|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
|
 Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 5:49 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| pet lover wrote: |
| jacl wrote: |
| And it's Ding Dong Ding. Get your info straight. |
Actually, I believe it's Ding Ding Dang. |
Yes, 딩딩당, though it should be 똥똥똥.
At any rate, the whole hogwan versus public school debate is a bit silly. The percentage of hogwan jobs that are utter crap is obviously much higher, but hogwans vary so much, as do people's preferences, that it's impossible to make generalisations. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Natalia
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
|
| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 5:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Actually, I find working at a hagwon really funny (funny, not fun  ).
As much as I hate it far too frequently, I find it hilarious that here I am pretending to be a teacher, with everybody around me taking this stupid little money-making enterprise so seriously. I am making exams for books I have never seen, having kids bow to me in the hallways, listening to the Korean teachers debate ever so seriously about whether a particular student has demonstrated '22%' or '28% English ability' today. It's all a big joke.
Of course, I work hard, but I just think it's kind of fantastic that nobody at my 'school' realises how ridiculous the entire scenario is. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Thunndarr
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
|
| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 6:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hagwons vs. public schools by the numbers.
Average time studying English at a hagwon: I'd say about 6 hours a week for most students (who actually go to hagwon.) Either 2 hours on M/W/F or 3 hours T/Th.
Average time studying English at elementary school: 1-4 grades study 40 minutes a week, grades 5-6 study 80 minutes a week (at my school.)
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the lion's share of English instruction comes from. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Antrugha
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Location: On a 2-wheeled engine
|
| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 6:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thunndarr wrote: |
Hagwons vs. public schools by the numbers.
Average time studying English at a hagwon: I'd say about 6 hours a week for most students (who actually go to hagwon.) Either 2 hours on M/W/F or 3 hours T/Th.
Average time studying English at elementary school: 1-4 grades study 40 minutes a week, grades 5-6 study 80 minutes a week (at my school.)
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the lion's share of English instruction comes from. |
books? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
|
| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 9:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Antrugha wrote: |
| Thunndarr wrote: |
Hagwons vs. public schools by the numbers.
Average time studying English at a hagwon: I'd say about 6 hours a week for most students (who actually go to hagwon.) Either 2 hours on M/W/F or 3 hours T/Th.
Average time studying English at elementary school: 1-4 grades study 40 minutes a week, grades 5-6 study 80 minutes a week (at my school.)
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the lion's share of English instruction comes from. |
books? |
No. Hagwons, private tutoring, the streets, and overseas study. Public schools come last on that list. Dead last. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
|
| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 10:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jacl wrote: |
| Antrugha wrote: |
| Thunndarr wrote: |
Hagwons vs. public schools by the numbers.
Average time studying English at a hagwon: I'd say about 6 hours a week for most students (who actually go to hagwon.) Either 2 hours on M/W/F or 3 hours T/Th.
Average time studying English at elementary school: 1-4 grades study 40 minutes a week, grades 5-6 study 80 minutes a week (at my school.)
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the lion's share of English instruction comes from. |
books? |
No. Hagwons, private tutoring, the streets, and overseas study. Public schools come last on that list. Dead last. |
You'd be surprised by some of my students who have never had a foreign teacher before me. Perhaps they learned most of their English from Korean hogwan teachers, but with some of them I'm sure that self-study had a lot to do with it. They're a tiny minority, to be sure, but it seems that public school and books have helped some of them attain a decent level of English. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stumptown
Joined: 11 Apr 2005
Location: Paju: Wife beating capital of Korea
|
| Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 12:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| You'd be surprised by some of my students who have never had a foreign teacher before me. Perhaps they learned most of their English from Korean hogwan teachers, but with some of them I'm sure that self-study had a lot to do with it. They're a tiny minority, to be sure, but it seems that public school and books have helped some of them attain a decent level of English. |
Same here. I'm also surprised at the overall enthusiasm to learn. I have kids who frequently come in with questions from English books they were reading or a program they saw. I had one ask me the other day what "What the hell?" means. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
logan2003
Joined: 20 May 2003
|
| Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 3:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I teach at both locations. I have to tell you I like my job because of the variety...it never gets boring. I work at a hogwan, an elementary, and high school. It is loads of fun, and I make pretty darn good money. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Natalia
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
|
| Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 1:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Back to the original question, how do I do it........... some days I really don't know myself other than I agreed to work here, so now I have to make the best of it.
You have to have a very thick skin, but even that is not enough sometimes.
It helps to have a good boss who allows you some autonomy.
It helps when the school has resources.
It sucks big time when the above 2 are absent.
Somedays I really am an overpaid babysitter, not that I don't try to make some kind of language learning happen, but there are just so many things that work against that. Too many classes to be able to prepare properly for, lack of information from the school regarding changes, stupid decisions from the boss that make teaching impossible, stupid textbooks or good textbooks that are way too difficult for the students, lack of resources etc.
Every once in a while, I will find some activity that really works well and I will feel like a teacher again for a few days.
But in the end, it really comes down to the students and what mood they are in. If they don't feel like learning.......... I really can't force them to learn. Sure, I can get them to mouth the words and copy down the answers, but that really isn't teaching them anything. (except perhaps how much they hate English)
When the students want to learn, suddenly things turn around and I see some progress being made, but these times seem few and far between. |
Exactly.
I didn't have high expectations when I got here, but I agreed to this, so I'm going to make the most of it.
I've had a shitty week, and I'm not much looking forward to next week (or the week after), but this was what I signed on for.
I certainly wouldn't work at a hagwon again, but then I never planned on working at one for more than a year. Things could be worse, things could be better. At least I am learning how to be patient and how not to speak my mind all the time (if that is in fact a good thing)!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
|
| Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 6:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
If I could be making 3.5 guaranteed somewhere with accomadation, I'd leave my current school in a heartbeat.
Sometimes it's better the devil you know and it's hard to jump ship. I have to make the jump soon. I recently lost all my OT, which was not split shifted. We just got a new teacher whose taking over the clean-up classes after us two veteran teachers at the hagwon. Lost about 500 to 800,000/month. My boss has been asking me if I want to teach early on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Sure, more money (again), but... Right now, I'm making 2.4 plus pension (103,500) and only 50,000 tax. Nothing to shout at, but I was making more with OT. And I could be making more somewhere else. During summer and winter breaks I make over a million for each, but, like I said,... Maybe I'm getting the short end of the stick with the other options I might have. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sadsac
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Gwangwang
|
| Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 6:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
Six years in hagwons and I'm to non PC to work anywhere else.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
|
| Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 6:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| sadsac wrote: |
| Six years in hagwons and I'm to non PC to work anywhere else. |
Well, that's the thing. Hagwons can be benefical financially. Especially if you have your own program going on. I'm starting to get independent with having my own computer in class and having the say. A jump might be detrimental to me. Hmmm.
And my students learn. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pocariboy73
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 8:04 am Post subject: Re: Hogwon teachers...Kudos to you... |
|
|
| cubanlord wrote: |
| I don't understand how you guys and gals can do it. I definitely wouldn't work at a hogwon unless i was the owner or co-owner. So...from me to you.....kudos! You guys have some brass.... |
You're the man, Cubanlord, you're the man! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cubanlord
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Location: In Japan!
|
| Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 4:00 am Post subject: Re: Hogwon teachers...Kudos to you... |
|
|
| pocariboy73 wrote: |
| cubanlord wrote: |
| I don't understand how you guys and gals can do it. I definitely wouldn't work at a hogwon unless i was the owner or co-owner. So...from me to you.....kudos! You guys have some brass.... |
You're the man, Cubanlord, you're the man! |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
|
| Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 7:03 am Post subject: Re: Hogwon teachers...Kudos to you... |
|
|
| cubanlord wrote: |
| pocariboy73 wrote: |
| cubanlord wrote: |
| I don't understand how you guys and gals can do it. I definitely wouldn't work at a hogwon unless i was the owner or co-owner. So...from me to you.....kudos! You guys have some brass.... |
You're the man, Cubanlord, you're the man! |
|
Hey Cubanlord, I'm quitting my 12hr a week , 3.5Mwon University gig soon. Just can't hack it. Kudos to eslteachers like yourself who put up with it, I'm working for samsung overseas management from July. Kudos to you poor teachers, my heart goes out to you~ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
