Korean Job Discussion Forums

snurglersons · Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Location: Busan

Given the amount of negativity I'm surprised at from ESL teachers in Korea, I'm curious as to how many have taught ESL out of Korea and where. I myself have taught in Espa�a and Costa Rica and decided to move on to Asia to experience a different culture.

xingyiman · Joined: 12 Jan 2006

snurglersons · Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Location: Busan

xingyiman · Joined: 12 Jan 2006

IanChops · Joined: 19 Mar 2009 Location: Pyeongchon, South Korea

Prior to Korea, I was in Shijiajzhuang, northern China for a year and then Shanghai for another. I agree, that it seems to be different types of folks who go to different places, at least at first.

Chilled out folks go <to ..............> for the experience. Wild and wacky it may be, but its not a $ choice.

Korea doesn't have quite the same to offer, but does offer more $$$. I meet plenty of cool ESLers here who've come from various other places, wide and varied, but they often seem to be coming here to earn $$$ for a year and to then go of to < insert exotic and cool destination here > for another year.

Its all cool though... Smile

halfmanhalfbiscuit · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul

I taught in Brisbane for a bit. Most asian students are there on a study holiday, do their classes 9-3ish (90% compulsory attendance to satisfy Immigration, or there's a ban of 5 years), party at night and fit in some PT work somewhere in there.

Students were roughly 80% asian (mostly Korean, Japanese) , quite a few South Americans (Brazil, Columbia) and a smattering of Europeans. The asians are in homestays usually (and which are usually a rip-off) until they go flatting and it's their first time away from home. Japanese get "out and about", Koreans stay in their race group typically.

Could be a bit like pulling teeth with the asian students and they have a propensity to complain to admin (much like if they weren't happy with a pair of shoes) without mentioning anything in class. Have to have your antennae twitching to pick up on any discontent and to be assertive with students being brats or otherwise inappropiate.

The overall key was being organised, clear and simple, and strike up a rapport. Teaching was on a casual basis, very,very few teachers on contract as numbers go up and down with exchange rates.

Twas Ok if you combined it with private lessons

sqrlnutz123 · Joined: 15 Jun 2009 Location: South Korea

I taught at a middle school in Spain last year and it was the best job I have ever had. I did it through a government program similar to the JET program.

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

I taught for a year on the gulf coast of Mexico for a year before coming here.

I like Korea, but on a bad day I wonder why I left. It was a totally B-type culture. We'll fix it tomorrow. It's good enough. Life is short. Find a pretty girl and dance, and fall in love. Manana. A person who needs schedules and things done on time would go crazy, but if you could relax and say "it's good enough" to everything, it was a good life. Mexicans are the least xenophobic people I have ever met in my life. My boss would recommend that I go out with the female students!

The downside was that the money was awful if you were trying to save, and professionally, I was doing poor teaching -- people came to class mostly for fun or to find dates, and there wasn't really much learning going on. Even compared to bad hogwans, there were no facilities or standards for anything. Little things would get stolen. Eventually I would have gotten sick of it. But for a year it was bliss.

Ken:>

shocking · Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Location: Busan

I've taught at various summer schools in England in between 26 months in Italy.

Italy isn't well paid, but you have a very good lifestyle outside of work, in a country where the people are interesting and happy to talk to you and forgive your mistakes in Italian.

I worked in Siracusa, Bari and Torino and it was the best esl job I've had so far. Korea doesn't even come close to the job satisfaction, support and enjoyment I experienced teaching in Italy. A country where you can't stop the students from trying to speak English. Where if you ask the class a question you get 25 different responses.

I'm only here for the money, because after two years in Italy I drained my savings. I'll be going back to Europe after I do a year in Vietnam after this.

oh one more thing - In Italy private lessons, private lessons and more private lessons. I used to charge 30 euros an hour, it paid for the all the espresso, foccacia and pizza I consumed Smile

snurglersons · Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Location: Busan

i share the sentiment on europe. i taught a lot of privates and drank a lot of good wine while managing to save money. then spent said money to live while i volunteered in costa rica and traveled central america.

asia has always been high on my list and i landed on korea for $ reasons too, but am equally excited about the culture. i'm hoping that as spain paid for central america, korea will pay for south asia. i don't really see myself in korea for more than two years, and with a replenished bank account if i'm good, probably only for one contract. who knows though...tis the joy of esling the world.

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

shocking · Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Location: Busan

DrugstoreCowgirl · Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:38 pm Post subject:

I would like to teach in Central/South America after Korea, but I don't know how well they pay. What is the agency in Spain? I really want to live somewhere where I can speak Spanish.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

I taught in the United Arab Emirates at a Technical High school. I was hired by ELSI . The country was awesome. Great Indian and Arab foods.
Huge Apartments fully furnished. You sometimes actually forget you are living in a Muslim country. Dubai is Awesome full of night clubs with Phillipino girls who are looking for rich western guys and Russian freelance hookers. There are also tons of Brits who are on the piss. This is where must of the Pattaya Brits work. The Expat scene is a completly different. Much more professional the ESL teachers are real Keeners. Most of the people you bump into in bars are in the Oil industry or the American military.

The job itself was a nightmare. We were part of a pilot project to get teachers in public schools much like Gepik. The students were a real handful. No co-teaching plus we had to proctor Exams. Which was sheer torture 99.9 # of the students cheat. Once they learn a little English they like to talk about forebidden things like Prostitution Alcohol and Pork. We were strongly encouraged to avoid these subjects. In the small town I lived in they had a Hyat hotel that served booze. If a students saw you going there it would a big part of the conversation.

The school had a huge courtyard in the middle during breaks the Arab teachers used to herd the students into the classes with sticks.

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

Cowgirl, I don't know about Spain other than that it may be difficult for you to get work there without an EU passport. I made about 8,000 pesos a month in Mexico-- about $500-600 a month US. My apartment was free which I shared with the other teachers. This isn't much if you are paying a student loan, but I lived very well there and went out partying and drinking constantly along with going to the beach. If you are a female blonde you would have the world by the tail there!

I worked at a decent hogwan, but I think Mexican wages would be in that ballpark. You might go to the South American forums for more information on places like Costa Rica or Peru.

Ken:>