Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jklasdf]

I am considering teaching English in Korea. Can anyone tell me where to start. How do you know where to start with giving your first lesson. Do the schools give you a lesson plan to teach?

[E_athlete]

no they dont.

I just make stuff up as I go along, i'm sure they have a text book that you can just follow dogmatically. I don't get paid enough to make actual good lessons.

first get a recruiter, get a job offer, accept it, get a E2 visa, go to korea and start hating your life.

welcome to dave's forum.

[jklasdf]

E-athlete

If you hate it so much then why are you doing it?

[E_athlete]

im not a lifer, just doing it for a short time, it's a means to an end. I didn't say I hate the job, I just hate my own circumstances being in Korea.

any other questions?

[jklasdf]

Do you have time to fit in private lessons into your day? What is the going rate for giving private lessons?

[E_athlete]

first of all private lessons are illegal by K-laws and if caught you can be fined and/or deported. It's also against the rules of this forum to talk about how to do it which i think is lame.

however it can be legal if you register your earnings by going to your tax office. I'm not sure exactly how to do this because I dont do privates, i've only been here for 2 months.

Going rate differs but I hear 40000 to 50000 won a lesson in Seoul. It depends on where you are in Korea. I hear most people get caught doing privates by

a) being ratted out by someone you confide in
b) random K-people that snitch on you for that lucrative reward

[asmith]

[E_athlete]

[jklasdf]

Do you have time to fit in private lessons into your day? What is the going rate for giving private lessons?

[pie eater]

[andrewchon]

From your location I'll assume you're going to be on an E-2 visa. Assume you've gone through all legal channels and can do privates. Privates will be done outside the working hours of your primary visa sponsor. Korean going rate is how much overcharging you can get away with. That'll depend on your reputation as a teacher. Since you'll be a nobody from nowhere in the beginning, your reputation is zero. If you let them know you're Irish then less than zero. Other factors are your looks, age, connections that pull you students, your degree etc. Primary market for privates are university entrance exam and TOEFL. Since you can't show spectacular personal history in passing either of them, few will be interested. Korean ESL is about climbing the social ladder, very few study for study's sake.

[RBJfaraway]

[E_athlete]

Yeah I was a starving college grad. I applied everyday and looked for a good year with only some interviews but ultimately nothing. I hated living back home too with my parents. Imagine how impressive it was to my girlfriend at the time.

The ESL track is actually not a bad idea right now where things seem to be completely messed up. If you aren't seeing any opportunity over there, I'd skip over the pond to Korea even for a short while. For me, it was a golden opportunity because i could avoid paying student loans and taxes back where I live making my decision easy. I'm heading to professional school in the near future so korea is where i will be passing the time collecting checks while i wait for school to start.

Honestly Korea isn't that bad apart from the xenophobia and misplaced nationalistic pride. There's a lot of things about this place that bother me but the consistent employment makes my troubles worth it. Between sitting in my parents' basement sending 3 customized resumes and cover letters each day and searching for jobs in a jobless market, I'll choose Korea any day. At least here I don't have to worry about that and I even have my own place.

[iggyb]

[Geckoman]

One Stop English!

One Stop English
www.onestopenglish.com

�One Stop English� is a good resource for ESL teachers. It has lots of educational material � worksheets, flash cards, audio material, video material, etc. � as well as forums for ESL teachers to exchange ideas and stories.

There is the free subscription and the paid subscription, with the paid subscription giving you more stuff. They call the paid subscription section of the site the �Staff Room.�

I have a paid subscription and everyone is free to use it. Here is the access information:

E-mail address: vain908[@]yahoo.com
Password: nutagava

You may share this access information with whoever you want. The more people that use my subscription the better as that way I know my payment is going to good use.

If you want to contact me don't e-mail that address but PM me. I don't use that e-mail address.

Good luck and happy ESLing!