 4-12 students.
-Autonomy as a teacher: I personally enjoy not having a co-teacher. I could run my classes however I liked provided I covered the material and the kids and parents were happy.
-Other Western co-workers.
-Motivated students.
-Teaching students on a daily basis, so you really get to know them and see them improve.

Anyway, good luck with your decision-making!

BigStupidGuy wrote: »

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry in advance for this somewhat broad question. I'm looking to spend at least a year abroad teaching this September (ish). Is there any viable options left to look for work that you know about?

Gaijinpot?
Sabis?
I already tried EPIK

I have a TEFL and a Master degree (in music). Thanks in advance to anyone who might reply!

There are tons of options and you seem to know yourself that it is a very broad question.

Do you have teaching experience?
Have you given up on going to Korea? (Hagwons are always hiring)
Where do you want to go? Or is it a case of not caring and wanting to earn money?

Yeah I guess there are some advantages to a Hagwon. Ideally I would like to do a CELT/CELTA/TESOL before teaching anywhere (as I'd like to have piece of mind that I'm at least trying to give the students their moneys worth), however due to numerous factors that is very unlikely to happen if I begin work around September.

I know that this doesn't really matter in terms of getting a job in a Hagwon (it seems that the prerequisite is simply a degree and a pulse) nd I'm aware that teaching isn't something that you can master in a month, and that some will naturally take to it quicker than others, but from a moral perspective, for the average Joe (or Joesophine), is it Plausible that after merely doing a 100hr TEFL course, and some research (watch youtube clips etc), that you could stand in front of a class and actually do a half decent job?

BigstupidGuy Hagwon refers to private schools in South Korea. I'm not an expert in this area by any means but from what I gather if you want to get a job in a Hagwon it is not very difficult. There are so many Hagwons and recruitment agencies to go through, just start applying until you find one that suits you. Try daveseslcafe.com and you'll get an idea of the volume..

Cornelius the 3rd wrote: »

I was aware that the public school jobs involved playing games and pretty much being a clown but I taught the private schools involved more actual teaching.

So is it mainly kids in the Hagwons or does the ratio of kids to adult classes depend on the working hours? I assume if Im working a 2-10pm shift that there won't be many kids at 9/10pm?

The level of 'real teaching' you have to do depends on your school. My first school had a proper curriculum in place that involved real teaching. My second school was more of a 'Follow the textbook' job, but it gave me more of chance (provided I covered the essential material) to try out and use my own ideas and resources as a supplement.

As a first-time teacher, I would make sure that one of my questions at interview would be 'Is there a curriculum in place?' Also, ask the native teacher if it is an effective one. Some of the books/curriculums they use over there can be woeful.

With regard to your question of whether it is feasible that you can arrive fresh off the boat and be a credible teacher. Well, yeah.....it is feasible you can do a good job. The first time I arrived in Korea, I had no experience whatsoever and did just fine. Obviously, it took some time to adjust.......... Just be enthusiastic, smiley, energetic........ know how you are going to apply classroom management techniques and be consistent........and prepare for lessons!

Some advice to help before departure:

-Read up a lot on classroom management tips. Find out from experienced teachers what works and what doesn't.
-Know some websites you can consult for resources:
*www.waygook.org has resources submitted by teachers (a mixed bag but you can get really good stuff on there too)
*www.onestopenglish.com (if you sign up to the subscription, you can get lots of good resources...... although you can get some without signing up)
*www.teachitworld.com (again you can sign up to a subscription to get the most out of it)
*www.teachingenglish.org.uk (the British council website. It's free and has some great lesson plans on there)
*www.cambridgeenlishteacher.org (some free stuff, webinars on different themes, lots more stuff if you sign up for a year, including specific discounted courses)

Hope that helps!



Oh and yes the schools mostly have kids, even at that ungodly hour :-) Those poor kids are going to hagwons all evening in different subjects