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LivePoetry
Joined: 05 Mar 2011
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 Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:38 pm Post subject: update on Hankuk University of Foreign Studies/Yongin? |
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Hello, I know there have been numerous threads already on HUFS but I want to start a new one since the latest info I was able to get from already-existing threads was from 2008.
I have an interview on Thursday for the Yongin campus, for a position at the Foreign Language Education Center. There are a ton of absolute horror stories about HUFS up on this site, but I want to get some more current info.
Can anyone working there currently give me some feedback on the working conditions, please??
As far as the job advertisement goes, it looks like a great deal to me. 2.26 M per month, minimum 12 hours a week teaching, 16 week vacation (!!!).
this is the description of the job: Preparing lesson plans for teaching Practical English related to employment (in the field of English presentation, job interview, resume writing, business English).
16 week vacation would be a dream for me, pay seems decent enough and 12 hours a week is next to nothing! However, will they screw me out of all these things and make me work horrible split-shifts, long hours and make me teach during vacations?? (this is the general thread of the previous discussions of this university) How much do people usually end up actually teaching when the job advertises 12 hrs/week. I assume you have to work some overtime??
Please advise!! |
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withnail
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Like you I have heard horror stories about HUFS but I'm not sure if they were related to the language institute at Yongin or another department in Seoul.
2.26 is ok, but a little on the downside. Is housing offered?
I know from the ad that they did seem to emhasise that the 16 week break is to be uninterrupted or at least that you will have the choice.
It's impossible to know if you will only be doing 12 hours though, because that is the minimum.
There could be more to do as overtime, either that you are free to choose or that you might be obliged to do.
All in all it looks ok on paper.
Bad experiences for Foreign instructors tend to relate to the unholy influence of one individual person in particular - whoever is in charge of the program - and it's always the luck of the draw - they might be nice and relaxed, or they might be fond of messing foreign teachers about and showing them who's boss.
You have to make sure that you ask these questions - either at the end of the interview or when you are given an opportunity to ask and don't be too shy to bring a list of questions with you in case you'd forget to ask something important.
I know Korean employers give off the vibe that we'd be lucky to be employed by them but if they are put off by your honest questions then believe me you wouldn't want to work there anyway.
Often nowadays, the hiring involves at least one foreign teacher who will at least understand your curiosity.
Do you have a background in Business English? If not , the following books would be good to browse through at least.
General Business English - Market Leader Series
Presentations: Presenting in English by Mark Powell
In short, this job looks good but there is certainly the potential there for the real deal to be very different from the ad.
Unless you ask specific questions about these issues, no one can tell you except for someone who already works there. Be sure to come away with a few email addresses of current employees.
If everything's cool, there's no reason why you shouldn't get a few email addresses. If they won't allow that, then they have something to hide. |
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LivePoetry
Joined: 05 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:47 am Post subject: |
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Thanks so much for all the advice, Withnail. I think I'll be able to go into the interview in a much more focused way now.
By the way, yes, they do cover housing. |
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LivePoetry
Joined: 05 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| oh, and did you mean that you think I should browse through those books before my interview, or do you mean they are just good refs. for if I actually get the job? I sort of have experience with business English, not a lot, but I have been teaching adults one-to-one for almost a year now here in Korea and I do business English with about half of them. (have done a lot of work with that Market Leader book). Do u recommend reading up more before thursday to make myself more marketable as a business English teacher?? |
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withnail
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 1:55 am Post subject: |
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| Not necessarily...just be ready to answer how you would go about teaching business english, cv writing, presenting etc and whatever they are looking for and of course be ready to do a short demo lesson if they spring that on you... |
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LivePoetry
Joined: 05 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:28 am Post subject: |
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| Another quick question, Withnail, since you seem to know a lot about the university process. (or for anyone else, of course). I had my interview today and I have to send them a follow-up email with some more information. Is it a good or bad idea to mention in my email that I have a job offer from another university and am being considered at others but that HUFS is my top choice?? (these things are all true, I am just concerned that they might think... I don't know.) ANy thoughts at all are very appreciated!! (and as soon as you can, bc I have to send it tonight). |
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withnail
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:23 am Post subject: |
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you mean you think by telling them this, it might influence them to offer you the job? No need. It won't help and it would look a bit desperate. Forget that. It's irrelevant to their decision and they know that applicants have applied to other places anyway.
Be cool. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:03 am Post subject: |
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| withnail wrote: |
| Bad experiences for Foreign instructors tend to relate to the unholy influence of one individual person in particular. |
Who would that be? |
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Beccax01
Joined: 27 Apr 2008
Location: America
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| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:37 am Post subject: |
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| LivePoetry wrote: |
| Another quick question, Withnail, since you seem to know a lot about the university process. (or for anyone else, of course). I had my interview today and I have to send them a follow-up email with some more information. Is it a good or bad idea to mention in my email that I have a job offer from another university and am being considered at others but that HUFS is my top choice?? (these things are all true, I am just concerned that they might think... I don't know.) ANy thoughts at all are very appreciated!! (and as soon as you can, bc I have to send it tonight). |
Did you end up taking the job here? |
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LivePoetry
Joined: 05 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Did you end up taking the job here? |
Beccax01: Yes, they offered me the job and I took it. As Withnail suggested, I asked for contact info of current teachers, and they agreed without any hesitation. I spoke with a woman who has been working there for quite some time, and she had nothing but good things to say about the working conditions, community among the teachers, students, director of the program, pretty much everything. I have also had very good interactions with the director so far, and sat in on a class there and was impressed with how engaged the students appear to be. (I was told this was a particularly good class, but still). Apparently all of the things in the advertisement are "for real"-- this woman did say she is working 19 hours a week-- not 12-- but they get paid overtime rates for anything over 12. The only other change from the advertisement is that teachers find their own housing off-campus, and there is a 800,000won housing allowance added to the salary each month.
So, all in all, it seems that all the horror stories about HUFS from a few years ago must have been about another program or the Seoul campus, or this program has changed drastically. Feel free to ask me if there's anything else you'd like to know. |
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Chet Wautlands
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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Hi LivePoetry,
I'm interested in what qualifications you have. MA? BA? TESOL? CELTA?
I'll be applying to universities this winter and I'm curious about the demands. |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="LivePoetry"]
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| ...it seems that all the horror stories about HUFS from a few years ago must have been about another program or the Seoul campus, or this program has changed drastically. |
Yes, there are other departments / programs where native English teachers are hired and at both campuses.
I'd like to read a post from you after completing a semester at HUFS and then again after your first year there. It would be interesting to hear your take on things. |
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LivePoetry
Joined: 05 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:54 am Post subject: |
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I'm interested in what qualifications you have. MA? BA? TESOL? CELTA?
I'll be applying to universities this winter and I'm curious about the demands. |
I have an MA in English (literature) and my BA is also in Lit. I have one year of teaching experience in Korea, at a hagwon for adults (mostly one-to-one teaching), and when I was going to university in America I had a part-time job tutoring Japanese exchange students (university level) in English. I don't have any teaching certifications.
a bit more about my job search experience: I applied to many universities, most of which were much less prestigious than HUFS, and heard back from only a few of them. I almost didn't apply to HUFS because they listed 2 years of teaching experience as one of their minimum requirements, and I don't have that, plus I'm well aware that teaching one to one is vastly different from teaching 30 people in a classroom. So, my advice is to apply widely regardless of your qualifications, and you never know what can happen. I think a lot of it comes down to luck and timing, and also how you handle yourself in the interview. |
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Bruce W Sims
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Illinois; USA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:02 am Post subject: |
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| LivePoetry wrote: |
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I'm interested in what qualifications you have. MA? BA? TESOL? CELTA?
I'll be applying to universities this winter and I'm curious about the demands. |
I have an MA in English (literature) and my BA is also in Lit. I have one year of teaching experience in Korea, at a hagwon for adults (mostly one-to-one teaching), and when I was going to university in America I had a part-time job tutoring Japanese exchange students (university level) in English. I don't have any teaching certifications.
a bit more about my job search experience: I applied to many universities, most of which were much less prestigious than HUFS, and heard back from only a few of them. I almost didn't apply to HUFS because they listed 2 years of teaching experience as one of their minimum requirements, and I don't have that, plus I'm well aware that teaching one to one is vastly different from teaching 30 people in a classroom. So, my advice is to apply widely regardless of your qualifications, and you never know what can happen. I think a lot of it comes down to luck and timing, and also how you handle yourself in the interview. |
Don't be daunted by having a number of faces staring back at you expecting you to have all the answers. 1:1 teaching has its advantages and disadvantages, as does teaching a roomful. Certainly prep time becomes much more important as does tracking on a syllabus based on a sound curriculum. A huge advantage is having individuals who can rotate among themselves and provide a range of abilities to each other.
I think it would be great to have you offer feedback on how things are going.
Best Wishes,
Bruce |
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Tamada
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:27 am Post subject: |
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| How about the annual publishing requirements to get rehired? |
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