[JTH]

really great thread, im looking to teach ESL after my undergrad, maybe not in korea but still, a lot of these posts have helped me get a better understanding of what its like.

thxxxx

[little mixed girl]

^ Or failing that, they're at least going to spread the word and let the billions of people who care so deeply about educational mismanagement, sexism, xenophobia, and corruption in Korea know the full and honest truth that they've seen first hand, or heard second or third hand at the expat bar, (usually within 12 months or less of) living in Korea.

psh. another instance of korean (expats) copying japanese (expats).

[Yubumsuk]

psh. another instance of korean (expats) copying japanese (expats).

What? From reading Dave's I thought that Japan was a model of civility and logic compared with Korea.

[little mixed girl]

What? From reading Dave's I thought that Japan was a model of civility and logic compared with Korea.

i think that this thread would beg to differ.
http://bigdaikon.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=108948

and maybe this one too:
http://ithinkimlost.com/modules.php?name=F...opic&t=7742

actually, japanese people receive emails before korean esl teachers come.
we know who to look out for.

[whatever0024]

This question may have been asked in here.

How tough is it if you're not white, but you're looking to teach English in Korea, Japan, or China? How common is discrimination?

[little mixed girl]

This question may have been asked in here.

How tough is it if you're not white, but you're looking to teach English in Korea, Japan, or China? How common is discrimination?

there are places that prefer white people, but god, it's not like you are forbidden from EVER entering japan/china/korea if you are not white.
i know minorities who are teaching english in korea and japan.

there will be places that only want whites, and places that don't care what you are as long as you are a native english speaker.

[Yubumsuk]

i think that this thread would beg to differ.
http://bigdaikon.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=108948

and maybe this one too:
http://ithinkimlost.com/modules.php?name=F...opic&t=7742

actually, japanese people receive emails before korean esl teachers come.
we know who to look out for.

Skimming over those forums really does confirm my opinion that most JETs are treated like quite a joke. In fact I think it's a lot easier to establish oneself as more of a 'real teacher' at most Korean schools, where you're very much what you make of yourself. When a 'teaching' programme only wants teachers in their 20s it's probably a very good indication that something is hopelessly screwed up with it.

In a bizarre twist of fate, I've never had to do a demonstration lesson for Koreans but have done two for Japanese - one a Japanese MOE delegation that was visiting Korea and another for a Japanese professor who was doing comparative research on TEFL in Japan, Korea, and China. Both times the japanese seemed rather astounded that a white guy could take charge and conduct a whole lesson for 45 or 50 minutes. One of them, a former English teacher who moved on to an MOE position, said that she had never seen a lesson like that, where a foreigner just came in and conducted a lesson using English as the language of instruction. She taught English for many years and observed many schools and had *never* seen that before? WTF? I think that speaks volumes about the state of the Japanese public education system. Whereas most Koreans are all right handing things over to a foreigner they trust once they know you're on their side, I think most Japanese would rather insist on holding firm to the helm themselves even if it means failing.

[ginger]

and maybe this one too:
http://ithinkimlost.com/modules.php?name=F...opic&t=7742

actually, japanese people receive emails before korean esl teachers come.
we know who to look out for.

That was an interesting read, especially considering people always seemed to have absolutely glowing reviews of Japan.
"People in Korea are so mean!! So racist! But in Japan, EVERYONE was so friendly or nice and we'd NEVER get treated like we were different!"

-ginger

[Yubumsuk]

That was an interesting read, especially considering people always seemed to have absolutely glowing reviews of Japan.
"People in Korea are so mean!! So racist! But in Japan, EVERYONE was so friendly or nice and we'd NEVER get treated like we were different!"

-ginger

Yeah, it's a pretty prevalent belief / myth. I don't know where it comes from - perhaps from foreigners who go on a weekend trip to Fukuoka and are surprised that they're surrounded by Asians who don't bump into them and spit all the time - but apparently not from our counter-parts in Japanese public schools. I've read a number of reports from 'ALTs' (assistant language trainers - they even make a point of not calling them teachers) about things I can't imagine happening in my school or in my classroom. Today I punished one middle schooler for getting out of her desk in the middle of a lesson without asking permission, and was thinking, why the hell would she think she could just get up and walk to the back of the classroom when they're in the middle of doing an exercise? Because she thinks that since I'm a foreigner she can just ignore my lesson if she wishes? Then I read accounts like on those forums LMG linked about *teenage* students running around the classroom all the bloody time and think what a bunch of sweet little angels I've got here in Korea.

There's no doubt that Japanese are much better about minding their manners around foreigners, but I think that this is in large part masking a very premeditated kind of xenophobia (as opposed to the more open and geunine xenophobia in Korea that's more possible to change).

[fattycake]

Does it matter when you actually go to Korea to start teaching - in terms of time/season?

It seems like most people go right after college graduation - which is in the summertime, between June and July.

But there are some people, like my friend, who's probably going to be done with school by fall or winter quarter.

What - if there are - opportunities/chances are there for people like him to start teaching in Korea?

[ginger]

Does it matter when you actually go to Korea to start teaching - in terms of time/season?

It seems like most people go right after college graduation - which is in the summertime, between June and July.

But there are some people, like my friend, who's probably going to be done with school by fall or winter quarter.

What - if there are - opportunities/chances are there for people like him to start teaching in Korea?

There are ALWAYS jobs at hagwons--always. It doesn't matter what season.

For public schools, there are stricter hiring seasons. The semesters in Korea start on Sept 1 and March 3, so the hiring in July and Jan/Feb is huge.

-ginger

[~hana]

Just found out the other day that I was hired by SMOE ^^
I want to thank you ginger for your blog posts about your experience
even though I've done a lot of research it was nice to read a first hand account that wasn't biased

[ginger]

Just found out the other day that I was hired by SMOE ^^
I want to thank you ginger for your blog posts about your experience
even though I've done a lot of research it was nice to read a first hand account that wasn't biased

Woot! Congrats! We'll be SMOE hoes together. Beware for the pointless 7 day orientation you'll have...

but other than that, it's a decent program. It'll be crazy if you're placed in my district--we'll see each other twice a semester at district meetings! They're trying to put more Native speakers in my district because the kids have lower English skills and they're trying to give them more speaking opportunities. There are a ton of us here considering the district's size.

-ginger

[watcher]

i'm looking for some decent programs to teach english for native koreans here in the states. does anyone have any good recommendations and/or references i can use to teach english?

[redbean]

i would also like to thank ginger!

i got hired by SMOE yesterday in less than 24 hrs after my interview. ^^
i'm still in the middle of taking summer school.... so i just hope that i can get my transcript and degree confirmation letter as soon as i finish up my courses.

[~hana]

Woot! Congrats! We'll be SMOE hoes together. Beware for the pointless 7 day orientation you'll have...

but other than that, it's a decent program. It'll be crazy if you're placed in my district--we'll see each other twice a semester at district meetings! They're trying to put more Native speakers in my district because the kids have lower English skills and they're trying to give them more speaking opportunities. There are a ton of us here considering the district's size.

-ginger

Yeah I heard about the orientation
It would be crazy/cool if I was placed in the same district esp since I don't know anyone in the teaching realm over there
I wish I could know where I was going but I guess I'll just have to wait

[ginger]

i would also like to thank ginger!

i got hired by SMOE yesterday in less than 24 hrs after my interview. ^^
i'm still in the middle of taking summer school.... so i just hope that i can get my transcript and degree confirmation letter as soon as i finish up my courses.

Wow, so two soompiers are coming with SMOE? Fantastico! A lot of my SMOE friends are staying, but tons are leaving after this summer, too, so it will be cool to have some "fresh blood." Muahaha.

-ginger

[j00n]

I've heard good things about YES as well. I know some YES branches aren't good but most within or around Seoul (which is where you wanna be anyways) are good.

[uws]

I've heard good things about YES as well. I know some YES branches aren't good but most within or around Seoul (which is where you wanna be anyways) are good.

not good in terms of what; and which branches are they? can anyone point out any differences or any bad stories they've heard between YBM and CDI? those two are the ones that I'm starting to lead towards, but I just want to make sure....

[fresh]

Hey I am a Korean living in Korea right now, but I have lived in the U.S. for about... 16 years so yeah my English is better than my Korean, but my Korean is fluent as well (reading, writing, speaking). I think it will be good for me to teach English, but the thing is I haven't finished college... I was working on two year in the U.S. and then didn't finish. (Personal reasons) Will it be hard for me to find a job teaching English?

Or I was thinking maybe I should finish school here in Korea first... Do they have a bias against people who graduated in Korea instead of people who graduated in America?