Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Charriere]

Hi,
I recently completed an unrelated masters (MSc Economics). My plan is to attempt to secure a univ. position, which will allow me to teach a combination of ESL and undergrad content courses. As I am applying for positions from the UK, I realise that my options will be limited at the current time. My query really relates to a few years down the track.

Do you think it would be beneficial for me to do a DELTA in order to increase my chances of getting a good univ. position? I should point out that I already have a CELTA and that I am specifically interested in univ. jobs in Korea.

It seems that recently CELTA has become more widely appreciated in Korea and I wonder if the same will occur with DELTA.

Thanks

[jinks]

Anything could happen, but it is unlikely that any Korean university would hire an MA grad to teach content courses. Most (if not all?) universities would not hire a foreign lecturer from overseas unles s/he had a PhD. I'm sure a DELTA + unrelated MA would help you score a job as an EFL instructor at a Korean university, especially if you were in country and had 'Korea experience'.
Good luck with your job hunt and your upcoming DELTA course!

[Swampfox10mm]

It is not far-fetched. Our school mixes our schedules to include content courses with our general freshman classes. I have taught presentation, job interview, writing, and a movie course, and business, among other things. I only really enjoyed job interview.

[jinks]

[Charriere]

Yes, to be honest, I meant teaching courses related to my major (ie; economics) as opposed to teaching variants of ESL. That said, I am more than willing to teach ESL, it would just be nice to run a class or two in an area which I have a slightly stronger interest.
Some of the jobs listed in the jobs section suggest that the teacher would be expected to teach a small number of classes related to their major. Whether these are credit courses or not I do not know. Do you expect that this only happens at the less desirable unis?

[PRagic]

As another posted suggested, the odds are strongly against you when it comes to teaching content outside of TESOL or English related skills-based content at Korean universities with just your MA.

I do know some lawyers who teach some contenct classes, but not many, and the classes are still geared more toward lanugage application than to actual law content. Still, in this respect, your CELTA may help you get a foot in the door with an unrelated MA. Some general education departments offer pseudo-content courses in English, but not traditional core courses such as economics.

Keep in mind that Korea, especially Seoul, is one of the most Ph.D. saturated places on earth. There is never a shortage of qualified Ph.D.s to teach across the spectrum of diciplines. Also, when it comes to hiring foreign professors, universities here virtually always hire Ph.D.s with some exceptions (e.g. performing or fine arts).

Hiring a foreign instructor without a Ph.D. to conduct content courses doesn't improve faculty-student ratios, and odds are the instructor will not publish in leading journals, attract funding, or participate in large-scale international conferences and events related to the dicipline. Administratively, it is also very difficult to justify hiring someone without their Ph.D.

Please understand that I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. For the record, I am a tenure track prof at a top university in Korea in a dicipline completely divorsed from TESOL. My best advice, should you genuinely want to teach economics in Korea, is to 1) knock out your Ph.D., 2) get some experience along the way, and 3) publish a minimum of 2 research articles in ranked SSCI publications. Doing those things will put you in the running for a position, but alas, will not guarantee that you get one.

[Thiuda]

[Charriere]

Thanks for pitching in with your advice.

Phd study is something that I have thought about a lot. Doing it in Korea seems like a great way to get qualified whilst staying above water in terms of debt.

Having put in all the work that a Phd requires, I wonder whether the opportunity to gain a tenured lecturing/teaching position would be likely with a Korean Phd.
To begin to answer my own question, I guess a lot depends on how you network, how many journals you have been published in etc
On the first point, imo, wouldn't you have an advantage in some respects as you will have built up a good network of contacts through your lecturers and tutors at the university?
Evidently this would only be an advantage if you planned on being in Korea long-term, which I do.

[PRagic]

If you find a decent doctoral program, odds are you'll get funded. While it is not uncommon for many entering programs to pay their own way for the first year, I don't know anyone who has not received funding for the remainder of their doctoral studies. In general, you can recieve a wave on tuition and fees in addition to an income for being an RA, TA, or for teaching 1 undergrad course per semester.

Think seriously about doing your Ph.D. in Korea. For some diciplines it makes sense (e.g. Korean studies, Korean history or something directly connected to Korea). However, for most diciplines, your long-term employment prospects will be much, much better - including your job prospects in Korea, if you do your Ph.D. in N. America or the U.K.

I don't want to diminish the effort that goes into obtaining a Ph.D. in Korea. Rather, my purpose is to add some realistic input about the current and future job market for doctorate degee holders. We don't make the rules, we just play by them.

[Charriere]

I am less optimistic about the likelihood of receiving funding as it is definitely one of the many areas that have been hit by the recent government cuts.

My understanding is that, in the UK at least, you stand a better chance of getting funded for engineering or natural science projects. As I am coming from a social science (econ) background fewer opportunities are available.

I completely accept what you are saying, Pragic. A UK or US Phd would be preferable to a Korean one.That said, for me at least, I would be unable/unwilling to do an unfunded Phd in the UK. Korea offers the chance to increase my credentials without sinking deep into debt. Also, as I plan to return to Korea in any case, it would allow me to improve my Korean skills and network. This would hopefully increase my chances of landing a content based teaching position upon completion of the course.

Thanks for those who have offered their advice.

[ThingsComeAround]

[Malislamusrex]

Only reason I would do a PhD in a Korean uni would be for the 1 mil extra a year.

[Thiuda]

[Malislamusrex]

I have been networking at my my old university for a job there, they said if you do a PhD there and take a research job for a few years it could well happen, but the research pay is a joke... it's less than a hagwon job.

I asked them if I did a PhD in Korea would that work, they said not a chance you can work here with a PhD from Korea.

[Thiuda]