[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

I wish that I could read the article that you are talking about but it only takes me to the homepage and when I search for it, it does not come up. I have seen some bullying around the school but for the most part the boys play pretty rough with one another and that is the norm. When I would step in and pull them apart even the kid that was being dragged around would look at me weird and say that they are only playing. I never see one kid being picked on more than the next so it makes me think that they take turns being the one manhandled by the others. The games here are a bit unorthodox for my western standards but even the Korean teachers let it go. I have seen boys grabbing each other and twisting, I intervene there because that is not polite in any culture. I count it as a blessing that you can give children box-cutters as a regular school supply and not have an incident where they try and inflict harm upon each other. If you give the same instrument to a kid in the U.S. there would be so many complaints and probably rightfully so.

If you find the article again I would like to read it.

In response to what Yubumsuk said, I moved to a small city of 150,000 and work in four public elementary schools without having to speak Korean. I am not saying that this situation never happens but there is an alternative side to this as well. All of my co-teachers speak English pretty well. I am not saying they are perfect at it but if you come with an open mind and a willingness to take it slow with them then you will be fine. I sometimes have a rough time understand ideologies or cultural stand points but I am receptive to new p-o-v's and enjoy learning about this country. I have seen some foreign teachers who come to this country and get frustrated at having to speak slower, modify the way they speak so that it is easier for the people they teach and get upset because no one understands them. This is probably the most venomous mind frame you could have. If you have taken another foreign language then you understand what I am saying because when a teacher was not patient it is hard to learn. In school; I took Japanese, Italian and I speak Vietnamese so I have the greatest amount of sympathy for those who try and learn English because it is one of the most difficult languages. This language makes and breaks it's rules more than any other but because we are fluent it seems simple.

I love the experience that I have had while I have been out here. There was a rough transition period at the beginning but if you are willing to adapt and learn as much as you teach then it will be a very rewarding experience.

Many of the Korean/Americans who come over here has told me that being Korean has been the biggest disadvantage to them because no one takes them seriously. One of my neighbors has been asking for supplies that she was promised at the beginning of her program and they shrug it off because they think she is "one of them" instead of a foreign teacher. If you do not speak Korean you will have more leverage for the most part. I am also glad that I do not speak Korean because some of the comments your students and other teachers say can be hurtful and outright disrespectful. The best part is that they will do it in front of you with a smile on their face. I am unsure if any of the people around me have done this (I am guessing they have), but I know other foreign teachers who have told me horror stories.

I am not a pushy individual but you have to be in Korea to get anything you need or want. Keep that in mind when you are over here.

[Psyche81]

I wish that I could read the article that you are talking about but it only takes me to the homepage and when I search for it, it does not come up. I have seen some bullying around the school but for the most part the boys play pretty rough with one another and that is the norm. When I would step in and pull them apart even the kid that was being dragged around would look at me weird and say that they are only playing. I never see one kid being picked on more than the next so it makes me think that they take turns being the one manhandled by the others. The games here are a bit unorthodox for my western standards but even the Korean teachers let it go. I have seen boys grabbing each other and twisting, I intervene there because that is not polite in any culture. I count it as a blessing that you can give children box-cutters as a regular school supply and not have an incident where they try and inflict harm upon each other. If you give the same instrument to a kid in the U.S. there would be so many complaints and probably rightfully so.

If you find the article again I would like to read it.

In response to what Yubumsuk said, I moved to a small city of 150,000 and work in four public elementary schools without having to speak Korean. I am not saying that this situation never happens but there is an alternative side to this as well. All of my co-teachers speak English pretty well. I am not saying they are perfect at it but if you come with an open mind and a willingness to take it slow with them then you will be fine. I sometimes have a rough time understand ideologies or cultural stand points but I am receptive to new p-o-v's and enjoy learning about this country. I have seen some foreign teachers who come to this country and get frustrated at having to speak slower, modify the way they speak so that it is easier for the people they teach and get upset because no one understands them. This is probably the most venomous mind frame you could have. If you have taken another foreign language then you understand what I am saying because when a teacher was not patient it is hard to learn. In school; I took Japanese, Italian and I speak Vietnamese so I have the greatest amount of sympathy for those who try and learn English because it is one of the most difficult languages. This language makes and breaks it's rules more than any other but because we are fluent it seems simple.

I love the experience that I have had while I have been out here. There was a rough transition period at the beginning but if you are willing to adapt and learn as much as you teach then it will be a very rewarding experience.

Many of the Korean/Americans who come over here has told me that being Korean has been the biggest disadvantage to them because no one takes them seriously. One of my neighbors has been asking for supplies that she was promised at the beginning of her program and they shrug it off because they think she is "one of them" instead of a foreign teacher. If you do not speak Korean you will have more leverage for the most part. I am also glad that I do not speak Korean because some of the comments your students and other teachers say can be hurtful and outright disrespectful. The best part is that they will do it in front of you with a smile on their face. I am unsure if any of the people around me have done this (I am guessing they have), but I know other foreign teachers who have told me horror stories.

I am not a pushy individual but you have to be in Korea to get anything you need or want. Keep that in mind when you are over here.

http://www.asianoffbeat.com/default.asp?display=1738

Here is the news report link about a hazing/rape case at a Korean elementary school this pass spring. I also posted this article in current events. This just appalls me. And I know that Korean students have an odd way of playing with each other, but if they get to the point where they're harming each other like this....I just wonder what a foreign teacher might be able to do if they see something like this going on at their school. I know reporting it to their principle is one way. But how effective will that be when you take into consideration that Koreans love to save face. And scandals like this happening at their school will make them lose face............Besides the principle, who will you take this matter to and know that you'll be heard? Anyone have suggestions?

[Yubumsuk]

I have a question for all ESL teachers currently teaching in South Korea. I've heard that bullying is pretty common in the school yards in Korea. So how would you deal with such an issue effectively??

Also, I've read a news article about a recent rape case in an elementary school in Daegu (refer here for the full story http://www.asianoffbeat.com/default.asp?display=1738) involving many students. How would you as a teacher prevent such a thing from happening? It is very sad what happened in Daegu if you read the article and watch the videos on the site........><

It depends. Some Korean kids play-fight a lot, and hit each other surprisingly hard when they do. However, serious violence and fighting with intent to hurt others is very rare in my experience. It also varies between public schools and hagwons. At public schools if there is any real fighting it will likely happen at the beginning of the year when new kids are still sorting out their pecking order. After that, the biggest problem is ostracisation, known in Korea as the 'wangta' complex, whereby a few kids are just never accepted or included in anything, and rejected by the larger group which is all so important to Koreans' identity and sense of self-worth.

At hagwons, where you often get kids of different ages in the same class, age-based bullying can happen quite often. Depending on whether the oldest kids are nasty or nice, it can be either a positive or negative.

I'm not so familiar with public elementary schools, however (I teach middle and high school). From what I've heard some of them have really gone down the toilet, especially when it comes to grade 6 classes. The case in Daegu was the result of a principal only concerned with covering his own ass and denying what was going on until it was too late to hide the extent of it anymore. I've already vented about that irresponsible, self-serving bastard enough on some other forums, so I'll spare repeating it all again.

All in all I think that Korean schools are still over-all much better than schools in most western countries when it comes to student violence.

I am also glad that I do not speak Korean because some of the comments your students and other teachers say can be hurtful and outright disrespectful. The best part is that they will do it in front of you with a smile on their face. I am unsure if any of the people around me have done this (I am guessing they have)...

Don't worry - I'll straighten them out when they get to my middle school.

[B0hemian_Sprite]

Hey guys, I have a question for anyone who's been hired by SMOE through KoreaConnections.

I was reading over the contract and it stated that I will have to pay roughly $500 (USD) for some sort of security deposit for my apartment. I just find that extremely fishy because contracted teachers should not have to pay for anything. Do you guys know anything about this? I could really use some help

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

Hey guys, I have a question for anyone who's been hired by SMOE through KoreaConnections.

I was reading over the contract and it stated that I will have to pay roughly $500 (USD) for some sort of security deposit for my apartment. I just find that extremely fishy because contracted teachers should not have to pay for anything. Do you guys know anything about this? I could really use some help

I read on Dave's ESL Cafe some time ago that it is the school's way of keeping teachers at the job. Sometimes when the school has had too many midnight runners (A teacher that packs up and leaves Korea on a last minute ditch effort to get out of an awful situation or contract) they will add some kind of initial cost to help to keep the teacher within the job. For instance, the office of education for my schools put in a clause that said that I would have to pay the initial plane ticket over to Korea and would be reimbursed after a six month period. I was promised that I would get my plane ticket paid for on arrival. Luckily, I like my job immensely so it was not a problem. Be careful, make sure that you will get reimbursed (usually with those, it is at the end of your contract or when you move out) or find another program. I like Dave's ESL Cafe for finding jobs. I went through a private recruiter and although it was difficult at first, I count my blessings because it has developed into a truly positive experience.

To Yubumsuk,

They are not all too bad, I have it way better than most people but thanks for the offer. If they become unruly then I will send them along. Thanks

[영원한 사랑]

Hey you guys I have an important question....



My mom is really interested in teaching english in korea. She's fluent in both korean and english, but her first language is korean (she immigrated here when she was 9) and has a bachelor's degree at a pretty good university. But she has no idea what to do or how to find out any good pay english teaching job. My dad has ALOT of family in korea but we haven't tried asking them......

so my point is....Is it better to look off ads online or are connections alot better to find out these type of jobs???? i've looked on various korean sites and the pay doesn't look so good....but i hear u can find some really good pay ones if you're lucky?

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

Hey you guys I have an important question....



My mom is really interested in teaching english in korea. She's fluent in both korean and english, but her first language is korean (she immigrated here when she was 9) and has a bachelor's degree at a pretty good university. But she has no idea what to do or how to find out any good pay english teaching job. My dad has ALOT of family in korea but we haven't tried asking them......

so my point is....Is it better to look off ads online or are connections alot better to find out these type of jobs???? i've looked on various korean sites and the pay doesn't look so good....but i hear u can find some really good pay ones if you're lucky?

Hey 영원한 사랑,

May I ask what your definition of good is? The Won is pretty weak right now so most schools are paying a bit more. With a bachelor's degree, your mom could be making anywhere from 2.0 million- 2.4 million base salary with whatever bonuses they add on top of that. (Some provinces will give you a county bonus, a city bonus and a bonus for working at multiple schools.) Also take into account that the Office of Education will fly your mom out here, give her a starting settlement allowance and pay for the apartment. For the most part all she would have to pay for is utilities, food, entertainment and transportation around. Most of that is cheap so there is a great chance for savings potential. Ultimately, if she applies and does not receive an offer that she deems suitable then she has the choice of trying to negotiate a better deal (Not always guaranteed that they will do this since there are many people who would also like to teach in Korea) or continue to hunt.

Dave's ESL Cafe is a good site to look for jobs. (http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/) I have emailed Dave Sperling before. When I was afraid that I might get Shanghai'ed into a shady deal but he told me that if the companies or recruiters are not on the up and up they get banned. On this site, many recruiters (people that the school district hires to search for qualified employees for them) choose this method as a way of broadcasting the basic requirements you need and what the schools are willing to pay. Once she gets here she could also teach private lessons on the down low if she is not happy with the pay to make more money. Many teachers do that but make sure the Office of Education does not find out because you can get deported.

When you think about it, you work 22 hours a week and have 18 hours of break time to do whatever you want at the school. So the pay is excellent compared to the work load. Anything you teach over the 22 hours you get overtime pay for as well. Just look on the site to find a job that your mom might want to apply for.

[little mixed girl]

Hey guys, I have a question for anyone who's been hired by SMOE through KoreaConnections.

I was reading over the contract and it stated that I will have to pay roughly $500 (USD) for some sort of security deposit for my apartment. I just find that extremely fishy because contracted teachers should not have to pay for anything. Do you guys know anything about this? I could really use some help

uhm...in korea they often ask for security deposit (aka key money, etc) for an apartment.
why would contracted teachers be exempt?
if the school decides to pay it for you, that's a plus, but it's not a given...

[영원한 사랑]

^^If my mom wants to tutor in private home, will they usually pay for airfare and place to stay? or is that only for public and private companies?

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

^^If my mom wants to tutor in private home, will they usually pay for airfare and place to stay? or is that only for public and private companies?

I am unsure about how her visa would work since she is originally of Korean decent and was/ still is a citizen of Korea. Since most teachers that come here come on a teacher's visa, the schools have to sponsor them to come over here so teaching privates alone is not an option. Families spend quite a bit of their salary to allow their kids to get private lessons from foreign teachers but I have not heard of any case where they will pay for airfare and housing. Though an office manager from one of my schools offered to let me stay with him and his family rent/ utility free with daily meals if I would tutor his son. So that is not uncommon. Most families only need an English tutor twice a week as well so it would not be in their best interest to spend so much. Also take into account that your mom would not be able to set up private lessons until she gets here because I do not know of any boards that Korean parents go on to post these independent jobs.

Working in the schools is not bad. Although I have heard some horror stories about hagwons. I am not sure about all the details on those but I do recommend public schools. She can make a good deal of money by teaching at school during the day and at night do a few privates.

[Yubumsuk]

Dave's ESL Cafe is a good site to look for jobs. (http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/) I have emailed Dave Sperling before. When I was afraid that I might get Shanghai'ed into a shady deal but he told me that if the companies or recruiters are not on the up and up they get banned.

While I'm shocked that Dave even replied to you I don't believe what he told you for one second. Just look at all the job ads he takes for jobs offering $2,000-2,500USD / month while with the current state of the won the pay doesn't even come close to $2,000 when you do the conversion. There are many dodgy recruiters on his site, just like any other TEFL site.

[little mixed girl]

^^If my mom wants to tutor in private home, will they usually pay for airfare and place to stay? or is that only for public and private companies?

not to sound mean, but who will pay for someone to fly half-way around the world and give them a place to stay just so they can "work" unsupervised out of their home?
who would be paying her?

and even if there was someone that would do that, inviting strangers into your home isn't safe anywhere...

[B0hemian_Sprite]

uhm...in korea they often ask for security deposit (aka key money, etc) for an apartment.
why would contracted teachers be exempt?
if the school decides to pay it for you, that's a plus, but it's not a given...

...I just wanted to make sure that it is a legit payment they are asking for, and not some sort of scam to take my money and leave.
But gee, thanks for your reassurance.

[little mixed girl]

...I just wanted to make sure that it is a legit payment they are asking for, and not some sort of scam to take my money and leave.
But gee, thanks for your reassurance.

i'm sorry it came out short, but this is something you could find out with a little research.
don't just stay satisfied with one thing you read on one forum.
if you know people living in korea, ask them.

in terms of housing, japan and korea seem quite similar in that they charge a LOT for apartments.
key money, money to the real estate agent, security deposit....stuff that can add up to thousands.

some places will have it all taken care of, some won't, some will do part of it.

if you think that a school is trying to scam you before you even get there, then that means you don't trust them...or something...

apartment fees are different from the ones in the US (or canada, i assume).

in japan:
http://www.gadling.com/2007/12/29/big-in-j...tment-in-tokyo/

in korea:
http://www.travel-mediainfo.com/Korea/44523.htm

[Solly]

Ah... finally I'm 20!!! LOL!

I wanted to ask since it's my first time being here at the forum...

I'm currently a university student, but is there a summer program
that I can try to apply for? I'm planning to go to Korea for the whole
summer, and I want to do something productive while I'm there. xD
If not, then I think I'm just going to volunteer at a shelter. xD

[B0hemian_Sprite]

i'm sorry it came out short, but this is something you could find out with a little research.
don't just stay satisfied with one thing you read on one forum.
if you know people living in korea, ask them.

in terms of housing, japan and korea seem quite similar in that they charge a LOT for apartments.
key money, money to the real estate agent, security deposit....stuff that can add up to thousands.

some places will have it all taken care of, some won't, some will do part of it.

if you think that a school is trying to scam you before you even get there, then that means you don't trust them...or something...

apartment fees are different from the ones in the US (or canada, i assume).

in japan:
http://www.gadling.com/2007/12/29/big-in-j...tment-in-tokyo/

in korea:
http://www.travel-mediainfo.com/Korea/44523.htm

thanks, and yes, I asked many people around, but I wanted to make sure I got the same answers from all different sources.
I didn't mean to be snippy either. I guess I'm just really wired and edgy since I want to make sure everything will be taken care of.
but thanks for those resources.

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

While I'm shocked that Dave even replied to you I don't believe what he told you for one second. Just look at all the job ads he takes for jobs offering $2,000-2,500USD / month while with the current state of the won the pay doesn't even come close to $2,000 when you do the conversion. There are many dodgy recruiters on his site, just like any other TEFL site.

Yubumsuk brings up a good point about not trusting anything whole heartedly and I had my skepticism as well. Yes, the Won is doing rather poorly against the U.S. dollar and that was why my district raised my base pay to help compensate for it. Money will always fluctuate so unless you plan to make money and moving to the third world country you can never be sure that the value will not depreciate. To look at a job opportunity in Korea as being a complete sham will only lead you to miss out on what could be a possibly be a life changing opportunity.

Solly, you can apply to be a English camp counselor/teacher. You would be teaching kids English for a few weeks and participating in whatever outdoors activities they do as well. I think it would be a good experience and then you would have the rest of your time to find something else.

[Solly]

Solly, you can apply to be a English camp counselor/teacher. You would be teaching kids English for a few weeks and participating in whatever outdoors activities they do as well. I think it would be a good experience and then you would have the rest of your time to find something else.

That sounds fun! Do you know any websites that offer this kind of program? I'd appreciate it if you can list me some! xD

-Solly

[B0hemian_Sprite]

Just another question.

I was wondering how easy or how common it is for you guys to go travel. Do your friends or do you do weekend trips to other countries? or ask for a day off to go travel?

[bazelette]

"GEPIK 'internship' programme"?

can someone expand on that? I'm a full-time uni student looking for a way to teach english in Korea over the summer.