[sweetmomo]

HI all!!

I just finished my freshman year at BU (Boston University) and I'm looking to find an English tutoring job in Seoul over the summer (June-July or August) I've asked around and people are telling me that if you just call a major Hakwon (tutoring academy) and say that you're an undergrad at a big-name American university, they'll most likely give you the job. But, my grandma in Korea asked a couple of academies and they said that you needed to graduate college in order to teach. Korea is pretty under the table about a lot of jobs, and I have heard of a lot of undergrad and even high school students in America who go to Korea and get tutoring positions over the summer. Can you guys help me on this? I know private tutoring positions are possible, but they're usually word-of-mouth like all private tutoring positions, so it can't be guaranteed. Thank you so much!!

[jonnypark]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

right now I am in seoul and I am tutoring kids that my relative set me up with

one word of advice if you are going to be working at a hakwon...look at the past history with what happened with the tutors
I've heard some places the hakwons don't pay on time and sometimes some places abuse the tutors o.O

i would recommend looking for private tutoring sites where you post a request or something

yea if you want to teach at schools you will need a B.A degree lol

anyways good luck!

[korean_halfbreed]

haha, Im trying to do the same. And I haven't graduated yet, either. Just finished my freshman year at Notre Dame. I'm going to Seoul late June for KLI at Yonsei anyway, but Im gonna try to find a teaching job while I'm there. I've talked to this one guy who i sent my resume to who will try to help me find one when i get there. His name is Peter Jung and his email is netceojung@naver.com. Basically, I'll get there anfd he'll meet with me and get me in touch with/interviews with different schools who need teachers until I hopefully find a job. Buuut, I wouldnt be doing this if I wasnt going to school there, too. Cause I'll be going over there without a job. This way, Im already doing something there, and its ok if i dont find one. But you could email, send him a resume and picture, and hopefully, you'll get a reply.
Also try englishspectrum.com or google: esl cafe. Every listing will say you need a bachelor's degree, but dont let that stop you from sending them your resume and applying, some will accept you anyway. Good luck! (BTW, I have Korean friends who are there right now teaching who are the same year as me, so there i hope! But it WILL be hard to find, cause most places want long term teachers, not people who'll just be there for a moth or two)

[LovelYoo]

I hope people know that it's against the law at the moment to get an english teaching job in korea esp. at a hakwon without a college degree.. there is a whole thread on this in the 20+ thread.. private tutoring would be your best bet but other than that.. you should wait till you get a B.A. cuz.. teaching english is totally different from speaking it especially if you're ill prepared.. many hakwons may take advantage of the fact that you will be working for them without a degree and underpay you or not even at all esp. with visa circumstances as well..

[star06]

i'm planning to spend a year in Korea and I really want a job..
at my current school I've only taken up to korean 301..
is that enough to teach private lessons???
i really want to tutor in korea..
it's good money and a GREAT experience ...

[ginger]

I hope people know that it's against the law at the moment to get an english teaching job in korea esp. at a hakwon without a college degree.. there is a whole thread on this in the 20+ thread.. private tutoring would be your best bet but other than that.. you should wait till you get a B.A. cuz.. teaching english is totally different from speaking it especially if you're ill prepared.. many hakwons may take advantage of the fact that you will be working for them without a degree and underpay you or not even at all esp. with visa circumstances as well..

YES.

1) You're probably not going to be having students to tutor who have good English. The ones with GOOD English are paying top dollar/won to be tutored by people who graduated from great Western universities or who have teaching degrees. So why would they pay some kid who hasn't even graduated?

2) If you go through a hagwon without a degree, they WILL underpay you. They'll work you to insane degrees and pay you little for it.

3) Teaching is SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN BEING ABLE TO SPEAK. Can you properly explain grammar? How to use all the tenses? Why certain spellings are a certain way? Can you find adequate materials that progress at a helpful but not too easy or not too hard level? Will they respect you when they know you don't even have a degree? Will you know how much of your time to devote to speaking, writing, listening, and reading? Tutoring is difficult, especially if you have low-level students (you probably will).

Just think it over before you do this, guys. It's not a cake walk, it's not a joke.

-ginger

[SHARK]

I know someone who took a job teaching English in Korea after getting out of college.

They paid him absolutely nothing, and basically wasted his time. Also, I think he hit one of the small korean children with a beer bottle(He loves to drink, he's scottish).

I wouldn't take it.

[teddyzyuja]

has anyone heard of this program? i was considering it, but i don't think i'm ready to be sent off for 6months, and i didnt even have time to think about it ><
check it out...website has all the info!

http://talk.mest.go.kr/index.jsp

[coconuttiez]

1)
2)
3)

This may be the case for most, but not necessarily all.

I worked at a hakwon in Korea, was not underpaid, nor was I worked to death. I also did tutoring and no, I did not end up a bunch of "low-level students"~ I didn't have a degree but having a good rep (which seriously can get you far) landed me tutoring jobs through the hakwon + word of mouth.
People are under the impression that Korea is looking for foreign teachers (because hey, if you're white/not Asian you must speak perfect English... right?) and while there is some truth to that, there is definitely more to be gained from being Korean and being able to speak both Korean AND English.

I agree with the point about how teaching is entirely different from being able to speak, though... xP

[ginger]

This may be the case for most, but not necessarily all.

I worked at a hakwon in Korea, was not underpaid, nor was I worked to death. I also did tutoring and no, I did not end up a bunch of "low-level students"~ I didn't have a degree but having a good rep (which seriously can get you far) landed me tutoring jobs through the hakwon + word of mouth.
People are under the impression that Korea is looking for foreign teachers (because hey, if you're white/not Asian you must speak perfect English... right?) and while there is some truth to that, there is definitely more to be gained from being Korean and being able to speak both Korean AND English.

I agree with the point about how teaching is entirely different from being able to speak, though... xP

Yeah, but at the same time, it's people that come over here to teach WITHOUT degrees that give us teachers WITH degrees a bad reputation. There has been a crackdown on the diploma issue because so many people have been caught without degrees. No offense, but undergrads who come here seeking a summer of money and fun without having the proper credentials are just making the rest of us look bad. Just wait unless you can find a 100% legit way to teach here (as in the embassy approves of it) rather than try to sneak your way in under the table or through a side door. I wanted to come to Korea to teach English so badly starting sophomore year in college, but I just waited until I graduated.

-ginger

[lshluvr]

I hope people know that it's against the law at the moment to get an english teaching job in korea esp. at a hakwon without a college degree..

Seriously? Because my cousin is one of the "head" people at this hakwon and she wants me to come over during the summer to teach English or something.

[ginger]

Seriously? Because my cousin is one of the "head" people at this hakwon and she wants me to come over during the summer to teach English or something.

It doesn't make it legal, it just makes it even shadier. The really reputable companies would never hire someone without them having a diploma. The small ones just out to make money will occasionally take anyone--to them, it's business, not education that matters.


-ginger

[lshluvr]

^Oh dang...that sucks.

[KHG]

It also depends on the type of visa you have, whether it allows you to work or not and a little bit of searching.
I'm a U.S. gyopo and have my F-4 visa, which practically gives me all the rights of a Korean citizen.
I'm in Korea now for the summer and teach English at home schools and private tutoring.
I haven't graduated yet, so definitely hakwons are off limits. But I make much more than full time teachers at hakwons and public schools. There are pros and cons such as stability for teaching at an institution, but you are also bound to a contract.

I came to Korea alone, not knowing anyone. I was just planning on touring the country, but decided to make something of my English. I just spent a day at a PC bang browsing the internet and forums then came across a person who was looking for a native english speaker for homestay, but wanted me to speak English with the kids at least an hour a day. She was a teacher at a homeschool which takes place in an apartment which had two empty rooms, she gave me one to stay for free. After a few weeks, she gave me some hours to teach some of the kids and said that I taught really well so she introduced me to many of her other friends who also ran homeschools. They also offered me hours and students who really wanted me to tutor them. So now I teach all week except wednesday/sunday and a few hours on Saturday.

And definitely just speaking English isn't enough. When I first taught my young elementary school students they would make me roll my eyes and I would step out for a moment to take a breather. In a matching section, I would tell them a certain line was wrong and erase it for them but then they would draw the same line again (more than once). But obviously I can't blame them, I just wasn't explaining thoroughly and allowing them to understand- though I would expect that "erasing=there was a mistake" to already be conditioned.

If you are just visiting Korea and not looking for a career in teaching, just find homeschools or similar. Private tutoring jobs will be hard to get right off the bat without setting up a reputation first or relatives to help you. Reputation is everything.

Ah I also forgot to mention, appearance matters. They care a HUGE deal about your appearance. Your ethnicity matters, this not only goes for homeschools but for many hakwons as well, because parents tend to believe [stereotype] that native English speaking Asians cannot speak as well as White people. Even before I started to tutor, the mother made sure my English was fluent and "like a White person." She told me exactly, "ohh! you sound like an American!" No really? I'm from the U.S.

[yalla]

has anyone heard of this program? i was considering it, but i don't think i'm ready to be sent off for 6months, and i didnt even have time to think about it ><
check it out...website has all the info!

http://talk.mest.go.kr/index.jsp

Did anyone apply???

[영원한 사랑]

I think you need a college degree in order to teach english in korea.
My cousin's been teaching kids in korea for like a 1 yr so far...but then again she already graduated college