Korean Job Discussion Forums

[D-Train]

Hey everyone,

Last month I applied for lots of jobs including a couple that were at an English Theme Park and an English Village.

The English Theme Park job link is:
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=15782

I can't find the link for the other one. But it is an English Village (near Ansan I think) which has been opened for at least a year. It's run by the Gyeonggi English Culture Foundation

I know there are a couple other listings on here about such things, but nothing in great depth. I was just wondering if anyone else had any other information or opinions about them. If I do go through with one, is there anything I should specifically look out for??? I'd really appreciate any info or goss. Thanks.

[globalnomad]

Well D-train,

Hope you have better luck than I did getting info.

All I got about Eng. Village, ansan was:

40+ bus ride to school from place of residence...work schedule that changes....they work you hard......but reliable about pay.....pay is higher...nice apartments...

and everyone (the very few that seemed to have fist hand info. only 2 I think) that wrote referred to the experience in not a positive way...

[Smee]

actually i applied and was accepted. i'll be leaving june 12th.

i am curious about the english village fad (and i see it as a fad right now). but since i'm inexperienced and will be a first-time teacher, i liked the salary, the area of seoul, and the idea of a village over a hagwon or epik.

i'm too tired right now to really remember any other details beyond what bcm and the village has told me already. apparently they're in the process of refurbishing the location to get it ready.

[bosintang]

I haven't worked for one, but I did have an opportunity to visit one because I have a friend who works there. Personally, it wasn't my cup of tea. Most of the teachers live on the "campus", for lack of a better word, and it had a very University dorm bubble-feeling about it. The job itself, it seemed too mindnumbing for me. You perfect your role for a week and you have 20 or so classes go through every week and you teach the exact lesson each time every time for a month, before switching roles. You never teach the same kids twice. On top of that, a little bit of child-sitting in between, but my friend made it sound very easy (or monotonous).

For me, the biggest thing I didn't like was the whole setup and focus on English as the exotic, or as you put it, a fad. I think that's a dangerous perception, and that really makes me feel uncomfortable as a language teacher here, and would moreso in an environment like an 'English Village'.

Now that being said, my friend loves it. He had not faired so well in the hagwon world, but he seems to be in his groove now. I could see someone liking this kind of thing for a first job because it's an easy way to get comfortable working with school-children or working overseas, as you're not exactly thrown off the deep-end like your typical hagwon teacher is.

[D-Train]

Thanks for your replies everyone.

Globalnomad, this is the info I've got (if you're interested):

The Gyeonggi English Culture Foundation needs teachers to make the dream a reality.

The English immersion villages represent the latest move forward in English education in Korea. The Gyeonggi English Culture Foundation, a non-profit organization sponsored by Gyeonggi government, was founded to create a practical English educational system for the citizens of Gyeonggi province. In these villages, students will have an opportunity to experience English and foreign culture with native-like English speakers. The students will experience English in a non-traditional setting (no textbooks and minimal classroom time).

Ansan (the location of the first village) has a quiet and clean environment, located near the west coast so that you can live in the refreshing atmosphere. Also, it's about an hour and twenty minutes to Seoul, the capital of Korea. Therefore, you can enjoy both beautiful countryside and modern city life at the same time. We are looking for teachers who would like to participate in and share our mission together.

1. Qualifications
* More than a year of English teaching experience to foreign students
* (B.Ed., B.A, B.S (Although preference is given to those who possess a B.Ed. degree, B.A or B.S holders will be considered should they meet other qualifications)
* Good at adapting to a foreign culture
* Good communication skills
* Flexible, energetic, professional, dedicated
* Camp experience and TESOL certification preferred

2. Annual Salary
* 31,200,000 KRW ~ 38,400.000 KRW (exchange rate: www.xe.com, KRW=AUD,CAD,USD)
- Payment level will be divided into 7 different levels according to work experience.
* Employer will contribute pay 50% towards health insurance.
* Round trip air tickets will be offered.
* If contract is renewed for second year, round trip airfare to home country will be offered.
* 1 month salary will be given as a severance payment after completion of a one year contract

3. Holidays
* 4 weeks paid leave (one week each at Thanksgiving & lunar new years plus two other weeks )
* 7 days of sick leave

4. Working hours
* 40 hours per week (approx. 30 hours of that are contact hours)

5. Accommodations
Housing for each person will be provided (fully furnished single apartment)
* Utilities included except telephone and internet service
* Working visa will be sponsored.
* Transportation to school will be offered.

6. Job description
* Teaching English in a non-traditional learning environment (very much like a camp environment). Students will be grade 8 middle school.
* Student and program evaluation. This is the first phase of a very large English immersion project. Thus, the curriculum will be evolving over the first 18 months. Teacher feedback and contributions will be a very important part of this evolution.
* Attend teachers' meeting every week.
* Prepare for classes using supplied materials

7. Contract
* One year renewable

8. Starting Date
* August 1, 2005

9. Documents to be submitted
* Application form
* Resume
* Medical Check up report
* Diploma from University
* Evidence of teaching (or other) certification
* Recent photo
* Reference letters or referees who may provide reference letters upon request
* Information page of your passport (scanned)

10. Others

a. Accommodation is 40 minutes away from English Immersion Villages by shuttle bus. There are shuttle bus between EIV to accommodation.

It��s a studio apartment for one person. Size is about 18 pyung.

(1 pyung = 400/121 m2).

Monthly Internet connect fee is teacher��s responsibility.

b. Work hours

A type: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri from 9am to 6pm

B type: Mon, Tue, Sat, Sun, (Mon, Tue from 1pm-9pm, Sat: 3pm-10pm, Sun: 9am – 4pm)

C type: Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun (Thu, Fri from 1pm – 9pm, Sat: 3pm-10pm, Sun 9am-4pm)

Each teacher will take turn for A,B,C type every few months.

Once a month, teacher need to stay at school overnight and 50,000 won will be paid. Teacher can go to bed at 10 pm at school��s accommodation.

c. Current Foreign teachers

There are currently 38 foreign teachers working at EIV.

d. Teacher should purchase return economy ticket from departure point to Korea and submit the receipt. Then school will refund as on receipt. But return ticket should be direct to Korea or cheapest economy return air ticket to Korea valid for a year. No world around ticket, business class ticket will reimburse. If teacher purchase one way ticket then one way ticket fare will reimburse. At completion of contract, one way ticket fare or equal amount of cash will be paid.

e. Teacher must arrive by end of July.

f. Employment will be decide by school not recruiter. Until teacher got confirmation from school, no air ticket should purchased. E2 visa supporting document will sent out to teacher after confirmation of employment.

g. Good reference letters will make the decision quicker. School will only consider when all documents submitted.

EIV web site: http://english-village.gg.go.kr/index.jsp

From this it sounds pretty decent, especially the pay and holidays, but I guess it's hard to know.

Smee, congrats on the job. I take it it's for the English Theme Park, not the English Immersion Village? I've got my final interview tomorrow, so who knows, might see you over there.

[crazylemongirl]