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bear99
Joined: 26 Jul 2013
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 Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:27 pm Post subject: Minor teaching experience but no TEFL...expectations? |
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Hi all,
New to the forum, but I've been lurking quite a bit. I had a few general questions about teaching in Korea that I wasn't able to get solid answer on from the FAQs. First, about me: I'm a white male in my mid-twenties, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Environmental Sciences. I've been working at a desk job the past two years as a consultant for an engineering firm. I do have experience working with kids (camp counselor, snowboard coach) and as a tutor (I volunteer once a week at an after-school writing center for 8-15 year olds, I also worked in the writing center at my university helping students with their essays/projects).
I am very interested in potentially teaching English in South Korea, but am having trouble determining my eligibility for certain jobs and what I can expect. I do not have a TEFL certification, nor do I have much experience actually teaching a class. I would absolutely like to get a TEFL cert but financially its a little tight at the moment. From my understanding, I do not necessarily need one for teaching English in SK - correct? Would this significantly hinder my chances of getting a decent job? I'm also reading that teachers without TEFL are more likely to end up in hagwons...I'm also reading that hagwon positions are not the most ideal? Why is this?
That being said - is getting a TEFL cert on the side while in SK a possibility? I'm also curious if my degree in English and my experiences working with children (albeit at a summer camp) and as a volunteer reading/writing tutor would give me a leg up on the competition?
I have TONS of questions but this will do for now. By the way...this place is GREAT, tons of information. Thanks! |
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beentheredonethat777
Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Location: AsiaHaven
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| Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: Minor teaching experience but no TEFL...expectations? |
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bear99"]Hi all,
I'm also reading that hagwon positions are not the most ideal? Why is this? |
Hagwons (unlike public schools) are businesses. For the most part, the bottom line(profits) is what counts most. That being said, it is fairly common to find unethical business practices masquerading as ambiguous contracts, trick the newbie mentality, and briberies taking place to ward off fines, closures, or complaints. Thus, resulting in what may be poor working conditions or contract violations.[/color]Please keep in mind, not every private school/business is crooked or dishonest. In fact, as a qualified teacher from America, I much rather prefer
many of my hagwon experiences here to my public school experiences here any day of the week
I know many people recommend public schools to first timers because it is a government job, and has a strict set of standards regarding acceptable and unacceptable working conditions.
But if I had started out at a public school upon my arrival, I would have never celebrated this many birthdays in Korea.
| Quote: |
| That being said - is getting a TEFL cert on the side while in SK a possibility? I'm also curious if my degree in English and my experiences working with children (albeit at a summer camp) and as a volunteer reading/writing tutor would give me a leg up on the competition? |
]I'm not sure about the leg up part, but at least you'd be on equal footing.Your degree in English is more than enough. You immediately qualify for both public and private schools. You will find a job in no time.
Take your pick. Yes, getting a TEFL certificate on the side in SK is highly doable and possible. I know many teachers who have accomplished that feat in a short period of time.I have TONS of questions but this will do for now. By the way...this place is GREAT, tons of information. Thanks![/quote]
This is a great site. Keep those questions coming. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:27 am Post subject: |
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For jobs in hagwons you qualify.
Get your documents in order (can take a while) and apply. You'll be here by XMAS.
If you want a job in a public school you NEED the TEFL cert and it needs to have a MINIMUM of a 20 hours of in-class component (purely on-line TEFL certs no longer cut it).
. |
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Markrly
Joined: 10 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
For jobs in hagwons you qualify.
Get your documents in order (can take a while) and apply. You'll be here by XMAS.
If you want a job in a public school you NEED the TEFL cert and it needs to have a MINIMUM of a 20 hours of in-class component (purely on-line TEFL certs no longer cut it).
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Once I have all my documents in order, how long after this point does it generally take to find a job and end up in Korea? |
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beentheredonethat777
Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Location: AsiaHaven
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:12 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
For jobs in hagwons you qualify.
Get your documents in order (can take a while) and apply. You'll be here by XMAS.
If
| Quote: |
you want a job in a public school you NEED the TEFL cert and it needs to have a MINIMUM of a 20 hours of in-class component (purely on-line TEFL certs no longer cut it).
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I love your knowledge ttompatz. I have read your comments for a long time.
However, I happen to know two people who were recently employed by GEPIK with no TEFL certification whatsoever and they were not even English majors. They did, however, have experience working in Korea.
Each respective principal, told them it was more than enough at their in a face to face interview. Maybe they were fortunate.
But also, I know that the schools was extremely desperate and had been without NETS for a couple of months and needed teachers before camp.
One of the principals is a friend of mine. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:13 am Post subject: |
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| Markrly wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
For jobs in hagwons you qualify.
Get your documents in order (can take a while) and apply. You'll be here by XMAS.
If you want a job in a public school you NEED the TEFL cert and it needs to have a MINIMUM of a 20 hours of in-class component (purely on-line TEFL certs no longer cut it).
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Once I have all my documents in order, how long after this point does it generally take to find a job and end up in Korea? |
Any job; the first contract you see ... 30 days from start of applications to the plane ride.
A decent job - depends on how picky you are. It will take 12-21 days after you find a job and sign a contract before you are on a plane.
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Pinehurst
Joined: 14 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:38 am Post subject: Re: Minor teaching experience but no TEFL...expectations? |
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| bear99 wrote: |
Hi all,
I'm a white male in my mid-twenties, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Environmental Sciences. |
I think the English BA will get you into EPIK at a Level two. You would not need the TEFL online or otherwise. If you read the entire document on EPIK it says that the TEFL is a way to get someone to move up from level 3 to level 2 which you already qualify for. It seems to me that they will no longer hire at a level three any longer.
I know that GEPIK eliminated its lower level as well and all teachers already working needed to quickly get the 100 hour online TEFL if they wanted to renew. They did not have to get the in class TEFL since they were already teaching. I don't think English or Elementary Ed BA or BSEd holders were required to take the TEFL to keep their jobs. |
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bear99
Joined: 26 Jul 2013
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:08 am Post subject: |
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Thanks all, really appreciate the comments. I'm curious about EPIK - what sets it apart from going through any of the other recruiters? From what I'm reading, EPIK sounds like a recruiter but with higher standards? Are there any pros or cons to going with EPIC vs. 3rd party recruiters?
I am somewhat nervous about being placed at a "bad" hagwon/school. I'm not so worried about physical hardships (I can deal with sub-par living, as long as there's no mold) but moreso not receiving the support from colleagues. If I have a problem - say an unruly student, not enough resoures (books, teaching material), difficult assistant teacher, etc - is there support systems in place to help foreigners like myself? I'm a very adaptable person but I do have my limits. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:32 am Post subject: |
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| EPIK/GEPIK handle the public school hiring in the Greater Seoul area and I think some of the other larger Metro areas. If you're willing to work outside of the areas that EPIK/GEPIK handle then you don't need to use them to get hired for public school teaching, you can use other recruiters. I would handily recommend that you use both EPIK/GEPIK and non-EPIK/GEPIK recruiters when applying. In other words to limit yourself to the huge major cities. Personally I think EPIK and GEPIK are worthless screwballs but what ever works for you. Just don't limit yourself to them. |
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bear99
Joined: 26 Jul 2013
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:09 am Post subject: |
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Worthless screwballs? Care to elaborate as to why?
Another question - in terms of making sure contracts are sound and reasonable - is this something I'd have to read over on my own or is it worth it to bring in a lawyer?
I know there's a place on here to post your contract and have it reviewed by folks here, but just covering my bases. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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| bear99 wrote: |
Worthless screwballs? Care to elaborate as to why?
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In terms of their hiring practices. Be that as it may, if you want to work in a public school in Seoul you have to go through them, or GEPIK if you want to work in the Greater Seoul area.
Your English degree makes you very competitive for ESL teaching, but you have to have experience first (maybe not even that). You might want to run over on a vacation to Thailand for a few months and wrap up a TEFL certificate there and maybe even teach for a year or so. Personally it would probably be better for you to get licensed in the country that you are in. That would really open up some opportunities for you in ESL teaching. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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| bear99 wrote: |
Another question - in terms of making sure contracts are sound and reasonable - is this something I'd have to read over on my own or is it worth it to bring in a lawyer?
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Forget the lawyer. There's nothing a lawyer would know more than some of the posters here on Dave's. It would also lighten your wallet which you don't need, you need to fatten your wallet before you go abroad because thing may not initially work the way you think they are, nor may things particularly follow the contract. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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| bear99 wrote: |
Another question - in terms of making sure contracts are sound and reasonable - is this something I'd have to read over on my own or is it worth it to bring in a lawyer?
I know there's a place on here to post your contract and have it reviewed by folks here, but just covering my bases. |
Skip the lawyer and quit thinking like a 'merican. This ain't the Litigious States of America.
Get up to speed on the labor standards acts:
http://www.moel.go.kr/english/topic/laborlaw.jsp?tab=Standards
especially the Labor Standards Act:
http://www.moel.go.kr/english/topic/laborlaw_view.jsp?idx=254&tab=Standards
Just remember, for hagwons, he who fusses too much when presented a contract usually gets no job.
Public schools usually have no wiggle room for newbies.
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