Korean Job Discussion Forums

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

The Korean conversation teacher in public schools will always revert back to Korean after the first few weeks when they realize 80% of their student will give them blank stares. But NET's can't because they just don't have enough Korean ability to do so. Even most gyopos (the ones born and raised in an English speaking country) aren't strong enough in Korean to actually teach a class in Korean. Although they may be good enough to talk to a Korean teacher during lunch time. If the schools were really smart they'd target hiring gyopos.

GEPIK, EPIK and SMOE simply over-hired. Not sure if SMOE/GEPIK will be back, but I can understand why they wanted to limit the number of NET's in High Schools. I just didn't expect them to wipe out all the HS and MS NET's.

Hopefully EPIK in the provinces will be wiser and trim, instead of completely eliminate HS and MS teachers. Just way to many NET's. Not every school needs one, especially those technical HS (I wonder whose wise idea that was?).

Seoulman69 · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

I met a Korean female about my age and she used Konglish constantly, had terrible pronunciation, and her grammar was shocking when we were talking. I asked her what she was studying and she replied "Tesol Phd at Seoul National Uni."

nicwr2002 · Joined: 17 Aug 2011

I've gotten so used to listening to Korea teachers speak "English" that I thought there ability would be passable in the USA or elsewhere. However, when I let them speak to some of my friends back home, neither one of them could understand the other.

Shinawi · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Location: Korea

From my experience in working here, I noticed that the people higher up (both in business and in government) can't tell the difference from a native speaker to someone who started late. I think native English teachers weren't common over here when the Korean English teachers were kids. Thus, they started to learn from the native speakers late. In addition, the politicians are using the replacement as a means to increase jobs for the Koreans. As the title of this thread mentions, I expect problems coming from their strategy. They'll regret it.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

So this means that even more than 99% of my students will pronounce "an" as "un" and even more of them will say "is-land" instead of "i-land".

Rolling Eyes

comm · Joined: 22 Jun 2010

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

Fox · Joined: 04 Mar 2009

Weigookin74 · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

Exactly. I've said this many, many times.

OR maybe the parents don't know, and the hagwon hires a whitey for the mix to keep it from becoming suspicious.

Why hire a gypo when you could hire a Korean (a pretend gypo) for less money?

Seoulman69 · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

Privateer · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Location: Easy Street.

The problem is also assessment. They have no way of telling if a Korean teacher is competent to teach English in English. You can game a good TOEIC score and it doesn't mean squat.

Or maybe they just don't care.

Lucas · Joined: 11 Sep 2012

A few years ago - all elem schools taught from the same book.

Now there is a choice (but they all generally follow the same format with very similar topics). = Equals a little progress.

But by the time the kids have gone through 3rd/4th/5th AND 6th grade using the same generic activities and the (almost) same sentences with very little progression it crushes *most* of their enthusiasm for English.

*Most* Korean English teachers have little training (like us) - but most of their last few years AND BRAIN CELLS have been used to LEARN ENGLISH - when they are then asked to think of creative ways to TEACH English, this can lead to problems.... Back to rote learning 'cutting out paper' and drills..... I've also seen some GREAT Korean teachers btw!

But I'd say a fair few foreign teachers over rely on the 'other ESL site' for their teaching 'materials' too! Embarassed

What needs to happen (won't for a long time) is they need to stop promoting based on age - and start to promote based on skills and teaching.

When you've got a 60 greying guy sat in his office counting down the day's till he retires and he's passing down info to a 55 year old guy who's waiting to take his job - why rock the boat?

When said person below him gets asked if they think that there new education program is any good, what do they say?

'yes, yes very good!' - I know because I�ve seen it!

Then you ask 'said teacher' - do you really think that?

'No, but what could I say to him?' Rolling Eyes

It's just the Korean way!

It will be done the Korean way - they'll try several (failed) attempts, but they'll get there in the end! Very Happy

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

most of the korean teachers who do speak english well are not working in the public sector, but rather in the private sector where they can make a lot more money.

wonkavite62 · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Location: Jeollanamdo, South Korea.

These comments confirm my suspicion about recent Korean governments: on the surface, they have a desperate need to learn English and preach about bringing in native speakers. This was done with almost evangelical zeal. But those same people were and are secretly virulently xenophobic, or have to appeal to a constituency which is.
The grumblers in Korea's government and media are never going to be satisfied, are they? They won't ever be. You will get a pendulum effect between inviting us into Korea, and staging crackdowns, back and forth, to and fro.