Korean Job Discussion Forums

[denisehoja]

Hello everyone,

What are the chances for a non-native Australian teacher to find a job in Korea. I'm a 29 year old female. My background is Turkish but I moved to Australia at the age of 12. I have a degree in secondary education (English-History) from a reputable Australian university. I also have CELTA and total of 5 years experience in ESL/EFL/classroom teaching. I worked for a well know international language school, Turkish university and Australian high schools. My only concern is my 'slight' accent. I speak clearly but sound nothing like a typical Australian. My employers never saw this as a problem but I feel extremely self-concious and fear that I might be rejected because of it. Any ideas?

[Ginormousaurus]

Do you have an Australian passport? If so, then you should be fine. You are certainly qualified.

[denisehoja]

yes, I am an Australian citizen

[Hokie21]

I think you should be fine and that you're more than qualified. Plus it's probably a good thing you don't sound like a typical Australian.

[Ginormousaurus]

I think you should be okay then. You might encounter some difficulties in finding a job, but ultimately you should be employable.

[ttompatz]

Aus passport, Aus degree, Aus police check and you are good to go.

If any one asks... you are Australian... NOT Turkish-Australian - Australian.

.

[denisehoja]

What if they ask about my strange accent? It is the only thing that I cannot conceal There were a few times in the past where I felt that I was bullied by the Anglo ESL teachers for being a non-native speaker. What is the situation in Korea?

[Ginormousaurus]

I think a lot will depend on just how heavy of an accent you have. Obviously employers will be put off if it's too heavy.

[PigeonFart]

You might not be a native speaker as such, but you're more than qualified to teach EFL. You might not be able to write a flawless speech for Barak Obama, but you can certainly help Koreans learn English.

In fact, your bilingualism is an asset. Many EFL teachers have no idea just how hard it really is to use a foreign language, and are less effective teachers because of that lack of experience.

Do other native English speakers have problems understanding your accent? I highly doubt that. Sure, a native speaker can detect you didn't live in Australia since birth...so what. Stop having a complex about it, it's an unfounded fear. Come to Korea and you'll have a great time.

There's an Italian guy who TEACHES Korean at Sogang University's Language school in Seoul. He started learning Korean 10 years ago and now speaks at a very high level. He's very popular with the foreign students because of his real world experience learning Korean as a foreign language.

You have potentially a lot of extra things you can teach your students than some recently arrived monoglot from Wisconsin (no offence to anyone from Wisconsin, i just picked that word out of a hat).

[Weigookin74]

Just tell the Koreans that you went to school in Australia from grade 5 and up. They don't check your records or anything. I think officially it has to be from grade 7 and up. Also, can you practice on any words that trip you up? They'll prob tell from the picture that you're not native. But lots of western minoroites are hired here, especially through EPIK. Many of them end up in the countryside, but at least it'll get you over here.

[Hokie21]

There are Scottish teachers over here who barely speak English so I honestly don't think the accent will be THAT big of a deal. Though now that I think about it we did have someone from England who had a pretty think accent and the head Korean teacher took her aside and asked her to try to tone it down a bit.

Most likely you'll have a phone interview anyways.

[young_clinton]

[ttompatz]

[Hokie21]

[denisehoja]

Thank you everyone for your encouraging replies. I have noticed that I have a bigger problem when it comes to finding a job in Korea.. I am on anti-depressants!! ( How upsetting....