Tefl in South Korea

squeakyduck · 05-09-2011 06:15AM

is anyone doing anything nice for Chuseok?

red_bairn · 05-09-2011 01:22PM

squeakyduck wrote: »

is anyone doing anything nice for Chuseok?

Nothing in particular. Wanna get a gathering of Irish folk set up in the Wolfhound in Itaewon on Saturday?

squeakyduck · 05-09-2011 01:27PM

red_bairn wrote: »

Nothing in particular. Wanna get a gathering of Irish folk set up in the Wolfhound in Itaewon on Saturday?

Totally!

The 10th or the 17th. I saw a big fun night for the Wolfhound in Busan on the 17th looks like fun! I'm only dying for a boards meet over here!

Next worry....how the hell do I get to Itaewon?! :P

red_bairn · 05-09-2011 01:33PM

squeakyduck wrote: »

Totally! The 10th or the 17th. I saw a big fun night for the Wolfhound in Busan on the 17th looks like fun! I'm only dying for a boards meet over here!

Next worry....how the hell do I get to Itaewon?! :P

Oh, Busan for the 17th. Interested.

Well Itaewon is a (foreigner) neighbourhood in the district of Yongsan (gu). You can get a train to Yongsan from pretty much any major city and get a a taxi ride to Itaewon or get the subway for feck all.

My number is 010-7773-2884 (Craig), if anybody is interested in a meet up.

squeakyduck · 05-09-2011 01:38PM

red_bairn wrote: »

Oh, Busan for the 17th. Interested.

Well Itaewon is a (foreigner) neighbourhood in the district of Yongsan (gu). You can get a train to Yongsan from pretty much any major city and get a a taxi ride to Itaewon or get the subway for feck all.

My number is 010-7773-2884 (Craig), if anybody is interested in a meet up.

Only a spring chicken here no mobile number here yet. Well I may be able to get a prepay number tomorrow if I'm lucky....Only applied to the Immigration office for my ARC today. It was crazy to say the least

red_bairn · 05-09-2011 01:48PM

squeakyduck wrote: »

Only a spring chicken here no mobile number here yet. Well I may be able to get a prepay number tomorrow if I'm lucky....Only applied to the Immigration office for my ARC today. It was crazy to say the least

lol, k, where you living?

squeakyduck · 05-09-2011 02:16PM

red_bairn wrote: »

lol, k, where you living?

Osan city. There are a few expats that may be interested, I will let them know!

Definately want to venture to Seoul around that weekend or so!

How long have you been in Korea?

red_bairn · 05-09-2011 02:20PM

squeakyduck wrote: »

Osan city. There are a few expats that may be interested, I will let them know! Definately want to venture to Seoul around that weekend or so! How long have you been in Korea?

15months.

squeakyduck · 05-09-2011 02:24PM

red_bairn wrote: »

15months.

Did you resign with the same school? You must know all the ropes then!

king_crisps · 05-09-2011 02:41PM

Hey,

Just wondering if anybody knows anything about Cony Evans school in Songdo, Incheon? Myself and the girlfriend are in Dublin at the moment but hoping to head to South Korea asap to teach for a while. She's just been offered a contract with a different school in the area and I have a phone interview with the one above in the next couple of days hopefully, so any info about the school, city etc would be much appreciated.

Cheers

red_bairn · 05-09-2011 02:49PM

squeakyduck wrote: »

Did you resign with the same school? You must know all the ropes then!

Same hagwon. I'm trying a bit at the auld language but need to get right into speaking to really get going.

brandy and baileys · 05-09-2011 02:53PM

Hello,

Hoping someone could give me advice on a contract for a teaching position in Incheon, outside Seoul. Salary is 2,3 mil, working hours about 40 a week, 23-27 teaching hours. Has all the other usual perks. Sounds good so far but, only 7 days holidays (that are chosen by the school), and overtime pay of 10,000 won per hour. Supposedly I won't be doing any overtime so that doesn't apply to me.
Want to move over asap but wondering if I should wait for a better option, or is this standard, I've already been looking for about a month?

Cheers for any advice.

red_bairn · 05-09-2011 02:56PM

brandy and baileys wrote: »

Hello,

Hoping someone could give me advice on a contract for a teaching position in Incheon, outside Seoul. Salary is 2,3 mil, working hours about 40 a week, 23-27 teaching hours. Has all the other usual perks. Sounds good so far but, only 7 days holidays (that are chosen by the school), and overtime pay of 10,000 won per hour. Supposedly I won't be doing any overtime so that doesn't apply to me.
Want to move over asap but wondering if I should wait for a better option, or is this standard, I've already been looking for about a month?

Cheers for any advice.

40 a week...then you have 23-27... ;(

brandy and baileys · 05-09-2011 03:01PM

red_bairn wrote: »

40 a week...then you have 23-27... ;(

Sorry, I meant 23-27 teaching hours, 40 approx total working hours. What do you think?

red_bairn · 05-09-2011 03:11PM

brandy and baileys wrote: »

Sorry, I meant 23-27 teaching hours, 40 approx total working hours. What do you think?

40 seems a lot per week. A regular school teacher would have about 35, including Ireland and the UK. But 23 -27 would be a normal week for a hagwon.

squeakyduck · 05-09-2011 11:52PM

brandy and baileys wrote: »

Sorry, I meant 23-27 teaching hours, 40 approx total working hours. What do you think?

The things that stand out for me the most is the 7days holidays and the overtime rate being pretty poor.

My overtime is 20000 per hour and 10 days holidays. Did you do a google search for the school yet? Try and check blacklists too. I was almost roped into a few dodgy schools by other recruiters. I would try and talk to a foreign teacher at the school to get some more information too.

SpatialPlanning · 06-09-2011 02:46AM

Hey guys!

If you are looking for something to do over the next few weeks we are having a big night out in the Wolfhound in Haeundae on the 17th! Ireland vs Australia in the rugby world cup at 5pm, speed dating after that, and a flip cup competition at 9/9:30ish. It's a "6 months to Paddy's day" type thing (any excuse, right?!). Should be a right laugh and it's looking like it will be a very busy weekend!

squeakyduck · 06-09-2011 04:05AM

squeakyduck wrote: »

Totally! The 10th or the 17th. I saw a big fun night for the Wolfhound in Busan on the 17th looks like fun! I'm only dying for a boards meet over here!

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

Hey guys!

If you are looking for something to do over the next few weeks we are having a big night out in the Wolfhound in Haeundae on the 17th! Ireland vs Australia in the rugby world cup at 5pm, speed dating after that, and a flip cup competition at 9/9:30ish. It's a "6 months to Paddy's day" type thing (any excuse, right?!). Should be a right laugh and it's looking like it will be a very busy weekend!

I'm giving serious consideration to this. I might head down midweek and try and get a hostel or something!

I would like to see Busan! Are you willing to be a tour guide SpatialPlanning. I owe you a pint from all the deadly info you gave me a few months ago!

hyperbaby · 06-09-2011 05:25AM

Am I the only Irish person in the city of Gwangju?
Actually i met a man who owns the Irish bar and he is from Galway but that's it so far.
Anyone coming to Gwangju for a visit?

squeakyduck · 06-09-2011 06:31AM

hyperbaby wrote: »

Am I the only Irish person in the city of Gwangju?
Actually i met a man who owns the Irish bar and he is from Galway but that's it so far.
Anyone coming to Gwangju for a visit?

I'd be up for a visit sometime!

red_bairn · 06-09-2011 11:01AM

squeakyduck wrote: »

I'd be up for a visit sometime!

Was there only once, but would be nice to hit up the town again.

col89 · 06-09-2011 11:15AM

red_bairn wrote: »

I think I had over 2000euro when I went over. Some of it was on my BoI credit card and the rest was changed to Won, which I got over in Ireland before I left. I think 800euro should cover you for anything you might want to buy for your apartment, in case some things aren't there. You should get a quarter of your airfare refunded by the boss within 1-2 weeks of starting. So that should also help you out.

Your boss will help you to get a phone and open a bank account. You won't be able to top up on those cards here. You'll get a cash card when you open the account and you can lodge money in the atm's here! Don't worry - they have plenty of them here.

If I were you, I'd brink some lovely Irish teabags (200pack - single bags), deodorant, shower gel and adapters for any electronics.

squeakyduck wrote: »

I brought over 300e on an o2 money card and I think it was one of my smarter ideas. I buy my train tickets via credit card and pick it up at the station! I bought my daegu athletics tickets via credit card too. I find it makes things so much easier. You can also top up the card via your internet banking. You will need a code card to do that but that can be easily sorted.

I've not tried my O2 card to pay for anything but if you do run out of money I use they citybank ATM's its the only atm I've been able to take money out of my Irish account with over here!

Thanks for both of these replies!

I wouldn't have enough money to bring over 2000e, but I'm hoping that 600-700 would be enough to tie me over for the next month, or else I might have to resort to begging random folk on Geoje Island. :P

So, I think the best thing for me to do is to put some money on an O2 Money Card and also to take some cash with me - perhaps 50:50? If I ever get stuck for cash, I'll try to find one of the appropriate ATMs and take some out from there!

I've also taken note of teabags, large towels, deodorant, shower gel, and adapters.

I'm sure there are a couple of other things that I might need to bring which I've probably forgotten, but I'll rack my brain later on this week after my graduation and hopefully I'll be able to remind myself of any further essentials. :P

I'm still pinching myself that this is finally happening! I'm so excited but very nervous, too, because I've never traveled alone. I know that it'll probably be a very lonely experience at first, for anyone who has traveled out alone, but I'm sure the times do get better after a while when you go out and make new friends, gain some good experiences, etc.

squeakyduck · 06-09-2011 12:25PM

col89 wrote: »

I'm still pinching myself that this is finally happening! I'm so excited but very nervous, too, because I've never traveled alone. I know that it'll probably be a very lonely experience at first, for anyone who has traveled out alone, but I'm sure the times do get better after a while when you go out and make new friends, gain some good experiences, etc.

This is the first time I'm travelling and living alone. It is quite an adventure but you've got friends here anyway!

if you are ever up North (of South Korea) giz a shout!

red_bairn · 06-09-2011 12:39PM

col89 wrote: »

I'm still pinching myself that this is finally happening! I'm so excited but very nervous, too, because I've never traveled alone. I know that it'll probably be a very lonely experience at first, for anyone who has traveled out alone, but I'm sure the times do get better after a while when you go out and make new friends, gain some good experiences, etc.

True true. I met people within 2-3 weeks of arriving here. I've travelled to Australia on my own to see my friends in Sydney but this was also another big trip for me because I was moving away from home for the first time (excluding college).

squeakyduck wrote: »

This is the first time I'm travelling and living alone. It is quite an adventure but you've got friends here anyway! if you are ever up North (of South Korea) giz a shout!

Yeah, when you get a phone let us know. I'm sure some of us can meet you some time.

col89 · 06-09-2011 12:45PM

squeakyduck wrote: »

This is the first time I'm travelling and living alone. It is quite an adventure but you've got friends here anyway! if you are ever up North (of South Korea) giz a shout!

I will do, definitely! And likewise if you're ever visiting Geoje.

Where abouts in the North are you based?

It's quite daring to go travelling and working in a new country all on your own, especially to one with a foreign language and the extra obstacles that may come with it, but some might say that people like us are just highly ambitious. :P

Hopefully a few of the Boarders can arrange a meet-up sometime later this year!

squeakyduck · 06-09-2011 02:43PM

col89 wrote: »

I will do, definitely! And likewise if you're ever visiting Geoje. Where abouts in the North are you based?

I'm north Easty.....I'm living in Osan just outside Seoul.

red_bairn · 06-09-2011 03:36PM

Anybody going to Global Gathering?

SpatialPlanning · 07-09-2011 02:30AM

squeakyduck wrote: »

I'm giving serious consideration to this. I might head down midweek and try and get a hostel or something! I would like to see Busan! Are you willing to be a tour guide SpatialPlanning. I owe you a pint from all the deadly info you gave me a few months ago!

No problem! If you end up down this way then get in touch and I'd be more than happy to show you around!

Here's the link for the facebook event... http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=213206272068774

Jose55 · 07-09-2011 09:51PM

hey everyone,

this is my first time posting here. I have just received an offer for an interview for a job at Gyeonggi English Villiage Ansan Camp, 2.2-2.3 mil won.

Does anybody know anything good or bad about the school or the city/area? any advice hints or tips greatly appreciated.

I think I'd prefer a bigger city, but maybe this place is ok?

cheers

Andy!! · 07-09-2011 09:59PM

Hi guys.

I am currently finishing up a 140 hour online TEFL course with i-to-i. I intend to work in Busan, as my girlfriend is from there. I just wanted to ask the ESL teachers over in Busan/Korea, how unlikely is it that I will be able to find work with only the online i-to-i course under my belt. I cannot afford to do one of the more expensive CELT style courses, however I have been reading some very worrying posts on this site that suggest the course I am doing is worth diddly-squat and will not get me a job. Yet I know of one or two people who are over there teaching, and only have a degree; no TEFL 'experience'. So what is the current reality over in S.Korea/Busan?

I haven't done anything regarding acquiring a visa yet, or getting a criminal background check, so I think that better be my next port of call; I've had to do it before for a JET interview; and waiting on the police to supply you with a single piece of paper is... yeah. More time consuming that it should be.

What kind of a visa should I be applying for? I'm 27, and a college graduate.

Tefl in South Korea

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