Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Geckoman]

I would like the South Korean government to grant the English speaking countries of India (population: 1,120,000,000), Nigeria (133,530,000), the Phillipines (88,706,300), Ghana (24,000,000), Belize (297,651), and any other English speaking country that currently does not have English-teacher-visa status, English-teacher-visa status so that people from those countries can come and teach English in Korea.

However, from an employment perspective, it would be bad for me as people from those countries would be willing to work for far less than what the current English-teacher-visa people are making in Korea as the living standard in those countries is significantly less than what is the living standard in the current seven English-teacher-visa countries -- United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Until South Korea gives English-teacher-visa status to those countries, we, the people from the current seven countries that are recongized for English-teacher-visas, will have a good hold on the English teaching market in Korea.



To get an idea of exactly how much of the world uses English see the map on the right side of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Language

Note: the sources for those population numbers above are from Wikipedia.com

[VanIslander]

"Oh tank you very much. Me want career change."

[mithridates]

[LUCRETIA]

Forgot where exactly, but I read once that the number of people who can speak English competently as a second language outnumbers those who are native speakers.

And sure, I think in places like Korea especially, the price of learning English has to adjust eventually as the language becomes more widely spoken.

[bosintang]

I don't disagree in theory. But the problem with bringing in people from developing countries is they don't have their shit together hiring people from developed countries!

In developed countries, we have all kinds of paper trails following us. It's easy to check our universities, check our criminal records, check our work pasts, if they really wanted to do so. Just imagine hiring people from 'desperate' countries. You'd have people who can't speak a lick of English and never stepped in a school past the age of ten pretending to be university graduates, and once they stepped foot in Korea, they would never leave!
Actually, that's not so unlike present reality with Russians and Eastern Europeans pretending to be Canadians and working in kiddie hagwons!

But basically...just try to get a group of 'regular' Koreans to take a walk around Ansan station or another Asian foreign ghetto. "Ohhh... soo dangerous.." they won't be hiring South Asians en masse to be their children's teachers anytime soon.

[Geckoman]

Actually, looks like they are already recruiting teachers from the Philippines!

Here is an English teacher job for Korea that is recruiting directly from the Philippines!

The employer requires that the teacher(s) be a Filipino citizen.
The advertisement is for two openings in Busan, South Korea. Job also includes return air fare. Interviews will be conducted in Manila in late August. I have cut and pasted the link to the ad as well as the ad itself below.

Wheather or not the Phillippines has just been granted English-teacher-visa status, I don't know. If they have, I have not heard about it. But it doesn't really matter for as long as the demand is great enough, schools will do what they need to do to get ESL teachers, even if it's illegal.

The job ad can be found at http://www.esljobfeed.com/forum/index.pl?read=6267

or see below.


____________________________________


Two (2) filipinos ESL Teacher to work in Pusan, S. Korea

Posted By: TIME TAYLOR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - SOUTH KOREA <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, 26 July 2007, at 2:19 a.m.

* 2 filipinos ESL Teacher wanted to work in Pusan, S. Korea. Private language school (Time
Taylor Limited - Australian owned institution) specializing in English language skills for international employment. (For university level)

We require: - Bachelors degree (or with English as major - licensed by the Board to teach) Above average English Written & Verbal Communication Skills.

-Aged 22-27, experience with TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS teaching a plus.

-Highly professional and exhibits maturity, integrity, diligence and probity.
-Must be dynamic and flexible.

Applicants for filipino citizen only.

* We also need teachers for Elementary and middle school students. To be assigned at other cities of Korea.

Salary to be decided (in excess of US$1000.00 per month,) return air, 3 weeks vacation at the end of contract plus all Korean national
holidays, airfare to Philippines after one year's contract, visa fees, etc covered.

Please send your CV and resume and recent photo to [email protected]. Please provide (email).

Interviews will be conducted in Manila late August at Hyatt Casino Hotel. For Cebu applicants interview will be held at Shangrila-Hotel, Cebu.

www.ttibusan.com.


http://www.ttibusan.com

____________________________________

[mervsdamun]

I think opening the English teaching market is a great idea. Let the market decide. Learning to speak it with the odd mistake/unusual accent is better than not learning it at all.

[ca12bon]

[LUCRETIA]

"Salary to be decided in excess of US$1000.00 per month"

and therein lies the rub...

[Captain Corea]

If you think that India is an english speaking country - you've never been there.

[Adventurer]

Implementing such an idea would be a praxis in mediocrity. I am sure there are so many intelligent people from those countries, but the written English of native speakers is often bad enough, nevermind those from the countries you mentioned. I will give you an example.

I was teaching with a Nigerian woman. I had to deal with irate parents when she made errors. It was not my idea for my Wanjangnim to hire her. People from India often have very thick accent, and you exaggerate the amount of people in India who speak English. I have seen so many advertisements by Phillipinos with worse errors than some of the worst native speakers. Granted, there are some Phillipinos who write English very well, and I have definitely seen that. However, many have a very thick accent influenced by their tagalog. I do not mind competition, but I would want the Koreans to get quality instruction, and they often barely get it with the native speakers.

I do not mean this as an insult to any English speakers from those countries. I am sure there are some with stellar English. People in Korea would want to hire them, because they would be cheaper. It would not be because their grammar is just as good or their knowledge of idiomatic expressions in English would be just as good. That is simply not the case, I am sorry to say. Now the wealthy people from the Phillipines and India often speak English well. However, how many of them need jobs teaching English in Korea?

[Alyallen]

Plain and simple: Level the playing field...

Must be a native speaker from one of ~ countries AND have a degree in English, TESOL or in another related field.

That would boot out a lot of Native speakers who have no certifications and include many from other countries who have the certifications.

As it is, it's just selective mediocrity. Why is it acceptable to have a crappy teacher from America but not a qualified teacher from India?

Just my opinion,
Alyallen

[in_seoul_2003]

Of course, all this falls into the same myth that Koreans have of themslves apropos English learning: learning English is just about practicality.

We know this not to be the case.

When a Korean mother changes the name of her hogwan kid from Steve to Phillip because she heard that Phillip was the name of a great Anglo saxon king, this has nothing whatsoever to do with learning English for the sake of speaking and communicating and transacting in the gobal marketplace.

We know Koreans love white. To alot of these Koreans, white is authenticity, brown is immitation.

[butlerian]

[Alyallen]