Korean Job Discussion Forums

[darkcity]

apologies in advance if this is a repeat post, the search function has resulted in a blank page whenever i submit my search term...

Anyone have anything to say about the reputation of English Channel?

http://www.english-channel.co.kr/

Their job posting seemed pretty straightforward and without BS, and the job requirements seemed right down my alley. But you know how these things go, never judge a book by its cover, etc...

thanks in advance...

[Burndog]

Shady at best...there was something on here recently...in short...they make you wear lab coats...there is an unpaid period at the start of the contract...there are no paid days off (not even national holidays)...you could do better.

[gmat]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=107255&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=channel

[Dome Vans]

Was offered a job at English Channel in Daegu. Laughed so hard when I saw the lab-coat thing, and the fact they delivered clinical english, minute by minute analysis of the 'patients' English needs, unpaid holidays, split shifts.......

Think the recruiter was amazed when I turned it down.

Don't even consider it.

[darkcity]

weeeeeee, thanks for that. next.

[Dome Vans]

[birdflower]

Different posters, from different time periods, have all said that English Channel is a bad place to work.

1) http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=57787&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=english+channel+learn&start=15
2) http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=74883&highlight=
3) http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=74299&highlight=
4) http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=76761&highlight=
5) http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=77018&highlight=

English Channel's policy of not paying their teachers their last pay check on their last day of work but after they have left the country is a big red flag. As for the idea of staying in Korea to wait for your last pay check, you can not do that as they force their teachers to leave their apartment once they are done working. Where's my f---- hard earned money?!!

[Whitey Otez]

I worked for them for well over a year, and here's the skinny:

They always paid correctly and on time, save for one point when the health insurance over/under came due and some folks got a big deduction while others got a small bonus.

The lab coats are lame.

Every branch has its own rules that tend to stray from the training.

Adult students are every bit as unmotivated and uncooperative as children. The ones sent there on behalf of their company are the worst. Right behind them are the people paying their own money but carrying unrealistic expectations of the service offered.

The split shifts are gone, praise allah for that. Considering that the housing is a ways away from the office, split shifts were dreaded killers of precious time and brain cells.

They let the secretaries have manager titles and attitudes.

They treat university educated adults like red-headed stepchildren.

The housing sucks. The Gangnam area housing buildings are generally full of EC Language Trainers and the worst room salon girls.

Individual students can ask to not learn from you any more, and you catch a lot of flak for it. Their reasons vary heavily, but it's still your fault if a student doesn't like something.

HQ will give you a bad review to prevent you from feeling good about yourself. If HQ loves you, then your branch manager hates you.

In sum, they are trying to not be the worst,most miserable place to work for, but they have work to do. Improved housing, better curriculum, a more supportive attitude of their trainers, and getting rid of the ridiculous lab coats would be their next steps.