Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Azure]

Hello! I am considering teaching ESL in Korea. Have come across much useful information in this site. Need more input from you all.

1. Will Asian looking people survive better/worse in society/work setting in Korea? (Can both Asian and non-Asian looking people speak up?)
2. Is it safe for a young woman to go alone and teach there? It would be my first time away from home for such a long time��
(Everyone is welcomed to answer. Speak more for those who are of same status as me.)
3. Regarding teaching syllabus. It is assigned and prepared by the school, or you use your own teaching materials?

Thanks!

[ryleeys]

Regarding your first question, sorry, I can't answer since I'm not Asian. I personally have had a few isolated problems with drunken old men attempting to pick fights with me, but then backing off when I stood next to them and they realized, "hey, American guy is sober and I'm not. This might be a bad idea."

Regarding your second question, I was really nervous about coming here. My college was less than 90 minutes drive from my hometown and my hometown is miniscule. I'm used to knowing everyone around me... simply not an option here in Korea. That being said, I never really went through culture shock... the shock of going from a hometown numbering in the hundreds to a university of 40,000 students kinda took care of that 5 years ago when I was a freshman. Plus I've studied Asia quite a bit, so I haven't been hit by anything unexpected culturally. Yes, I am a guy... but given that so many young females have come over here, I don't think you're in any danger being out on your own. Even if you were to get the most horrible director in Korea, you'd still have foreign friends (and hopefully some nice Korean friends) you could depend on.

Regarding your third question, it depends on the school. Most schools I believe have a series of textbooks and you are expected to teach from them. "Preparing lesson plans" generally refers to photocopying. Some schools will like for you to make all your own plans from scratch and this can be a mixed blessing. Some schools will expect you to teach from a very strictly set curriculum and this can also be a mixed blessing.

[tomato]

Hello, Azure!

1. I don't know first-hand, but according to messages on this board, Asians suffer discrimination because they are not prototypical English speakers. However, persons of either pigmentation can get jobs. I know a Chinese-American teacher who seems to do okay.

2. I don't know first-hand, but Korea seems to have a low crime rate.

3. In every school I've been, I was expected to spend at least part of the time following the textbook. However, the director was usually pleased that I had my own collection of picture books, games, and songs. I have been allowed to spend part of the time on that.

[peppermint]

Okay, the boys have had there say, now it's my turn.

Violent crime is pretty rare here, and in that sense you're probably safer anywhere in Seoul than you are in your home town. As a woman, you do stand out, and there's a fair to middling chance you'll get some minor harassment, particularly if you dress less conservatively. Play by the same rules of safety that you do at home and you'll be fine.

PM me if you need more info.

[Dawn]

(1) Two of my co-workers/apartment mates my first year in Korea were Chinese-Canadian. They found that Koreans tended to have higher expectations of them than of the typical foreign teacher. Even the storekeepers who knew they were foreigners expected them to speak a fair amount of Korean. (The same old woman who would regularly praise me for being able to say "Hello" and "Thank you" would scold them for not being able to carry on conversations.) Their taekwondo instructor expected them to learn faster than the other foreigners in the class. The boss, too, expected them to participate in all the "non-required" activities the Korean staff participated in. On the flip side, they could drive harder bargains at the market, they didn't routinely have taxi drivers try to rip them off, they didn't have to deal with the daily "Waygook saram!" chorus, and they tended to be able to negotiate with the boss when the rest of us had failed.

(2) Crime is not unheard of, and Koreans are slow to intervene, particularly in cases of male/female violence. That said, I personally feel safer here than in the States.

(3) Depends entirely on the school, though it's always helpful to bring favorite materials along. I'm at a school with a solid curriculum and still end up using a lot of my own materials.

[Saxiif]

[shawner88]

http://www.lulu.com/content/67351/

You can read that to learn what to avoid....

[Azure]

Thanks for all your comments. They help. Some more questions still..

4. Why do you consider Korea as the place to teach English? Why not other countries in Asia like Japan, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong etc.?

5. One more question which I encountered in the past. I don��t know if it is the same in Korea. How do the schools in Korea normally assess your teaching achievement? Will they refer to students�� open/ in school exam results as indicators? Will they set a target in which you have to achieve, like how many % passed; how many ��A��, ��B��, ��C�� etc��

[prosodic]