Korean Job Discussion Forums

[d-rail]

http://blog.esldaily.org/2008/04/09/a-possible-step-back-korea-considering-2year-degrees.aspx

i dont know if this has been posted already. sorry if it is old news.

if this goes through it would truely be a step in the wrong direction. looks to be a repercussion of the new E2 regulations...trying to widen the applicant pool. i dont know of many people with a two year degree that would want to teach. my impression of the associates degree is that it is for people who know they need some college to get a decent job in life, but university and higher education isnt really their thing. Then again, i guess i don't really know many people with just an associates degree

[esetters21]

They wanted to clean up the ESL industry with their new regulations and now propose this ? It is quite amusing to me. From my understanding of the community or junior colleges in the US, anyone that applies is accepted. It's almost like extended vocational school from high school. I'm not trying to crap on those people that got an Associates Degree, but I don't think that is the solution for the Korean ESL situation.

[hugekebab]

[esetters21]

[mikekim]

I can't wait to see the look on my co-teachers face when I leave and my replacement is going to be 3 Indian former customer service agents, 2 Filipino street vendors, and an 18 year old US juco grad with a degree in basket weaving. Mind you you can pay all of them for 3.0 million.

[PRagic]

Why not? How many people on this board have said that the co-teacher gigs require no experience, and that hakwon jobs require no education whatsoever.

I say they give the 2-year degree holders a shot at the hakwon jobs, and keep the 4-year degree mandatory for the public school jobs. If they don't want to fix the machine that is the English education system, then why bother about the parts that go into it?

[Trespasser]

Check out this link: http://talk.mest.go.kr It is being implemented this summer for public schools in rural areas. 1,500,000 won for 15 teaching hours and 40 working hours. Airfare, housing, medical paid. Applicants only need two years of college/university.

[captain kirk]

6 mos or 1yr. Housing seems to be homestay. I wonder if the requirements to get their visa include all the hoops for an E2?

What bothers me about this is the program does not seem to be treating the potential applicants as adults. Homestay? What adult would want to live with a Korean family? A certificate at the end signed by the president of Korea? This kind of thing would attract cub scouts and girl guides.

[Kimchieluver]

What will be funny and I know it will happen is this scenario. A 20 year old westerner teaching 19-year- old Korean high school girls. Guess what I am thinking.

[rooster_2006]

This may seem like a bad deal except that it's only FIFTEEN HOURS. Isn't a regular hagwon 30 hours? Plus you're working for the Korean government, not some shady hagwon boss.

I have roughly two years of college, a CELTA certificate, and I'm taking Korean at Yonsei University. I'm in Level 6 (so I can read a Korean newspaper). I've lived in Korea for almost four years of my life. Yet I've never been allowed to work legally here, much to my dismay, obviously. In some countries, four years can get you citizenship. In Korea, four years doesn't even give you the right to work the night shift at Family Mart.

FINALLY, the Korean government is deciding to toss me a bone and actually allow me to do work for pay. I can't believe it's finally happened.

You can criticize a two-year degree holder all you want, but at the end of the day, a two-year degree holder with CELTA and a high level of Korean proficiency (in addition to experience living here) is FAR more qualified than some backpacker with a four-year degree who knows nothing about English teaching or Korea.

Korea should have allowed the two-year degree/TEFL certificate combo years ago, given the shortage of English teachers here. I'm glad the government finally got their heads out of their @$$es long enough to do so.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Korea considering hiring only Masters, 2-year degree holders, Filipinos, and Indians.

Hmm.

[skdragon]

[koreajim]

How is it possible to check out if the teacher (or what ever you call them) has 2 years of education. I was told to submit my degree 3 or 4 times last year, have my school write a letter stating that I was a graduate and give out a copy of my transcripts. I read not even 3 months ago an article stating that 70 or 80 percent (can�t remember the number) of foreign English teachers are not qualified. And how long are these teacher/students expected to stay and teach in Korea. I would assume most applying for the program would only stay for a summer or winter program because they have to return back to complete their education. Good luck Korea!!!

[rooster_2006]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Pull down your pants and underwear and say, "Here's my degree."