Korean Job Discussion Forums

[FierceInvalid]

OP - don't do 'em. Same reasons as many others - I make enough money already, plus I teach and take a Korean class every day and don't want anything else on my plate.

[Gord]

[dutchman]

[waterbaby]

I value my free time too much. I've knocked back a number of lucrative offers because I really can't be bothered with the cloak and dagger secrecy and ... well, I just can't be bothered. And I guess I just don't enjoy teaching THAT much. Now, if it was my hobby...

[crazylemongirl]

same reasons as the others plus the whole black mark deportation will make it harder for me to continue my travels.

CLG

[Canuck]

Would never do them. They are illegal, and I just dont want to mess up what I have going here right now. Im not gonna go back to Canada and be able to save over 2 grand a month. I also value my time. Whatever extra cash I would get, I dont need, first of all, and second of all its not worth the time with my wife which I would lose.

[The King of Kwangju]

I'm going to speak out on behalf of the pro-private teachers, even tho I haven't lived in K for almost 2 years now (I didn't vote in the poll so as not to skew the results).

I lived there for 5 years and taught privates alongside my "real" job the whole time. I taught 24 hrs a week at EPIK and then did another 10 hrs a week or so privately.

I didn't have much of a chance to get to know many students well at EPIK, but I had some privates that I taught for 4 years that also became good friends. Professionally, it was rewarding to see them improve over time, and personally it was a great way to learn about Korean life. I also taught mini-classes in banks and companies, etc - even the KJ Board of Education! - and I learned a lot about white-collar Korea and Koreans. For a single guy, it was a great way to get out of the house, meet people, and excercise (I rode my bike everywhere).

Of course I also made a lot of money. I had plenty of time off from EPIK to travel, and enough money to go wherever I wanted. I visited every country in Asia - some 2 or 3 times - and spent a month on the trans-siberian railway btwn China and Russia. I travelled the OZ outback. I went to mt. Everest.

I also went out on the town a lot and never wanted for anything. I paid off all my student loans, and came back to Canada with enough money to re-educate myself and get started in another profession. I still have money left over.

There weren't a lot of long-timers like me who taught privates. A lot of them got bored with them, or wanted their free time. But for me, it greatly enriched my experience in Korea and in Asia and I wouldn't have done it any other way.

And I never thought privates were illegal because of taxes or of a hogwan director conspiracy. Korea is a tad xenophobic - they don't want foreigners making wons and then using them to buy US $,

[Anda]

When I came back to Korea I took on some private students to fill my evenings up as I had little to do. I used to spend the whole evening with my students and the ammount I charged just covered my costs. I taught two young girls for four years once a week as privates. We are still in contact by phone after six years.
Immigration have always left me alone as I don't hide anything and it's clear that I'm not in Korea to send money home. This is my choice. Korea has always been anti against money going out of the country.
I see nothing wrong with teaching privates as it is the best way to learn about the people of the country that you are working in.
The money thing is up to the person giving the lessons. English teaching is a skill and to be here you need to have a degree so your time is of value.
In Sydney in Australia private English lessons cost between $12 and $50 Australian. Some charging $50 have waiting lists. I know one person in the States that charges $40 U.S. per student an hour for small groups. So it can be seen that reguardless of the law lesson costs don't change much in developed economies.
I haven't taught privates for two years now but I've just been asked to teach some teacher's kids in exchange for an evening meal and have said yes. I like teaching and get enjoyment from it.
Now the company Hansol have Korean English teachers going to private homes and teaching English for 30.000 won for twenty minutes so another example what Koreans charge Koreans for English lessons and why private lesson costs won't change untill the economy changes not the law.

[mokpochica]

I've gotten asked to teach privates often by teachers at my junior high school--the same school that has given me a contract which says I cannot teach private lessons. Some of them are relentless about it too--asking several times a year--to the point that I feel bad for saying no when they ask me to teach their sons or daughters. And I've told Korean people that it's illegal for me to teach, but 90% have the attitude like 'everyone does it and you won't get caught'.

The funny thing is that the program I originally came to Korea on required a homestay situation and the same family took the homestay 2 years in a row. The idea of the homestay was that the teacher would tutor the kids a few times a week in exchange for living at the house, but most schools paid the homestay parents and tutoring only took place in some of the situations. I can sort of understand not wanting to have the responsibility of an extra person (foreigner) in your house, but it would be a great way for your kids to learn English so I'm surprised that these same teachers at my school didn't even seem to consider it.

My school pays for my apt. now, I think partly because they were having a hard time finding people to volunteer their houses as homestays.

[Circus Monkey]

Somehow, I feel that the mere existence of private teaching is just another form of malais in the whole Korean educational system. That is, would private teaching really exist to the extend that it does if the public schools were doing there job? I realize there is private tutoring in Canada and America but I don't think it approaches the craziness level as it does here.

Anyhow, if privates were legal (and let's pretend that getting into a situation is equitable and accessible - just fill out an application form) then I'd do it.

CM

[The King of Kwangju]

[The Bobster]

CM :