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| EPIK in Seoul or TaLK in Cheongju (Chungcheongbuk-do) |
| EPIK in Seoul |
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88% |
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| TaLK in Cheongju (Chungcheongbuk-do) |
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11% |
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| Total Votes : 9 |
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RobLeeTeach
Joined: 20 May 2009
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 Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:22 pm Post subject: Korean Government Programs: EPIK vs TaLK |
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So I've been accepted to both programs. I need help in deciding.
EPIK in Seoul. TaLK in Cheongju. Both a year long contract.
EPIK pays 2.0 million KRW. TaLK pays 1.5 million KRW.
EPIK is a 40 hour work week. TaLK is a 15 hour work week.
EPIK is unknown grade level. TaLK is elementary school.
EPIK has unknown overtime rate. TaLK has 20,000 KRW/hour "instruction" over-time rate and 6,000 KRW/hour over-time rate.
EPIK has 1.3 million KRW entrance and 1.3 million KRW exit allowance. TaLK has round trip economy tickets.
Both have the same 300,000 KRW settlement allowance.
EPIK 21 paid vacation days. TaLK 14 paid vacation days.
Medical insurance is vague in both contracts.
EPIK has 15 sick days. TaLK has 7 sick days.
EPIK has a 9-Day orientation. TaLK has a 4-week orientation.
Both restrict me from taking part-time work, but is that only for E-2 visa holders? I have an F-4 visa.
Both have vague housing clauses. EPIK will offer 500,000 KRW/month if they cannot provide housing. TaLK will offer 400,000 KRW/month.
Seoul has more to offer as a city. Cheongju seems like it would be less stress because of the 15 hour work week.
At the TaLK interview, I was told that I would pretty much be the only one who spoke English in the town so it will probably get very lonely.
Which would you choose? |
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thurst
Joined: 08 Apr 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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| are you gonna actually living in cheongju? bcuz if so i've met a few teachers from there so you won't be the only english speaker in town. |
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RobLeeTeach
Joined: 20 May 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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That's the assumption. I have the contracts for both programs and have to decide which one to send off ASAP.
All I know about Cheongju is what I see on Wikipedia and it seems like there isn't much to do there. I saw pictures of the elementary school where I would teach and it looks very rural compared to US standards.
Would you be able to make a comparison to a US city? Suppose Seoul is the equivalent to New York City...what would Cheongju be? |
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RobLeeTeach
Joined: 20 May 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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| bump |
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Emeliu
Joined: 31 Mar 2009
Location: Korea, i'm OMW
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: Korean Government Programs: EPIK vs TaLK |
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| RobLeeTeach wrote: |
So I've been accepted to both programs. I need help in deciding.
EPIK in Seoul. TaLK in Cheongju. Both a year long contract.
EPIK pays 2.0 million KRW. TaLK pays 1.5 million KRW.
EPIK is a 40 hour work week. TaLK is a 15 hour work week.
EPIK is unknown grade level. TaLK is elementary school.
EPIK has unknown overtime rate. TaLK has 20,000 KRW/hour "instruction" over-time rate and 6,000 KRW/hour over-time rate.
EPIK has 1.3 million KRW entrance and 1.3 million KRW exit allowance. TaLK has round trip economy tickets.
Both have the same 300,000 KRW settlement allowance.
EPIK 21 paid vacation days. TaLK 14 paid vacation days.
Medical insurance is vague in both contracts.
EPIK has 15 sick days. TaLK has 7 sick days.
EPIK has a 9-Day orientation. TaLK has a 4-week orientation.
Both restrict me from taking part-time work, but is that only for E-2 visa holders? I have an F-4 visa.
Both have vague housing clauses. EPIK will offer 500,000 KRW/month if they cannot provide housing. TaLK will offer 400,000 KRW/month.
Seoul has more to offer as a city. Cheongju seems like it would be less stress because of the 15 hour work week.
At the TaLK interview, I was told that I would pretty much be the only one who spoke English in the town so it will probably get very lonely.
Which would you choose? |
Accept TaLK and I can meet you in Suwon this August! I would never be able to handle the exhaustive hours that EPIK forces you to comply with, the 1.5 million and 15 hours a week is like, amazing. |
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toadhjo
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject: Re: Korean Government Programs: EPIK vs TaLK |
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| Emeliu wrote: |
| Accept TaLK and I can meet you in Suwon this August! I would never be able to handle the exhaustive hours that EPIK forces you to comply with, the 1.5 million and 15 hours a week is like, amazing. |
I would hardly call EPIK hours "exhaustive"...it's just like any typical full time job, no?
That said...this TaLK thing is intriguing...too bad I'm already all set to hop on the EPIK bandwagon.
Is it really only 15 hours of work a week? What do they expect you do to the rest of the time? |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Go for TaLK - you can be at the very bottom of two totem poles for a year. |
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Emeliu
Joined: 31 Mar 2009
Location: Korea, i'm OMW
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:48 pm Post subject: Re: Korean Government Programs: EPIK vs TaLK |
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| toadhjo wrote: |
| Emeliu wrote: |
| Accept TaLK and I can meet you in Suwon this August! I would never be able to handle the exhaustive hours that EPIK forces you to comply with, the 1.5 million and 15 hours a week is like, amazing. |
I would hardly call EPIK hours "exhaustive"...it's just like any typical full time job, no?
That said...this TaLK thing is intriguing...too bad I'm already all set to hop on the EPIK bandwagon.
Is it really only 15 hours of work a week? What do they expect you do to the rest of the time? |
Don't know, but it's gonna be a sweet vacation from college. |
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RobLeeTeach
Joined: 20 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| Go for TaLK - you can be at the very bottom of two totem poles for a year. |
I don't really get what you mean here.
Plus, I'm not really doing this strictly for the money. I'm trying to gain teaching experience. Life experience. I'm 31 and changing careers. |
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RobLeeTeach
Joined: 20 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: Korean Government Programs: EPIK vs TaLK |
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| Quote: |
I would hardly call EPIK hours "exhaustive"...it's just like any typical full time job, no?
That said...this TaLK thing is intriguing...too bad I'm already all set to hop on the EPIK bandwagon.
Is it really only 15 hours of work a week? What do they expect you do to the rest of the time? |
Yeah it's 15 hours of work a week. In the interview, when I asked what the TaLK scholars do outside the 15 hours he said basically whatever I wanted to do. He said some teachers come in early to school to prepare for the day, some come early because they get a ride early to work, some prepare their lessons at home.
So it would be up to me to decide what I do with my free time and figure out how to take advantage of it on my own. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:37 pm Post subject: Re: Korean Government Programs: EPIK vs TaLK |
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| RobLeeTeach wrote: |
| Quote: |
I would hardly call EPIK hours "exhaustive"...it's just like any typical full time job, no?
That said...this TaLK thing is intriguing...too bad I'm already all set to hop on the EPIK bandwagon.
Is it really only 15 hours of work a week? What do they expect you do to the rest of the time? |
Yeah it's 15 hours of work a week. In the interview, when I asked what the TaLK scholars do outside the 15 hours he said basically whatever I wanted to do. He said some teachers come in early to school to prepare for the day, some come early because they get a ride early to work, some prepare their lessons at home.
If this is true, it is/was the exception and not the rule. Whether you are in TALK or EPIK, most schools will want you on site for the full 40 hours a week. I'm in EPIK and I teach only 18 classes per week, yet I'm required to be there for 40 hours a week. And unless they have changed the TALK contract that is likely going to be your experience too. I remember a good number of TALK people complaining about this very thing.
So it would be up to me to decide what I do with my free time and figure out how to take advantage of it on my own. |
What recruiters tell you and what you will actually experience are often worlds apart. Yes you will probably only have to teach 15 classes per week. But there is a high likelihood of you having to stay at the school for 40 hours a week (although admittedly it's not a sure thing). |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:42 pm Post subject: Re: Korean Government Programs: EPIK vs TaLK |
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| Emeliu wrote: |
| toadhjo wrote: |
| Emeliu wrote: |
| Accept TaLK and I can meet you in Suwon this August! I would never be able to handle the exhaustive hours that EPIK forces you to comply with, the 1.5 million and 15 hours a week is like, amazing. |
I would hardly call EPIK hours "exhaustive"...it's just like any typical full time job, no?
That said...this TaLK thing is intriguing...too bad I'm already all set to hop on the EPIK bandwagon.
Is it really only 15 hours of work a week? What do they expect you do to the rest of the time? |
Don't know, but it's gonna be a sweet vacation from college. |
The TALK program sounds anything but. First of all you will be stuck in some small rural town far from big cities and other foreigners. Secondly you will be making far less than people in the other programs...given the exchange rate and rising costs plus the fact that you have to travel to see other foreigners means that you won't have a lot of money left after a year. Heck even working in the OTHER programs (EPIK, GEPIK, SMOE) is anything but a sweet vacation from college. |
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tomoyopop
Joined: 10 Jul 2009
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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What I'm really curious about is why is there almost no mention of the TaLK program in this forum? I mean, even if it were a horrible experience, I would imagine someone would have posted something. And I know that this is like the fourth or fifth time they've been holding this program.
I've only seen posts about EPIK so far. Are there no TaLK teachers as members of this board?  |
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Michelle
Joined: 18 May 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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| tomoyopop wrote: |
What I'm really curious about is why is there almost no mention of the TaLK program in this forum? I mean, even if it were a horrible experience, I would imagine someone would have posted something. And I know that this is like the fourth or fifth time they've been holding this program.
I've only seen posts about EPIK so far. Are there no TaLK teachers as members of this board? |
Hi,
TaLK is a very new program.
I recommend EPIK if you are qualified and can go for it. I heard that Talk was for less qualified people. I don't think you can do the EPIK program fr a short time so if you are still studying TaLK is supposed to be for you.
Also in EPIK the professional development might be better and not too much is expected in the spare time, even though you are at school.
In either case a lot depends on the school. EPIK will have more set up because it has been in existence longer. I think either program will be full time in the end unless I am mistaken. If Talk does not keep you at school full time like EPIK the extra freedom would be nice.
Good luck |
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Otherside
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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I'm pretty confident that the 15 "hours" a week for Talk is for teaching time. You'd still have to be there the full 40hours.
EPIK/GEPIK/SMOE state that you only teach 22 hours a week, yet you have to be there 40 hours a week. |
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