Korean Job Discussion Forums

[imyourteacher]

Last weekend I was at tinpan 2 in hongdae downing a bottle of cheap tequila with a group of eslers and I happen to run into 2 guys I previously worked with at a hagwon.
We started chatting and as usual the typical question, "What hagwon do you work at now?" was asked.
He answered smugly back to me, I don't work at a hagwon, and that he works a non english teaching job.
And then he went on about how teaching english sucks, the usual complaints, even though he taught at a hagwon for over 5 years.

So I want to ask the question is there a social caste system among us english teachers in Seoul?

1. Non english teaching job - working at a foreign company.

2. Non english teaching job - working at a korean company.

3. University professor.

4. Public School teacher.

5. Business English to adults - non hagwon.

6. College prep / sat / teacher - hagwon.

7. High school students - hagwon.

8. Middle school students - hagwon.

9. Elementary school students - hagwon.

10. Kindergarden - hagwon.

This is what I can come up with, any additions to the ESL Caste system would be great.

P.s. Funny thing is that guy used to work at Wonderland with me, teaching kindergarden, so he made a 10 step leap ahead, damn lucky guy.
How do I do that... since I'm at the bottom of society. No shame.

[Sadebugo1]

Not answering your question directly, just a side note. I started working for the American government three years ago as as ESL/EFL instructor. I have been sent to Slovakia, Japan, Djibouti and Afghanistan in that order. In three of the countries, I was honest about what I did without hesitation. But, in Japan, I found myself answering that I was a civil servant rather than an English teacher when asked. Not a lie, but not a complete answer either. The reason I did this was because I recalled how negatively English teachers were viewed in Korea and transferred this to Japan. I figured people there would view me in the same light.

Anyway, I guess I would have to say working in a non-teaching job is the most prestigious. It's amazing how far that got me in Japan socially versus being a teacher in Korea.

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

[aka Dave]

Personally, I think it really depends on the situation. If you have a great boss as I've had, working at a hagwon can be a good job. There were perks to my hagwon job that I don't have at my Univ. For one, I didn't have to correct homework. Also, my boss got me satellite TV and anything else I wanted/needed, here at my Univ., even though I love my job, I'm on my own.

Working at a large company usually means much longer hours (though a lot more cash). It depends on your priorities.

[bassexpander]

The pecking order goes like this:

1. Uni teachers
2. Public school teachers
3. Hagwon teachers
4. Sorry f-cks who have a Ph.D in something (sometimes other than ESL-related) who have tenure in Korea because they can't get a job in a department back home.

Hahaha... just kidding.

These days, I'd count certain public school jobs as a lot better than many of the uni jobs. Not to beat on the hagwon guys, but good schools are too few and far in between.

Of all the jobs I've taught, the most fun job I had was at a private high school. My first year at that was one of my best in Korea.

[ttompatz]

I'm moving down the scale, from 1-2-3-10-4...and 4 is where I will stay (by choice) until I go for 11.

The Uni position was OK but I much prefer working with smaller kids - Oh, and I get paid better too (jingle in the jeans at the end of the year) even though the hourly pay is lower.

.

[pkang0202]

As far as "prestige" with a job it goes like this:

University professor
Public school
Full time Corporate English
Hagwon
English Tutor


Now that public school positions are very common, you find people that are less impressed that you are teaching at public school.

[Draz]

Koreans have been shocked and horrified when I told them I used to work in public school but I quit to work in a hagwon.

Is this the caste system as seen by Koreans or by other foreigners?

[Captain Corea]

[cdninkorea]

My question is: why should it matter? If someone enjoys their work and is good at it, no one has any right to look down on them.

I work at a university language institute and many of my friends work at children's hagwons. Having done the hagwon scene, I'm glad I've left that part of the ESL/EFL market. However, my friends enjoy their work. What right do I have to judge them negatively? Because *I* wouldn't want the job? When considering their work, what's important is them. Otherwise it's foolishly self-centered, and I'm not the centre of the universe.

I look at the colleagues of mine who have department jobs at my university and do consider them as having a better job than I do, but only because I want their job. If for some reason I didn't, why would I consider it as having more prestige? Because others want it? The point would be that I don't.

[koldijk]

I've taught at all of them...

SSOD

same s$%@t only deeper

the miracle is finding kids who are 6 who are more mature than hung over and/or drunk ajoshis who scream "NO NO NO" in a packed classroom... i'll never forget that...

i let these corporate guys rattle on for a week ... then i read a passage for them and they heard the difference between their "english" and ...

it wasn't my idea to read the passage to them...

i've been in korea for over 5 years... most coworkers and students don't believe that anyone who doesn't hold an american passport can speak english...

[crusher_of_heads]

[lorenchristopher]

I think it depends on your school and situation. I work at a hagwon teaching elementary kids who are pretty well-behaved. My boss is awesome, lets me do whatever I want and never says anything other than "hello" to me.

I work 20 hours/week and make more than I would at a public school.

Again, it just depends on you school.

[yingwenlaoshi]

What about teachers married to Koreans who work for big companies and have other jobs on the side such as teaching CEOs? How are they classified?

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

[yingwenlaoshi]