Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jajdude]

I've had a few of them. And personally, I look down on them. They open an academy for learning English but cannot speak it. I can speak Korean better than a lot of these owners can speak English. But I refuse to speak Korean at work, where it's supposed to be an English school. It's a joke. And then there's the front desk secretary with zero English. Well done. Nice English. Well, whatever, mom and dad, friends and teachers cannot speak English. But hey, kids, learn it well. It's ridiculous.

[Big Mac]

I agree. A hogwan owner who can't speak English well doesn't give a hoot about English at all and only cares about money.

[Lemonade]

I agree and they are probably trying to tell you how to teach English too.

I work with some Korean professors who teach English and they can bearly speak a sentence. It's too hard for them to say, "hello." They think the Korean students have excellent grammar skills

[mindmetoo]

My academy is mostly a prep academy, prepping kids to write all kinds of entrance exams. English is something of a side line. Hence not many people at my school speak English. It does have its advantages. The director can just run to you to put out fires.

[Picotrain]

It's not unlike someone opening a medical clinic without a background or education in medicine. At least Dr. Nick on "The Simpsons" had some sort of training.
In my opinion, if you're going to be an entrepreneur then a passion for the goods that you sell or the services that you provide is a must.

[bellum99]

Nope. Theyare right and we are wrong. They get in and make as much money as possible while not putting anything in to the business and then if it fails he opens somewhere else and does it agin.
There is a lot of money to be made doing this and money is the purpose of opening a business....it isn't charity work you know.

[jajdude]

nah

It's a joke.

How can you really respect a boss who runs an English academy, when the boss cannot speak English worth a damn? He/she may be cool and nice.

Seriously, it undermines the whole thing.

Then again, try phone teaching!

"Yoboseyo?"

Nope, the kid has English nowhere to be found outside the babysitting a few hours per week.

[Aussiekimchi]

This true and it happened at a school (now closed) in 2005.....
I hate schools that are run by non English speaking staff. I tell this freely to schools.
I had a new client and had an opportunity to go out and check the place out. I was told the boss was fluent in English.
I met this guy, he gave me his business card and we had a great conversation. Turns out that the boss lived in Oz for a while. His English was not perfect but it was good.
I left thinking that the teachers at this school would be happy.
My follow up conversation were with Korean staff at the school and though they were nice, their phone English left a lot to be desired. But that is common. Still I felt good about the school.
2 weeks later, I met the boss at the airport and we picked up my new teacher from USA.
All was sweet.
After a few weeks, I got an email from my teacher accusing me of lying to her about the communication potential at the school. She told me there was no one who could speak English at all. The boss had not been around since he had dropped her off at her apartment that first night.
And there seemed to be a new boss.
As it turned out, the school had gotten a friend to pose as the boss in our first meeting, (he gave me a business card) and it was this guy who had come to the airport to pick up the new teacher.
The real boss could not speak a word of English and completely pulled the wool over both my eyes and the teacher.
Fortunately, within a month the teacher had her release letter and started teaching in another school....IN JAPAN...the school closed last year without any native teacher employed....
I love this business!

[poet13]

ummm, ahhh, I disagree with all of you. An english school, like a medical clinic, is a business. A business follows a model and a plan. If a person can provide the space, infrasructure, and the talent to run it, then why not? Part of a good business plan though is hiring the right talent, and letting them do their job. This is where i see many failings and complaints. I dont believe passion is necessary at all. Creating a reasonably successful business is moderately formulaic.
Think about this.
You live in a small community. You have money. There is a pedia clinic, a doctors clinic, a vet, a chiropracter, an orthopedist. But no dental clinic. The residents have to drive twenty miles to another town to see a dentist. Research determines that the town can easily support three dentists and an orthodintist. Do you have to be a dentist to set up a clinic and hire dentists? Nope. As the owner, you manage the money, you ensure that the facility is maintained, the taxes are paid, people are paid, and the equipment is kept up to date. It's a business. This is where I see a lot of problems in the hagwon system. The non-"dentist" owner wants to come in a perform oral surgery. Other than that, i have no problems at all with an owner who doesnt speak english.
For the record, I do not have a business degree, have had no business training, but twenty years ago I did have a small company of my own.


Flames welcome!

[wylies99]

How can an owner track the quality control of the product/service if they don't understand the basics of the product/service?
The success of a business model is more than just grabbing immediate money. It's about ensuring long-term customer loyalty and satisfaction through delivering the product/service with proper quality controls- that's how you build a successful business. Repeat business is the most profitable.
If an owner doesn't understand the product/service, and the owner has no idea which employees are actually delivering the product/service, then that owner's business will eventually fail.

[Zark]

I tend to agree with poet - but Korea is a relatively unique animal.

I have taught in colleges and universities in four countries where the supervisors and deans had minimal English skills. Some of the schools were excellent - others weren't.

That's why they hire you.

[sjrm]

[Zark]

When you are living overseas - communication IS often an issue. But it is up to you (or me or someone! ) to learn the local language if you want to be successful overseas.

Just playing advocate here . . .

[poet13]

I agree with Zark that it is our responsibility as a foreigner to learn at least the basics of our host countries language.
I would however disagree that Korea is unique. I think you could find many countries with growth industries (no, not ESL) where as much as 90% fail in two years (yeah, my SWAG). Corruption and greed. Same anywhere else. Its just that we are here, as an intricate and vital part of this industry, that makes it so personal for us. We see the guts and inner workings of the industry. In many cases, it ain't pretty.
I also agree with the statement, "That's why they hire you."
It's almost like some people are saying that if you don't speak english, you can't be good at running a hogwan. I cant help but blurt out, "nonsense!"
The CEO of a company doesn't have to be an engineer, a QA analyst, an economist, or a lawyer to run his or her business well. If he needs an engineer, he hires one. Same with any other discipline.

[wylies99]

If your business is selling widgets, you need to understand widgets. If your business is teaching communication skills, you'd better understand communication skills. Otherwise, your business will eventually fail and you have no one to blame but yourself.