Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Newbie2008]

Dear colleaugues

Great posts so far. I've enjoyed learning plenty from this forum already.

I hope you don't mind me changing the topic for a second and throwing some short questions out there - amongst the masses of newbies and seasoned "old timers".

I'm considering applying for a teaching job in korea soon and would like to find out as much as possible before excepting a job (haven't been there before). I'm trying to find out as much as possible first.

If as many people as possible could spare a couple of minutes to reply to the following questions, I'd be very grateful......and more decided.

* what problems did/do you experience while working and living overseas?

* what are the main/consistant problems you face during a teaching day?

* how did/do you overcome the above?

And.......a couple of questions for the old timers

* what subject do you always find yourself checking out first on forum boards such as this slendid one?

* What resources do you use/ recommend?(books, websites etc..)


Hope that didn't come across like some market research survey or something..hehe


All the best


Note to moderator: I hope you can place this post in the most appropriate place for me....as I wasn't sure. I'm just hoping it gets as much exposure as possible:)

[Bibbitybop]

C. Neither.


Problems extend from language issues. If you have a good school and helpful teachers, employment is fine. If one of the teachers or a Korean friend will help you now and then with technical living issues (phones, specialty items, etc.), you will be fine. If you do your research, which you are, you will not have many banking issues, legal issues or a bad job.

Oh, and Korean girls can be conservative. Sexing them up isn't hard if you can get a girl in your home country. But finding a good one that's not too conservative, not too high maintenance and not psycho is a challenge many westerners face.

[DrunkenMaster]

Give me your milk money

[WoBW]

Well if you plan on working in Seoul you won't have serious language issues. I've been here 3 years but I've been too lazy to learn Korean. I get along just fine in Seoul. For things like arraging cable TV/Internet for your home, your boss will probably make the necessary calls for you.

Still on the language theme, if you learn numbers, the names of some Korean foods that you like, and how to read some hangul that you may frequently need to recognize, you will be fine in Seoul. These things are easy and quick to learn.

Other than that, if you are comfortable with living in a big city then Seoul is quite liveable. You will, however, need to be able to shrug off the daily annoyances such as people walking straight in front of you and motorcycles on the pavement (learn to walk in a straight line so they can easily go around you), you'll be comfortable in Seoul.

As for teaching, it depends where you work. It looks like you're doing your research, so you must have seen some of the horror stories associated with hagwons. They're not ALL bad though. You need to carefully research any you may consider working at.

In addition to this, if you teach kids you may find discipline a problem (and I say MAY, because you do get some really nice classes). The problem with a hagwon is that many of the kids don't want to be there, don't give a rats about English, and they know there is little you can do to discipline them. Many actually LIKE to be kicked out of the class. If you send them to the Korean at reception they will get candy and sympathy. Calling parents seems to have little effect.

Public schools tend to have more scary disciplinary actions for the kids in the form of Korean homeroom teachers.

Other issues include poor organisation in both hagwons and public schools. I've found that the best thing is to be organised in your own classes (keeping files up-to-date if necessary, keeping books organised, keeping a brief record of what was covered in each class and any homework given). At the same time, you need to be flexible, you need to be self sufficient. Things can change such as schedules, materials, new students suddenly showing up in your class - in in all of these things you'll be the last person to know of the changes. Hence the need to be self-sufficient: don't expect to be able to run to a Korean co-worker asking them to help you sort out the mess that was not your doing. You need to be able to improvise, throw your hands in the air, shrug your shoulders and say "Well, what the hell, I'll do my best to mitigate the effects of this lack of organisation." I've gone on here about organisation, but it really does seem to be a problem here. Don't expect to be working within a well-oiled system.

So the key things for both living and working here are:

* Be self sufficient and organised.

* Have the ability to shrug off and laugh at everyday annoyances. You'll have a hard time if you are the kind of person who easily gets wound up.

* Establish a close circle of friends. You don't need to have a million friends, just a few you can trust.

* If you can't speak Korean, find out what food you like to eat, where you can get it and how to say it in Korean. Alternatively eat western junk food every day and expand your waistline. Best of all, get into the habit of cooking at home.

* In your first week or so here, spend some time wandering around your new neighbourhood. Find out what's around there and where you can get the things you need.

Can't speak for other places in Korea.

[Newbie]

Oh it's on!!

There can be only one. Go away or I will destroy you Highlander style.

[Underwaterbob]

I would have to say the key to working here happily is flexibility. Be able to walk in a classroom and teach a class you had no idea you would have to teach up until five minutes ago. Especially in a hakwon job.

If you freak out at sudden change or feel you have to be incredibly super-prepared to teach a class then Korea is probably not for you.

Be prepared to give up some of your free time in pursuits you may not particularly want to take part in. If your co-workers invite you out for food, go. If you are needed to teach an extra class for a while, do it. By all means do not let people walk all over you but make some effort to show you care about your job and your co-workers.

I'm out of time.

[moosehead]

[whatever]

WoBW, hats off to you for an well-written, descriptive and accurate post.

[tommo123456789]

I've only been here a month.. so take my answers however you will..

* what problems did/do you experience while working and living overseas?

My biggest problem so far with living over here, is not knowing where things are, what to do, how to ask for things at stores.. and just feeling completely illiterate and retarded.

For example.. it took me an hour to figure out how to work the washing machine.. The school gave me a printout with the characters in Korean and an Englishtranslation.. i was like.. ok.. i got this upside down y looking thing.. where the he!! is that??

Ordering food at restraunts.. luckily i'm not too picky.. just point at a picture and hope my burger isnt swimming in thousand island dressing, or my pizza doesnt have sweet potato paste on it.. (or something else i dont like)..

* what are the main/consistant problems you face during a teaching day?

The main problem i'm dealing with is the "challenging" kids as the Korean teachers put it... Basically.. I'm teaching a bunch of 3-5 year olds. They can barely say pencil, window, book, hello, and bathroom please. But they all get up instantly and start running around the classroom.. Should I yell at them? and scare them to the point they are scared to come back to class? (luckily candy solved that problem) or just let them go crazy to the point one of the Korean teachers comes in and tells them to sit down in Korean, and 5 minutes later they are back at it. I guess there is a fine line somehwere that I haven't discovered yet..

Another thing with discipline.. most of the kids know you can't do anything about their behaivor except tell the Korean teacher, who will either talk to them in the hall, or tell their parents.. So they just go crazy.. And if you're too mean, the parents will pull their kids, then the director gets mad because they loose money..


* how did/do you overcome the above?
I'm still trying to figure that out..

And.......a couple of questions for the old timers

* what subject do you always find yourself checking out first on forum boards such as this slendid one?

I just glance over everything to see if there is anything interesting going on.. I get bored easily.

* What resources do you use/ recommend?(books, websites etc..)

Luckily.. at my hagwon.. it has been around forever, and they don't change books.. So worksheets, and supplements have already been created for getting off a computer.

[eamo]

It used to be employment but now it's living......

But, really, after you find your feet in Korea it's a walk in the park. I just have to keep reminding myself that Koreans being weird about foreigners is much more preferable to being jumped by a gang of chavs in my home city.

[DCJames]

[samd]

[kingplaya4]

Well I've got lots of personal issues with Korea and would never come here again if I had to it over again, but those might not apply to you. What I would say that applies to everyone is stay far away from Korean Middle Schoolers. They don't like English, don't care, and will either act up or ignore you until the bell rings. Elementary classes are hit or miss, some are very kind while others act like the middle schoolers already, this is somewhat age dependant. I haven't taught much high school, but the ones I had were very respectful, but its too small a sample size to say if that's something that can be generalized to be true. I've heard stay away from kindergarten as well, but having never taught that age, I have no idea.

Probably better to build yourself a life back home if you can, but if you're going to come here, keeping yourself away from the Middle schoolers will definitely improve your quality of life.

[Newbie2008]

Thanks guys!

Loads of useful info for me to think about.

Thanks to you all -minus two - for providing such long and detailed replies.

Moosehead: A tousand apologees fr the speling miztake but splended is not a word I use very ofen. Infact, it's probly the fist an last time I'll yoose it.

(should've known better posting on a ESL website

Couldn't find a spell checker on this forum's message posting box.....


Good luck in you're current jobs


NEWBIE 2003...I mean... 2008......

[hexagonsun]

I've been here for a month so far and I've avoided Dave's ESL like the plague just because of the general piss poor attitude and people who spend their entire existence on these forums. Go outside.

I used this site extensively before I came here and researched for months. Now I don't either bother looking here because the paranoia and general "the sky is falling" attitude puts me off. Utilize this site for what it is worth, come to Korea, and stay away from it. Take everything you read on Dave's with a grain of salt.

The only reason I've come back to Dave's is to check on some vacation ideas and peak into what everyone is complaining about this week when I came across this thread.

All I have to say is do your research. If you don't you're going to get fucked somewhere down the line. Question your employer, ask for pictures of the place, talk to current employees on the phone or get their emails. If you don't have good vibes, then don't do it. Start fresh.

WoBW made a good point about the students. My elementary kids are adorable and fun, my middle school kids are f-ing depressing and broken human beings. I have fun with them though by being making fun of them or just simply talking to them about Korea or having them ask me questions about life in general.

I have yet to experience the Korean girl phenomenon and mystery. They are fun to hang out with and party with, but relationship wise I don't know. There seems to be two kinds: (1) the ones who will date you, hold your hand, and never tell their parents. (2) the ones who are nutzo and want marriage and a green card.

I haven't had any real problems getting my daily life on track. Granted I made some Korean friends who've taken me around to get things done such as open a bank account, get a gym membership, haggle a guitar, buy some speakers, and get some food or take me out for some good times. Flying solo is an experience and I love overcoming the mundane challenges like getting a taxi or buying groceries. That's one of the reasons to come here right? To get outside your element and do things differently.

OK I put my two cents in and I will not comment anymore on this forum unless is deals with travel or where to find something in Seoul.

Good luck. Like one poster said: Once you get a handle on Korea and your bearings, it's a walk in the park. Just do your research and you'll be fine. Peace.