Anyone thinking of teaching in Korea

[toffeebhoy]

Ask me anything you want on this thread and I'll do my best to answer it.

[PermanentMarker]

Nice one. What kind of TEFL course do you have to do?

Some people do 4 week ones and some do weekend ones. Obviously some places are going to be a bit fussier but do places out there give a shit? Is there some internationally recognised one or are they desperate enough for teachers that they'll take any thing?

Also what's the native language like? Is it hard to learn? I don't think I know anyone who has been out there so any info appreciated - thinking of doing it next year.

[toffeebhoy]

Nice one. What kind of TEFL course do you have to do?

Some people do 4 week ones and some do weekend ones. Obviously some places are going to be a bit fussier but do places out there give a shit? Is there some internationally recognised one or are they desperate enough for teachers that they'll take any thing?

Also what's the native language like? Is it hard to learn? I don't think I know anyone who has been out there so any info appreciated - thinking of doing it next year.
First off, you don't need a TEFL but you need a degree (BA, BSc or equivalent). That's the minimum requirement but I would recommend doing a TEFL anyway as you would otherwise be coming into a classroom 'cold' like I did. They are not desperate for teachers but there are always jobs going. There are 3 kinds of jobs:

Hagwon: these are private language institutes, 'after school' schools. They usually run from about 2-3pm til about 8-9 pm. It's a minefield as many of them are run by out and out nutters but then again the class sizes are small. Do your homework on any place you work in. You should be able to call and email the people already working there but beware as some of them will tell you the place is grand just to get out of a contract or secure a bonus. If you do your homework and post up any contracts on www.daveseslcafe.com for perusal you'll get sound advice.

Public school: These start and finish earlier than the hagwons and are more reliable though you could still (like in any job) end up working for a spoon. Mind you the late starts suit my boozy lifestyle better, if you're not a barfly then a public school might be a better option. Wages depend on qualifications and experience and tend to be lower than a hagwon.

University: Everyone in the ESL industry here wants to work at a Korean university, it's the best job-more money, less hours, more holidays. Very difficult to get into. Some people manage to fall into one without a Master's but it's not easy.

I work in a hagwon myself, I am lucky to have a good boss who looked after me well at the start. The main advantages to working here are paid airfare (some schools pay upfront, some pay after you give them the receipt), housing is provided (always ask to see photos and INSIST on aircon in the contract) and you get a one month salary bonus on completion of a 12 month contract, which is sweet. ALL schools must pay that bonus. Disadvantages are that the boss owns your visa so if you want to quit and work for another school you can get in trouble. Also, many hagwons are nothing more than money making parodies of schools run by absolute crooks. Most of those will be blacklisted though.

Korea itself is an interesting place. Some people love it, some hate it. Beer and smokes and eating out are all very cheap here compared to home, unless you only drink bottled beers or Guinness. People vary between amazingly nice and friendly to downright rude or even hostile. It's hard to make friends with Koreans unless they're of the more open-minded variety. The language barrier is big (more on that later) and the culture here is different. Though you will always meet a few Koreans who buck that trend.

As for the language, the alphabet is easy to learn compared to Japanese or Chinese. If you learn that it's half the battle. Again, it's something I didn't do and I regretted it. It would have made the first few months a lot easier.

All in all I recommend it wholeheartedly. I have had a fantastic time since I got here 18 months ago. Even if it doesn't work out you will save enough to go somewhere else and set yourself up there.

Any other questions I'll be glad to answer 'em.

[seoul shaka]

St Pats- Irish footie team who will introduce you to the ladies and shadies of seoul and play some good ball as well

http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=stpa ts

[toffeebhoy]

St Pats- Irish footie team who will introduce you to the ladies and shadies of seoul and play some good ball as well

http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=stpa ts

Are you living in Seoul because I've always wanted to know if there's anywhere there I could see the GAA. I live in Gumi which is about 3 hours away.

[seoul shaka]

Used to live there. Hollywoods in Itaewon used to hook it up to the big screen through Setanta online. A new bar- The wolfhound in itaewon does it now as well i think.

The GAA team are off to Shanghai this week for asian 7s. Someone there will know for defo- maybe international rules will be shown. Their site is

http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=seou lgaels

[toffeebhoy]

Used to live there. Hollywoods in Itaewon used to hook it up to the big screen through Setanta online. A new bar- The wolfhound in itaewon does it now as well i think.

The GAA team are off to Shanghai this week for asian 7s. Someone there will know for defo- maybe international rules will be shown. Their site is

http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=seou lgaels

Cheers buddy!

[Claire.h]

you get a one month salary bonus on completion of a 12 month contract, which is sweet. ALL schools must pay that bonus.

I've seen this reference to an annual bonus several times. My take from that is that it is needed to get people to stay a full year. What is the situation if you only want to work for, e.g. a 3 month term, or half a year? Are all contracts for a full twelve months?

And (for the public schools at least) don't the kids get summer holidays??

Cheers for the info toffeebhoy

[toffeebhoy]

I've seen this reference to an annual bonus several times. My take from that is that it is needed to get people to stay a full year. What is the situation if you only want to work for, e.g. a 3 month term, or half a year? Are all contracts for a full twelve months?

And (for the public schools at least) don't the kids get summer holidays??

Cheers for the info toffeebhoy

You have to work the full year to get a severance bonus. It's a statutory thing. However, after one year, it's pro-rated. By this I mean that if you work 18 months you are entitled to six weeks' pay. Also, if the school you are working for has fewer than 5 full time employees they may be exempt from paying it so be sure to check that out. Also, yes, the public schools have summer and winter holidays but the foreign teachers often end up doing camps though they still get more holidays than the Hagwons which is usually only 2 weeks a year. It's possible to come and work in a summer camp for a month or 2 and it's possible (though rare) to get a six month contract. The vast majority of contracts are for one year and you better be prepared to spend all of it in Korea (barring a week in Thailand, Japan or somewhere). Hope this helps.

[mustang]

Ask me anything you want on this thread and I'll do my best to answer it.
WHATS IN MY BACK POCKET THEN YA CHECKY CUNT YA

[Captain Planet]

Ive been lookin into the whole TEFL thing but i heard in some places they're(whoever you're working with i think) pretty strict on your socialising, as in you're restircted to just weekend pissups etc. this could be a load of bull though. i hope it is.

[Job!]

I lived and worked in Korea for three years so a lot of experience on board here. The schools don't place restrictions on you going out and getting demented of a week night, but if you start turning up hungover they will start having little talks with you. Also, it just is not fun trying to teach a bunch of screaming kids with a pounding headache. The only times they ask you not to go out drinking is when you have to meet the parents the following day. Asians are all about "face"- show a good once and the parents will love you. I worked in a school where one of the teacher turned up the worse for wear after a night out and some of the parents removed their children from his classes as they were unimpressed with his conduct.

[Job!]

However, after one year, it's pro-rated. By this I mean that if you work 18 months you are entitled to six weeks' pay.

where on earth were you working?? I never heard of that six weeks pay thing in all my time there.