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Foreigner Who Owns Hagwon Speaks! Midnightrunner Podcast!

 
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bassexpander



Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 5:05 am    Post subject: Foreigner Who Owns Hagwon Speaks! Midnightrunner Podcast! Reply with quote

Dr. Paul Robertson of Time-Taylor International and The Asian EFL Journal dishes on what it's like for a foreigner to open a language academy in Korea. Paul also discusses the legalities of an F-2-1 visa holder setting up their own home school, and he talks about his school opening soon in the Philippines. Over 300,000 Koreans are now studying English there. What are the schools like? What do they cost Koreans? Can the filipinos speak English well?

Hear about this and more in this special episode!

http://midnightrunner.mypodcast.com
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rednblack



Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Location: In a quiet place

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was very interesting. As I'm a permanent fixture in Korea, the issues he discussed were very relevant. Cheers for that.

RnB
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Seon-bee



Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: ROK

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poor guy sounds like he's gonna have a heart attack. He's catching his breath at every turn. Being so winded, I'd be worrying about my health if I were him. Nevertheless, interesting topics and lots to comment on. Thanks B.

Moving a wall for two centimeters. Typical.

When can we expect the influx of Philipinoes?

Not long ago I saw an ad in the paper promoting a phone n talk company. Said they had native speakers. Listening to the samples available online, they were ovbiously Philipinoes with bad grammar but decent pronunciation. The Korean student described a picture. He made a significant number of errors, and the phone buddy just said "Great!" or "Wonderful!"
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Paddycakes



Joined: 05 May 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Poor guy sounds like he's gonna have a heart attack. He's catching his breath at every turn. Being so winded, I'd be worrying about my health if I were him.


Sounded fine to me... he sounds like John Lennon.
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gangpae



Joined: 03 Sep 2007
Location: Busan

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is Kentucker Australian?
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bassexpander



Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paddycakes wrote:
Quote:
Poor guy sounds like he's gonna have a heart attack. He's catching his breath at every turn. Being so winded, I'd be worrying about my health if I were him.


Sounded fine to me... he sounds like John Lennon.


The loud breathing can be attributed to me having to boost the audio gain. My mic was too far away from him, and had to raise the level substantially on his parts. This also has the effect of making louder breathing sounds.

As for the filipinos... the 28,000? visas were just approved a few days ago. Listen for it, but I believe that's what he said. It will be interesting to see what comes out of this.
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nautilus



Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting...

He laments the decline of the Hagwons (from a business point of view)- personally I'm quite pleased to see them get shut down.
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bassexpander



Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got the feeling that he just realizes that's the way things are going. He's not defending the hagwons by any stretch I'd say. I can tell he is enthusiastic about his Phils. school.

One thing I wish I had asked him about was the hagown association. He says he sends the secretary to the meetings sometimes, and that the hagwon association/their counsel are sometimes discussing ways to legally take advantage of teachers.
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SHANE02



Joined: 04 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done!

VERY Interesting. That man is busy.

Korean's in the Phill. are obviously milking their countymen for all their worth, and using deception as usual.
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purple_buddha



Joined: 18 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

First off, I'd like to compliment you on another excellent interview, bassexpander. You're onto something valuable here, and I hope you continue to present these podcasts.

Regarding what Paul said about Korean employers preferring to see an international experience on a prospective applicant's resume, that's not entirely true; it really matters where one studies. A three month English program in the Philippines doesn't even begin to compare with a semester in an English speaking country, particularly if it's accomplished in the US or Canada. The same snobbery used to favor certain western universities, like Harvard and Stanford, applies to study-abroad programs as well. While studying in the Philippines is the more economical solution, it isn't necessarily going to pay for itself at the job interview, unless nobody else applying for the position has studied anywhere outside of Korea (and that's doubtful nowadays).
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great interview indeed. It's interesting how anything that involves Koreans trying to make money of teaching English - be it in an after-school programme or the Philippines - is usually either useless or fraudulant.
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steroidmaximus



Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Location: GangWon-Do

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting podcast, thank you.

You stated that the teaching license was difficult and not worth it financially to obtain. . . strange. I did apply for mine about 5 years back, and was given the same rigaromole, but when I reapplied 2 years ago, I received it within a couple of weeks and on the license it states my prices, which are far far above the monies mentioned in your podcast. When did you last go and talk to the education board?

Also, the tax office was very easy going with me, and again no problems getting everything set up and in order.
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karincosme



Joined: 20 Oct 2007
Location: South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A factual interview. Very informative for starting a hagwon, a home English school or a telephone English business in South Korea. I wish he gave more information about the telephone English business and the Business English schools in South Korea. I have a Business English certification, in addition to TEFL, TEFL, and TESOL. Where are the schools for teaching Business English in South Korea?
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Whistleblower



Joined: 03 Feb 2007

PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This guy you interviewed sounded switched on and an entrepreneur. I would dred to open a hagwon in such an unstable environment. What I mean by this is that the goalposts could change according to the Office of Education (such as moving a wall, labor law, etc).

When my wife and I spoke to the Ministry of Education, they mentioned that we would be able to create a hagwon in Korea inside an apartment. This would also have inspections, etc but they also said that hagwons are unable to be made in officetels. This is why there are some kindergartens inside apartments. It is possible but difficult.

It just sounded rather interesting from the podcast and I also would love to open a Western Style bar in Korea. I met a foreigner near Pyeongtaek that opened his bar near the military barracks and is doing very well for himself.

Again, a great podcast.
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