Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Toad]

EPIK Job Now open in Seogwipo Girls' Middle School, Hyodon Elementary, and Sinsan Elementary / Middle School. I ASSUME these are the schools you'd be put into. These are the ones I left and that are now yearning for a new ESL English Master. (Is that redundant?)

A supervisor of EPIK in Jeju said he was sorry to see me leave. He wanted to know if I had any friends I could recommend for this job. He urged me to try to get some good teachers I knew to apply. I said most all the non-Korean teachers I knew were already firmly employed at their schools or already worked for EPIK on Jeju. At any rate, I thought I'd go ahead and give it a post here as maybe you have a contract ending soon. It is a public school job, so expect to get a lot of days with no work for school birthdays, picnics, sports days, finals, and trips. On the other hand it is arguably more serious than an academy since you are a government employee. Therefore, you may be asked to give speaking tests- which is easy but requires you to consistently listen. A furnished apartment with a computer, microwave, TV, ect. is included. I had a bathtub and a big balcony for my countryside apartment. I�d inquire where you would stay as there are at least four places where teacher apartments are located in Jeju. You pay gas and electric as well as cable and internet if you get them.

What else can I say? The work is rewarding if you like children and young teenagers. All the schools I was in had huge TVs or actual movie screens with projectors- so I often used PowerPoint to assist and excite during my lessons. I believe the new pay scale is 1.8, 2.0, or 2.4. I made 3 million a month, more as less, as I did extra overtime classes in the schools. The teachers were polite and helpful. I was always and without fail paid every payday. In the winter and summer you have vacation time to take in Bali, Palawan, or Cambodia like me- or wherever you fancy.

Oh and let us not forget pristine Jeju! It is a beautiful Volcanic Island with sweet hiking, snorkeling, rollerblading, surfing / wind surfing, and biking roads / trails. And you can still go to clubs and numerous restaurants around Jeju City Hall if you want to be surrounded by frolicking university students. And, there's the World Cup Stadium where I watched the 'fighting' Jeju United Team ahhh fight valiantly and lose to an evil mainland team.

Anyway, one of the Jeju EPIK Supervisor: Seong-jung Jeong, said to go ahead and put his email here. Send him an email if you are interested:

[email protected]

[flotsam]

I'm beginning to miss the old Toad. All this English gobbledygook is confusing.

Ah, live by the sword...

[Roch]

Word, Ivy Leaguer.

[The Great Toad]

I should add that Wednesday is my last day. I was given presents by both teachers and students. Today the teachers took me out to eat and gave me a set of traditional Jeju farmer clothes made of Persimmon - and a hat for my mother as well. I can honestly say that overall the Korean public school teachers are concerned about the students welfare, and strive to help you in the teaching. I'd have stayed even longer had I picked up the language better and had other plans.

Thanks flotsam- you write well too. No Roch, I did not graduate from an Ivy League school.