Korean Job Discussion Forums

Panda_Dude · Joined: 06 May 2005

I have a few questions:

1) What are the "heinous" split shifts people talk about?
I see shifts such as 7-11 am then 5-9 PM or 6:30 AM to 11:30 AM then 5:30 to 8:30 PM. [These are just examples]. Are these the hours that people are referring to as "heinous"?

(Basically, I am not sure if people are simply using strong language to exagerate or if there's a case of a "worse" split shift).

2) Do adult Hagwon's generally focus on conversational English?

3) Do adult Hagwon's typically have materials to work with?

Thanks everyone!

peppermint · Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 2:03 pm Post subject:

1. I worked at adult hagwons for a couple of years. The worst schedule I had was:
6:30 am-10:30am ( with an hour's break)
2:00pm-4:00 pm
6:30 pm- 9:30pm
Factor in the commute and I was a zombie after a couple of months. A normal split at an adult school is the morning shift I listed, and the evening one, with your day time free.

2. Most adult hagwons are very focused on conversational English with lots of grammar thrown in at the lower levels.

3. Most schools will have textbooks, yes. The highest level classes are generally called "freetalking" and for those, you bring in newspaper articles and things and prepare a list of questions and vocabulary for the students

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Split shifts don't sound bad until you live it. It doesn't affect everyone, but it does bother a LOT of people.

One, the time between shifts is 'free' but it is difficult to relax because you always know you have to go back to work later. It also limits how far you can travel. Many like to go home and take a nap, but the city is noisy at that time of day. It can be difficult.

At the end of the last class it is mid to late evening. Most people are heading home and you are finally free. Go out for a beer, just to unwind, and suddenly it's midnight. By the time you get home and in bed it's already 1am...and you need to get up in 5 hours.

'Zombie' is a fair description of life on a split shift. But as I said, some people adjust to it fairly well.

Intrepid · Joined: 13 May 2004 Location: Yongin

I didn't mind the huge split--6:30-8:00, 6-10, but I hated having something in the middle of that, like the mentioned 2-4 class. Also bad was a 10-2, 6-10 split. Sure, I got to sleep late in the morning, but getting home for a nap during the 2-4 break was impossible, and zombie conditions prevailed.

Panda_Dude · Joined: 06 May 2005

One more question to throw in.

For those of you that are young, how did the adult students react to you? I'm just a little over twenty (I hope that's vague enough ^^). Do you think the Korean students will have some trouble dealing with someone younger acting as a teacher? [I never encountered that problem back home in North America. However, I lack enough experience in Korea to judge how adult students would feel there].

Thanks again everyone ^^
All the answers are clearing things up for me.

PolyChronic Time Girl · Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Location: Korea Exited

For me when I had adult students....age was not really an issue. They look at you as a native speaker who will help them. And making them pick English names like you do at a kiddie hagwon won't fly here. Most of the adults wanted to keep their Korean names, so know their Korean names. Some adults wanted English names, and some adults insisted that I only call them "Mr. Park" or "Mrs. Lee."
But my students were really relaxed with me and showed me respect, even though I was much younger than many of them. I only had one jerk Ajoeshi who had a problem with his teacher being younger, American, and female...he complained about that exactly to the hagwon....but thank God he left.

Panda_Dude · Joined: 06 May 2005

peppermint · Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 7:43 pm Post subject:

The age thing can be tricky a little. If you're teaching university students, it will probably work in your favor, but with much older adults, well, treating them with tact and respect will go a very long way.

buymybook · Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Location: Telluride

peppermint · Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 10:31 pm Post subject:

Apparently teaching adults isn't for you, since both tact and respect for others are concepts that you're unfamiliar with.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Konundrum · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Boston

I'm sorry...but I can't resist either.
Wasn't it Jesus who said something about removing the beam from your own eye before worrying about the mote in your brother's?

gmat · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Buymybook - Since you are offering free advice, can you please check this sentence for me to see if there are any mistakes:

"You are quite a tool, aren't you?"

Do you see anyway that this sentence could be improved? Thanks in advance.

edit: the middle shift in that split really sucks Peppermint. I could never do that.

adventureman · Joined: 18 Feb 2003

I'll just take a shot in the dark here and say that the ones who have the hardest time adjusting to the split shift are the ones who actually like, or at least have gotton used to having the option of, going out, socializing, and/or drinking during the weekDAYS, someting a childrens hogwon, with its 1:00 or later start everyday, seems to allow ample opportunity for.