1 TEACHING AT A SOUTH KOREAN HAGWON

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

by Paul Delaup

There are several variables to look for before teaching in Korea. Many would be deemed
necessary, others would not even be thought of as having to appear in a contract The most
common place to teach English would be within a business better known as a Hagwon. A
Hagwon is a privately owned school established to increase fluency in English---writing,
reading, and speaking. Some of the students are adults, but most are children. They can range in
age from pre-K to high school level. While these are in no certain order, try to decide what you
want in your teaching position in Korea, and try to obtain as many as many of them possible.

1) ACTUAL WORKING HOURS of 120 HOURS or LESS per MONTH

The standard amount of working hours expected by you according by most contracts is no
more than 120. This can vary among companies. Some will require more, but actually allow
for less hours. I have worked for a company requiring 135 and for a company requiring 88
hours a month. Be sure that fair compensation will be paid. Some will require extra hours each
month for you to work and will compensate you with overtime pay or standard pay. This can
include teacher’s meetings, participation in school activities, open house, etc...
Sometimes, this can increase the number of students to your school and make your job more
stable with a higher pay upon completion of your contract to your school; sometimes, it
could only mean less hours of sleep and more headaches.

2) LIVING WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY to WORK

Some schools will have an apartment for you a few blocks from work, others will require you
to take a 30-45 minute subway to work, each way. Many schools will not reimburse you for
travel expenses, or the actual time spent traveling. While most schools do have a reasonable
amount of time necessary to travel to school, be sure get to an estimate as to how long it will
take. The temperature while traveling can range from - 10 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees
or greater.

3) FREE HOUSING, FULLY FURNISHED

Free housing is standard, although it will probably be in a studio apartment. Some may call
this “cozy housing”. Make sure you have the following items: hot and cold running water;
both A/C and heating–a fan will not replace A/C in the summer; a bed, TV, desk and chair,
refrigerator, washing machine, oven and stove, and cable hook-up.While all of these may seem
standard and without argument, many are not given, even after being requested.
4) NO SPLIT SHIFTS

Some schools will have you work from 7:00 am to 11:00 am and then 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
While this may not matter if you live a couple of blocks away from work, you will rarely see
it. If you would have a 45 minute commute to work, you will be spending 3 hours traveling
if you don’t stay at work. Many will offer a bed on the premises, but you are still “at work”
15 hours a day.

5) NO WEEKEND SHIFTS

Many schools will tell you that weekends are mandatory; some will say every other weekend.
Don’t fall into this trap. Upon accepting only 2 Saturdays per month working, the request could
easily come to work all 4 Saturdays Some will offer overtime pay, but for an 8 hour day. Most
teachers do not come to Korea to work 6 day weeks and more than 8 hour days. Some come to
travel abroad and explore new cultures, some will come to gain overseas teaching experience,
some may come primarily to learn how to speak Korean. Your reasons could be different.

6) REIMBURSEMENT FOR FLIGHT and VISA EXPENSES.

Some will do this before your arrival, some could end up paying you in one month Read the
contract. Be sure you get reimbursed before any work is performed. Your teaching visa can
easily be obtained from your own country–quicker and easier. That also incurs expenses:
application fee, express mail fees (sometimes ), issue fee, etc. They may have to fly you to
Japan to apply for and receive your visa. Once again, be sure that you are reimbursed before
any work is performed. There will normally be a $200. per month deduction from your income
for 2 months. This would serve as you renter’s deposit. Reimbursement should be at the end of
your contract.

7) BONUS PAID AFTER COMPLETION of CONTRACT.

According to the Korean Labor Law, the annual bonus equivalent to one month of the
employee’s salary must be paid to the employee on the last day of his contract. This is paid
regardless of whether you decide to renew your contract. Sometimes, a bonus of one half of
. your monthly income can be paid to you after completion of a six month contract. Quite often,
employers will offer lower pay to help compensate themselves for this bonus. If they don’t,
then you can consider this to be another perk for working with that company.

8 ) WIDE RANGE of TEACHING MATERIALS AVAILABLE

Many schools will offer a couple of different teaching materials. These could entail only
reading and writing, and composed by the same publisher, at only different levels of
progression. Quite often, you could be instructed to complete all levels and then go back
and review all over again. This could easily contribute to the monotony and boredom
of the classroom. Some schools will have many teaching materials available. These
could include books on reading and listening, along with the use of tapes to be played
 from a tape player; the use of both student books and workbooks, to help teach material
in full; different brands, or names, of books to keep the students rising at even higher levels
and still maintaining their interest; and books that involve a broader range of teaching to allow
the student to progress at a faster level----such as books on phonics, translation, dictation,
teaching from past newspaper articles,and also with advanced levels of TOEFL,to keep
highly fluent students to remain in the school. Open discussion classes could be available for
both adults and children. Some schools will require 3 or more classes in one day, back to back,
but with shorter periods of class time. Still some schools will allow students to sit in the same
class more than once, at no extra charge, or allow the free time of an instructor to offer drill,
or review, classes to keep the student at an appropriate level. This could be one more way of
keeping the “customer” happy and continue the influx of new students.

9) ABILITY to ” WORK WITH THE CUSTOMER ”

Some schools will have the means to compensate certain needs of the student. These will
include offering classes at other than normal teaching hours, having unique teaching materials
available for a smaller minority of the students, being able to “ make room ” for the class
of only one student,etc. Being able to fulfill the wants and needs should be the primary goal
of any Hagwon.

10) HAVING the AUTHORITY to DISCIPLINE the CHILDREN

Many children feel that they have the right to act out of order; possibly obnoxious and
uncontrollable. Once they enter the doors, they feel that they are out of their real school.
While some students are more serious than others, many can sit through classes simply
because their parents want them there. Interrupting others or not paying attention does
not falter them a bit. Granted, the school is actually a business, and if students are unhappy,
they will complain to their parents. But since most parents do not speak English, much less
being fluent, they could possibly not be aware of the progress of their own children. They
could believe that keeping them at the school will increase their fluency proportionately.
This is easily debatable. Most parents will have to take the word of their children on their
own progress.

Some schools have found ways to change this problem. A steady regimen of quizzes and
exams is one way to show both the student and the parents of the progress, and success, of
the student’s performance. Issuing some assignments or work to be done at home is another
way. Marking attendance on a roll sheet will inform parents of their children’s attendance.
Sometimes an occasional written evaluation by the instructor to be sent to the parents will
allow the instructors to “cover themselves” in case of any complaints about poor teaching
methods, or not showing enough attention to the student. Last, reprimanding the students for
speaking Korean, or any other foreign language besides English, in class should quickly assure
the student that the school is 100% serious in teaching. Only speaking Korean is one way for
the student to ignore the instructor and make the class more enjoyable for themselves. It is
definitely not a way to learn English. Asking the instructor how to say a word or phrase in
English is one of the best ways to learn. Conversation is what the instructor is supposed to
focus on, but this can be frustrating if they don’t know how or will not try. One method to
motivate the student is to put his name on a check-list. If the student should speak Korean
2 or more times in class, the parents are notified. This will force the student to try his best
to show his interest and effort, or keep him extremely quiet while other students are trying
to learn.