Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lolacatessan]

Hello! We wonder if anyone can tell us specifically about the Jung Chul Language Institute in the Gohyun district of Geoje. We've had an offer there. We've learned some (wildly conflicting) things about Jung Chul schools in general, but we wonder if anyone can tell us about this location specifically.
Thank you!

[harryh]

My wife worked at the Jung Chul branch in Sinhyeon Eup, Geoje Do. I don't know how many Jung Chul schools there are on Geoje. She left in February.
She taught a maximum of 5 '50' minute classes a day. Paid on time. Nice kids, but some Saturday work (twice a month).

She said it was one of the easiest jobs she has had in a hagwon. She has previously worked at a few hagwons.

Her order of preference so far:

1) ECC
2) Jung Chul
3) Reading Town
4) EBY
5) 'W' (EWHA)

'W' .................... she absolutely hated. 40 classes a week (40 mins), phone councilling & Sts report cards at the same time of month. Constant observation by the boss (cameras and general snooping). Writing monthly tests for 10 classes. Weekly 'pop quiz' and spelling tests. Crazy winter and summer teaching schedules of 10 plus classes a day.

[semphoon]

I worked at Jung Chul in Incheon. It was mint. So easy. No prep, no reports. I wish my current job was more like it. I was always paid on time and in full. And at the end of my contract, when the boss had to buy me a one way ticket home, even paid for a return ticket to Korea for me.

On the downside, teaching the "Andy and Euri" conversations does become boring - "Do you like Math"? "No, I hate it" (Can anyone fill in the next lines?)

I dont have any information on the specific school you asked about.

[oneofthesarahs]

I was going to PM you all of this, but I thought it might be useful to other people as well. Ask me if you have other questions.

My school is great, and overall, the Jungchul method seems to work. Every year all of the Jungchul franchises send some of their students to a Golden Bell competition of all-English trivia. It's pretty impressive.

The way the cirriculum breaks down is like this (I may be forgetting a few things, I don't teach every section):
3 levels of JCK (Jungchul Kindergarten): It consists of mainly phonics and a dialogues. If you teach at this level, it will be repitition type-memorization drills.
2 levels of Fantasy English & 1 level of Adventure English: This is a workbook-based level with more reading and less memorizing. I haven't taught anything at this level, but it is all pretty straight-forward.
2 levels of Junior English: These are also mostly workbook based. There are the activity books, reading books, and workbooks. This combines repitition drills and some fairly intensive writing work. These kids have a lot of homework. Teaching this level is a piece of cake, because everything is on the computer for you.
2 levels of WeWiz English: Same as above, but with more complex dialogues and less emphasis on repitition/memorization and more on comprehension.
6(?) levels of Super English GS: This is mostly grammar, and it is doubtful you will have teaching duties on this level, as most of the textbooks are in Korean, explaining the grammar.
3 levels of Zenith GRE: This consists of three sections: writing, reading, and grammar. I teach two classes at this level (reading and writing, a Kteacher does grammar), and their English is quite remarkable, so obviously something about the method is working.

The biggest problem with the method is that while it works for the students, it's really boring as a teacher. You will probably have multiple classes at the same level, so you will hear the same thing over and over again. There also isn't a whole lot of wiggle room for creativity, because the lessons are specifically designed to take 50 minutes.

Luckily, my school cuts in the Jungchul stuff with other books, which is what keeps me sane. I teach very little of the actual JC material. I teach "extra" classes for the advanced students at each level, and right now I'm using Gogo Loves English, Exploring English, and Modern Topics. If your JC uses other books as well, you're golden. You'll have some classes that require no lesson planning at all which will give you lots of time to do great lesson plans for your other classes, and everyone's happy.

[lolacatessan]

Thanks everyone for your responses! It seems like an all right place to work. We spoke with one of the foreign teachers last night, and it sounds good. We're waiting a few days to respond to this one - we have a few other irons in the fire - but it's our current top choice.
Thank again, internetizens!

[kat2]

But living on Geoje?? You should be ready for some isolation. I'm not saying its a bad place to live, but there isn' a whole lot going on there at all. Also, being on an island makes it that much more difficult to get around and off the island. On the other hand, Geoje is beautiful and there are a lot of waygook engineers in Okpo, "the city," on Geoje. Just be sure you research Geoje itself before you sign on.

[VanIslander]

I know the director/owner of the Jungchul in Gohyeon and he is a very nice guy, a quick-to-smile family man in his mid-thirties. Foreign teachers have been happy there, though the location of the school itself is butt-ugly, centrally located, but surrounded by an apartment complex, in one of those retail buildings servicing the apart. dwellers. Ugh. The Jungchul in Okpo is better.

[lolacatessan]

Thanks everyone for your responses!
We actually managed to land some public school jobs in Mokpo, alas, so we won't be heading to Geoje... but thanks for the info! We appreciate it.

[Trumpcard]

My Jung Chul directors are the aboslute scum of the earth. My school employs 2 foreign techers and 4 Korean Teachers. After 5 months working there, I'm now the longest serving person. Having handed in my resignation and then discussing all the reasons why I'm leaving, the director admitted she stole money and lied to me using the excuse "unfortunately this is Korean culture". She then asked me to stay until the end of my contract and that if I do she will "start paying pension, insurance and taking out lower tax". In the next breath she threatened to say bad things about me to prospective employers. Nice!

[Cynical Optimist]

[Totti]

I'm seriously considering an offer from the Okpo school at the moment, Geoje seems like a nice area. They seem professional enough... Will there be any sort of nightlife in the area for someone in their early twenties? Also how much would it cost to go to Busan or Seoul and how much would it be to stay in a cheap hotel for the night?

[Cynical Optimist]

If you're going to be on Geoje, Okpo is the place to be for nightlife. There's tons of bars, but the customers are mostly western engineer guys in their 30's and up. There's not much in the way of female bar patrons -- the girls will be bar girls. Despite that, I still always had a lot of fun at the bars there. Someone said there's a nightclub in Gohyeon with a younger and more gender-balanced crowd, but I never bothered to check it out.

I worked at the Okpo Jung Chul and I can say that the boss and his wife are very nice people to work for. Only had one problem, but they handled it properly without a big fuss. You could feel safe accepting that job. I know the teacher there now and he always says things are going well there -- haven't heard a complaint from him in the 11 months since he replaced me.

[Totti]

I'm going to be taking the job in Okpo!

Just wondering how long would it take to get to Gohyeon by foot if your in Okpo or would it better to bus it?

Generally how expensive is it to eat at restaurants in Geoje?

Also where abouts are the best beaches?

[Cynical Optimist]