Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Do you know of any such highly qualified people who have the same qualifications as Korean professors who were denied tenure because they are foreigners?

They are not given a chance. They are only offered non-tenure track positions. Why accept a non-tenure track position when you can apply for and get a tenure track position?

How did some Korean professors prepare their articles or publications?
A professor of engineering said it was common for there to be up to ten co-authors on a paper, most of whom have had nothing to do with it. http://www.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200204/200204251020.html

Well, how many people are there in the US who have a Ph.D. in ESL with a long string of publications who are interested in a long-term career in Korea?

Is it possible to earn a Ph.D. in ESL? (Perhaps, TESL or Linguistics)

[J.B. Clamence]

[Kwangjuchicken]

Most doctoral programs dealing with our field are called PhD's in Foreign and Second Language Education. That was what mine was called. Sounds better than TESOL too

[J.B. Clamence]

[TECO]

J.B. Clamence - You're NUCKING FUTS if you think universities in Japan/Korea/Taiwan don't discriminate against foreign instructors/academics

Don't matter if you have a Ph.D - you'll rarely get a deal that's on par with the local teachers. Check it out on the internet - Japan. Taiwan, Korea - same bitc h.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

We've gone off track from the original poster a little, who simply warned of bad conditions at his former university.

[I have deleted this content-- Ken.]

Ken:>

[Barking Mad Lord Snapcase]

[chingu71]

I�d like to thank the original poster for expressing his opinions about working at DU. I just wish he would have had the decency to express his views to me so that there could have been some constructive dialog and possibly some positive changes. Complaining for the sake of complaining doesn�t help any situation.

Unfortunately the Internet often allows opinions to be formed after hearing just one side of the story. Daegu University may not be the best place to work (even though I think it is), but I don�t think it warrants such harsh criticism either. As the Assistant Director mentioned in the post, I would like to comment on some of the issues raised.

1. Apartment: It is true that the new single units will be small although only 12 of our 26 instructors will be living in the smaller units. The other 14 instructors will have their own small two-room apartment. While the units will not be large and the layout not the best, they will be brand new and have air-conditioning, free LAN line Internet connections, ranges with built in grills, and washing machines (no coin-op machines). There will be a meter on the outside of the units so maintenance staff will have no reason to enter the apartment. It is true that there is 1 unit in the current housing that has suffered from rats. The occupants were given the chance to move to a new unit but elected to stay put.

2. Location: Yes we are located a little under an hour away from downtown Daegu. I recognize that this is an issue for some people and so make a point to bring it up at each interview. This is also why I do not like to conduct telephone interviews. I really want everyone considering employment here to see the campus and see the location so that they can make an educated decision about whether or not to accept the position. I want people who come to work here to be happy.
As far as the redneck country comments go, I�m not sure what to say. I�ve been here since 1999 and never had verbal harassment from drunken students or hostile glares. Of course other people�s experiences may be different.
We have two local video shops and between them the selection is not too bad.

3. Students: Student motivation is an issue here and it is raised at each and every interview. Many of the comments made by the original poster place all of the blame on the students. I think all experienced instructors realize that class related issues are a two way street. With proper class management skills even the most unruly students can be shaped into a class that is both enjoyable and productive. Some of the blame for the fact that the poster has had such a difficult time here must lie with the approach taken in the classroom.

We do have an evaluation system in place and student feedback does play a large role. The questions the students are asked are decided on by the instructors working here. Everyone has the chance to have input into the survey questions. The questions we asked this semester were as follows:
1. The instructor is well prepared for class.
2. The instructor communicates effectively in class.
3. The instructor uses interesting teaching methods.
4. The instructor gives feedback about students' assignments.
5. The instructor is on time for class.
6. The instructor creates a comfortable learning environment.
7. The instructor provides enough time for students to practices speaking.
8. Assignments reflect the objectives of the course.
9. The instructor treats students with respect.
10. I would recommend my instructor to other students.

The results from the survey and an observation by the Assistant Director make up 90% of the evaluation. The remaining 10% comes from the office staff. The only way that points are deducted by the office staff is if students make valid complaints about an instructor�s performance. Points are not deducted for too many photocopies or too many demands on their time. In my experience here, students occasionally complain without justification. However, when students from different classes are repeatedly complaining about the same instructor there is usually a real problem. Evaluations only play a role in the bonus offered on renewal. They have no bearing on schedules.

4. Management: The comments about management are so angry that I�m not sure what to say. There are ongoing problems with the printers in the teachers� offices. This has more to do with the number of instructors using the printers than a lack of attention from the office staff. Audiotapes have been late on occasion but it is the exception and not the rule. The exams we use are written by a committee of instructors who volunteer to put them together.

The comments made directly about me are the posters opinions and as such I must respect them. I do however hope that not everyone feels the same way. We have a very large staff here and I simply cannot make everyone happy all of the time. However, I do try to do things as fairly as possible. Scheduling is done by seniority and overtime is given voluntarily. Those who have not had overtime in the past are given priority for future requests.

I do my best to give new instructors the best advice possible. I also encourage them to observe my class and other instructors� classes to get an idea of what is going on in the classroom. I do have my students correct their short quizzes in class. I also encourage all other instructors to do the same at orientation. I am not in competition with anyone as far as the evaluations go. The only way I really succeed is if everyone�s evaluation looks great at the end of the semester.


5. Textbook: The textbook is being revised. All instructors were asked to be involved and one was chosen from the four who expressed interest. All other instructors have been asked for input and many have offered their opinions. Anyone who has been involved in materials production would tell you that you can�t have 26 authors of 1 text.

6. Co-workers: We have a mixed staff. The youngest is twenty-four and the oldest in his sixties. The average age is around 30 and 4 of the 26 instructors (including myself) are married. Most of the instructors go out of their way to share teaching activities.

7. Extra duties: This portion sounds like it was written about another place. There is no written progress report for each student. There is a roster for each class, as in any academic teaching job. The paperwork can be a bit daunting for a new instructor, but most tell me it�s not a problem. We do proctor our exams on Saturday and this is made clear during the interview process.

We do offer a children�s program between semesters. 9 of our 26 instructors are involved teaching in the program and it is also an issue raised in the interview process. It is true that the last poster, Ken, had his contract offer reversed after he requested to be exempt from teaching children. Most instructors who have taught the children have positive comments about the program.

We have 1 voluntary staff meeting a month to address concerns put forth by the teaching staff. I would be the first to say that the outcome is not immediately visible. Not every request by teachers can be made to happen. Some concerns take time to address. I would like to see the process of change expedited and it may well be.

In the end, it is the instructor�s choice whether to stay or move on. The fact that the majority of instructors choose to renew for a second and often a third year says more to me than a rambling complaint by one disgruntled employee. DU is not perfect, but I do my best to make it open, honest, and enjoyable for all of the instructors, staff, and students that come through our program.

[J.B. Clamence]

[chronicpride]

Excellent retort from the school to help provide a more accurate balance of fact about the working conditions there. If this site had less one-sided opinions and more testimony from both teachers and directors/managers, it will help jobseekers tremendously and create a lot less misinformation from spreading.

This underscores the importance that if you are serious about your jobhunt, then never, ever take the one-sided stuff you read on here, as gospel. Primarily, do your own research by speaking to current and former teachers of the institution, in addition to the directors/managers, and only use this site as a supplement to your findings.

[chingu71]

[Alvin Stardust]

When taking over the English Department at a certain university in Korea (many moons ago), they also had a 'teacher evaluation' type form completed near the end of each semester, or course by the learners. With questions such as 'Is the teacher prepared, & are the teaching methods suitable?' etc, etc. Being an experienced teacher trainer I was mystified & surprised as to how a learner could 'judge' a teacher without any idea of teaching methods, and all that these type of extremely subjective and often offensive questions hold. I soon filed this 'survey' form promptly into the garbage can. The (then) new form asked questions such as; 'Do you (the learner) make an effort to learn, do you do your homework, do you bring your books to class? etc, etc. Plus a few questions such as 'Is the learning environment a positive one, do you find it comfortable to express your views in class, do you enjoy the teacher's lessons? etc, etc.

My point is, Chingu71, asking your learners to judge a teacher with questions that often only a teacher trainer could answer, and with other questions that are highly subjective and personal is very wrong indeed. Yes, find out how the learner feels, but also discover if the learner is actually making a positive effort themselves (before 'judging' others, particularly the teacher). These types of teacher surveys should be more balanced and fair to both parties. A teacher's job could easily be in danger through learner misunderstandings of the questions (especially in Korean), or there may be a few vindictive learners.

YOU should gauge the teachers through observations and the suchlike (if you know what you're doing, that is).

[J.B. Clamence]

Okay, fair enough. I wasn't sure about the exact circumstances, but I wanted to ask anyway since you didn't clarify the context in your initial reply to the allegation. Thank you for your clarification.

However, I still think it is the applicant's decision to turn down an offer once it is made. The discussion about not teaching children may have just been negotiation. If you had other applicants waiting, you could have given him a deadline to accept. But you're the boss and I guess you can do what you like.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

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[The Lemon]