Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rudyflyer]

OK Mrs Flyer and I have interviews with this school, we both have interviews with the School of Business and Int Relations and Mrs Flyer also has an interview with the English Dept.

1) Any info on the school good or bad?
2) Any good suggestions for a 15 minute sample lesson
3) finally how about a decent yogwon/hotel near the train station, willing to pay 50,000 or so

mucho gracios

[SuperHero]

[Lost Seoul]

Here are some previous posts about Kyung Hee University
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"http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=127787"
Re: Kyung Hee University Info needed
Posted By: Somebody in The Core
Date: Monday, 3 June 2002, at 10:09 a.m.

In Response To: Kyung Hee University Info needed (The Inquisitor)

I taught at Kyung Hee a few years ago and from your description, things don't seem to have changed one bit.

Your first impression was right on target ---- Don't think that things will improve at Kyung Hee. This was simply a taste of what you would be experiencing on a daily basis in that hell hole.

The irony of it all is that Kyung Hee University pretends to be interested in promoting world peace and understanding among nations and the peoples of the world. It is true that they will host a few international conferences and then award honorary degrees to foreign dignitaries for whom they will roll out the red carpet. At the same time, they will be treating their foreign instructors as subhuman creatures.

If you value your dignity at all, stay away from Kyung Hee University in Seoul!!!!

Somebody in the Core


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"http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=127940"
Re: Kyung Hee University Info needed
Posted By: Reality Patrol
Date: Tuesday, 4 June 2002, at 3:14 a.m.

In Response To: Kyung Hee University Info needed (The Inquisitor)

That doesn't surprise me one bit! I went for an interview there at the end of last year. You are exactly right. The people working there don't have an ounce of etiquette or polite behaviour.

Mind you that's not to mean that all Korean university coordinators are the same. I recently went to another interview at another university in Seoul and I was truly impressed by the professionalism and politeness of the interviewers. I guess good things will come to those who wait.

I know it would be more difficult for you since you don't live in Korea, but your instincts already told you about what most of us have gotten in person: complete arrogance and sheer stupidity. Good luck with your job hunt!!!


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"http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=128112"
Re: Kyung Hee University Info needed
Posted By: hiyom "mailto:[email protected]"
Date: Wednesday, 5 June 2002, at 1:01 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Kyung Hee University Info needed (Reality Patrol)

In response to the messages regarding the post at Kyung Hee University, we feel sorry if our response has caused the caller inconveniences. However, administrators cannot respond to the calls pouring in throughout the day. The coordinator has limited time which should be used in an efficient manner. The applicants have other means to use. They can send their applications to the provided email and postal addresses. It is not appropriate to ask for too general information that is already provided in the ad. The administrator would like to put his time to screening and selecting the applicants without regard to special cases.


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"http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=128315"
Re: Kyung Hee University's rudeness
Posted By: Somebody in The Core
Date: Thursday, 6 June 2002, at 8:26 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Kyung Hee University Info needed (hiyom)

Fair enough, but there is no need to be rude.

At Kyung Hee University, even the clerks and student assistants will go out of their way to be offensive and obnoxious to the foreign instructors.

Also, the more you try to be polite and accommodating, the more they will step all over you.

Stay away from that mad house.

Somebody in the Core


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"http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=128458"
Re: Kyung Hee University Info needed
Posted By: Phil
Date: Thursday, 6 June 2002, at 10:43 p.m.

In Response To: Kyung Hee University Info needed (The Inquisitor)

It's the same old song and dance. The Foreign Language Center is the "cash cow" of the university so they can afford to treat Emglish teachers like crap. It doesn't say much for the boss there and it doesn't say much for the teachers there either.

When I was there, it was always "open season" on dating with students and I personally witnessed incredible behavior.

The head teacher is very "flighty" and has her "inner core" of teachers who can do no wrong. Every other teacher can have a problem with her.

I thought she considered herself to be a great head teacher and she felt that everyone loved her. Too bad her "dream" was in reality a "nightmare" for everyone.

I'd stay away from the school unless you are a single male, 35 and under, can speak; you should have no trouble finding students or other "easy" teachers to date.

Phil


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"http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710147182"
Re: Kyung Hee University
Posted By: Better check elsewhere....
Date: Friday, 18 October 2002, at 12:56 a.m.

In Response To: Kyung Hee University (Steven)

I worked there almost two years ago and I don't think things have improved at all. Actually in the opposite direction. Most of the teachers had no idea what to do in class and reminded me of the Three Stooges, except that there was the entire extended Fine Family.

It is nothing more than a glorified hakwon. The head teacher has her own clique of people she has do things for her, so you can't gain anything from the chain of command.

The curriculum is non existant just whatever book they choose for the class. That is the one thing that makes teaching there easier is that they have a book. No reason to prepare. Use the teacher's manual and you are set.

They did pay on time which was a plus, and if you are a guy, then dating students and the Kyopo teachers was another plus. It was hard not to for many reasons. Everyone was doing it. Many kyopo students thought it would be exciting to date a teacher, like getting a trophy, that they actually pursued me and other teachers.

Another plus is the classes are basically low level so not much work involved. Just put in your time and everything was OK.

The negative is the schedule. Unless you are in the circle of friends of the head teacher, count on getting a lousy schedule with morning classes on Monday and evening classes on Friday.

So if I were you, better get moving on to another school.

Exhausted from all the students


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"http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710147463"
Re: Kyung Hee University
Posted By: Another former instructor - "mailto:[email protected]"
Date: Monday, 21 October 2002, at 12:17 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Kyung Hee University (Better check elsewhere....)

It sounds like things have worsened considerably since I worked there in 1998-2000. Back then, we did discuss and draw up a curriculum each semester, as well as, naturally, elaborate syllabi for all the courses. We boasted a very competent staff of instructors (nearly all of us had M.A.'s and years of teaching experience at home and abroad) who took their job seriously and did not fool around with students or other instructors. The fact also that half of us were married no doubt contributed greatly to the sense of professionalism that reigned in the office and the classrooms, so it would appear that Kyung Hee has lowered its standards and hired a lot of single twenty-somethings with little teaching experience and even less maturity. (A fact substantiated by a former colleague who stayed on until last March.)

What's really disappointing in all of this is that the old-timers back in 1998 couldn't believe how bad things had gotten since the mid-nineties, when, by all accounts, everyone LOVED working at Kyung Hee. It's all the doing of a handful of short-sighted, oftimes spiteful administrators, most of whom cannot speak of word of English. While I will always cherish my time at Kyung Hee as one of the most fulfilling teaching experiences I've ever had, the rancour I feel towards those who played us for fools completely soured me on ever working in Korea again.


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"http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710147524"
Re: Kyung Hee University
Posted By: Lucifer - "mailto:[email protected]"
Date: Monday, 21 October 2002, at 7:12 p.m.

Kyung-Hee uses a complex system of currying favor and snitching to determine who the 'good' teachers are. The administration has its own on- staff snitch who routinely informs and, on occasion, fabricates information in order to keep the position of administrative pet. Regular staff requirements do not apply to this person.

A previous poster mentioned the 'core' of instructors at Kyung-Hee, who can do no wrong. True! The head teacher forms this core and if you want to have no problems with the program coordinator you will spend most of your time surrendering you dignity in the pursuit of making her feel beautiful and wonderful.

The coordinator spends most of his time doing nothing to actually improve the quality of education at Kyung-Hee and seems primarily concerned with how much money their hagwon-modeled I.I.E. courses are making. At staff meeting he routinely accuses the foreign teachers of such crimes as using drugs, drinking excessively and engaging in sports-sex with students. In one breath he will compliment the staff on its professionalism and with the next institute new policy designed to punish rather than help instructors. A single complaint from a solitary student will land a teacher in one of his famous office 'chats' with instructors. Rumors circulate that this 'coordinator' is a racist who specifically targets young, male instructors involved with Korean females outside the university.

Other posters have mentioned the office staff at the I.I.E. office and their critcisms are also true. The office help is rude and blatantly racist in their behavior, often thinking themselves in a postion to push instructors around, with few exceptions.

In summary, if you take a position at Kyung-Hee, expect shabby treatment, no support, no curriculum and no professinalism.


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"http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710147702"
Re: Kyung Hee University
Posted By: Another former instructor - "mailto:[email protected]"
Date: Tuesday, 22 October 2002, at 12:05 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Kyung Hee University (Lucifer)

Some other nuggets from not so long ago (98-00) - and keep in mind that much worse things have happened at Kyung Hee since then:

1. Administration asking us to sign documents whereby we would forfeit severance pay. When we all refused, they had an assistant forge our signatures.

2. Intermittent flooding in the basement office.

3. Making us work for weeks in said office during construction/renovation while metal dust, asbestos, fiberglass and sawdust wafted down and into our lungs. Most of us fell ill (who wouldn't?), but administration refused to temporarily relocate us.

4. Harassing certain teachers privately and publicly, making false accusations, trying to turn us against one another. (Nothing new here except for the virulence of the attacks, normally set off by a bad or even ambiguous posting on this cafe about the university, an independent-minded teacher dating/marrying a Korean woman, giving low grades to a particularly lazy class, even getting sick and missing a day's work.)

5. Making teachers pay for photocopies. Apparently, we abused the privilege - I mean, how dared we use more than 500 sheets a semester!

6. Intentional delays for every single request made to administration and staff. Why? Just to tick us off. It got so bad that the majority of us just did our school-related preparation - e.g. making and printing out tests and exams, photocopying, buying a sample of textbooks for possible use next semester - off-campus, at our own expense.

7. Depositing an instructor's monthly pay into a former instructor's bank account, then forcing the injured party to remedy the situation on her own. (She had to go all the way to Inchon and get the money herself.)

There were a few other things so vile, of such crapulence, that I won't even mention them, to spare the innocent people involved of any further humiliation. It's just so hard to believe that it's gotten so much worse in the past two years...


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"http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710148012"
Re: Kyung Hee University
Posted By: Kane
Date: Wednesday, 23 October 2002, at 9:03 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Kyung Hee University (Lucifer)

I have never worked at this school but have a number of friends who have. Interestingly none of them had anything good to say about this place. Best to beware this school.


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"http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710148119"
Re: Kyung Hee University
Posted By: fieldhand
Date: Thursday, 24 October 2002, at 6:24 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Kyung Hee University (Lucifer)

Lucifer!
You are so right! I worked for Kyung-Hee university and never got anything but the worst of treatment from the staff and admin. Worst of all was their coordinator's condescending attitude! He was actually insulting during the interview. Still, I was desperate to get out of hagwon hell and into a real job, so I took the position. From day one their attitude was that I couldn't do the job and nothing I did could change that attitude. I'm glad to be out of there.

[Hotel Cheonan]

The Seoul campus get's a lot of knocks against it, but it's only a satelite campus. The one in Suwon is the main campus, and seems to be a lot better. I know this from a friend of mine who used to teach at the Seoul campus.

[Mr. Pink]

I would think the Seoul campus would be better. I have heard that the Seoul campus has a higher "ranking" than the Suwon campus.

A hella lot of students from my highschool got into the Seoul campus.

You are talking about Kyung-hee and not Kyung-gi right?

[Hotel Cheonan]

Yep, Kyung hee

[Mr. Pink]

Interesting. I still know the Seoul campus is more regarded than the Suwon campus. NO ONE wants to goto the Suwon campus, as Seoul is the place to be.

Now about how they treat their foreign teachers would depend on the department head, not necessarily the school. Guess the Seoul campus has a bad boss.