Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sarahc]

Hi Guys,

Does anyone have any information on an organisation called English Channel - they specialise in teaching adults on a one-to-one basis.

Any help is very much appreciated x

[mithridates]

Apparently the students are okay but the owner is a b*&( and they give a rotating split-shift every once in a few months regardless of experience or time at the company. It's 6-10am and then 4-10pm or something. Just talking all day to adults which can be good but also quite mentally exhausting.
I've never worked there though; this is all hearsay.

[jajdude]

I simply could not work that schedule. Not for 4 million a month. (well, maybe for 2-3 months at that pay with a nice free apt.)

[Demonicat]

a firend of mine just left there, horrible place- the split is ridiculous and the owners truly only care for money vs having any concern about thier students education. Pass this one up.

[Derrek]

They seem to hire a lot. And must have people leave a lot.

[Flossie]

Speaking as the only person commenting so far who has actually worked there, I would say this:

1) Curriculum = crap (but they are bringing out a new and improved version of the crap curriculum next week) But don't need to prep for classes or check homework if you are a foreign teacher. The Korean teachers have a shitload of prep/homework etc to do.
2) Shifts are rotating split/block but not what one reply stated. They are ALWAYS only 8 hours per day. 7 - 11 am and 6 to 10 pm.
3) They state you will be expected to be at work for 8 hours per day, including alternate Saturdays, but will only work a maximum of 6 hours. Like the curriculum, this is crap. There are no designated break times and (especially Saturdays) it is not uncommon to work 14 or 15 25-min classes in a row
4) Accommodation is good although small and usually teachers live in apartments close to each other.
5) Extremely high turnover of foreign staff. Often due to the selection of inexperiencd and immature staff to begin with, although I have to say many good experienced teachers were fired when some decent management skills on the part of the management teams might have prevented this.
6) Staff all speak somewhat coherent English. The staff are usually very nice although the higher up the food chain they get the more inflexible, unreasonable and incoherent they seem to become. Very simple requests can become somewhat of an expedition.
7) Students are generally great although each school has a different makeup of students. Eg: Samsung branch: high-end business men and women who want absolute dedication and they want to see results. Yeoksam has a mix of mid-level businesspeople and some uni students.
Gangnam is similar although the students are much more relaxed (they won't hesitate to complain if they don't like your style though).
The comment about making money is true. They are there only to make money but who isn't? Why are you there? Just for the pure pleasure of teaching? I think not. So all is fair in love, war and English teaching.
9) They will ALWAYS honor the contract (if it involves something for their gain - but woebetide the teacher who requests something written in the contract that they don't want to give.)
10) If you are a Korean/Gyopo wanting to work for them I would DEFINITELY say give it a miss. There are new and improved versions of the contract coming out on a regular basis designed to rip you off of the measly salary you get for all the stress you have to put up with. The foreigners on the other hand get a better deal financially and stresswise.

I have to say that when my contract expires I will not be renewing it. Definitely a step up from other somewhat dodgy hagwons and the horror stories that you hear every day on this board but still not glory in heaven.

[prairieboy]

I work there at present. 6 months in and it's not as bad as teaching kids. However as Flossie has pointed out, there are alot of bad points.

If you have a good attitude and are reasonably flexible, you can get by quite easily. The really crappy part is filling in during vacations, which means working upto 4 extra hours a day for a day or two during a co-worker's vacation with no extra pay.

The Saturday work sucks too.

At least I am getting paid on time and in full, without the mystery deductions that occured at other institutions.

The airfare is a rip-off too. They pick the most expensive Osaka ticket for the visa runs. It's about 200,000 more than the prices you can find on the internet or in the paper. And you don't get it back until you finish your year.

A colleague of mine is finishing soon. Another was fired/given 30 days notice.

The comments about high turn over are very true, especially among foreign staff. So carefully consider all of your options before signing on. You will not work only 6 hours a day, particularly if you are at a busy branch. My branch will be adding an 8th foreigner soon because we have been too busy and have ended up at 13 to 15 25min classes a day for each teacher for the last couple of months.

The advice for gyopos is good. Pass on this because you will literaly work like a dog for your pay. In addition to classes and marking homework, you're expected to be a mind-reader. That is, you are expected to know a student will be absent before the absence occurs (impossible), expected to make contact with an absence student as soon as possible even if their phone has been disconnected and their email doesn't work (impossible) and you are expected to take responsibility for your student having a life outside of EC (you are penalized for your student being sick, too drunk to attend or simply too busy).

Cheers

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

[tomwaits]

I thought they were the disgruntled from Direct English!

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

[jajdude]

[tomwaits]

Bozo May I call you Bozo?

Yeh-your'e right I'm sure. I'll buy you a beer if I can find Jongno. (No imports though only domestic. ) I kill me!

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

[OiGirl]