Korean Job Discussion Forums

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

Can anyone give me information on a TESOL course for Koreans? My girlfriend is a hagwon teacher and she wants to get a TESOL certificate. I think she would really benefit with actual classroom instruction, rather than an online course.

She lives and works in Seoul so a course there would be great. We checked out a couple of the University offerings, but it seems all of them are booked for a while.

BS.Dos. · Joined: 29 Mar 2007

One of my CT's has just completed a 4-week intensive TESOL course down in Busan. I don't know how she got on with it nor can I get any info for you from her just yet as I'm not back at that school for a couple of weeks.

Once I speak with her, I'll get the info for you and post it here, that is if you haven't already obtained it for yourself by then.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

Sookmyung Womens University TESOL/TEFL. She wants that one, because the new president's education minister is from there. No doubt that one will be made a local benchmark because of it. I know 2 people taking it.

agoodmouse · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Location: Anyang

aarontendo · Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Location: Daegu-ish

I did the Sookmyung course. I thought it was rather good and would recommend it. It's a little pricey however. You can do it over 4.5 months or over 9 months if I recall right.

GreenlightmeansGO · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Location: Daegu

What are the requirements and costs of such courses? Are they decent? I know a handful of Koreans who, apparently, have TESOLs, but their English is really bad.

BS.Dos. · Joined: 29 Mar 2007

^I'm not sure what they are over here, but back home mine cost over a grand ($2000+) and the entry requirements were either significant classroom experience or a degree.

I don't think that the course my CT enrolled on was an authentic Trinity College TESOL as it's unlikely that either her written English or pronunciation would have been good enough for her to pass. Having passed it myself, I'm aware of how demanding the course is, especially the detailed learner profile essay you have to produce.

She said that it was a TESOL, but I doubt that many Koreans actually know the difference between the different abbreviations (CELTA, TESOL, TEFL etc etc) She could have been told it was a TESOL course, but it may have been any one of about a dozen other courses currently available.

FistFace · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:09 pm Post subject:

aarontendo · Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Location: Daegu-ish

I think like $4000. It's pretty pricey but it'll transfer into some graduate programs if you do a M.A TESOL too.

The Hammer · Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject:

aarontendo · Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Location: Daegu-ish

Howdy,

Hours in class depends if you're doing the 4.5 month of the 9 month one. I did the 4.5 month one. We had class for 12 hours per week. It's a pretty intensive program. We had class Thursday classes at night from like 6 PM to 10 PM, then Saturday classes from 2 PM to 10 PM.

In our class we had 30 or so people. I think you can choose your schedule, you may be able to certainly if you're Korean. The native teachers were all put into the same courses so we hadn't a choice. Having said that, I think Korean students had a choice of Thu / Sat or Mon / Tue / Fri or something like that.

I think it's $4000 before any discounts. There is a scholarship for $1000 that is available (she'd have to apply for it).

Native students? We had 5 in our class, but keep in mind that they separate students based on level. We were the ONLY natives in the program that semester (I think it was about 300 students in total). If she's like damn awesome at English she'll be in the class with the natives.

All in all it's not a bad program, actually I look back on it and like it more now than when I was in the midst of it. I enjoyed it, the classes transfer into several programs in the states. Just transferred two into Framingham which works well for me too!