Job Discussion Forums

[Joeys ESL Room]

I agree with "tatterdemalion" - it is up to you to find out what a 'teaching hour' means to the particular school that you are looking to work at. If you don't like the answer, then look somewhere else. You have to be responsible for asking questions like this so that you don't get to your new job and find that you are teaching more hours than you were told.

In Korea, teaching hours range from 45-50 minutes on average. There is a break between these classes for the teacher to have a quick rest and get ready for the next class. I think all too often people complain about getting suckered into positions where the school or recruiter 'lie' about these hours; I'm not sure how many people would want to work a 6 hour shift without taking any breaks. Again, do your own research on where you are applying to so that you will be the only one to blame.

[Kootvela]

We call them 'contact hours'. It differs from school to school but the most popular way of looking at it is 45min, though some have it as 60min.

[SocratesSon2]

Hello all,

New to Dave's but not to ESL. As for class hours versus actual hours, always ask. It used to be pretty cut and dry, a class hour is however long the class is. Of late however many schools are trying to use this familiar term to try and get newbies to agree to more classes then they think they will be teaching.

Most classes are from 40 to 45 minutes, at least in private language schools, or mills, and public schools. Now they have started counting a class hour as one actual hour. Therefore, if you have a class hour and they want you to work say 25 classes a week, they will tell you you'll be teaching 20 hours or class hours a week. Only later do you find out just how many classes that is. This is just an example, but a very common one.

You won't be paid for the time in between classes, which makes it add up to an hour, sometimes more, and you will only get paid for the 45 minutes you were actually teaching. Basically most schools nowadays are adding up minutes and paying you that way. I find it a little deceptive personally, and a bit misleading, but certainly not illegal. You simply have to ask "Is that the number of classes, or actual hours" and, "How long are your classes."

Some language schools are even bumping up the amount of time to a full hour per class to get as much bang for their buck out of you, or teaching two and three hour classes with a 10 or 15 minute break during the class. Doing this gets more teaching out of you and less breaks. Four 45 minute classes with 15 minute breaks is an hour off your feet and getting some rest. A 3 hour class with a 20 minute break, the school is getting an extra 40 minute chunk out of you. While they may indeed be paying you for that time, do two 3 hour classes a day with 80 minutes less break time then if you were teaching conventional classes and see how you feel. Had a few schools offer me work teaching one three hour class a day which sounded pretty good, but then had two one the weekends, and the pay sucked. Basically you just need to ask a lot of questions. If I have a chance I will post a list of must ask questions.

Those of us who have been teaching in China a while specifically might have notice an increase in the amount of hours most schools are asking folks to work. Also most schools have stopped counting by classes entirely and just use hours. It's simple psychology really, you see a lower number, your happier. I the end it comes out to be more work for you though, but darn good advertising.