Tefl in South Korea

roosh

kraggy wrote: »

It is, it takes ages to sift through all the crap. And the layout of the website is muddled once you go looking for stuff.

Try googling "waygook elementary camp". (or middle/high if you're not elementary)

You can see the titles of each thread that way without having to go into each one and reading through it all.

cheers kraggy, I found the camp index alright, but even that is just ordered chaos. Haven't a notion what to do for a camp, and have zero input from my CT, so just looking for something that I can throw together.

squeakyduck

red_bairn wrote: »

When are you back?

Flying in the morning of the 26th!

Gonna try and get a group up to Seoul for new years if any of ye want to join? :)

red_bairn

squeakyduck wrote: »

Flying in the morning of the 26th!

Gonna try and get a group up to Seoul for new years if any of ye want to join? :)

Will be a quiet one with the gf. :P

kraggy

roosh wrote: »

cheers kraggy, I found the camp index alright, but even that is just ordered chaos. Haven't a notion what to do for a camp, and have zero input from my CT, so just looking for something that I can throw together.

Are you elementary or what? What standard is the kids' English?

Pick a theme that can be divided in to 4 or 5 pieces. For example

Do a continent each day, Australia on the Monday, Africa on the Tuesday etc and shur Friday will be a doss anyway, no need to plan anything.

Pictures, wildlife youtube videos, drawing, painting animals and places, a simple PPT each day as an introduction, look up games on the internet for fillers. Also, there are loads of wordsearches and colouring sheets on the internet.

Just google "Africa wordsearch" etc.

You'll be grand don't worry. Just sit down and make a start and then the ideas will start flowing.

Dhoff

Hi Guys

I am really considering going to Korea in January/Feb 2012. I have a degree in Civil Engineering and finished the 120hour tefl advanced course.

Recently I started the visa application for a skilled visa for Australia but that takes over one year to process, so I thought i'd give teaching a try. I have already spent 2 years in Oz but since nothing is happening here I dont have much of a choice other than move abroad.

Just looking for a bit of advice on whether I should just travel to Korea with my papers and try find a teaching position or should I apply before leaving. I heard you can just find a school then leave the country and get your visa sorted that way. I dont really care about the price of the flights or accommodation just once I can find a job when im there. I understand that maybe things are more difficult but I would really love to try this opportunity..

Do the schools help with the teaching in the class as I dont speak any Korean and have never held a teaching position before...I am hoping to meet up with a Korean guy in Dublin to help with his english and get some advice on this matter.

If any one has any tips on websites or who to contact about positions this would be greatly appreciated...Could do with a few boardies when I get out there also...

Thanks

groovyspiderguy

Dhoff, It's always better to have something lined up before you travel. You've just missed the deadline for application with Epik but have a look here: http://www.gone2korea.com/when-to-apply.html and on Dave's eslcafe.com.

If you get a job in a public school, you will have a Korean co-teacher - If you work in a hagwon (private English academy) I don't think you'll have one!

Of course you don't need to be able to speak Korean in a class situation. You just need it to survive outside of the classroom!

cloneslad

Dhoff wrote: »

Hi Guys


Just looking for a bit of advice on whether I should just travel to Korea with my papers and try find a teaching position or should I apply before leaving. I heard you can just find a school then leave the country and get your visa sorted that way. I dont really care about the price of the flights or accommodation just once I can find a job when im there. I understand that maybe things are more difficult but I would really love to try this opportunity..

Typically, as you will be on your first E2 visa (or korean visa for that matter) you will have to have an interview with the embassy in your home country, so unless you want to pay your flights to korea, find a job, then fly back home again, I wouldn't go down this route.

Also, you have zero korean, don't seem to have any connections in Korea and know little about teaching or the process of getting a teaching job, so i'd stick to getting one in Ireland, then getting your free flight out to korea.

Do the schools help with the teaching in the class as I dont speak any Korean and have never held a teaching position before...I am hoping to meet up with a Korean guy in Dublin to help with his english and get some advice on this matter.

No, they don't, even the public school teachers, who are supposed to work alongside you, rarely help out.

Why would you need to speak Korean in the class room? You are teaching English.

If any one has any tips on websites or who to contact about positions this would be greatly appreciated...Could do with a few boardies when I get out there also...

Go to daves esl, there's a discussion board there, most of it is people giving out and crying about stuff that their mother used to do for them, now they have to figure it out for themselves, but you'll find some good information there too. There is also a job forum on that website, it's got a **** layout for a jobs board, but if you can read, then you can understand it.

Dhoff

@ Groovyspiderguy and Cloneslay

Thanks for your reply,

I know some people may think you are lazy by asking for help and not figuring out by yourself..

I just want to do as much research as possibe before I go...

R.D. aka MR.D

Dhoff wrote: »

@ Groovyspiderguy and Cloneslay

Thanks for your reply,

I know some people may think you are lazy by asking for help and not figuring out by yourself..

I just want to do as much research as possibe before I go...

If you start and read through this thread you can get loads of info. I've been researching going now for about 3 months (Can't leave Ireland until Feb) and i just ask the odd question that i need cleared up.

The recruiters have great info on their website too like footprints.

dapto1

squeakyduck wrote: »

It snowed here in Osan on Saturday morning. I'll be heading to Cambodia on Saturday. Must get a boards meet going in Seoul. Anyone interested?

I'd be up for that. I'm only down the road in Incheon so Seoul is handy for me.

squeakyduck

Anyone else up for a boards meet? I tried to get one going before but it was small and merged with another internet forum meet but it made for a ridiculous night! :D:D

JFitzgerald

yeah, i'd be on for a meet up. i'm living in seoul. arrived here in october.

hyperbaby

I would be up for a meet up but it would have to be February or March.
Saving hard for my holidays! Woo

squeakyduck

Any fun with ye for new years?

I want to go to club eden for Astrovoize I'm pretty excited! Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome!

clancy wiggum

Hi all, I am considering teaching in South Korea next August. I received a email from the careers division at my uni saying there is a recruiter coming in march for interested parties. I have taught previously in mexico for my co-op so have some experience.

These are the terms the recruiter is offering :
Free single furnished accommodation(utilities not included)
Entrance allowance of c.€800 & Settlement Allowance of c.€190
Monthly salary of c. €1,000
Paid Vacation for 18 working days
Severance pay (about one month salary)
Exit Allowance of c.€800 .

Is this a good deal on average? or should I look around for better pay/conditions?

Also I have read online that it is possible to safe 60% of wages while still having a good standard of living, do you think that is an accurate figure given the above wage/conditions?

cassi

Im assuming the entry and exit allowence ia your flight?! Make sure you can actually get flights at that price, some schools will book your flight for you, some will pay full flight price, depends where you get really.

Housing is standard.

€1000 is very low, you should be looking at nothing under 2.2million won, which is about €1,400 right now (pre tax).

Severance pay is standard, its one month pay.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do is look for a good school, find out about the working hours, speak to the teachers there, ask what standard the housing is etc.

If you can trawl through this thread and find out the issues people have had, what questions they asked/told to ask etc. Find out what area of Korea you'd like to be in.

ekevosu

If you are going for a year, the pay is very low as stated above. Looks like a public school job so rest is standard. If it is with the TALK program then they usually get lower pay as they are for 6 months I think and teach less. If it is with EPIK then you shoul be looking at at least 2.2 million won as stated above, especially with experience and a teaching degree?

clancy wiggum

I presume the exit and entry fees are to cover the cost of flights, it just said entry/exit fee in the email I received. The email was sent on behalf of EPIK, its a 12 month contract. I would ideally like to be based in Seoul. I have read through the first few pages of this thread, there is a recruiter in Waterford, "tiger recruitment" I think is the name of it, does anybody have any experience of them?

My degree is not in education, its a joint honors in Economics and Sociology. Is EPIK a recruiter for public schools? Do ye reckon it is possible to negotiate with them? I'm getting the impression they are trying to get fresh Grads on the cheap...
If the standard is 1400 euro pre-tax, what could one expect after tax/ deductions ? Do ye reckon it is possible to save 50% plus of earnings while maintaining a good standard of living (drinks at the weekends etc.)

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate ye're input.

squeakyduck

clancy wiggum wrote: »

there is a recruiter in Waterford, "tiger recruitment" I think is the name of it, does anybody have any experience of them?

I think they were terrible. Not quick at getting back to questions I wanted answered for days on end. When I stopped emailing they didn't even bother to email as to why I wasn't replying. No effort at all.

I used ATC recruiting and I thought they were brilliant. If I wasn't emailing they would ask why and always kept me on tabs with everything.

cassi

clancy wiggum wrote: »

I presume the exit and entry fees are to cover the cost of flights, it just said entry/exit fee in the email I received. The email was sent on behalf of EPIK, its a 12 month contract. I would ideally like to be based in Seoul. I have read through the first few pages of this thread, there is a recruiter in Waterford, "tiger recruitment" I think is the name of it, does anybody have any experience of them?

My degree is not in education, its a joint honors in Economics and Sociology. Is EPIK a recruiter for public schools? Do ye reckon it is possible to negotiate with them? I'm getting the impression they are trying to get fresh Grads on the cheap...
If the standard is 1400 euro pre-tax, what could one expect after tax/ deductions ? Do ye reckon it is possible to save 50% plus of earnings while maintaining a good standard of living (drinks at the weekends etc.)

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate ye're input.

Yep, Epik is public schools, but beware that you can only apply once for public schools, multiple applicants will be rejected.

Search Jobs in seoul on the net and see what comes up, seach on facebook too, there will ofen be groups set up. If your salary is 2.2million you should be come out with approx 2million after tax.

Seoul will be more expensive than smaller cities, it also depends on your typr of lifestyle eg, shopping alot, eating in western restaurants etc but yep its quite possible to save 50% of your pay.

clancy wiggum

Thanks for the info guys .
One more quick question: Should I do a tefl course before going to south korea, or is being a native speaker and having a degree enough?
I am considering doing the 120 hour combined course here http://www.teflireland.com/tefl-courses/120-hour-combined-course/
As I said before I "taught" in Mexico and all I had was some cert the uni gave me after one day , realistically I knew nothing about teaching English, my job was more just to engage with the students and have basic English conversations with them. Will it be the same deal in South Korea or will I be expected to know grammar rules etc.

cloneslad

clancy wiggum wrote: »

Thanks for the info guys .
One more quick question: Should I do a tefl course before going to south korea, or is being a native speaker and having a degree enough?
I am considering doing the 120 hour combined course here http://www.teflireland.com/tefl-courses/120-hour-combined-course/
As I said before I "taught" in Mexico and all I had was some cert the uni gave me after one day , realistically I knew nothing about teaching English, my job was more just to engage with the students and have basic English conversations with them. Will it be the same deal in South Korea or will I be expected to know grammar rules etc.

The 120hour courses probably won't teach you much. I would expect you to know grammar rules and to know how to explain them. We taught a lot of grammar in my school.

Doing the course will give you a bump in pay within the public system, but won't really provide much bargaining power for you within the private system.

Google various grammatical queries you have, it'll probably work out much better for you than a 120 hour course (I didn't click on the link, I'm lazy like that)

clancy wiggum

Tbh id rather keep the 300 odd euro a course is going to cost in my own pocket, and just get an English grammar book( and google) if I could get away with it.
How do ye get by with no Korean at the start? is it hard to pick up? this is the only aspect that is worrying me.

squeakyduck

clancy wiggum wrote: »

Tbh id rather keep the 300 odd euro a course is going to cost in my own pocket, and just get an English grammar book( and google) if I could get away with it.
How do ye get by with no Korean at the start? is it hard to pick up? this is the only aspect that is worrying me.

Don't worry about that at the beginning. There will be people there to help you. I have only basic Korean, hello, goodbye, please, thank you, how much is? yes and no. I'm going to throw myself into learning how to read, write and speak Korean now soon!

clancy wiggum

But what about the social side of life? like when on nights out / conversing with other teachers of different subjects in the school? does it not get somewhat lonely not being able to communicate ? I had some Spanish when I went to Mexico and alot of the people I knew had very good english....

squeakyduck

clancy wiggum wrote: »

But what about the social side of life? like when on nights out / conversing with other teachers of different subjects in the school? does it not get somewhat lonely not being able to communicate ? I had some Spanish when I went to Mexico and alot of the people I knew had very good english....

There is conversation both in Korean and English. Half of the fun is in the learning.

In my school we have 5 foreign teachers. 3 Irish 1 New Zealand and 1 American so it never gets lonely. We also have 2 Korean teachers who are great and have fantastic English. Not every school will be like that though.

Before you choose your school make sure to talk to the foreign teacher about the housing, the other teachers and most importantly about the school!

japasca

Hey guys,
Is anyone teaching in the busan or okpo region at the moment?

cloneslad

japasca wrote: »

Hey guys,
Is anyone teaching in the busan or okpo region at the moment?

I taught 10 mins from Okpo until this March. There are a couple of teachers teaching close to it right now, that do/used to use this forum. Search for the geoje teachers page on facebook too, if you need information.

SpatialPlanning

japasca wrote: »

Hey guys,
Is anyone teaching in the busan or okpo region at the moment?

I am in Busan if you need any information on anything.

roosh

Seoul Electronic Music Festival

Anyone going?

I'm a bit sickened I can't go.