Korean Job Discussion Forums

dreamscape · Joined: 05 Aug 2004

Would any of you take a job where you'd be the only native english teacher at the school? And if you have, how was it? I'm kinda worried, I agreed to a job where I'd be the only native english teacher but I haven't signed anything and I just got an email from someone I asked about teaching in Korea and she replied, "Yes, absolutely stay away from schools with no other foreign teachers!!!"

I'm looking for a bit more feedback and I don't have much time to decide so any help would be very much appreciated.

marista99 · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Location: Incheon

I wouldn't--it would be way too isolating. Especially if it'd be your first job in Korea, which no other connections in the country or anything.

peppermint · Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:15 pm Post subject:

Lots of us work at public schools where we are the only foreigner, and it's fine. A lot depends on the school, if you're their first foreigner also it can be rough, or if you're in a small town, with very few foreigners period. Being the only foriegner is a great way to learn Korean though.

If everything else about the school looks great, I'd say go for it, though you might want to ask to talk to the Korean teachers by e-mail too. If they don't speak English well, or don't seem friendly, then it probably will be a lonely year for you.

SarcasmKills · Joined: 07 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul

When I started my present job, I was the only foreigner in the department.. I didn't mind it one bit..

The only real advantage to have other foreigners working with you as I see it are to have others sympathize with the problems you're going through or if you're the type who can't make friends easily outside of the school...

Being the only one is cool.. there is no pre-bitter aura established like there was when I first came to Korea ..Not one day went by when someone wasn't complaining about what a jerk the manager was, how our schedule was ridiculous, how so-so is an arrogant jerk or what I should expect from certain students..(It gets old VERY quickly) pre-conceptions can be a bitch.. so out on your own and make your own conclusions...

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

I'm the only one. I have no problems with it. Odds are you'll work with some Koreans who have lived abroad for several years. My boss lived in Australia for 3+ years. You'd think she had lived half her life in the west.

Frankly, I'd rather work and hang out with Koreans with lots of western exposure than risk working with some of the social retards that come to Korea.

dreamscape · Joined: 05 Aug 2004

Thank you for the feedback. I have one more interview at a school with 12 foreign teachers (JEL Institute in Seoul/Sanbon) but now I am a little more at ease if I decide to take the job in Gwangju where I'll be the only foreign teacher.

If anyone else has a story to share I'd be more than happy to hear it! The more information I have to help with my decision the better Smile

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

As a first timer to korea I would be very careful about taking a job as the sole foreign teacher. It can be very isolating. Find out how well the owner and teachers speak english, because when you first get here things are going to be very confusing. It's good to have people around that know what you're going through. Also the other foreigners usually have the inside track on day to day living. Where to buy food, transporation options etc. that you're boss probably doesn't know anything about because they have a car etc.

The big downside of working in a place with outher foreigners are that you have to deal with personality politics, freaky waygooks, negativity etc.

If you're a loner type then you'll be fine. But if you're a bit of a social butterfly I would veer away.

CanadaCommando · Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Location: People's Republic of C.C.

I fully agree with CLG. I am the only foreigner at my school, and the only reason that its not a problem for me is because I worked a Hogwan before, and met my crew of friends through that.

As a first timer, unless your completely a lone wolf, I would think you def. want the comfort of some foreigners around you. Not all foreigners are great, but your co-worker can provide a good initial base of friends. At my current job, although the staff is very nice, we RARELY get together outside of work. With my Hogwan job, there was always a person wanting to grab dinner, a movie, or a show.

oneiros · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Location: Villa Straylight

If the position is is a hogwan, you should also be aware that you have fewer legal rights if the school has fewer than 5 full-time employees.

You should also check how stable a student base they have.

sistersarah · Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Location: hiding out

pecan · Joined: 01 Jul 2004

It totally depends on you, your personality, your energy, and your attitude.

That being said, the downside of working with other foreigners is greater and deeper than the downside of working as the only foreigner. Moreover, if you are extroverted, you will be able to make foreign friends in Kwangju soon enough.

If you were the only foreigner in a school, you could be selective about the people you cared to spend them with, instead of feeling like you had to socialize with the foreign staff at a school.

Obviously, if you are an introvert, solo is the only way to go.

You can determine your own upside.

Nut

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

What ends up happening is, over time, the Korean female teachers of course understand your need to talk, and appreciate it. At first it's off-putting their non-chatty-back 'manner'. They whoop it up with the other Korean English teachers, clapping hands at some explosive joke and tilting their heads back with hearty guffaws.
But they're listening, the K-teachers you 'unload' to. Maybe they aren't confident about their English enough to gab back. Or maybe they've told you something about their life which, due to the different culture, didn't strike you as fulfilling and adventurous, more like you think, 'hmm, why would you spend all weekend assisting your mother, or your brother in law? And why when I ask what did you do on the weekend do you say, 'nothing', or 'lie in bed and watch tv', or 'study'? Laughing

I'm not exactly friends with the K-teachers I talk to the most at work. But there's a deep understanding and mutual appreciation that's sort of like family.

dull artist · Joined: 20 Jun 2004 Location: Osan

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

I came to Korea... I was the first foreigner at my school ever... I'm the only foreigner to ever work there... I've had to teach with a revolving door of Korean teachers (I lost count at 11 in 11 months now)... I didn't even see a foreigner for the first 3 months I was here.

It was good. I was really happy the first several months.

Eazy_E · Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Location: British Columbia, Canada

The social aspects of being the sole foreign teacher have been covered well so far. I would also point out that your holiday options could be pretty piss-poor if you're the only foreign teacher. If you're the only star of the show then there's a lot of pressure on you to be there all day, every day.

For me this meant no sick days and no holidays, for all intents and purposes. My hagwon owners were good people, but it would have been very difficult and expensive for them to find another foreign teacher for a week while I took holidays. I was happy enough to take the extra money they offered me to forgo my holidays, but if you need some time off you might be a little disappointed.