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Is it possible to make a career out of esl Korea (Lifer)
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Paula May



Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: Daejon

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi there

I don't think that you need to be too worried about your age, I have met many teachers who are in their 30's and 40's. In fact, at my old school, the director told my co-teachers to watch out for me, because I was so young (at the time I was 24! Shocked ) so I think that you'll do alright.

Good luck with your teaching in Korea! Smile
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ryleeys



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Columbia, MD

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

seoulonmind wrote:
ryleeys:

I dont get what you mean about Korean teachers over the age of 30. can you elaborate?

Bri



By this, I mean a Korean teacher (an ethnic Korean that looks Korean, speaks Korean, and generally eats Korean food) that is over the age of 30 years old (they have been on planet earth for more than 30 years)...
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seoulonmind



Joined: 25 May 2004

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ryleeys:

So foreign teachers over thirty get respect???
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ryleeys



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Columbia, MD

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 8:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wouldn't know... I ain't over 30, nor do I work with any other foreigners.
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prosodic



Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Location: ����

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In my experience, Koreans respect age, credentials, skills, and intelligence.

Age and credentials are given factors. They'll ask how old you are and what kind of degree you have.

Skills and intelligence have to be demonstrated over time.
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prosodic



Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Location: ����

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 8:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

seoulonmind wrote:
ryleeys:

So foreign teachers over thirty get respect???


Koreans respect their ����. In other words, a 20 yr. old Korean respects anybody older than 20. A 30 year old Korean respects anybody older than 30. A 40 year old Koren respects anybody over 40.

However, some Koreans are racist and don't respect foreigners period.
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seoulonmind



Joined: 25 May 2004

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have heard this about the racist part

Bri
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Real Reality



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
Overall living conditions, including education, housing, medical care, transportation, immigration, and access to the Internet are pointed to as inconveniences. Not only inconveniences caused by different systems and customs in Korea, but also special discriminating practices, such as the practice of submitting two years of monthly rent in advance like a deposit, which is required of foreigners just because they are foreigners, are ubiquitous.
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448
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seoulonmind



Joined: 25 May 2004

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ALL the schools I have looked at and or communicated with promise free living quarters, a few even provided NICE photos........are you saying that many have to pay their own living expences out of pocket??
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seoulonmind



Joined: 25 May 2004

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow I read that website. The things I am worried about are: living conditions, getting paid, and being treated fairly as a HUMAN BEING!!! Medical Care is important, but I have medical care here that has told me will be available in Korea, weather thru reimbursement or direct payment to the facility. Gawd, I just don��t know what to think about all this information now....can someone out there give a different perspective?

Bri
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Demophobe



Joined: 17 May 2004

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1,196 complaints out of 270,000 registered foreigners. That's not a bad statistic. Why freak out? Those numbers are probably comparable to people who complain about such matters in Canada, or any other country.

You should just make up your mind and do it. ?It's one thing to listen to advice (from strangers?!), but it's another thing to let them choose your course in life by driving you in one way or another.

There are a lot of good things here. I have never had a problem with a job, housing, medical insurance, being paid....nothing. Less problems in many ways than living in Canada.

This place is what you make it. It's not where you are, but where your head is. Reactionary people always seems like victims, proactive people always get what they want. the_beaver is a good case in point....obviously a very willful person who doesn't let things get him down. This is the way to be here, and anywhere else in the world.

Just come if you want to, don't if you don't.
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VanIslander



Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Come and make the best of it.
Demophobe wrote:
Reactionary people always seems like victims, proactive people always get what they want.

Exactly. Everybody faces some difficulties here as in elsewhere. Your attitude will determine what you do about it. Sit in your apartment all weekend and complain; or get out and interact with the locals, for better and worse.

Accept the facts of life here as an ex-pat who isn't Korean and never will be considered as such, but who will be treated better on average than the average stranger because we foreigners are seen as guests in their country and most of the locals want us to have a good impression of them, though according to their values not ours!

So, come here for a few years and make a career of it if you want. In five years you can go elsewhere or do something else. After all, the average person in America has four or five careers before retiring.
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prosodic



Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Location: ����

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Demophobe wrote:
1,196 complaints out of 270,000 registered foreigners. That's not a bad statistic. Why freak out? Those numbers are probably comparable to people who complain about such matters in Canada, or any other country.


Another thing to keep in mind is that 80% of those 270,000 registered foreigners are from countries like Malaysia and China and have DDD jobs (dirty, dangerous, difficult). They're minimum wage employees of farms, factories, mines, etc. Their work conditions are far worse than the conditions for anybody at a hagwon. I'm not saying that conditions are great at all hagwons, but you can't take a report like that one and say it applies equally to all foreigners in Korea.
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the_beaver



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Real Reality wrote:
the_beaver,

What is the turnover like?
Are you on a token-track or tenure-track?


Low turnover. Maybe three teachers twice a year out of 37 (or 3Cool total teachers. The person who has been there the longest is at 6 or 7 years.

Token track, I guess. Over time (and depending on qualifications) I move from short-term instructor to short-term assistant professor to short-term associate professor to short-term professor. Wouldn't want to be a real professor because then I don't get big holidays.
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the_beaver



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

seoulonmind wrote:
ALL the schools I have looked at and or communicated with promise free living quarters, a few even provided NICE photos........are you saying that many have to pay their own living expences out of pocket??


Most places have living quarters available but most long-timers get their own place.
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