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ruby_tuesday
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:40 pm Post subject: Gyeonggi English Village Paju |
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Has anyone worked at Gyeonggi English Village Paju as either a one day or regular program teacher? I'm not quite sure what the difference is in terms of work or the tasks/responsibilities, and the only information I can find on this board is by people who were "edutainers."
And yes, I've heard the "dancing monkey" bit and read that thread, but I'm still interested in hearing people's experiences. |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:00 pm Post subject: Re: Gyeonggi English Village Paju |
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| ruby_tuesday wrote: |
Has anyone worked at Gyeonggi English Village Paju as either a one day or regular program teacher? I'm not quite sure what the difference is in terms of work or the tasks/responsibilities, and the only information I can find on this board is by people who were "edutainers."
And yes, I've heard the "dancing monkey" bit and read that thread, but I'm still interested in hearing people's experiences. |
If you have "read that thread" then why ask for MORE opinions and stories about working there? Be thankful that some have given you fair warning. Now it's up to you to wisely accept the advice of others who have worked there.
I'd guess that you have your heart set on working there (  ) and you want to keep asking the same question until someone tells you want you want to hear. |
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ruby_tuesday
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject: Re: Gyeonggi English Village Paju |
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| wylies99 wrote: |
If you have "read that thread" then why ask for MORE opinions and stories about working there? Be thankful that some have given you fair warning. Now it's up to you to wisely accept the advice of others who have worked there.
I'd guess that you have your heart set on working there ( ) and you want to keep asking the same question until someone tells you want you want to hear. |
I could have sworn that it only had comments from people who worked as edutainers. But I could certainly be wrong; I'll go back and look it over.
Peace, man.  |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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There's also pay problems and housing issues.
You can do better. |
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DrunkenMaster
Joined: 04 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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Wylies99's avatar is annoying, but don't let that undermine what he's saying. People rarely come on here lauding the wonderful experiences they've had at these failed experiments in language acquisition, Paju included.
If it was good, you'd probably hear about it, and it would be more than one or two people saying so. |
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cosmic charlie
Joined: 03 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:44 am Post subject: Paju English Village |
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Well I can only speak for myself. I worked for a year at Paju as a regular one week program teacher and I had a great time. It was not perfect and it is not for everyone. I made great friends and it was my favorite place to teach in Korea.  |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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I haven't worked there, but I did visit with a group of my students two summers ago. One of the other native speaking teachers in my group was tripping because it was such a strange place. I can't recall the exact comment the teacher made, but it was pretty damn funny.
Here are some comments I wrote in an email two years ago to a family member:
"Friday we went to the English Village in Paju and it was kind of like Disneyland (in a sense it was like a built to look like a town), except each area was a different activity where the kids could learn English. When we got there, my group did an activity at a hospital (not real one of course) and then they had some free time to walk around and eat on their own. Pretty much all I had to do is make sure the groups got to their activities on time and play with them. We watched a "circus show" where they had some foreigners juggling and doing different things to teach the kids English, then we took them to the main activity they signed up for which was making a toy. So a few of us foreigners went to the bar (yes, they have a bar in an English Village. I only had a Coke though) and sat and relaxed. It was pretty hot, so the kids were playing in a big fountain. I had an empty water bottle so I decided to start filling it up and getting the kids wet (Ok, so when I am I not the instigator?) and the kids started splashing me. I got a little wet, but some of the kids were just soaked. It was pretty funny. " |
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alpope23
Joined: 15 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:30 am Post subject: |
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Hey all you haters who base your advice about EV on a couple of 1 day visits with your kindy class. Your bad advice about the place would work much better if you end it with I HAVE SPOKEN in bold and allcaps.
It lends an air of authority to your pronouncement that it lacks in the experience/knowledge area. So next time try something like. . .
Russians, grumble grumble, had to pay, grumble, had to watch our own kids, grumble grumble, expensive. I HAVE SPOKEN
Kinda like the man behind the curtain, except the man behind the curtain had SOME facts!  |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:09 am Post subject: |
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| alpope23 wrote: |
Hey all you haters who base your advice about EV on a couple of 1 day visits with your kindy class. Your bad advice about the place would work much better if you end it with I HAVE SPOKEN in bold and allcaps.
It lends an air of authority to your pronouncement that it lacks in the experience/knowledge area. So next time try something like. . .
Russians, grumble grumble, had to pay, grumble, had to watch our own kids, grumble grumble, expensive. I HAVE SPOKEN
Kinda like the man behind the curtain, except the man behind the curtain had SOME facts! |
Plenty of posters have posted FACTS about hellish working and living situations in English Villages, including Paju. They treat native speakers very poorly and can't keep enough genuine native speakers on hand to "whiten up the place" so they have to employ Russians by the busload. Ask yourself- why Russians? Obviously, so they can deceive Koreans into thinking that native speakers are working at these English Villages.
Now, if YOU have any "facts" to back up your obvious flame, then let's hear them. |
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alpope23
Joined: 15 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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| wylies99 wrote: |
Plenty of posters have posted FACTS about hellish working and living situations in English Villages, including Paju. They treat native speakers very poorly and can't keep enough genuine native speakers on hand to "whiten up the place" so they have to employ Russians by the busload. Ask yourself- why Russians? Obviously, so they can deceive Koreans into thinking that native speakers are working at these English Villages.
Now, if YOU have any "facts" to back up your obvious flame, then let's hear them. |
You seem ready to accept plenty of posters facts as your own.
Tell me YOUR experience with an English village.
How many hours have YOU been in one.
And why all the hate for Russians?
P.S. You forgot the I HAVE SPOKEN 
Last edited by alpope23 on Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:15 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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alpope23
Joined: 15 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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| comingsoon wrote: |
| Does the school pay into the Korean Pension Plan? I asked about the Korean Pension Plan to schools/recruiters, they said, "It's not required." I finally did my research and found out otherwise. |
Yes they do, no problems with pension plan or medical. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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| alpope23 wrote: |
| wylies99 wrote: |
Plenty of posters have posted FACTS about hellish working and living situations in English Villages, including Paju. They treat native speakers very poorly and can't keep enough genuine native speakers on hand to "whiten up the place" so they have to employ Russians by the busload. Ask yourself- why Russians? Obviously, so they can deceive Koreans into thinking that native speakers are working at these English Villages.
Now, if YOU have any "facts" to back up your obvious flame, then let's hear them. |
You seem ready to accept plenty of posters facts as your own.
Tell me YOUR experience with an English village.
How many hours have YOU been in one.
And why all the hate for Russians?
P.S. You forgot the I HAVE SPOKEN |
So since you're so knowledgeable, perhaps you could tell us, what % of EV's staff is from Eastern Europe? Are they still kept dormed well away from the rest of EV's staff, and if so, why? What % of FTs engage in classroom / special room teaching these days, versus what % dress up in costume to play roles around the camp and edutain customers in other ways?
Since it looks like such an educational, career-building, and thoroughly dignified place to work I'm sure you won't mind answering a few questions for the benefit of the rest of us. |
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Otherside
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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I have nothing to add on this issue.
I HAVE SPOKEN!
Good? |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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| comingsoon wrote: |
| There seems to be alot of hostility in these forums. I think it would be a good idea if teachers would agree to fight each other in an MMA event. A referee would have to be present, and teachers would abide by UFC rules. |
Actually there are some interesting parallels to UFC.
The promoters - can earn millions or lose millions = 'village' owners and managers in the same boat.
The commentators - make decent money by doing a bit of research, blabbing, and not breaking a sweat = the KOTESOL geeks with uni jobs.
The training schools - the Gracies and Coultures who make a name for themselves and then make millions through academies = the TESOL and CELTA training centres (especially in Thailand) who convince gullible idiots they actually need their training for this job.
The fighters - from guys getting big bucks to guys getting beat up for peanuts = Isaac Durst to the poor schmuck at Wonderland.
The audience - love it but would have no idea how ever to use the skills they're seeing = the K-kids cheering at the latest temporarily entertaining gimmick who couldn't answer 'how's it going?' on the street. |
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alpope23
Joined: 15 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
So since you're so knowledgeable, perhaps you could tell us, what % of EV's staff is from Eastern Europe? Are they still kept dormed well away from the rest of EV's staff, and if so, why? What % of FTs engage in classroom / special room teaching these days, versus what % dress up in costume to play roles around the camp and edutain customers in other ways?
Since it looks like such an educational, career-building, and thoroughly dignified place to work I'm sure you won't mind answering a few questions for the benefit of the rest of us. |
Since you asked nicely, think of English village as 3 seperate parts.
Part 1 is vending. The shops and restaurants and tram ride. Some shops have Eastern European workers. As of the end of Feburary, when I completed my contract, I'd say about 10 of 40 workers were Eastern Europeans or 25% of the people working in vending.
When I left the Eastern Europeans lived on the grounds in the same apartments the foreign teachers had.
The people who work in the theatre and music and 'dress-up' as you put it, work for the ODP or One Day Program. They are very talanted and come to EV with theatre, dance and arts degrees. I have no idea how many of them there were, but I'd say close to 100% of them get to perform.
I worked for the OWP or One Week Program. I taught middle school 1st graders who visited EV for a whole week at a time (Monday am to Friday pm) science classes. Their cirriculum ran from 9am to 9pm. 0% of us dressed up and performed. When I left there were about 100 foreign teachers and the same number of Korean teachers in the OWP.
Please forgive my spelling errors and grammar, I have a head full of novicaine! |
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