☆A few cents on ⓔⓢⓛ☆

Non-Contract Society

2006-05-03T23:57:00.000-05:00

Don't be surprised if your boss changes the terms of your contract. As the article on ESL Monkey states, "for many Koreans, a contract is part of the symbolism involved in beginning a relationship . . .[and they] view contracts as infinitely flexible and subject to further negotiation." Therefore, "the written contract is not the real contract; rather, the unwritten, oral agreement with an employer is the real contract." Foreigners panic when they realize this, for it is a culture shock. The printed word made it possible for our Founding Fathers to build our nation the way we know it today. The United States is a contract-based society with the written word carrying authority in legal matters. This clash in cultural beliefs undoubtedly causes disputes over contracts. Koreans rarely takes such disputes to court.

The following is a quote by a recruiter:

"Look over the contract and if you agree to it, sign and fax it back to me as quickly as possible."

English School Watch Organization unravels the hidden meaning:

"The sooner the contract is faxed back to the recruiter and the teacher is in Korea the sooner he or she will be able to collect their commission from the hakwon owner. Additionally, the language in this statement leaves the potential recruit little time to conduct appropriate research into the complaint history of the employer, or the recruiter him or herself. A number of teachers commented that they did not know precisely what they were agreeing to simply because they did know enough about the market and were not aware of information, and of sources and resources where they could conduct research allowing them to make informed decisions prior to signing their contracts."

Landing a Job

2006-05-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

If you are aggresive, you might want to consider going to Korea first, then knocking on door-to-door submitting resumes and attending in-person interviews. This way you can see the actual facilities, housing accomdations, meet the staff, etc. No surprises. And chances are, you will land a job pretty soon.

However, the downside is that if you come on a tourist visa, you need to possess a round-trip ticket to bypass the authorities. What's worse, your employer won't reimburse your airfare. But you won't have to worry about your visa run to Japan because your employer will likely pick up that part of the ticket.

Who's on the Blacklist?

2006-04-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

Prospective teachers BEWARE!

Some recruiters and institutions have a bad reputation of being dishonest, unreliable, and only profit-oriented. I've read numerous complaints from burnt teachers claiming that recruiters are full of unfulfilled promises, from airport pick-ups to settlement assistance. Once these job candidates set foot in Korea, they were on their own, in the blackhole.

The following is a quoteby a director while talking on the phone with his recruiters overseas:

"Tell them what they want to hear, write down what they want to see, agree to everything they ask, but get them to Korea."

Thus, to protect yourself from being burned, many ESL teachers in the field recommend doing your own job search and research your potential employer. Some reputable blacklist websites are as follows:

Hagwon Checklist

English School Watch

Jon's Blacklist

Visa Visa Visa!

2006-04-29T02:42:00.000-05:00

Which visa is right for you?

Most English instructors apply for the E2 visa, or more commonly known as "teaching visa". When you receive an offer, the institution will most likely sponsor your visa. All you have to submit are the necessary documents for visa processing such as your original diploma, sealed official transcript, resume, and passport-sized pictures of yourself. Wait a minute. Original diploma, you ask? An alternative is to send your original and copy to a nearby Korean consulate and have them notarize it for you. Diploma verification is necessary because in the past, there have been incidents of unqualified tourists trying to get by with phony diplomas. So now, thanks to them, the rules have gotten tighter and the process longer! Also, if the institution needs you ASAP, they will let you do a "visa run" to Japan, where the process can be expedited. The application forms are available on the Korean consulate website at your nearest location.

Nevertheless, there is a drawback to an E2 visa. Many teachers have related that holding an E2 visa makes you a "slave" of the academy. It is illegal to work other jobs, such as private tutorings, where the real money lie. If you're caught, you will be fined. Also, if you're fired for whatever reason, you must return to your country in a few days' notice, since you no longer have the legal right to reside in Korea.

"Whom is Educational System For?"

2006-04-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

This was the title of a well-written article that I unexpectedly discovered while browsing through Carrot English, a webcam and phone tutoring service provider. The author expresses his concern on the disturbing reality of the Korean educational system. He relates:

"In a thoroughly modern, high tech country such as Korea, the education system languishes in the dark ages, entrapping its youth in a system of rote memorization, testing and cutthroat competition. Suitability for jobs, marriage opportunities, and even everyday interpersonal relations still hinge on one's scholastic performance, particularly in the highly competitive university entrance exam."

As a child, I've heard adults say, in Korean, "Ten more minutes of studying will change the face of your future wife/husband" and also "If you sleep now, you may dream but if you study now, you can make that dream come true." Thus, from very early on, parents of all economic status imbue their children with the social pressure to make it into the top Universities. Korean mothers often get together over lunch to boast about their kids. As the author of the article remarks, "mothers in Korea [also] have a competitive maternal spirit when it comes to their children's education."

It is also true that "parents spend intolerably high amounts of their income on private education to give their children the edge." I recall my mom telling me how she used to hoard money from my dad's humble paycheck for my piano lessons and my brother's tae kwon do lessons. For many high school students, the entire focus of their lives have been to drill them for the college entrance exam. Years of attending after-school "cram schools" have whipped them up into skilled test-takers. However, although the test scores for TOEIC (as an example) might be high, many aren't able to apply it to some practical use. The following is a poll taken from a small sample size, but nonetheless reflects the majority of English learners in Korea:

English Club Poll

As the poll indicates, the greatest number of students found "speaking" to be the most difficult mode of communication. Perhaps this is due to the "rigid uniformity of teaching and learning in the schools," which doesn't foster creativity or personal expression but strictly memorization skills. But knowing just the grammar rules inside out doesn't make one fluent.

The author continues:

"The strain of the extreme pressure on students is evident in the increase in the suicide rate of 15 to 19 year olds. More than 10 out of every 100,000 commit suicide each year and many kill themselves over low scores on school tests with the rate increasing after the university entrance exam."

E-resources and Online games

2006-04-24T06:36:00.000-05:00

More and more institutions are incorporating the interactive component into their curriculum. Using the internet, ESL communities can exchange myriads of teaching materials, ideas, and games for classroom settings. Solitary games such as crossword puzzles and word searches enhance one's vocabulary whereas others including role-playing games encourage interaction and speaking. For role-playing games, each student is given a card that specifies the kind of role and situation he/she must assume. Not only does this help to develop one's communication skills but behavioral skills as well. Examples of some websites that offer ESL game ideas are:

Online Games and Quizzes
Roleplays
ESL Online Learning Games
ESL town Games

I Love Konglish

2006-04-22T16:40:00.000-05:00

According to Wikipedia, Konglish is "the use of English words (or words derived from English words) in a Korean context or a Korean dialect mixed with English loanwords. It also includes the use of words that are perceived to be English, but are in fact not English words. These could be words that have a different meaning in Konglish than they have in English, words that merely look or sound English, or words that are a mixture of Korean and English. Koreans usually use the word exclusively in the latter sense."

I love Konglish. I never realized that I use it all the time, naturally code-switching from English to Konglish in the presence of Koreans. Many English instructors would consider Konglish problematic and try to fix it. But I think Konglish is different from just "bad English." Konglish seems to reflect some cultural values. For example, Koreans say "hand phone" instead of "cell phone," "eye shopping" instead of "window shopping," "meeting" to mean a "blind date," not a business gathering, and "man-to-man" to mean "one-on-one." Notice how all the former expressions are more intimate and personal. It would be interesting to study, in greater depth, the linguistics of Konglish.

According to Wikipedia, much of the Konglish appeared "following the Korean War when U.S. troops mixed with Korean troops─ troops speaking 'black English' caused the English words to be permeated into Korean English." Then, in the 20th Century, "a large class of Konglish words came into Korean usage by way of Japanese," whose words had already been modified. At the very least, Konglish is not just some random gibberish, but culture-imbued words that has evolved over time and is still under transition.

As a native English speaker immersed in both cultures, I enjoy and appreciate Konglish. Apparently, Korean nationals are also conscious of their Konglish usage. In a popular comedy show, there is a section called "Interview" where a Korean comedian tried to pass as a native speaker by using fluent Konglish. It is absolutely hilarious.

Konglish is an interlanguage. According to Wikipedia, interlanguage is "a language that has been developed by the learners of a second language who have not fully acquired it, but only approximated it, preserving some features of their first language in speaking or writing the target language, and creating innovations." After continuous usage, interlanguage becomes "fossilized," which means that the person has internalized the incorrect usage that it is difficult to change.

Granted, non-proper use of English ought to be fixed, but English instructors should first attempt to learn and understand it before correcting it.

"Conversational" English: For Slackers?

2006-04-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

Teaching "conversational" English or "free talking," as it's sometimes called, sounds like a blow-off job. Just grab a comfy chair and chat with your client for an hour or so about whatever you want. Right? "Yes," says "Hater Depot" who claims that many "teachers perceive [it] as a time to kick back and just have fun rather than work hard." "Hater Depot" expresses his irritation over his coworkers "putting in little to no lesson planning; producing "articles" of shockingly poor quality; failing to enunciate as clearly as they would in lower-level classes and just generally using inappropriate styles of speech; and using the class as a forum to talk about whatever they like without regard to whether it is valuable or interesting for the students."

I don't know what it's like to teach a second language, but I do know what it's like to learn a second language. I've taken a Spanish conversation class this semester because Spanish is one of my minors. So now, I speak as a student. Conversation classes are not for everyone. To maximize efficiency, the class should comprise of students who already have a reasonable understanding of the basic grammar of the target language. The class should serve as a space where students apply their knowledge. My Spanish conversation class was structured around Spanish movies. Prior to the assigned dates, we had to watch the movies on our own times. We used a textbook that contained relevant questions regarding plot, theme, character, etc. of each movie. Using the vocabulary list presented at the beginnning of each chapter, we talked about our reactions toward the particular movie and made interpretations. The professor encouraged active student participation and if we were prepared, the 50-minutes class was a breeze. And all exams were conducted orally.

UNequal opportunity employer

2006-04-20T19:13:00.002-05:00

Ok, some more whinings...

Korea is a land of appearances and it's not a secret that one's looks can be an asset. In Korea, virtually all job applicants in any field are required to submit their most recent photograph along with their resumes. It is also common practice to include one's age. Not surprisingly, this extends to ESL applicants as well.

The miminal requirement for most English instructors are relatively standard: a native English speaker and at least a B.A. in an accredited English-speaking university (preference given to English or Education degrees). Related work experiences are a plus and such applicants will be offered higher salaries.

But sometimes, institutions also indicate their preferences in job postings such as nationality, age, and gender. In this sense, nationality is synonymous to ethnicity. When they specify "North American," they mean a "white" North American. Are they using the photographs to judge if one looks "white" enough? I am 101% Korean by blood, so submitting my picture would be suicidal and screen me out of an interview. Since many of the applicants are currently overseas, these interviews are conducted over the phone. The main purpose of the interview is to verify if, indeed, one is a "native" speaker with no accent.

To sum it up, here is an cynical quote by "Soju erner" that reflects the attitude of many private institutions:

"Come, I'll show you the school you'll work at and the apt you'll live in. What? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were not white..."

"Online Instruction─Overcoming Discrimination?"

2006-04-19T12:10:00.000-05:00

The writer of this original post commented:

"I am not sure that I will be successful online. It seems likely that age discrimination will still hinder my opportunity to attract students. My original rationale was to attempt to tap into the growing demand for EFL teachers. It seems that perhaps smaller private schools (especially those outside of China) will tend to seek online teachers as a way to compensate for the difficulties of attracting and financing in-house native speakers. However, I too will need to use a web cam to interact with students. I only hope that my wrinkles don't clog up the camera. It does seem likely, though, that I shall lose students should they discover that I am an older teacher. I suppose what I need is a rubber talking head that appears similar to Johnny Depp."

It is true that, clients do prefer younger instructors but that generally applies for face-to-face interactions. I am guessing that online institutions won't be so biased. These institutions usually offer both video conferencing and phone tutoring services. The basic requirement for phone tutors is that one must be a native English speaker. The institutions usually use a single application form for both video lecturers and phone tutors. It asks for your photo and date of birth but I think that is more applicable to video lecturers. Some examples are ESL bank and Carrot English. And I know that Carrot English uses an internet phone program, so you don't have to worry about phone bills!

Pride and Prejudice: Internal Racism in South Korea

2006-04-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Koreans born and raised in America─ are they Korean or American? More importantly, are they "native" speakers? Recently, I read about this issue in the discussion forum on Dave's ESL Cafe . Apparently, most English academies in Korea strongly prefer hiring a "white" over a "yellow" person. This fact caught me by surprise because I naturally assumed that as a bilingual, I would have the "competitive edge."

Koreans take pride in their homogeneous culture but when it comes to teaching English, they are racist against their own people. As some explain, academies are, first and foremost, businesses and thus have an obligation to cater to the taste of their clients. Many Koreans blindly believe that all Caucasians speak perfect English. They don't seem to realize that English is not the mother tongue of all Caucasians. Even so, they believe that only a "white" person really knows all the rules and nuances of the English language. When a Korean speaks English in a public domain, including cyberspace, many Korean nationals regard them as "white-wannabes" or "bananas," yellow on the outside and white on the inside. They assume that Korean-Americans speak "Konglish" and not real English. Moreover, if you have a Korean face, you are expected to know and speak Korean.

In a related discussion forum, "Kleenex," who claims to be "half Asian," agitated the cafe community by stating that Korean-Americans will "never master" the English language and condemning them for acting like they can. His/her conviction is based on the observation that many Korean-Americans live in ghettos. "Kleenex" continued, "Born and raised in America? I call those people Americans. Born and raised in Koreatown? I call them Koreans." This is true to a certain extent.

I was born and raised in the east coast and attended a junior high school where literally half of my classmates were Korean. Many of them were immigrants (a.k.a. "Fresh Off the Boat" or "FOB") and as long as they associated with each other, nobody felt the need to learn or use English. Like the article in The Korea Times, Learning English in ESL Program, my parents also believed that my English won't improve if I continue to hang out with other Korean students.

This trend continues onto college, such as UCLA, where the Asian population surpasses the Caucasian population. Due to the overwhelmning number of Asians, some have dubbed it "University of Caucasians Lost in Asia." Others include UCI, "University of Chinese Immigrants," and MIT, "Made in Taiwan." Living in such a culturally infested environment undoubtedly hinders one's language acquisition. Where you were born is not as important as where you grew up. For example, someone born in America but raised in a Koreatown might only speak at the level of a "FOB," whereas someone born in Korea but adopted by a "white" family will be "native" speakers.

I can sympathize with the Korean parents wanting their children to learn from a "real" American. They realize that sending their children abroad would be best but if this is not an option, the next best thing is to immerse their children in a program with foreign teachers.

Even so, I am not discouraged because I also found out that larger institutions such as public schools and government-sponsored programs (such as EPIK) hire hundreds of Korean-Americans. So the prospects are still high for me! My job search will just take a bit longer...

E-learning

2006-04-16T18:41:00.000-05:00

At Private English, all classes are entirely conducted in virtual settings. The tutor logs into the company's website, creates a "classroom" under an appropriate title, and waits for a student to join. The discussion materials are available online and all interactions are on a 1:1 basis. I'm not familiar with the company's reputation, but Private English offers the golden opportunity to earn "extra income" on one's "spare time" while "having fun." One of the main differences between a traditional and an online academy seems to be the qualification criteria of the job applicant. Korean law mandates that all prospective candidates applying for a position in Korea must submit a notorized copy of their degree and a sealed official transcript to have their work visa processed. Thus, all traditional institutions require applicants to hold at least a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university. But since this doesn't apply to online positions, the qualification criteria is held to a minimum, increasing the pool of applicants. The tutors are paid by the hour and the system automatically keeps track of hours taught. Once the balance reaches $100, the employee has the right to claim payment through Paypal or wireless transfer. Tutors with high ratings have the privilege of claiming a raise.

Some traditional institutions are beginning to introduce e-learning programs to their curriculum. One such institution is CDI Holdings. Their online education program, launched in the winter of 2003, has been so successful that they now provide a "complete and independent online curriculum," as an "extension [to] the traditional offline classes." They recruit qualified video lecturers and e-writing tutors to help them manage their program. Video lectures develop and present their "video content and lesson script . . .develop interactive tests. . .and conduct on-line surveys and research." E-writing tutors correct and revise "on-line essays written by students." E-writing tutors have an incentive to be productive because they are paid by the number of essays graded. However, the hiring process is more rigid. Like traditional institutions, the basic requirements are a Bachelor's degree from an accredited English-speaking University, an official transcript, and official documents needed to process the work visa because tutors must work at their corporate office three days a week. I applied for the "e-writing tutor" position but received a reply by e-mail, stating that they're only recruiting tutors who can attend the in-person interview at their main office in Korea. However, they anticipate opening some recruiting offices overseas in Toronto, Vancouver, New York, and Los Angeles.

Online education: good or bad?

2006-04-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

A year ago, as I was searching for jobs on Monster.com, I came across an enticing and lucrative job ad: earn $15/hr by teach Conversational English to Koreans━online. It sounded too good to be true. With only a pc, webcam, microphone, and high-speed internet access, you could work from anywhere at anytime, and earn decent money by just chatting with clients. The qualification? A native speaker. Period. But now, a year later, that site no longer exists. Perhaps, like many nascent private institutions, it suffered bankruptcy. However, the market's insatiable demand for English speakers encourages such institutions to emerge. One of the greatest advantages for the owners of online language institutions is a relatively low overhead cost. If everything is conducted over the internet, there is no need for physical space. Furthermore, neither the employer nor the employee has to deal with the nuisance of processing visas. Chosun Ilbo, one of the leading newspaper industries in South Korea, reports that "e-learning [is beginning to move] into mainstream." There has been a steady progression in the general movement of teaching methods from textbooks to cassettes to video tapes and now computers. Both traditional and online academies take advantage of and incorporate online resources to their curriculum. But how effective are these online aids? That will be addressed as a separate posting.

The idea of teaching conversational English online seems pragmatic. However, "ucfvgirl" from the discussion board on Dave's ESL Cafe relates his/her stressful experience of holding two jobs, working as an English instructor by day and an online tutor by night. The following is an excerpt from his/her negative testimony:

"I am not even sure where to start. I guess I should start with the hours. . . I told the company that I only wanted to work part time because of working so many hours during the day. I thought maybe 2-3 days a week would be sufficient. The company scheduled me for every night, despite my request for only a few days a week. . . I became very worn out and very stressed at having to be on the phone every night for 2 hours straight. It was very difficult to teach some of the children because you can't see their faces. Some of the children could not speak a word of English and this resulted in 10 min of dead air. I would try to ask them simple questions, but they still didn't understand. Why a parent would waste so much money on this type of tutoring is beyond me. It was not helping the students at all. The students that could understand were either not interested or didn't want to discuss that week's material."

"Ucfvgirl" continued that the institution was also a pain. The director was very demanding and authoritative. The tutors were even required to make up for any sick leaves. All of these factors undoubtedly affect the quality of education.