Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Captain Corea]

Ok, every week or so now (and for the past few years it seems) we've been bombarded with headlines ripping foreign teachers to shreds. Some of the accusations are well founded, and many teachers here have witnessed them, but some are just off the wall.

I was reading the Marmot�s tonight
http://www.rjkoehler.com/2006/08/25/breaknews-article-on-naughty-english-teachers-up/
and got to wondering what the solution is. I know this is nothing new. I know we have hashed this out many times and threads before. But what I�m wondering is, what would you change? If you had the power, how would you�


-stem the tide of �Tourist Teachers�? (those without VISAs)
-weed out unqualified foreign applicants (is a BA the only answer)?
-confront the growing demand for criminal checks?
-protect the power of the contract?
-ensure all parties are committed to seeing the contract through?
-deal with unqualified Korean English teachers (both in private or public systems)?
-address the reported over-emphasis on English?
-make sure that reporting on the issue was done even handedly?

I know we�ve all thrown out opinions. Whenever these type of scandals come up, everyone seems to pile on. But in those cases, it is usually fueled by some retaliatory anger. Why not take the opportunity now (as it seems we are occasionally being monitored by certain papers) to set out some clear ideas for improvement?


-CC

[Hater Depot]

Those are all just symptoms.

The cause is the out-of-control demand for English here, which really has reached ludicrous heights. People waste all their time and money to get high TOEIC scores and pass English interviews for jobs in which they never use English. I mean, if English education here were actually that effective, there wouldn't be so much demand that tourists and people with fake diplomas can get jobs no questions asked.

So I say, fundamentally, Koreans need to re-assess just how much English they really need, then tighten standards and be willing to treat fairly and pay more to those teachers who meet the new requirements. I think they would see a dramatic increase in the effectiveness of their system if they did that.

[laogaiguk]

Give us our visas instead of our employers. That would really help clean up the industryl. Not all of them, but a lot of them. The only problem with this is you will see prepaid flights disappear (or be paid at the end of the contract, or maybe become like Japan with a bonus, etc.) but it would be worth it.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[bosintang]

I have a solution. Stop studying English. I honestly don't see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for all these speakers who spent years in hagwons but will never have the opportunity to speak a lick of in their lives after graduating college.

More seriously, as Yata-Boy said, they really should just stop hiring foreigners, and take control of their own education.

[Qinella]

In keeping with Hater Depot's line of thinking, there needs to be an overhaul in the system. Private lessons should be allowed, and should become the preference over hagwons, since nothing can beat one-on-one instruction when it comes to language acquisition. (You ever seen the kids who get tutored at home by their fluent-English parents? The difference is amazing.)

Naturally, the cost for lessons would go down, and parents could afford to do private lessons each day of the week. Hagwons would go out of business, so that puts an end to the worries about contracts. The qualification issue is almost moot, because the parent and student will quickly realize for themselves whether or not the person is qualified, and then they'll spread the word. The good teachers will prosper, the bad ones (ideally) won't.

I can see why Koreans are all aflurry to learn English, but they're going about it the wrong way. Hagwons are okay, but if it takes a child five years of study just to put together a grammatically correct request to use the restroom, something's lacking.

[bosintang]

Call me a cynic, but the driving force behind these 'scandals' have little to do with improving education and more with disapprovement of English teachers lifestyles, so it's really futile to try to talk about 'cleaning up' the industry.

The only solution to this kind of xenophobia or moral outrage is to simply not hire us and deal with our lifestyle 'problem'.

[Captain Corea]

here are mine:

-stem the tide of �Tourist Teachers�? (those without VISAs)
Have anyone with more than two consecutive tourist visas subjected to questioning and partial investigation (this could be as simple as running a credit check or internet search) when entering the country.
-weed out unqualified foreign applicants (is a BA the only answer)?
I honestly don't think that the BA is the key. I'm scared to touch this one as I thik eliminating that BA would cause some serious caos, but maybe a TESL minimum?
-confront the growing demand for criminal checks?
Korean Immi should send out a fax to all relevant embassies that they will now be requiring this for any E2 applicants. Hopefully the "western countries" will give detail on how it can be obtained in their respective country. I do think though that this does not need to be carried out by Korean Immi but rather as part of the paperwork submitted on the E2's behalf.
-protect the power of the contract?
I know I'll hear chuckles, but I honestly think it is heading in this direction. The help desk + labour board are (slowly) stepping up.
-ensure all parties are committed to seeing the contract through?
To do this I think iswhere the major overhaul comes in. I do not think anyone should be given a permit to open a hogwon unless they have teaching credentials. Starting with an education first philosophy will go a long way to helping the commitment to the contract and the school.
-deal with unqualified Korean English teachers (both in private or public systems)?
SEPT tests should be administered to all public school teachers. If they can't pass, no teaching English.
-address the reported over-emphasis on English?
Personally, I'm not sure if it's totally over-rated. Most of the multi-national and Korean companies I work with use English regularly. Anyone hoping to enter the professional field would be well advised to cntinue studying it. However, many young people will never get there and maybe instead focus on trades. No need to subject them to years of something they'll never really use.
-make sure that reporting on the issue was done even handedly?
I'm going to catch flack for this one as well, but I think that certain internet boards need stronger moderation. far too many racial and sexual slurs seem to float by. As the largest forum around, something needs to be done here. If people complain, make your own forum and flame away.

[bosintang]