Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TBirdMG]

Sparkling Korea's newest, freshest (and cost efficient) approach to the quality, and qualified, shortage of teachers with the minimum BA (or equivalent).
_______________________________

TaLK Scholarships - Teach and Learn in Korea
400 Scholarships Available
1,500,000 Won/month
Free Housing
Free Airfare
15 hours/week
Evening Hours
Weekends Off

Teach English in Korea BEFORE you finish your degree. The Ministry of Education in South Korea is offering teaching scholarships to native English speakers who have not yet finished their degree but who want to teach in Korea for a semester. The benefits of this program are amazing.

Are you an undergrad considering teaching in the future and you want to try it out?
Are you an undergrad who wants to travel and earn money while you study?
Are you an undergrad who just wants a break?
Forget about a semester abroad where you pay international student rates or where you have to pay for all your expenses. Apply for the TaLK -Teach and Learn in Korea - Scholarship and spend a semester or a year teaching English in Korea where you get FREE AIRFARE, FREE HOUSING and where you get paid!

TaLK - Teach and Learn in Korea - Scholarships
400 Scholarships Available in August 2008
1,500,000 Won/month living allowance (approx $1500USD)
6 month scholarships - August to January
12 month opportunities - August to July

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benefits of the Teaching Scholarship Program

Monthly allowance: 1,500,000 KRW (approximately, 1,500 USD)
* Payment of monthly allowance begins in September, 2008
* During the preparatory orientation in August, board & lodging will be provided instead of monthly allowance
Accommodation: Personal accommodation or home-stay
Types of personal accommodation: a dormitory, an apartment, or a studio-type room
If a scholarship recipient does not want to have accommodation provided, he/she will be paid monthly housing expenses (400,000 KRW) instead.
Any and all fees, charges, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the apartment shall be borne by scholarship recipients.
Round-trip Airfare:
A one-way economy-class airfare of the most direct one-way flight available from the international airport nearest your country of residence to Incheon Airport and a return air ticket at the completion of your contract term will be provided.
If your scholarship is cancelled during the contract term, a return air ticket will not be provided.
transportation from Incheon Airport to the orientation venue will be provided.
the TaLK Office will purchase and send an air ticket to each scholar, but if a scholar buys his/her own ticket, the airfare will be reimbursed after arrival in Korea.
National Health Insurance (100% coverage)
Settlement Allowance - One-off settlement allowance of 300,000 KRW immediately after placement in the school

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Scholarship Program Benefits

*Chances for participating in cultural experience programs
*A variety of programs that will allow scholarship recipients to experience *Korean culture will be offered during weekends.
*Korean language acquisition
*Opportunities to learn Korean language are provided.(e.g. lessons organized by the POE, on-line lessons on the internet, conversations with university student partner, and many other local opportunities)

*Distinction & Personal Enrichment

As a Korean Government Scholar, you will distinguish yourself as an individual with a unique and profound interest in teaching while enhancing your personal and professional competence.
At the end of a successful completion of your contract term, you will be awarded "A President��s Certificate."

* Tax Exemption from scholarship money

*Preparatory Orientation between arrival in Korea and placement in the school (four weeks)
-Teaching and learning methodology
-Understanding Korean life style and culture, and local theories and practices for classroom management and teaching strategies.
-Transportation expenses in case of working in more than two schools (on the POE budget)

Paid Leave:
Six-month contract: total of 7 working days
One-year contract: total of 14 working days

Sick Leave:
Six-month contract: total of 3 calendar days
One-year contract: total of 7 calendar days
Buddy system: A Korean university student who has been designated as your partner will help you adjust to Korean life
by providing opportune advice when requested.
by joining you in your cultural field trips as well as in your after-school classes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Responsibilities
Teach English in after-school classes in rural Korean elementary schools with other Korean teachers from local university programs. This is a fantastic opportunity for undergrad students to teach abroad and explore Korea before they graduate.

15 teaching hours per week
schedule is Monday to Friday - free weekends and national Korean holidays
4 week teaching methodologies and orientation program
participate in activities organized by the school, the Provincial Office of Education or the community

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Application deadline : June 15, 2006
*Contact information : TaLK(Teach and Learn in Korea), sponsored by Korean Ministry of Education, Science, & Technology
*Phone : 82-2-3668-1399
*Fax : 82-2-764-1328
*E-mail : [email protected]
*Website : www.talk.mest.go.kr
*Address : 43 Ihwajang-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-810, Korea
*Contact : Hannah Lee (Program Coordinator)

[bassexpander]

Ha...

The new anacronym will become, "RUN" once they figure out what the could be making.

[spliff]

Well, where are these people? The Application deadline was June 15, 2006.

[TBirdMG]

My favorite part is....that the first 4 weeks is designated for method and pedagogical training AND is unpaid. Although, of course, lodging is provided.

Can you imagine 4 weeks of orientation?? How many times can you look at the Korean Ministry of Education's Organizational chart (always presented solely in Korean, mind you) before going CrayJee??

[KoreanAmbition]

I know someone on these boards that is hoping to use that process but he's waiting to find out his results.

To be honest, I don't see how someone can complain.

Yes, it cuts into the quality of teachers and also increases the supply of teachers in addition to easing the requirements to come to Korea.

However, can you tell me of any internship that doesn't operate like that?

I can tell you about countless programs in Canadian universities where you can get work while you are studying, and that's not talking about coops or internships.

[TBirdMG]

Korean Ambition,

I think, at least on paper, this 'TALK' Program is a pretty good deal in terms of experience and remuneration. However, I don't think it will add any sort of sense of stability to ESL in Korea as a movement.

I imagine the following:

1) A fair number (up to 400) 20 and 21 year old college students being placed in rural elementary schools, with little staff support, and even less respect from their educational counterparts.

Korean English teacher: 'What, you just turned 20?? And I'm expected to co-teach with YOU??
Korean principal: "What, you're hung over again??! Don't you westerners have any sense of responsibility and respect for your elders??"
TALK participant: "I just spent a month in training, learned nothing but how to use little silver chopsticks, and then I was abandoned in the countryside. Nobody at the school knew I was coming, and I was put in a homestay where I have no privacy...help"
Ministry of Education: "Finally, we found a warm body to place in the underserved rural schools. We're saving more than 500,000 Won a month, and we don't have to pay severance or pension."

[crazy_arcade]

It's a decent enough idea. The scholarship idea is thinly veiled though.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[captain kirk]

It'll shut down the hagwons. As much as we hate hagwons they are small business and what does the Education Dept. need with money. They're set already. It's like Wallmart moving in and killing the little shops.

And, like Wallmart, this big business is cutting corners. Look, there's a 'Korean Uni Volunteer' to be paired with the FT. Unpaid volunteer. Charming.

It'll kill my afterschool classes I'm doing right now. They're going to renovate the unused kindy on the school grounds into an Eng Zone. IMO it's Educ Dept throwing its weight around while playing the victim with, 'we can't get teachers to the country schools because the wages of a teacher with a 4yr degree are too high'.

[VanIslander]

[KoreanAmbition]

[marlow]

Aren't legal drinking age in your home country?
That's OK, come to Korea.
Plus, alcohol is cheaper here.
You can have a six month travel and party trip, and get paid for doing it.
And there are lots of locals to date.

[Ramen]

Korean gov't must be hurting for money and warm foreigner bodies.

Let's see.....1.5 million is now equal to about US$1,300. Soon it will be US$1000.

[kimchi_pizza]

This is a bad idea. Now they want to bring in inexperienced, immature, and basically uneducated young adults to teach children in
a foreign country for a semester. The BoE better be ready to take these teachers by the hand and guide them step-by-step such as a thoroughly organized program, detailed, day-by-day lesson plans/ideas and proper support for all their questions and problems or they're in for a world of hurt.
There's probably gonna be culture-shock, culture clashes and misunderstandings out the whazoo. More than likely these young teachers will be placed in small country towns away from any kind of familiar comforts and native companionship. The freedom or fear of being far from home may increase the chances of turning to drink for comfort or escape. The chances of them leaving Korea full of bitter resentment are greater than them leaving Korea with a positive and enriching experience. The same could go for their students as well.
I just don't see a positive outcome for this or any similar programs. I wonder if any other countries/governments have tried something similar?

I hope they at least have an experienced, professional and mature native English speaking foreign national to help welcome these teachers and run this program to kind of smooth the bumps so to speak.

[Otherside]

From the "scholar's" perspective, it's actually quite an attractive package.
On a per "teaching hour" basis they are earning pretty much the same as a current E-2 PS teacher. (15 hours/week for W1.5mill vs between 1.8-2.3+ for 22 hours, and they seem to get the full set of benefits, airefare, proper housing (or a housing allowance GREATER than that set out in the GEPIK contract). The notable ommissions are pension, medical and severance (but they must have medical, right?)

All in all, a pretty attractive package.

Yet I think this will have quite a few problems though.
There are already a few problems with a "frat boy" culture amongst some foriegn teachers in Korea, now imagine a program where the average age is 20....
Four weeks unpaid "training" - I'm struggling to think of worse things than a 4 week korean "training" program.
Buddy system, great in theory, but I get the feeling these unpaid volunteers will be in charge of all the out of school admin that co-teachers are currently responsible EXCEPT they are volunteers, and will most likely lose interest after a while.

Oh and it will probably hurt the value of current teachers in Korea...Why pay 2.4mill when you get someone for 1.5 to be a warm body and fill the window dressing quota.

Oh, and VanIslander, When said Ajumma asks sleazy hagwon director if said teacher has a degree he will just reply, "Sure, he just graduated from harvard"...like those hagwons employing "illegal" teachers have been telling parents that their teachers are illegal and degreeless.