Korean Job Discussion Forums

[KoreanAmbition]

I agree with what Thiuda said, and to add a bit more:


One of the major problems that I've identified of teaching at a good university is that a lot of students can READ academic textbooks (for example they study physics, economics, or business in English) but they can't order a pizza.

It's the opposite of the west, where anyone can communicate about anything, but the weakness of many would be discussing academic situations and they wouldn't want anything to do with a textbook.

Sometimes it's hilarious that my students know vocabulary that I don't know, but they don't know the difference between "break down", "break in" and "break up".


It's like a genius still using velcro shoes. HAHA

For those that don't know what I'm talking about... think about teaching advanced grammar structures. imagine students sitting there saying "yeah yeah we know all this stuff... we learned it before"...but they have NO IDEA how to actually say it.

As Thiuda said, it takes some effort to come up with interesting ways to get the students to want to practice the language.

Fill in the blanks doesn't work for long when most of my students are smarter (academically) than their teacher is.

[KoreanAmbition]

Thiuda,

I find it interesting that your school has no quantitative scoring component for dealing with the idea of where a teacher has taught before.

Basically, a teacher that spent the past 2 years teaching at Sungkyunkwan University, for example, would be judged the same as a teacher that just spent 2 years teaching Mr. Kim's Kimbap Hagwon.

That's one thing I really don't understand.



Or go one step further...

Say a teacher that spent the last 2 years at Sungkyunkwan, for example, compared to a teacher that spent the last 10 years at Mr. Kim's Kimbap Hagwon.

Sungkyunkwan is a top university... you'd think that teaching high level students would be worth something. Meanwhile, according to your scoring system for an out-in-the-boonies school, you prefer the guy teaching at Mr. Kim's Kimbap Hagwon.

The guy from Sungkyunkwan might not even get enough points for an interview, but meanwhile he/she has taught a much higher level.


Any comments?



Even further... .what about teachers that have had say an overtime project or course that was "special" in some way to give them some really strong practice teaching something, but it was a one-time or two-time thing and not their full-time job. How do they get credit for those things in your scoring system?


Anyways, it just seems your university would miss out on hiring some teachers with special talents because of the rigid scoring system.


I'm just seeing what opinion you have about these things.

Cheers

[Xuanzang]

[KoreanAmbition]

Xuanzang,

I would love to comment, but I'm not sure which post, or part, you're referring to.

Can you please expand your thought just a bit?

Much appreciated.

[Thiuda]

[cruisemonkey]

[blissfullyignorant]

I scored 23 and that happens to be my age as well...Is that good?

[Jeonmunka]

Strange about the discrimination in the above Canadian examples. Esp. with regards to preferential hiring of females. In NZ some 70% or so of all graduates of universities are female. The percentage is higher for females too in the technical colleges.

Operations managers and other workplace heads decry it somewhat stating that after hiring they are left a couple of years later looking for replacements as women almost invariably take on child birth duties - taking all their working experience with them ...

[Demophobe]

I realize double-posting = spamming, but I think I will paste what I said in the other parallel thread here. It is on-topic anyhow.

These two threads are the best ones in a long time regarding real discussion and some golden advice. Someone search for the_beaver's guide to getting a uni job; that would round out these threads.


IMO, a completed, relevant MA trumps an 'in-progress', but an 'in-progress' trumps not having one at all, of course, but, if the applicant is lacking any other training (celta, delta, tesl/tefl cert, etc), then the in-progress MA drops in worth. How far along they are is also noteworthy; a nearly-completed MA holds a lot of value.

An MA in a non-related field needs relevant supports to make it meaningful; an MA in history better have some of the aforementioned certificates or a fair amount of experience. Having an MA says a lot about an individual's character; that they are motivated, have a reasonable level of intelligence, etc, but having said that, if they lack any specific TESOL/TEFL/TESL training, it would seem those previous assumptions may be false.

A TEFL cert is downright easy and the cost is reasonable; no reason for anyone in or coming to Korea to not have this qualification.

I will say this: A lot of unis will still hire BA holders, but without any specific training, they will get passed over. For those out there who want a better position but only have a BA (and aren't in the position to get the MA going, or aren't career EFLers), get some of the lighter, more affordable and attainable training. Its easy to find, relatively easy to get (depending of course; the celta/delta is not 'easy' by any means and requires a substantial time/money/commitment investment) and are now being seen as the add-on minimum to a BA. This is also filtering down to the private and public institutions as well.

Dunno folks...this all seems to be common sense for me. There is nobody that knows where an individual stands more than themselves; we know who and what we are, right? Sometimes its tough to admit, but EFL in Korea is indeed changing and it is ultimately for the better. If you don't bring much to the table, don't expect much from it.

What really kills me is when folks claim to 'be negotiating a contract'; negotiation requires both parties to have something the other needs. A 'want' can be fulfilled elsewhere or can be done without; make yourselves needed by getting some credentials.

[KoreanAmbition]

I'm still waiting for the following to criteria to be discussed:


1. What university name sits next to your degree.

2. What university name sits next to your work experience.



Whether it "should" exist or not, I think the above 2 criteria hold a lot of weight in many decisions that are made.

[winterfall]

[Demophobe]

[KoreanAmbition]

Demophobe,

As requested...I started a new topic regarding that issue.

Hopefully it gets some responses.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[PatrickGHBusan]