Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

Happy - 50% of the time, but that is life. What I find disappointing is that Koreans, in general, don't seem to want to be friends with us.

I have spoken to many teachers who have been here for years, and they told me that it is very rare for foreigners to be invited into Korean homes.

I also find it very frustrating not to be very good at learning to speak Korean - and it is not for want of trying, because I study Korean basically every day, and attend 3 hours of class at KLA every Saturday in Seoul, making a round trip journey of over 4 hours by bus and subway. I speak quite a few languages (Fr., Ger., Span., Ital., Port., Turk., Mandarin., and some Japanese and Tagalog) and out of all those languages, for some reason, Korean has been the most difficult to get to grips with.

The money is good here - I make 2.7 per month, and save about $1500-$1600 per month net - I would need to make a lot of money in Canada or the U.S. to save that much, because here, I have so few expenses with the free housing, and eating out can be cheap if you eat in those 'orange' restaurants where set dishes can cost as little as 3000 won.

But, I will be honest, if it were not for the money, I would be back teaching in Central America (Guatemala/Honduras/Nicaragua) or in Latin America, where I much prefer the lifestyle, and where I feel I can relate to the people.

Korean kids are fine, but Korean adults, I find, can be difficult to deal with, and unpredictable to boot. You can get nasty surprises here in Korea.

I also face age discrimination, as a teacher in the middle aged group, I find that Korean Universities don't want to hire people past a certain age - with things getting difficult after 35 years, and then more and more so, with age. My qualifications include B.A., B.Ed., M.A., and T.E.S.L., and Certified Teacher status in Canada (ESL and French Second Language), but I am not an attractive hire because of my age.....that really irritates me. I get the feeling that I work in a country where Koreans judge teachers to be "good" solely based on looks and perceived charisma, but with little or nothing to do with expertise for the subject in question. It is like being in a popularity contest.

My contract will not be renewed where I presently work, because the Director thinks that I am 'too old.' Such is Korea.

Ghost in Korea

[R. S. Refugee]

[prettyinscarlet777]

If they aren't going to renew because of your age, and you have all those qualifications, I would say it's their loss and your gain. When a door closes, look for a window. There's other schools out there in this world that would love to have you. Wipe the dust off your feet and smile. You deserve it.

[Countrygirl]

I think working at a public school would appeal more to you. Location might have something to do with it. In a more rural location or an area where there are few foreigners, Koeans are more willing to open up. Good luck. I applaud your effort to try to learn the language and more about the culture of the country you are living in.

[mrsquirrel]

When did you stop writing in the third person?

[spliff]

Have to agree...quite the omniscient point of view....

[moosehead]