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leonardlee
Joined: 03 Oct 2012
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 Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:29 am Post subject: First Interview with GEPIK Public School |
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Hey Dave's family,
It's me chiming in again keeping you updated with my questions, and my current status on my personal job search. Korvia so far has been excellent in helping me with listings, keeping me connected, and informing me on documents. So far, I have made my GEPIK video here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBquUg8KZGo.
It seems like if the Gyeongi school accepts my video, they will consider me for an interview.
I am assuming it will be another Skype interview? So far, I have done an interview with Korean POLY hagwon through Park English recruitment with success. I don't want to assume that the public school interview will be similar to the hagwon interview. Typically, what kind of questions will a GEPIK Public School ask for?
Thanks! |
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Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:17 am Post subject: Re: First Interview with GEPIK Public School |
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| leonardlee wrote: |
Hey Dave's family,
It's me chiming in again keeping you updated with my questions, and my current status on my personal job search. Korvia so far has been excellent in helping me with listings, keeping me connected, and informing me on documents. So far, I have made my GEPIK video here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBquUg8KZGo.
It seems like if the Gyeongi school accepts my video, they will consider me for an interview.
I am assuming it will be another Skype interview? So far, I have done an interview with Korean POLY hagwon through Park English recruitment with success. I don't want to assume that the public school interview will be similar to the hagwon interview. Typically, what kind of questions will a GEPIK Public School ask for?
Thanks! |
DO NOT speak Korean in your video introduction, or even claim to speak more than any basic Korean. The fact that you are bilingual is not going to help you get a job -- if anything, it might actually keep you from getting it.
They may ask you :
What interests you most about the position? Why Korea & not another Asian country?
What do you know about South Korea & specifically the region?
What will be the most challenging aspect of teaching in Korea?
What was your major & how can you relate it to ESL?
What did you learn from your education / experience & how can it help you to teach students?
What are your strengths as a teacher? What are your weaknesses as a teacher?
How would you reach out to uninterested students?
How would you incorporate digital media in your classroom?
How would you deal with discipline in your classroom?
How would you handle students with mixed abilities being in the same class?
What does co-teaching mean to you?
What if you have a conflict with your co-teacher or member of staff? What would you do to resolve it?
What is the most important skill for a teacher to have?
What are your teaching philosophies?
What do you know of the cultural differences between Korea & your country?
What do you think will be the most difficult part to living in Korea?
What would you do if your teaching schedule suddenly changed?
What are your interests?
Under what conditions do you get stress & how do you handle it?
What documents do you not have? When will you have them?
Do you have any comments that you would like to add? |
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leonardlee
Joined: 03 Oct 2012
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:27 am Post subject: |
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thanks charlie,
the reason why i spoke korean in my introduction video is because the recruiter recommended me to show a basic understanding of korean. my korean is choppy at best, but because it was for a video, i had practiced the night before. all those questions seem like relevant questions, is it bad to say that i have no weaknesses as a teacher? haha!
now you got me thinking as if speaking korean is going to hurt my chances, shoot~ |
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Airborne9
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| leonardlee wrote: |
now you got me thinking as if speaking Korean is going to hurt my chances, shoot~ |
Dont worry too much man. In fact I think some schools will like someone with an understanding of Korean. I know when I changed from hogwon to a Gepik school a few years back. My co teacher asked me if I would feel comfortable going to immigration and all that stuff by myself. At the time I had been in Korea for a few years and had enough Korean to get by in some situations, so I said sure and Im sure that worked in my favor. Also communicating with other members of staff in Korean who may not speak English that well is a plus and can make life a lot easier.
Just be sure if your Korean "ability" comes up stress the fact that you understand that you would not speak Korean to the students. |
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Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Airborne9 wrote: |
| leonardlee wrote: |
now you got me thinking as if speaking Korean is going to hurt my chances, shoot~ |
Dont worry too much man. In fact I think some schools will like someone with an understanding of Korean. I know when I changed from hogwon to a Gepik school a few years back. My co teacher asked me if I would feel comfortable going to immigration and all that stuff by myself. At the time I had been in Korea for a few years and had enough Korean to get by in some situations, so I said sure and Im sure that worked in my favor. Also communicating with other members of staff in Korean who may not speak English that well is a plus and can make life a lot easier.
Just be sure if your Korean "ability" comes up stress the fact that you understand that you would not speak Korean to the students. |
^ This.
Do not ever, under any circumstances, speak Korean to the students in the presence of any faculty/staff. I have a friend who was fired from a hagwon for speaking Korean to a parent, and another that wasn't renewed at a public school for the same thing.
Tread carefully.
And for weaknesses, think of a weakness you had and how you recently overcame it. |
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Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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DOUBLE POST
Last edited by Charlie Bourque on Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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leonardlee
Joined: 03 Oct 2012
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| I do not plan on speaking korean to the students or parents, nor do I have the confidence in doing so. So the faculty of your friends knew that he did speak korean, correct? it was the speaking korean to the student/parents that really got him fired? |
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leonardlee
Joined: 03 Oct 2012
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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| I do not plan on speaking korean to the students or parents, nor do I have the confidence in doing so. So the faculty of your friends knew that he did speak korean, correct? it was the speaking korean to the student/parents that really got him fired? |
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Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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They didn't know he spoke any Korean. He was speaking with a parent in Korean because their English wasn't good enough to understand. Some faculty overheard him. He also clarified instructions for his lessons in Korean when students clearly had no clue what to do. After 2 years at the same school they let him go because he couldn't kick the habit.
Personally, I think you should act like you know absolutely ZERO Korean. It won't hurt your chances, whereas admitting to know some could either benefit or hurt your chances. Although it could help, I wouldn't want to risk the chance that it does harm too. That's why I suggested just keeping it to yourself. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Charlie Bourque wrote: |
[
Do not ever, under any circumstances, speak Korean to the students in the presence of any faculty/staff. I have a friend who was fired from a hagwon for speaking Korean to a parent, and another that wasn't renewed at a public school for the same thing.
. |
Hmm...three years at one public school, 2 years at another and 2 years and counting at the current one.
Speaking a few words of Korean to the students in each case (clarifying usually) was never a problem in any school regardless of the presence of faculty or staff.
Might have been if they were looking for an excuse to get rid of me...but in that case I wouldn't have wanted to work there anyway so no great loss. |
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Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Charlie Bourque wrote: |
[
Do not ever, under any circumstances, speak Korean to the students in the presence of any faculty/staff. I have a friend who was fired from a hagwon for speaking Korean to a parent, and another that wasn't renewed at a public school for the same thing.
. |
Hmm...three years at one public school, 2 years at another and 2 years and counting at the current one.
Speaking a few words of Korean to the students in each case (clarifying usually) was never a problem in any school regardless of the presence of faculty or staff.
Might have been if they were looking for an excuse to get rid of me...but in that case I wouldn't have wanted to work there anyway so no great loss. |
^ Yeah, that's not completely outside the realm of possibility. I never saw them in their classrooms, and this is merely the story they told me.
Here's some more food for thought: I am fully bilingual in English/French. I am fully fluent in both languages and native speakers of neither language can tell that I am bilingual. That being said, I've had two recruiters (Korvia & Gone2Korea) tell me to strike my bilingualism from my CV, along with the translation duties that I had at my old job as work experience.
There's a pretty common belief in Korea that there is no such thing as a 100% fluent bilingual. If you are 100% fluent in one language, it's hard for most people to believe that you are 100% in English too. |
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MarkArtz
Joined: 21 Mar 2013
Location: Monterey, CA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the tips guys.
Cheers,
Mark |
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Mw182006
Joined: 13 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:16 am Post subject: |
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| Did Korvia tell you an intro video would be necessary for the GEPIK process? |
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Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:11 am Post subject: |
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| Mw182006 wrote: |
| Did Korvia tell you an intro video would be necessary for the GEPIK process? |
They don't say it's a requirement, but they do say that it will substantially improve your chances at getting a placement. |
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