Korean Job Discussion Forums

max.p · Joined: 21 Jun 2011 Location: Kansas City, Missouri

I'll be at Rockhurst University in downtown Kansas City, MO tomorrow nite. Does anyone have any questions they want answered? I'll be happy to ask a few.

I'll list a few questions here that I will have for tomorrow night and we'll see if the answers posted on the forum match the answers to the questions tomorrow night!:

1: If TEFL/TESL/TESOL certification is not needed in order to be hired in Asian countries (like Korea, btw: do most of the job postings on the Korea Job Board not require TEFL certification at all?), and therefore the free job placement service is of more importance. Can you explain the differences between the processes of finding a single job posting online versus the free job placement service process provided by Oxford Seminars?

2: How much money should I save for the post-hiring process, which would include flights, visas, money for the first 90 days, etc...?

3: Does Oxford Seminars offer 120-hour on-site, 120-hour online, or a 6-hour live teaching workshop or course? What are the benefits of each for an American ESL teacher in Korea?

4: I want to work in South Korea this fall teaching junior high school or high school students, with my own apartment, paid airfare, and some sort of health plan. Can the free job placement service find a job that fits my criteria? How does the job placement service place me at a school?

About Me:
-American Male
-23 years old
-B.A. in Creative Writing
-Interested in teaching one year in South Korea, with or without certification, depending on Oxford Seminars instructor and forum members' answers to my questions above, perhaps followed by a year spent teaching in Japan, and then perhaps a move to the Middle East in an attempt to advance my salary with a couple years of teaching experience.
-I think I will swim in the classroom. I have never taught a lesson as a teacher in a classroom, but I think I can do it.

Here are my concerns:
-i-to-i, TEFLOnline, footprints, job postings on ESL Cafe. Why does every aspect of this industry seem so scammy? From ghostly recruiters, to random job postings, to private companies, to certification scams; I have no resources in this process.
-Free job placement and TEFL certification. With whom (recruiters, schools, or companies) will Oxford Seminars place me? Imagine how criminal its operation would be if I was not qualified to work in any of the countries in which they offer placement because they only offer a 60-hour seminar. Should I wait to get a certificate after placement? Is it difficult to find these seminars in South Korea? Should I get a certificate now with Oxford Seminars ($1000, 60-hours, no teaching workshop, free placement service) or another company which I find to be equally scammy (for example: i-to-i, $400, 120-online certificate, and perhaps an option to go to Chicago for a teaching workshop? i-to-i also says they have a free placement service, but the link doesn't work and I am getting tired of looking at the same websites which I am not really sold on their track-records), or do I go with a seemingly random job posting on the Korea Job Board here and set up my whole trip. Which is cheapest? Which is easiest? Is there an easy way to tell which job postings require something of me that I do not have? Ha.

SteveSteve · Joined: 30 Jul 2010 Location: Republic of Korea

I can't vouch for Oxford Seminars, but if you're serious about teaching and would like more job possibilities, then I recommend the CELTA. It cost a bit more and the work is very intensive, but you can complete it in one month and it's the desired certification for many schools, especially in Europe.

I've run across some job ads that specifically state that the Oxford Seminar certificate would not be accepted. Best of luck to you!

max.p · Joined: 21 Jun 2011 Location: Kansas City, Missouri

are my job demands or career goals too lofty to achieve without a TEFL cert?

edwardcatflap · Joined: 22 Mar 2009

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

I'll make this easy for you.

A 60 hour ESL/EFL course from oxford is worthless when you head abroad.

You need a minimum of a 100 hour course to get the bump at a PS in Korea. Hagwans don't care if you have a TEFL cert or not.

A TEFL cert is NOT needed to get a job in Korea (or many other countries) provided you have a degree.

-You can certainly get a job teaching G7-12 in Korea without Oxford.
-ALL decent recruiting services for jobs in Korea are free.
-The vast majority of jobs in Korea come with airfare and housing as a perk.
-Some hagwans and ALL public school jobs come with NHIC medical and Pension Plan with employers matching contributions (refundable when you leave).

Outside of Korea you need a course that provides 120 hours with a minimum of 6 hours of practicum with REAL students (not your classmates). Oxford does NOT provide this.

Oxford makes a good business selling short courses/weekend courses for people with big dreams.

Caveat Emptor.

side note: If your plan is to eventually make it to the middle east you will need far more than a generic TEFL cert and a couple years in Korea.

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hogwonguy1979 · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: the racoon den

ITS A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

read about it here

http://www.teflcoursereview.com/oxford-seminars/

http://www.esl-jobs-forum.com/viewtopic.php?p=10488

max.p · Joined: 21 Jun 2011 Location: Kansas City, Missouri

Guajiro · Joined: 04 Dec 2008

hogwonguy1979 · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: the racoon den

also be aware IT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH OXFORD UNIVERSITY!!!!!!! Oxford doesnt do a TESOL course

Guajiro · Joined: 04 Dec 2008

koreatimes · Joined: 07 Jun 2011

I can't get their site to load, but it has the following at http://tesol-forum.livejournal.com/46749.html

"It's also only $895 with the early registration special! ($100 off the regular price of $995)"

How is that better than http://www.tefllife.com/ ?

"Course starts from $1,390 & Up
4-week course at any of our 25 worldwide locations
Combines 120 hours of training
8hr observed teaching practice"

It would make more sense to get training where you wanted to teach. Connecting with your students includes understanding their culture, common likes and dislikes, etc...

Any training in your hometown is merely going to project a cookie cutter approach to teaching. An English grammar book, a book on the language of the country you are going to, and talking to people from the country are all going to help you more and will cost you less than $100.

Guajiro · Joined: 04 Dec 2008

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

I took the Oxford Seminars course before heading to Korea. It is pretty much a useless piece of paper. You don't need it to teach in Korea and can find a job quite easily without their free placement service. All they're going to do is hook you up with a recruiter anyway, which you can do on your own.

Any time I've tried to use my Oxford Seminars certificate as a qualification, I've been told that it's unacceptable because it is less than 100 hours. I think if you're going to get any kind of certification, the CELTA is the one to go for.

jamasian · Joined: 01 May 2011

Ignore that company. Korea has a set specification for hours anyway. Also, there are much cheaper schools to use. I'd do it online if I were you.