Korean Job Discussion Forums

[davejohnson333]

Hello everyone:



I worked in Japan as an English teacher for a long time and I am well aware of what it is like to be just a number in a large large chain school. I want to transfer to South Korea and work for a large chain there also. I believe I have learned some good tactics for keeping my job but I just want to ask some questions before I move to Korea.



1. Is there a foreign workers handbook in South Korea that spells out your rights so you can take your employer to court if you need to do that?



2. What are the tactics that schools use to try and put pressure on you to leave? I read in Susan Griffith's handbook that often schools will make it uncomfortable for teachers so they want to leave before finishing their contract? Do they mess with your schedule? What other tactics do schools use to try and make things uncomfortable for the teacher?



3. Do schools like the teacher to be an entertainer and do they especially like cute and handsome twenty year olds? Or, do South Koreans value old age and like a teacher who is in their fifties just as well as one in their twenties if they are an equally good teacher?



4. Is sex prohibited in the classroom during the lesson? Just kidding about this one and I do not expect any answers to it. It just gives me an excuse to title this thread so I draw a lot of inquiries and hopefully get some good answers to questions one through three above. By the way, in one of the branch schools that I worked in while in Japan there was a true story about a teacher and a student who left their cubicle and went up stairs where one of the members of the staff followed them and caught them in the act. This really happened !!!!




Thanks for your answers to these questions, David

[Paddycakes]

[laogaiguk]

Hey, I worked at AEON in Japan and now here. Most places don't actually try to get you to leave, it's just the way they do things that makes you want to It's not a thinking act, it's just the way businesses, especially hagwons, are set up.

What are your reasons for coming here, because you are probably better treated in a Japanese eikaiwa than you will be treated here. And unfortunately, old age is a serious detriment to an EFL teacher here in Korea. Having said that, there is a glut of teachers here and you won't have too much trouble finding a hagwon job.

"IF" money is not a problem, China actually does value old age and shows a lot of respect. Many universities there like to hire older people because they are sick of crazy 1 year backpackers. I worked with several over 60 year olds while there, and they never had a problem (except for stairs, which was a problem for some).

I hope this helps.

[davejohnson333]

[mindmetoo]

[TECO]

Eikaiwa vs. Hogwan?

Eikaiwa, generally speaking. The working conditions in Japan are quite good and the hours tend to be reasonable also.

The Japanese always paid on time and correctly. The Koreans didn't

Furthermore, the Japanese issue a 3-year visa that is not connected to your employer. Thus, you can tell an employer to F*ck off if things start going for a sheit. And the employer can't do SFA to you. You simply walk down the street and work for another school.

In my opinion, Japan has a superior visa system set up for EFL'ers. I was self-sponsored in Japan and did not have to rely on an employer to apply for a visa with me. You simply need to prove to immigration what your monthly salary is and you will receive your visa if it's above Y200,000 or so. Not all that difficult in a place like Tokyo.

Also, Japan, for me, has a more interesting culture and living in Tokyo was more of an adventure than Seoul. Seoul is an interesting city also, but Tokyo is on another level.

I live in Taipei right now and Taipei has been a real let down. Just a real hick town, really. Not much going on and you can pretty much walk from end to end in a day.

Moreover, fewer, rip-offs in Japan than in Korea, in my view. We were never ripped off in Japan and I wonder why there's a separate section on Dave's ESL Cafe because of all the problems that happen in Korea.

In sum, the EFL business in Korea is a lot more greasy compared to the industry in Japan. However, the problems with the EFL industry in Japan is that they gauge the customers.

Overall, I'd wouldn't leave Japan for a question mark position in Korea. Not worth it.

Take a trip over to Korea and talk to people and get a sense for what things are like over there in the Hogwan industry - then decide.

Hey don't laugh, guys have had sex with students - some pretty young too, in their classrooms!

You read about it in the Japan Times once in a while where an ALT has got one of high school students pregnant!

One Australian NOVA teacher was caught slamming a high school student on the table at one NOVA LC. Teachers have sex with school staff also.

Watch the Australians though. They can be pretty greasy.

[kimchi_pizza]

Seriously man, I wish you would change this thread's title. I've taught in Japan in a program nearly identical to JET, also three years in Taiwan and now 2 in Korea. I'd be more than happy to help ya out, but that title's gotta change.

While I'm having a good teaching experience here, the media is having a field day at the expense of foreign teachers here these days and I don't want this thread to potentially feed the flames. Even though it concerns Japanese schools (and I've known the same thing to happen with a female Japanese teacher and a junior high school student) which Koreans love to hear about, but thread-titles like this can easily change into something vile.

Your call....

[laogaiguk]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Tell your kids to fk off and be quiet.

[betty74]

If you are young and white you are all right, want join for free party?

[some waygug-in]

Why would anyone in their right mind want to leave Japan for a hell-hole-hagwan job in Korea?

Most people I've talked to would give their left nut (possibly both) to work in Japan for a while....I guess there would be less danger of sex in the classroom that way.

[laogaiguk]

One of the biggest problems with Japan is there is no free ticket out there and start up costs are horrible compared to Korea. But you are past that, so I, like others, are a little surprised you want to leave. There are tons of reasons, but generally, people who worked in both would rather stay in Japan. Just make sure you really want or need to come here, especially to a hagwon, big or small...

It's not that Korea is horrible, but working conditions do tend to be better in Japan, especially due to the better "work visa" system they have in place.

[seoulsteve]

My brother taught in Japan and based on our shared experiences, we both agree that Korea is a better gig. But I wouldn't be surprised if, on average, working in Japan is better for most people. But, I don't think you're asking for a comparison between teaching in Japan and teaching in Korea.

To answer the questions you did ask:

1.)To my knowledge, there is no official handbook. I think if it comes to the point that you have to go to court, you're pretty much screwed. The important thing is to solve problems quickly as soon as they come up, otherwise they will just build and get worse.

2.)If you're a good teacher and your school is making a profit, they'll probably try to keep you rather than try to let you go. That's been my experience anyway. However, if you do decide your leaving, keep it to yourself for as long as possible. At my last hagwon, after I told them I decided I wasn't going to sign on for another year, they suddenly decided that I no longer had the "official contract" and that they had mistakenly given me the wrong one at the beginning of the year. The 'real' contract had no return flight home and a shorter vacation. I stayed calm (relatively speaking) and after meeting with the hagwon owner for a couple of hours, he finally agreed to honor the original contract. Just a sample of the kind of bs you might encounter if you 'disappoint' your bosses.

3.) I really don't think schools care who you are or what you do, as long as you don't piss off your students and parents. I know lots of older teachers working here. I've never heard of any problems with age discrimination. But I'm a young white guy, so what do I know.

4.) To my knowledge, sex in the classroom is not allowed. You'll have to go to the coffee shop, nore bang, love hotel, dvd room, barbershop, or one of the other million places that doubles as a *beep* house.

[crusher_of_heads]