Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TBirdMG]

I was contacted by their recruiter Jack Lee. Fairly straight forward...too forward...presented terms were 2.7 to 3.0 for the following:

-30 contact lessons per week (avg. of 45 minutes), 6 per day M-F
-combination of elementary and middle school age in English village style atmosphere
-housing included. brand new 13 pyong single apt.
-insurance 50/50
-1 month's severance at end of contract
-1 way flight provided at beginning, 1 way at end
-3.3% tax and appropriate pension withheld

Anybody have opinions, experience, etc?? He is sending the contract this weekend....

Thanks,

tb

[rhinocharge64]

Never worked there but I did visit Paju English Village. I spoke to the teachers there and got I feel for the place but I will stress that I was only there for 2 nights and 3 days.

Pros: Meet other natives immediately hence you have an instant network.

These 'Villages' tend to focus on speaking via role-plays and not on


grammar. Think actor or actress and that is pretty much your role.


Well equipped with technology and new and modern.


Food provided on campus which you are entitled to whilst working.



Run by local government hence pay will be forthcoming.

Cons: Instant network of friends and I would imagine a little bit like ground hog day. Working and living together in such close proximity would do my box in.


Your 'village' could be pretty isolated so if you wanna escape on your days off it's a real hassle.


Food in 'village' pretty boring after a while.


Programme mudane to say the least, but you could say that about lots of places in Korea.


Never feeling like you are escaping from work when it's even your day off. Walking across the 'village' when it's your day off and 300 kids shouting HI!!! would do my box in.

No opportunity for privates. They are illegal but lots of people do them and they bring in good money.


Teaching 30 hrs per week will result in burn out. These 'villages' are about fun so you have to play the part of the clown. Those energy levels would be sinking like the Titantic if it was me!!

So, I personally wouldn't do it, but plenty do. Take into consideration the points outlined. Anybody care to respond who is working in a 'village'.

Good luck but think it over. A year is a long time if you get yourself into a situation you don't like. And if you don't like it and you haven't completed a certain percentage of your contract you can't get a letter of release like in the good old days.

[drunkenfud]

It is a new camp, so presumably you will be among the first native speaking staff. I don't work there but I work at a school in Yangpyeong county.

I'd urge you to think very carefully before taking this job. It is located in the countryside, 2 kilometres from the nearest town, Yongmun. Yongmun has only two foreign teachers resident.

There are around 12 foreign teachers in Yangpyeong town - the nearest "big" town - but you will encounter travel difficulties getting there. Taxi will probably be your only option if you wanted to go out drinking. On the bright side though, Yongmun is only about an hour from Seoul by bus or train.

So, to recap, it's isolated, the people running it are likely to be new to dealing with foreigners, and you might find it hard to network with other foreign teachers. I also agree with the comments made by the poster above, having visited Paju English Village.

Hope this helps.

[TBirdMG]

Thanks to drunk and rhino for the comments....

Yeah, I figured it would be isolated. During the week, that doesn't worry me too much. I'll be happy to work out a bit after work to blow off some 'oegugin' steam, then retreat to an evening of books, music, and dvds. Still, I want weekend diversions to be close enough that I can go out and get back within reasonable time and effort. I taught in the countryside 2 hours north of Seoul a ways back, and remember hating the train+subway commute to visit my friends in the big city....

I suppose all that plus the 24/7 exposure to English Village guests explains the relatively high salary (2.7 to 3.0).

[rhinocharge64]

Yep, I would suggest that is why they are paying on the high side. Plus if they need you to work when it's your day off you are quite literally just around the block. I know some of the guys I talked to who had worked for 7 days on the bounce. However, they did say they would get the time back, it just happend to be a busy period.

[Mi Yum mi]

no time off. People will bug you and won't understand that you want free time. You'd either have to holeup in your room (probably a dorm) or et out of the village.

Usually any of these Englishy Villages should be avoided like you would a bad hagwon.

[TBirdMG]

They just replaced EPIK and GET with English Village and English Language Instructor. Otherwise, everything else is the same....except, of course, that the 300,000 Won settlement allowance has become a loan, and the teacher housing rules are fascist. No guests after 10PM at any time, no cavorting with other employees or students in the housing area. No smoking or drinking in the housing area. Hell, why not go one more step and prohibit eating and sleeping....??

[Saxiif]

[marlow]

[KYC]

[PRagic]

All English villages are a joke. They are the one source of employment in Korea that ranks lower than hakwons.

Avoid all of them at all costs. Have some pride.