Korean Job Discussion Forums

Captain Zoom · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Location: Tokyo

Hi all,

I'm looking for opportunites to teach adults and this is so far the only one I've really found.

They say that the salary is between 1.8 and 2.0 per month, but the housing situation kind of sucks. They will provide group housing for a fee of some kind but they say that most of their teachers have their own housing and they don't seem to give a housing allowance, although they will provide up to 10 mil in key money.

Some of their branches say that staff levels are high enough that teachers usually don't have to teach split shifts.

It's weird, but the YBM ECC children's division seems to offer a better deal, although it too doesn't seem fantastic.

Anyway, anyone have any experience with YBM ELS or any other schools catering to adults?

Thanks,

Zoom

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

Unless you say where the branch is then you can't expect much of an answer. Two unless something is in writing on the contract then you have no chance. A Korean busnessman's word is generally a lie. Three no paid accommodation well then how much are they paying? I'm on 2.3 with an apartment for a 15 hour a week teaching load plus loads of holidays along with airfare. What Uni. degrees do you have?

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

YBM has several locations. I've heard alright things about the one here in Busan. This sort of unexplained shared-housing fiasco might sour me on signing a contract, though. One teacher at my institute is paid 2.1 mw and lives in a hotel full time, and it isn't all that expensive.

I don't know what your qualifications are. If you are offered 1.8-2 mw with decent housing, I would say you are doing okay. But I would not be willing to pay key money. That is not your responsibility.

Ken:>

Captain Zoom · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Location: Tokyo

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Captain Zoom · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Location: Tokyo

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

Captain Zoom I have sent you a PM.

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

lighthouse1971 · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

You should know that the management of ELS Kangnam (which recently closed and will open under a new name and location on Kangnamdaero in the former Pagoda building) was taken to court a while ago and lost big time.

They tried to take too much money from a man who broke his contract. He took them to court and won. They can't deduct pay for rent or for visa runs after a contract breach (although the contract specifies that you must repay your airfare from outside Korea). They even took money out of his bank account. They fried in court.

It was AWESOME that somebody finally took them to court over this. If you don't break your contract, there are few problems with ELS, but if you choose to do so, they have tried to SCA-REW people in the past. Now, they will be more careful.

VICTORY! (heehee)

Kyrei · Joined: 22 Jan 2003

Kyrei · Joined: 22 Jan 2003

Here is what I have found out - basically nothing. The school is moving to a new building and the names of all ELS Schools have changed (and been changing) to YBM-ELS Language Education Center, although it is still known as ELS Gangnam. The closest I could come to finding anything out about the 'rumour' posted above is that a memo went out a while ago stating clearly what could and could not be deducted from teachers as they leave the school.

Kyrei

lighthouse1971 · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Kyrei · Joined: 22 Jan 2003

No offense intended with the word 'rumour' - the posting made mention of the trial but with no substantiating evidence. That was provided later. I'm glad to hear that someone took them to court and won what was their due. It is good to know that the system can be fought here.

Oh, and yes, the director is a very discrete and honest person who would not comment 'publicly' on the issue.

Kyrei

turbittj · Joined: 03 May 2003 Location: Saipan

I can provide the email of the original source of this court case, the actual participant in this case, who I played in a band with, if he gives me permission. I know for a fact that it is 100 percent true. This isn't a rumour, but Kangnam ElS will doubtlessly try to keep it hush hush.

I also know that I lost 145,000 via Kangnam ElS for not removing a refrigerator. Somehow it cost 145,000 to have a refrigerator removed instead of just allowing a free refrigerator for the next tenant. This was also done after I left the country, so it was especially dodgy.

I will give you the upside and downside of Kangnam ELS. The upside is that they mostly have their act together on an organizational basis. I received things like tax and medical insure refunds I never received at another major hagwon, or even knew existed. They also match the approximately 90,000 won you pay into the pension system each month, so you are saving close to 200,000 per month no matter what. There are a lot of teachers there, and there is a certain degree of comraderie among the teachers, which can make it a nice place to work. Teachers tend to hang out as a group at least monthly and tend to be helpful to one another. After a few months on the job, you tend to get off a split shift, which is rare in the adult hagwon business. I was always paid what I expected, and on time. The students, by and large, are motivated and decent. There will definitely be a few Harpo Kims sans horn spliced in there, but I enjoyed at least 80 percent of the students I had.

On the other hand, the vast majority of teachers had little to no use for the academic director, who is now beginning his second year. Many downright despised him. I, for one, had mixed feelings. I can't say I disliked him as much as many others, but there were a steady stream of controversies over the last year that made the working environment needlessly stressful. Very few teachers renewed their contract.

One teacher, who was given a second contract, had it revoked before it began over a personality conflict with this director. This action led to the Christmas party being boycotted. I saw him personally humilate a female teacher who had a mild hickie on her neck. Female ELS teachers are apparently required to be celibate. Countless good will was lost over the shoes people would wear, (black sneakers I wore all year suddenly became illicit and I was hardly the only one in this pissant controversy) as well as the requirement of ties. Meetings and memos were a steady stream of what is wrong with the place with the implication that it was all the fault of the teachers.

ELS Kangnam saw a steady and dramatic decrease in students over the last year mostly due to the shitty old building and lousy location it had.

The chain is almost Nazi like if you want to take a vacation and trade a shift with a colleague, or God forbid miss a day of work. That was another controversy that went down, and probably the one that pissed me off the most.

Upper management is extremely standoffish and aloof. That doesn't matter much, either, but it was in sharp contrast to a previous hagwon where I worked.

You have to buy all your own furniture, and very little help is provided in terms of getting this done, or in finding an apartment, which isn't that hard truth be told. Other teachers tend to be helpful. If you have been in Korea before, as I was, it isn't a big deal. If it is your first time it can be difficult. The money at ELS isn't particularly good, either, but there is plenty of overtime available generally, and the new building should increase the number of students, which ought to improve the atmosphere and morale. They also give you one day of sick time per year, that is right, one day per year, or to be more technical, six hours. I presume they expect teachers to be robots and go in for an oil change on that one day.

Overall, believe it or not, I would still recommend the place over most other hagwons, which should say all that needs to be said about working in a hagwon.