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scarneck
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 7:52 am Post subject: Pyeongchon Wonderland |
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This place is Seoul, does anyone have information about this school. Is Wonderland one of the schools with a bad rep?
Thanks |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Pyeongchon isn't in Seoul, it's in Anyang and use your noggin and do a search, I'm sure you'll find the info you're looking for! |
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scarneck
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 12:58 am Post subject: |
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retracted.. 
Last edited by scarneck on Sun Dec 26, 2004 7:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 1:24 am Post subject: |
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There are multiple threads on Wonderland which point out that yes, they have a bad rep. If you're thinking about taking a job there phone current teachers. If they are not forthcoming with the numbers leave it.
Merry xmas |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 1:39 am Post subject: Re: Pyeongchon Wonderland |
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| scarneck wrote: |
Is Wonderland one of the schools with a bad rep?
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I think it's fair to say that Wonderland, as a chain, has one of the worst reputations in Korean ESL. I freely admit that I've never worked at one myself, mostly because of this reputation. There may be exceptions, and as with most hogwon chains each franchise has independent management that is allowed a lot of latitude. I know that any minute now someone's gonna flame me telling me that they worked at a good Wonderland somewhere, but based on the horror stories I've seen I'd never risk it.
You say you did a search on this board, but in case you didn't find these, you may find the following threads useful:
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=16430&highlight=wonderland
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=5044&highlight=wonderland
And of course, the now classic Prisoners of Wonderland page:
http://www.geocities.com/prisonerofwonderland/
Be sure to click on the "Experiences of Others" link on the POW page. The experiences there are categorized as "Good", "Bad", or "Indifferent".
Good luck, whatever you decide. |
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scarneck
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 3:20 am Post subject: |
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Wasn't going to take a job there; the old lady has a friend that owns/runs one of the schools and she offered a job to the wife. Just wondering if the one I mentioned was one of the ones that eat it. So far the wife likes it, she likes the kids, plus she's keeping busy. I think that if she feels she's getting a raw deal, she'll deal with it.
Thanks for the replies...sorry for the rudeness.... |
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chronicpride
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 12:07 am Post subject: |
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This came from Jane Keeler's infamous site:
http://www.prisonerofwonderland.com/others1.html
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This was emailed to me 02 Oct 04:
Dear Jane:
I finished reading your diary and I must say that my experience was very similar. The kids were out of control, the teachers innept and the manager a real cold fucking twisted bitch with a heart of ice. My story has a twist, when I expressed my disatisfaction with the fact that they were not paying me for the extra work they decided to take my passport for some obscure immigration requirement. I never saw it again. After two months of waiting for it I requested it and was told that they did not know where it was, when I went to the police they told me that that it had been returned to my employer about six weeks ago. They called the director and assured me that I could pick it up at any time. When I went for it they told me that I could have it after my contract expired. When I treatened to go to the consulate they told me that the korean police would back them up. I went to the american consulate and they could not help, they advised me to seek an arrangement! Well, I thought,here I am, my fucking employer is a gangster and now I am in indentured servitute for life, for a moment I pictured myself slaving away at the Wonderland for life. So I started to raise hell, I went to the police and told them that the embassy was really pissed and so on and at the embassy I told them that my boss had confiscated my passport, I reminded them that the passport was property of the goverment, that they had the obligation to recover it. Well, they issued one ofter I made a fuss in the American Services Office. I waited for my paychech and I took the first plane available. I lasted five months, Pyongchon Wonderland is the asshole of a sick dog, you have to be insane to go there.
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Lots of potential gaps of left-out info, in a one-sided story. Bad school or bad teacher, who knows. I never take teacher testimonials at face value, but this is worth noting, however. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 3:33 am Post subject: |
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| It sounds really strange that the American embassy would not back someone up over a stolen passport. More likely the fellow didn't have the guts to go there or something else went on that we don't know. I know from personal experience that the Canadian embassy will raise all matter of unholy hell should a director decide to hold onto a Canadian passport. I can't imagine the American embassy being so much different. |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 6:41 am Post subject: |
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Hey, Itaewonguy... the "Belly chick" worked at Pyeongchon Wonderland. She quit this year though.
Scarneck, I'm not sure about the foreign teachers, but I know that my ex-gf from last year worked at that branch and had to do a lot of phone teaching. She worked there like 2 or 3 years. I don't think they were all that horrible, or I might have heard about it. I just remember that she was in contract negotiations when we were going out, and I was giving her advice about how to handle it.
By the way, I like Pyongchon, but it's a little further out from Seoul than Bundang, I think. The town has a nice big Wal-Mart. |
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shawner88
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 8:13 am Post subject: |
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| It's a great school. Enjoy your new job. |
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scarneck
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2004 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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The reason I asked is that my wife knows the 'owner/manager' of that particular school and she's now working there. I guess like an assistant teacher, they consider her a bit different because she's Korean, but with US citizenship. Speaks English, but again, not a native speaker. ( I know: the parents like to see white faces!) They got her on an hourly basis and pay her 150,000 won a month (she says) for transportation fees, (takes about an hour via the tube and bus from home). I do know there's a Canadian guy there named 'John'. I think she likes it, says it's a bit unorganized, but realizes she's still learning the system.
I asked for information because if there is something she can do to help the foreign teacher live/work better by talking to the management, she'll do that.
Of course they don't pay any rent/plane ticket etc..just an hourly wage now, I told her to get a salary and ask for a decent one based on how many hours she works in comparison to a salary person..
Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it. |
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