Korean Job Discussion Forums

omarr380 · Joined: 17 Jun 2004

Hello. After reading a lot of posts about S. Korea I get the impression that a lot of unbalanced people with not even mediocore teaching abilities, let alone experience, are teaching in S. Korea. I get the impression there are a lot of men with the sole intention of chasing Asian women and teaching is merely a means to obtain an apt and money for beer. Can anyone in country teaching verify this?

I ask because I myself am considering teaching in S. Korea. I DO NOT intend to be a career teacher, but I want to study the language, culture and taekwondo. Nor am I allergic to money.

You may already know this about me from an earlier post, but currently I am teaching as an ALT (assistant language teacher) in Japan (no not JET, unfortunately), so I have some sort of teaching experience in Asia, aswell as 3 years volunteer teaching in the U.S. Currently, I am also 25 years of age and an African-American male.

I am sure there are many qualified teachers in Korea who will hate me for "bringing down" their profession, but it occurs to me that many hogwons are looking for little more than a warm English speaking body to bring in more money. I am a warm body with some experience, do I have a chance of finding a half-decent job? Thank you.

adventureman · Joined: 18 Feb 2003

I will not say anything you wrote above is false, although you sort of sound like a pompus ass .

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

Dodgy teachers are getting more and more scarce these days. most teachers I know have some kind of educational background.

slap it · Joined: 21 Jan 2003

i have a degree in communication from the University of Colorado as well as 2 years of experience teaching ESL full-time and a TESOL certificate. teaching will probably not be my life but i do enjoy it very much for now. i enjoy teaching, learning taekwondo, learning korean from korean women, i also enjoy beer, and korean woman..... but i wouldn't regard myself as being unbalanced and unfit to teach in korea because i enjoy the above three things. i think this qualifies me as being about equal in qualifications with you. it may be a surprise to you, but at my school i would say i'm about average, there are a lot more teachers that are way more qualified than me. there is one more thing you need to know......your chances of getting a job is a lot slimmer than me......koreans do discriminate.

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

Crois

SweetBear · Joined: 18 May 2003

Omarr wrote:

I get the impression there are a lot of men with the sole intention of chasing Asian women and teaching is merely a means to obtain an apt and money for beer. Can anyone in country teaching verify this?

I think this is true to a certain extent, but why would you care?

And:

I am also 25 years of age and an African-American male.

It will be a little more difficult for you to get a job but not impossible. Your attitude will be the biggest thing standing in your way.

Crois · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 2:37 am Post subject:

I agree. Just be laid back. And ya be cool mon.

Juggertha · Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Anyang, Korea

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Michelle · Joined: 18 May 2003

Does chasing women + beer have to be a bad thing? You guys have the time!!

Course every once in a while even I think enough is enough (yes many will happily drink yourselves into oblivion, seen it many times).

Ok. So maybe some of these English teachers aren't quite ready to grow up and ditch the college lifestyle, but we (generally) show up for class.

I'm 25, have a TESOL (Graduate Certificate from Uni) and three years, here + at home. I'd say

A) If you get a hagwon who is willing to brush off a TESOL and experience because they get to pay a little less it is their loss and you wouldn't want to go with them any way. They have their priorities on the white face, but it doesn't stop them from nagging the newbies.

B) Go with the one who snaps you up and/ or is willing to negotiate. Look around.

Even if you go with a hagwon, with a bit of luck and wisdom (which I guess you already possess) you should get a better job.

Don't be too distressed if your job ends up similar to many of the others, if it is hagwon, try to go for slightly better pay.

Note: There are a few older teachers around too

Gollum · Joined: 04 Sep 2003 Location: Japan

adventureman · Joined: 18 Feb 2003

Skywalker26 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Location: Up the Kyber Pass

Hogwans pay for people which English is their first language.

The good Hogwans take into account related degrees and experience.
Other just want a foriegner in the class, a sort of walking, English talking billboard.

I am fortunate to work at a school that recognises experience and qualifications.

Talk to the other teachers at the school you are applying to to get the 'tone' of the school. If you don't like it, don't sign.

Work hard. Play hard. Nothing wrong with that, just as long as it doesn't effect the standard that the school expects.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I think the average just went up! I just finished my job today!

But also I think it has improved with more people coming here, a little more competition. Schools can be a bit more choosy, not as desperate for the foreign face as a few years back I guess.