[shortnsweet]

is anyone familiar with thomas recruiting? http://www.ThomasRecruiting.com I got an email from them after I posted my resume on hotjobs, which seems kind of shady. so I was wondering if anyone had any information about them. Thanks.

[#35]

hey guys!

how much would you guys charge for private english lessons?

im going to korea next month for around 6~12 months, and i was planning on teaching primary kids mainly.

im thinking 20000WON per hour? or 25000?

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

hey guys!

how much would you guys charge for private english lessons?

im going to korea next month for around 6~12 months, and i was planning on teaching primary kids mainly.

im thinking 20000WON per hour? or 25000?

I do not want to give you a greedy impression but most privates charge anywhere from 30,000 (at the lowest that I have heard) to 50,000 (I think that is a bit high but people will pay it). I usually settle around 40,000.

[Yubumsuk]

I do not want to give you a greedy impression but most privates charge anywhere from 30,000 (at the lowest that I have heard) to 50,000 (I think that is a bit high but people will pay it). I usually settle around 40,000.

30-40K is the going rate if the teacher is a native speaker. That might go up to 50-60 if it's two or more students at the same time and the teacher prepares materials in advance. Whether they come to you or you go to them or if it's more than one hour can bump / lower it by up to 10K.

Oh, and btw, it's illegal, even if you're on an F-visa.

[#35]

^ oh wooow thats heaps of money =) im a native speaker btw
i guess i would do around 30000~40000 depending on how their levels and materials and stuff

is it really illegal?

i can get a 'gyopo' visa and i called the embassy up here and they said i could work and stuff but im not sure if this is counted? little bit of help please? much appreciated!! =)

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

^ oh wooow thats heaps of money =) im a native speaker btw
i guess i would do around 30000~40000 depending on how their levels and materials and stuff

is it really illegal?

i can get a 'gyopo' visa and i called the embassy up here and they said i could work and stuff but im not sure if this is counted? little bit of help please? much appreciated!! =)

Usually when you sign a contract with the Office of Education to become a teacher it is stipulated that you cannot moonlight but many foreign teachers do it on the side anyways. The trick is to not broadcast that you are doing so to everyone. Maybe it is just in my city but word spreads really quickly about a foreign teacher and there is always a pushing to get introduced to one.

I was told that if you were graduated with a degree in English, they are willing to pay even more than that but it seems a bit much to me. Seeing that most jobs don't pay as well as teaching to begin with, so 30-40K is ok.

[709394]

A questionn for current/past teachers in Korea, especially if you went there by yourself without anyone.

How were your weekends/nights like?
Did you ever feel lonely teaching there by yourself? Who do you usually bond with? What did you do with your spare time?

One thing I'm hesitant about with teaching in Korea is that I don't speak the language and would be traveling alone. I'm a pretty outgoing person in general but its a whole different story when people don't speak English there. What did you do with your spare time? Did you ever want to call it quits because you felt so lonely there?

[Yubumsuk]

A questionn for current/past teachers in Korea, especially if you went there by yourself without anyone.

How were your weekends/nights like?
Did you ever feel lonely teaching there by yourself? Who do you usually bond with? What did you do with your spare time?

One thing I'm hesitant about with teaching in Korea is that I don't speak the language and would be traveling alone. I'm a pretty outgoing person in general but its a whole different story when people don't speak English there. What did you do with your spare time? Did you ever want to call it quits because you felt so lonely there?

This is something some teachers have no problems with and something that drives others to run home. Depending on where you're working there may be heaps of English speakers or may be just a couple of Korean English teachers who can barely put an English sentence together. If it's a major concern you might want to take a job at a large hawgon or English camp / village where there will be lots of other foreigners and at least a few Koreans with good English to make friends with. Do you enjoy doing things by yourself - walks, jogs, working out, reading, exploring - by yourself back home? Then you'll be fine over here. However, if you need a lot of emotional interaction with others who can understand you, something like a public school job where you're the only foreigner there might seem really tough.

There are heaps of things to do on weekends but sometimes you need to go out and find them and can't just call a number and have a friend drop by. Socialising here, both amongst foreigners and Koreans, largely revolves around drinking, too, which suits some people better than others.

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

A questionn for current/past teachers in Korea, especially if you went there by yourself without anyone.

How were your weekends/nights like?
Did you ever feel lonely teaching there by yourself? Who do you usually bond with? What did you do with your spare time?

One thing I'm hesitant about with teaching in Korea is that I don't speak the language and would be traveling alone. I'm a pretty outgoing person in general but its a whole different story when people don't speak English there. What did you do with your spare time? Did you ever want to call it quits because you felt so lonely there?

I will not lie to you. The first month is going to be the roughest but since you mentioned that you are outgoing, you will be fine after that. My first month was an awful experience. I got picked up from the airport, taken to a city where the majority of the inhabitants did not speak English, dropped off at my apartment without any money or idea of where I was in relations to anything else and spoke no Korean. For the first week, I had no food in my fridge except for the snacks that I brought with me and a liter of water my neighbor gave me. After a few days my co-teacher took me to a bank and forced me to take some money. It took me a few days after that before I could go to the grocery store and pick up some food. I had no internet, tv, bank account, alien registration card or phone for the first month. I brought seven books with me and I finished them all by the end of the month. I was too scared to walk around and get adjusted to my surroundings because I felt it was hopeless. The days consisted of going to school and teaching followed by me coming home just to go to bed around 5 or 6pm. You bet I regretted coming to Korea then, but I would have regretted it more now that I look back on it.

Yubumsuk is right about the many factors that go into determining if your stay in Korea will be a good or bad one. There are about 27 foreigners in this city. One of foreigners said that she enjoyed being in the small city more than Seoul because the kids were better and the schools treated her better as well. While another one of my friends is going home in a week and she could not be happier to get the heck out of this place. I have had a great time in Korea (After that first month, that felt more like living in North Korea than South) but I was lucky to get a few Korean teachers that are around my age, who initiated the friendship. There were also some foreigner teachers in my building who helped me get adjusted to the drastic change. On top of that, I fell in love with the kids so it has made my stay enjoyable. It seems as if I am spending more time out doing things with my friends than I am at home, so if you are worried about becoming a recluse, don't. I am sure your outgoing personality will make you new friends quickly.

If you are in the bigger cities, there are a ton of things to which you probably enjoyed at home. Even the small ones have movie theaters that play some English movies. Billiards, bowling, singing rooms, bars, restaurants, pc bars, and playstation rooms are all pretty common. Plus Korea is a beautiful country to participate in outdoor activities. On the weekends, you could travel around Korea as well. I am a wuss and have never traveled anywhere alone, but I am going to venture out to Seoul by myself in a couple weeks. In some cases a good sense of body language can help you go a long way in Korea. So do not be afraid of physically acting out what you need.

It all depends on circumstance, every situation will yield different results. One day you might look back and wonder if you let a good opportunity slip through your hands because of a small hesitation. Hope that helps.

[j00n]

A questionn for current/past teachers in Korea, especially if you went there by yourself without anyone.

How were your weekends/nights like?
Did you ever feel lonely teaching there by yourself? Who do you usually bond with? What did you do with your spare time?

One thing I'm hesitant about with teaching in Korea is that I don't speak the language and would be traveling alone. I'm a pretty outgoing person in general but its a whole different story when people don't speak English there. What did you do with your spare time? Did you ever want to call it quits because you felt so lonely there?

I had/have a great time here. The nightlife is the best, there's always something to do. I've made a lot of friends here so if i need help with anything they will take care of it. The biggest hassles are getting bank account, phone, etc, you have to wait for your VISA to come in before you can do all that. I did the whole teaching thing for a while, but i'm really glad to be getting a "real" job here outside of teaching. I haven't done any real traveling outside of Korea yet, there's still plenty to do here but if i do i will go to Japan to visit.

[saraluv7]

I found a crap load of recruiters on a long list of them at this website.
Is it safe to assume that most ppl find their first internship or job with a recruiting agency?
Are they sort of like, the agency that makes a teacher out of you?... cause I dont' know how this business works.
It looks like a good deal, considering that you get a free apt room and the airfare is reimbursed to you upon arrival.
Honestly, seems too good to be true! Or, should I be expecting that much out of simply teaching something in need
overseas?

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

I found a crap load of recruiters on a long list of them at this website.
Is it safe to assume that most ppl find their first internship or job with a recruiting agency?
Are they sort of like, the agency that makes a teacher out of you?... cause I dont' know how this business works.
It looks like a good deal, considering that you get a free apt room and the airfare is reimbursed to you upon arrival.
Honestly, seems too good to be true! Or, should I be expecting that much out of simply teaching something in need
overseas?

It is common to be hired through a recruiter, but most recruiters do not help you beyond the initial phase. (Getting you to your apartment, setting up your bank account and help you with the little things) If there is a training that will be handled by your school/s. It is a really good deal. You get paid a good amount of money especially since the economy is so bad and the job security is high if you are not working in a hagwon. There is always a risk of not being happy with the place you are at, but just try your best to do some research on where you will be going and you will be fine. Oh yeah, make sure that the recruiter is not asking for any money because they are getting paid a great amount of money from the schools.

[Bamidele]

Anyone gone through Korean Connections to find a position in SMOE? Would you recommend them? Also is there a charge?

I uploaded my resume and photo and someone named Jamie emailed me back asking for a brief assessment over the phone this Tuesday. I graduate in May and want to go to South Korea and am trying to find reputable schools either public or private language schools in Seoul.

I keep hearing all kinds of crazy stories about what the teachers go through and it has made me a bit worried about getting scammed.

Does anyone have any public/private schools they would recommend me to check out?

Edit: Is it really worth it to take one of these TESL courses, what is a good price range for taking one?

Thanks for any advice/help!

[Yubumsuk]

Anyone gone through Korean Connections to find a position in SMOE? Would you recommend them? Also is there a charge?

I uploaded my resume and photo and someone named Jamie emailed me back asking for a brief assessment over the phone this Tuesday. I graduate in May and want to go to South Korea and am trying to find reputable schools either public or private language schools in Seoul.

I keep hearing all kinds of crazy stories about what the teachers go through and it has made me a bit worried about getting scammed.

Does anyone have any public/private schools they would recommend me to check out?

Edit: Is it really worth it to take one of these TESL courses, what is a good price range for taking one?

Thanks for any advice/help!

You should never have to pay a recruiter a single won for anything. They're getting from W500,000 to 1,000,000 for you, and that should be more than enough to cover their expenses and still turn a profit.

There are two reasons for taking a TESL course: to increase your pay bracket (at some places - not everyone pays more for one), or to make you a better teacher. If you want it for the former, buy the cheapest one on-line that will say '100-hour plus certificate' on it. If you're in it for the latter, don't do one on-line, and preferably try to take one where at least one of the instructors has some experience teaching in Asia.

[ginger]

Anyone gone through Korean Connections to find a position in SMOE? Would you recommend them? Also is there a charge?

I used Korea Connections to get an SMOE job in 2007. Jay Lee was my recruiter. He was always very prompt with the emails (I sent a million asking a myriad of questions each time), helpful, and professional. He never gave off an air of sleaziness or irresponsibility, so I can't complain about it at all.

-ginger

[joongdok]

To the past/current English teachers in Korea, generally what level of Korean/English is required?
My Korean is quite poor but I have been told by a few people that I should try to become an English teacher in Korea, so I'm quite curious about this.

Furthermore, what would be the best way to actually become an English teacher in Korea?

[Bamidele]

Thanks for the advice/tips guys. I went and looked through the site and it looks very credible. Jamie Lee has been very prompt so I think I will go through Korea Connections.

One other questions is are there better districts in Seoul than others that I should try to work in?

[blackmask8484@hotmail.com]

To the past/current English teachers in Korea, generally what level of Korean/English is required?
My Korean is quite poor but I have been told by a few people that I should try to become an English teacher in Korea, so I'm quite curious about this.

Furthermore, what would be the best way to actually become an English teacher in Korea?

Do not worry about being able to speak Korean. I knew absolutely none when I came here and was placed in a very small city that has a few English speakers. I am doing fine for not being able to understand anything beyond a few simple phrases so you will be fine. The schools seem to like it if the foreign teachers do not speak Korean because then the kids will not be able to rely on you to repeat it in their mother tongue. By knowing some Korean, you will be able to get yourself around and do the basic stuff but do not let your kids know you can speak it.

[joongdok]

Do not worry about being able to speak Korean. I knew absolutely none when I came here and was placed in a very small city that has a few English speakers. I am doing fine for not being able to understand anything beyond a few simple phrases so you will be fine. The schools seem to like it if the foreign teachers do not speak Korean because then the kids will not be able to rely on you to repeat it in their mother tongue. By knowing some Korean, you will be able to get yourself around and do the basic stuff but do not let your kids know you can speak it.

Oho~ do you teach at a primary school? That must be quite exhausting. May I ask what you actually do when you teach English? What happens during circumstances when no students can understand certain words/sentences? Furthermore, do you plan on getting a different job or are you satisfied with teaching English?

I see that on average you need a bachelor degree.. B. Arts majoring in English might be preferred but I'm planning to do a B. Commerce majoring in Accounting, ugh.

[Aziraphale]

Oho~ do you teach at a primary school? That must be quite exhausting. May I ask what you actually do when you teach English? What happens during circumstances when no students can understand certain words/sentences? Furthermore, do you plan on getting a different job or are you satisfied with teaching English?

I see that on average you need a bachelor degree.. B. Arts majoring in English might be preferred but I'm planning to do a B. Commerce majoring in Accounting, ugh.

Name: Peter
Gender: Male
Age: 18, soon 19

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