Teaching English Abroad

[The Larch]

I shudder to think at how sheltered and coccooned your life must have been (understandable due to your past condition) to get piqued to get out and see the world only at 20 something, after finishing university and thanks to a cozy family cruise through the Caribbean.

Better late than never, I guess.

Hi, I'm America.  Have we met?

Hi America, I hope to meet you after the summer. Take care!

[alfred russel]

I shudder to think at how sheltered and coccooned your life must have been (understandable due to your past condition) to get piqued to get out and see the world only at 20 something, after finishing university and thanks to a cozy family cruise through the Caribbean.

Better late than never, I guess.

Hi, I'm America.  Have we met?

To be fair to Tim, I think he went to work as a door to door salesman in the deep south one summer to pay for college. That is as adventurous as a middle class kid spending a summer romping through European capitals sampling the nightlife.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Japan is old hat, I reckon Tim should give China a go.

Or maybe India; they play cricket in India and it is a pleasingly chaotic and individualistic place, OTOH you can't drink the water 

Again, I suspect there's little demand for English speakers in India, given the few centuries of English colonial rule.

Doesn't really matter. India is still pretty cheap, Tim could just go there and not bother working 

The perfect way of spending a recession 

(Also, does that follow? To get on in India you need to speak English, but knowing the language from childhood is surely the preserve of the elite?)

[The Brain]

Japan is old hat, I reckon Tim should give China a go.

Or maybe India; they play cricket in India and it is a pleasingly chaotic and individualistic place, OTOH you can't drink the water 

Again, I suspect there's little demand for English speakers in India, given the few centuries of English colonial rule.

(Also, does that follow? To get on in India you need to speak English, but knowing the language from childhood is surely the preserve of the elite?)

Oh noes just 200 million pipple to choose from. Help us Timmay!

[Josquius]

Japan is old hat, I reckon Tim should give China a go.

Or maybe India; they play cricket in India and it is a pleasingly chaotic and individualistic place, OTOH you can't drink the water 

Again, I suspect there's little demand for English speakers in India, given the few centuries of English colonial rule. 

I would defiantly disagree with you however sad as it is the Indians fully agree.
(Do American and Canadian companies not have all their call centres in India like British and Irish ones?)


What about S.Korea?
I've heard there's a lot of demand there and its a lot more Japan than China.

[Barrister]

Japan is old hat, I reckon Tim should give China a go.

Or maybe India; they play cricket in India and it is a pleasingly chaotic and individualistic place, OTOH you can't drink the water 

Again, I suspect there's little demand for English speakers in India, given the few centuries of English colonial rule. 

I would defiantly disagree with you however sad as it is the Indians fully agree.
(Do American and Canadian companies not have all their call centres in India like British and Irish ones?)

What do you disagree with?  There are so many English epakers in India they do not need to import any more.

[Josquius]

What do you disagree with?  There are so many English epakers in India they do not need to import any more.

That they don't need to import any more.
Nominally hundreds of millions speak English. They absolutely murder the tongue though.

[Jaron]

I'm 29 and I've yet to explore the world. Maybe next year I'll finally do it.

[jimmy olsen]

I wouldn't mind going to South Korea or Taiwan.

My Mom: South Korea! That's too close to North Korea. That guy's crazy, all he has to do is invade South Korea!!!11

[jimmy olsen]

I shudder to think at how sheltered and coccooned your life must have been (understandable due to your past condition) to get piqued to get out and see the world only at 20 something, after finishing university and thanks to a cozy family cruise through the Caribbean.

Better late than never, I guess.

Hi, I'm America.  Have we met?

To be fair to Tim, I think he went to work as a door to door salesman in the deep south one summer to pay for college. That is as adventurous as a middle class kid spending a summer romping through European capitals sampling the nightlife.

I did it for two summers! I wrecked two cars, got grabbed by a knife wielding wackjob who threatened to cut my throat.

[citizen k]

I did it for two summers! I wrecked two cars, got grabbed by a knife wielding wackjob who threatened to cut my throat.

That could have happened to you in Europe, plus you could have got laid. 

[jimmy olsen]

I did it for two summers! I wrecked two cars, got grabbed by a knife wielding wackjob who threatened to cut my throat.

That could have happened to you in Europe, plus you could have got laid. 

Alas, I could not drive to Europe in 15 hours.

[HisMajestyBOB]

I'm currently teaching English at a boy's high school in South Korea (and no, I'm not St. Jaba, Pitiful Pathos, or anyone else). I, like many other teachers here, only have a bachelors degree (in Int'l Relations), and no teaching experience. Fortunately, my coteachers have been a great help, both with getting settled (I speak very little Korean) and with teaching. I make my own lesson plans, and have quite a bit of leeway with what I teach - some teachers have to teach to a textbook. I'm probably better than most of the social rejects that come here, to be honest.

How did you go about getting these jobs, contact schools directly or go through a recruiting service?

I went through the EPIK program - I applied, went through a week orientation (which helps prepares you psychologically), and then got my school. Your credentials are so good that you could easily get a university job, and you'll have to look for that on your own. I'd assume you could apply directly to the university. The top 3 universities in Korea are: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University, all in Seoul. That's the Korean Ivy-League.

Additionally, in Korea there are also many hagwons, which are private institutes for after-school study. For these you'll need to go through a recruiter or find their ads and apply. The working hours are generally 2pm-10pm, and the pay is a little better. However, they are privately owned, and there are reports of them not paying teachers on time, or going bankrupt without warning, leaving you unemployed with an invalid visa (your visa only lets you teach at one place).

Also, how hard is it for someone who doesn't know the language to get around, I'd imagine a lot harder than it is in Europe.

In Korea it's not too hard, once you get used to it. The Korean alphabet, Hangeul, is pretty easy to learn, and English signs are ubiquitous. Most Koreans still can't speak English very well, but they're a very friendly people and I haven't had any problems in the 5 months I've been here.

What about S.Korea?
I've heard there's a lot of demand there and its a lot more Japan than China.

Demand is huge. Plus it pays better than China, but is less expensive than Japan. You can easily save money here, even in Seoul.

If you have any more questions, just ask. I skipped the last 5 pages of this thread, so I might have missed something.

[jimmy olsen]

If you have any more questions, just ask. I skipped the last 5 pages of this thread, so I might have missed something.

My Mom's afraid I'll get killed by Kim Jong Il 

How's the social scene?

Can you give a short description of an average lesson?

When's the school year begin?

[Admiral Yi]

Another thing to keep in mind Timotino is that Koreans (like all Asians) are pretty racist; you might not score as much cooter as random haole dude.