Korean Job Discussion Forums

slideaway77 · Joined: 16 Jul 2007

I'm teaching in Seoul at the moment but I want to do a PGCE in the uk in the future on the back of teaching experience I have gained here.

Does it count? Or will I have to run the gauntet of experience in state schools to get even get considered?

I would love to hear from anyone who has been through this course having taught in Korea/abroad first..

Pendennis · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Location: Cornwall

Hi,

I taught in Korea for just over two years and then went home to Britain to train as a Primary teacher.

Sorry, but the bad news is that, in my experience, my experience in Korea counting for nothing... I tried to get on PGCEs, SCITTs and found that my ESL experience wasn't greatly valued at all. They prefer British School experience, and argue that you don't know what your getting into without it.

So I volunteered for a while, Teaching Assistanted for a couple of terms and then on the back of that (decent Head references) got a GTP place and qualified in a year.

I'm not teaching now though, the school's I experienced were full of miserable women that didn't want to be there.

All said, good luck with the career!

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

To be honest, the Government will pay you to do your PGCE as the British Public School sector is crying out for teachers and are currently trying to get teachers from abroad to teach in our primary and secondary schools.

Anyways, my brother is starting his PGCE this October and it is nine months from start to finish. He has to have one day studying and four days teaching. The state are sponsoring him on his course and pay him 1000 pounds each month (9000 pounds total) so that he support himself during his tenure. Before my brother started his course he was a snowboard instructor in the US for 2 years after graduating. He did get some small certificates to help him but his work was very seasonal and he would get difficulty getting a paycheck each month. So he applied for the only thing a bad degree and a limited part of snowboarding can help you with; teaching in the public sector.

Thus, you will have no difficulty getting accepted on to a course to study your PGCE (perhaps related to your degree or English teaching experience). However, doing a teaching certificate course whilst in Korea would be useful in some regards so that there is some recognition to your hardwork. So I would advise that you work on a UK recognised TEFL Course. Cambridge ESOL is a good place to look and they do mention that the courses are recognised as a credit for something extra you may wish to do in the future (PGCE, MA, etc).

Good luck and I would recommend that you contact some universities about their post graduate study courses in something you are interested in.

polonius · Joined: 05 Jun 2004

Whistleblower, do you know if the UK accepts teaching degrees from Canada? If I wanted to teach there, would a B.Ed from a Canadian Uni get me in? Also, seeing as my first language is French, do you know if there is a necessity, for French teachers? 9000 pounds to study? what do they pay to teach?

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

Have a look at the following website:

http://www.bluewaveinternational.com/

I would contact them. Remember if you wanted to study a post graduate course to become a qualified teacher, the state would sponsor you to do the course and also pay you 9000 pounds to complete the course.