Subject: i+1 Language Center, Uiwang
Date: Monday, November 10, 2008
Hi, I just got to Korea a few weeks ago. To tell you the truth I was a bit scared about my job. I followed my gut and took a job that with a very small school that there was little info on the web about, but some.
I am so glad I did. i+1 language center deserves the green list. The apartment was beyond clean, in great shape and they re-wall papered right before I moved it so it was really fresh. It really was a 5 minute walk or so from school, and the area I live in is very very nice.
The school is run by a Korean woman and her Canadian husband. They both are such caring people that help me to get by in Korea with things like reading my mail if i ask and so much more. Because he is Western it helps a lot he understands me much better than I think a Korean boss would.
The school is one of the best in the area, which mean a lot of work in making great lesson plans. To work here be prepared with your A game. It is great to be at a school where the students are really learning a lot.
I would rate this school an A+
Thanks
Subject: Junggye (Chunggye) Wonderland, Nowon Gu, Seoul
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 5:37 AM
Dear Jon,
I really want to recommend Junggye (Chunggye/Bukbu) Wonderland to your GREEN list after feeling exasperated reading negative letters from seven years ago on your black list.
I worked at Junggye Wonderland in 2007. It's owned by a brother and sister, and they own only one school--Junggye. There's no Mr. Kim anymore, there's no Sanggye school, or what not.
I got paid every month on payday--not the day after, not two days later--every month on payday. They put my pay directly into my account, and it was always there, without a question, without a problem, without a hiccup.
I called in sick several times during my year there and other people covered my classes. The school preferred I NOT call in sick--of course!--because that meant extra work for other people, but there was no pressure to come in--I was sick, so I stayed home. Other teachers did, too. No issue. No problem.
My school paid my airfare up front. I got my severance and housing deposit back exactly as promised. I got a decent place to stay. I got a summer vacation. I got a winter vacation. I got weekends and holidays off. The directors took us on a tour of the famous places in Seoul. They took us on a weekend trip to cabins in a secluded area of Kyounggie Do. They took us on a weekend hiking trip to YooMyoung Mountain. They even invited us to spend New Year's Day at their house! (which I didn't accept, but only because I had other plans).
Junggye Wonderland isn't perfect, but I've worked at three different schools in Korea, I've worked at a school in the States, I've worked a whole bunch of other jobs in the States--and Junggye Wonderland was sure as hell no less perfect than any other place I've ever worked--and in a lot of ways it was a hell of a lot nicer.
I'm absolutely fed up with the volume of negative information about schools in Korea. New teachers are placing their trust in evaluations by people who--if they met--they wouldn't trust to walk their dog.
I knew one guy at the adult school I worked for who claimed he could see the color of a vein on our supervisor's face change, which he said meant she had a blood sugar problem, which he said was why she had told him to get his student evaluations in on time. Huh?
Another guy I knew (at the same adult school) deceived a female student into having a one-night stand with him. When she and the school found out, and the school decided that maybe they didn't want to renew his contract, he started acting like "Korea" was persecuting him. And I kid you not--for the love of God--I saw him on the street after this incident making faces at passing cars.
Maybe these are some of the "blacklist" letter writers. In any case, I'm certainly thankful for this Green List--a chance to post some factual information for once, in a sea of smears.
Sincerely,
PS.. I wish not to post my e-mail and name, but if it's your policy to do so, then I will, because I stand by every word. And thank you again, Jon, for the Green List!
SUBJECT: Korean Greenlist - Jung Chul English Junior and YBM ECC Cheong Ju
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 19:48:40 -0800 (PST)
Hi Jon.
Just thought I'd better submit these hagwons for your green list as I've had nothing but great experiences with them.
I first came to korea in 2002, when I was the only foreign teacher working for Jung Chul English in Cheong Ju. I stayed the full 12 months, received my bonus, was paid on time every month (except once when the director genuinely forgot - he paid me and apologized the next day) and was allowed a week's vacation at practically no notice: I had a friend working in another city who got sick, s I wanted the time to look after her. No problems. When I left, it was to return to my wife and son back home, but I planned to be back in '04.
My replacement is still working for the same director, who has since opened up an ECC. My replacement finished his first contract, got another job which was not too good, called Mr K, and had a job basically created for him.
I didn't actually make it back in '04, but last year I deceided the time was right to return. I secured positions for myself and my wife working for the Ks. We brought our two children with us, and our bosses arranged a babysitter for the kids for the first few months (for free), then got them into a local kindergarten. Work trips have been organised with our children in mind, Mrs K has been incredibly helpful in translating messages between us and the kindergarten... the list goes on.
After reading the blacklist, I felt it was important to share my experiences, to show that just as there are really bad hagwons and employers, there are also REALLY good ones.
Cheers
Sean
Power should never go to those who seek it.
SUBJECT: AHIL ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTITUTE - DONG GU, NAMMOK - ULSAN
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 09:51:06 +0100
I am due to finish my contract here soon, Although the working hours can be a little tough sometimes. The director always pays on time and has been very fair to us. I needed to visit my sick husband for two weeks without notice and Mrs Park was very good about it and I had no trouble. my own housing was good and generally it is a nice school. We have our moans as foreigners about the school but no reason why it should not be on the green list.
Subject: GDA Junior
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2006
Hi there, Jon-
Just wanted to recommend a school for your greenlist. I came to GDA Junior in Bundang the Fall of 2004, and spent 16 months working there before I left. They are a reputable school with a large foreign staff as well as many Korean teachers. The anchor of the school is its kindergarten program, which has a strong academic curriculum. As a kindergarten teacher, I had to make a lot of adjustments between what was expected of me in Korea as opposed to North America. My supervisors (who were raised in the states) supported me during this time, and have continued to support me during my time there. GDA has always paid us teachers on time and our contracts have been fulfilled to the letter. Many teachers renew their contracts or extend beyond their year. I wanted to stay an extra four months, and they let me do so, even though it would have been more convenient for them to have me stay for six. When I left, I was able to find a job with an international school teaching art, due in a large part to the quality experience I had in Korea. Since I did not have a job for the meantime, they allowed me to come back to work until the end of the summer. Like all schools, there have been frustrations, but they are the kind of frustrations that go with the industry: ones that you can live with at the end of the day. Because GDA is an academically-minded school, any teacher who takes a job with them should expect they will work hard, but I guarantee it will be worth it.
Subject: LCI Kids Club Ilsan, South Korea
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005
Hello Jon,
I would like to recommend the Lee family business of LCI Kids Club near Jeongbalsan in Ilsan as reliable trustworthy employers. I spent a year working for director Mr. Lee who was punctual with payments, fair-handed about everything financial, and quite flexible in a number of policy areas, plus the management gave me timely opportunities to correct my own mistakes as a new teacher in the hogwan industry. I especially appreciated the prudence of the management to inform me about issues as soon as they arose and thus fix them. They helped me get positive experiences in this industry. The business is not perfect of course, since they have to deal with Korean parents, but I was never let down by them and I would recommend them as reliable employers to any reputable person worth hiring.
The only reason I didn't renew the contract because I was ready to settle down in Toronto.
If you get a chance to work for these people, take it.
Subject: LCI Kids Club – Sunchon City & EGS Ulsan City
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005
LCI Kids Club – Sunchon City – Worked there for 3 years, after the first year a new owner appeared, Bruce ( Min Kyoung Woo) a very nice guy, speaks English very well and will literally bend over backwards to make you’re stay there a great experience, highly recommended, I only left that school because my girlfriend lives in another city. If you’d like to try this school feel free to contact me about it ;) great school!
EGS Ulsan City – Recently started to use foreign teachers it’s one of the teach everything type hakwons, the staff is absolutely great, as are the owners. Very friendly place here where I am currently ;)
Subject: Kid's College - Deajeon, South Korea
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004
Jon,
I have been in Korea for 2 months now and so far everything is going wonderfully. I teach at Kid's College in Deajeon. The principals are sweet and work hard to make each of us foreign teachers feel comfortable and enjoy ourselves.
Now, there are differences in culture and of course language, but I knew that coming in. I looked at several sites and read a lot about negative expereinces of teaching in Korea, and I have to say that so far that just isn't the case for me. I think that a person has to be comfortable knowing that things will be different and hard, before they come here, otherwise they are only kidding themselves.
I enjoy my time here and look forward to the next 10 months, at least!
Kid's College - Deajeon, South Korea
Subject: General Experience
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 06:56:38 +0000
Hi there Jon,
I was reading the information on your site and found it rather interesting. I'm in Incheon teaching in a small hagwan right now. I've been here for 4 months and I'm having a great time. I'm from Toronto, and I find Incheon about as organised and comfortable as any Chinatown in any large North American city. I've heard "horror stories" from several foreign teachers complaining that the standard of living isn't the same as back home. I guess that's what working abroad is all about. I didn't expect Koreans to worshipo me when I came here, so I'm not at all disappointed. I'm accustomed to dealing with people who don't understand English, having lived in a large city all my life. I'm also used to dealing with difficult govenment officials, bosses, and landlords. These exist in all societies. So far, except for the language, the diet, and certain priorities, I don't see how life for a foreign teacher in Korea is so different from back home. Perhaps this job isn't for everyone. Before deciding to come to Korea, or to go anywhere, you must first accept that thinngs happen differently in different parts of the world.
I think with that in miond, it's a personally enriching experience. So what if the Burger King in Incheon doesn't taste like the one in De Moines? ;)
Peace!
Subject: Ivy English School, Cheongju
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 12:43:46
Dear Jon,
It is sad to see so many blacklist letters and so few greenlist letters. I believe the positive experiences of teachers in Korea far outweigh those on the blacklist, it's just those "happy" teachers don't take the extra time to sit down and share their situations with others as the blacklisters do. I agree there are schools and directors/employers in Korea that are shady, to say the least. I found it was very helpful to talk to some of the teachers already working at the school I chose to teach at before I traveled half way around the world. I gues you could say I was one of the many lucky ones.
Ivy English School in Cheongju (Chungcheongbuk-do) is a terrific place to teach. I taught from March 2003 to April 2004 and had no problems. When I felt there was something bothering me, the owners were more than happy to sit down and discuss the issue at hand. Mr. and Mrs. KXX sincerely take care of their teachers and make every attempt to make sure the teachers are comfortable. They understand the business and that happy teachers are a valueable comodity. The school is also concerned with the education of it's students, which makes it an added plus to teach there. Ivy English School students have consistently excelled in English competitions and testing. I would recommend this school to anyone interested in teaching in Korea.
I have many friends still teaching in Korea, and I've heard of only a few negative occurances from them. Overall, teaching in Korea is an excellent experience and a great way to travel the world and get paid doing it. It was one of the best experiences of my life. In fact, after taking a 2 month summer vacation in North America, I am definitely going back to Korea to teach. Unfortunatley, Ivy English School has no current open positions, so I'm searching for another good school for my second year in Korea or in Japan.
Missing good kimchi, sam gyup sal and soju,
Sean
Subject: Jung Chul Junior Hagwon in Uijeongbu
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004
Dear Jon,
I've read a lot of the posts on the blacklist, as well as the general 'DON'T TEACH IN KOREA' warning, and I felt I should try to offset this, so that people don't get put off entirely. I spent 2002 in Korea, and had a great time. My school, Jung Chul Junior Hagwon in Uijeongbu (just outside Seoul) was fantastic. The management were lovely people, always kind, reliable and good to their word. Evrything I was promised I recieved. They also gave me use of a bike and a PC! The whole experience was a joy from beginning to end. It is possible to have a great time in Korea, with a decent employer. Indeed of all the other native teachers I met there, only one had any kind of bad experience. I liked it so much I'm about ot go back for another year.
Subject: Commentary and ECC Schools
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004
Hi ...
I'd like to focus on the positives in Korea. I know there are many negatives, but there are lots of positives too.
Firstly, I'd like to say that many people come to Korea looking to live exactly like they did at home. Well, that's impossible, because it's a different country AND why the hell would you want to travel and try to live like home?? That's insane. So when you come to Korea you have to expect things to be different: food, customs, attitudes, business practices. You have to be a bit flexible at least.
My experience (this is my experience remember) is that older people don't adjust well to the different culture. I've been in Korea for 3 years and I've worked for 2 different hogwans. I have found that it's always the older teachers who have problems, are argumentative with their bosses and find the going too difficult.
THAT'S MY OPINION REMEMBER. And I'm sure it doesn't apply to all people ... but just keep in mind, some people might complain about their hogwan ... sometimes it's not the hogwan, sometimes it's foreigners who are too fussy, demand too many things, and complain constantly ... we're not perfect either. We need to adjust to Korea more than we should expect them to adjust to us.
ON TO THE GREEN LIST:
ECC Schools in Korea are generally very safe schools to teach in. Lots of people have reported to me that their ECC is very professionally run.
I currently work for ECC in a small town called Sokcho and my boss is an amazing lady. She treats her foreign workers very well. She has high standards too and demands that we work hard. But we don't have a problem with that because when we need something, then she is there for us.
We have a good relationship with our school, and there are 14 foreigners at our school. We get paid on time, there's never been anyone fired, and full contracts have always been honoured. Also, for the teachers that have renewed their contracts (like me), she has offered great bonuses.
This is a perfect situation. However, don't think that we have a cushy job. We work hard and we earn our money. We have regular meetings, we have curriculum teams. I recently was asked to create an entire program to start in 2 weeks (the new school year). Also, after creating the program, I had to teach it to the rest of the staff.
Our boss listens to us. We work hard and she respects our opinions. Recently I suggested that a series of books was not very good for teaching grammar. These books have now been dropped and new books (also my suggestion) have replaced them.
Korea is the same as any country. There are good bosses and bad bosses. But we don't have the right to ostracise an entire country because of bad schools. America doesn't have dishonest companies?? Well, currently they're trying to send most of their work to China and India ... downsizing companies and people are losing their jobs.
IT'S NOT JUST KOREA! But it is fun to bitch and criticise other countries, isn't it???
ECC schools are a franchise ... they are controlled by a big company called YMB. YMB has schools, publishes books, web sites, and does a lot of educational work in Korea. It’s big and very well respected. The ECC guidelines are strict. I'm sure some ECC schools are badly run, but I think the vast majority are good.
So, simply put, if you don't like Korea, don't come here ... simple. If you're not prepared to take that risk, then don't come.
Finally, this is the most important point, Hogwans in Korea are BUSINESSES. They're not philanthropic ventures by rich people. They're small companies run by people who are trying to make money. So they make decisions based on finance. Sometimes these decisions aren't in the best interest of education. If you teach in a hogwan (I disagree with some of the practices at my school) then you have to adjust and accept these differences. Maybe, if you're patient, you can change things ... but you have to realise that at the end of the day, every decision is going to be made financially ... If your school makes money, then they boss might be prepared to give a little to keep you happy, but generally private hogwans aren't going to make a fortune, and your boss has to be careful how they spend their money.
Expensive and bitchy foreigners are a necessary evil to Koreans. We earn more, we demand more, and we complain more. Without us, there would be no English hogwans.
So, before you blacklist a school, you should make sure you have been fair and helpful to your school. I've found that middle ground can always be achieved. If you're a reasonable person then your boss probably will be too.
You're welcome to disagree ... but I love Korea and I work hard to make sure that my life here is good. And I'm prepared to give a little to get a little.
Cheers
Subject: Nam Inchon SLP
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 (Updated 26 Mar 2004)
Howdy,
I'm at Nam Inchon SLP in southern Incheon, and I'm loving it. I got the job through TeachCorps, which not only found me this job and walked me through the process but also provided a 500,000 won loan to get me through to my first full month's pay.
The apartments are small but modern and comfortable and an easy walk from the school. The school's Man Friday, a fellow called "JJ," is a treasure who helps the foreign teachers with everything and anything. When I had a loose filling, he went to the dentist with me to ensure proper translation. He helped me fill out the paperwork for the bank to wire money to my daughter. He came to one girl's apartment and changed a lightbulb for her! And he does it all with a smile.
Nam Inchon SLP has half foreign teachers and half local Korean teachers. The Korean teachers are also cheerfully willing to help the foreign teachers. They teach us how to pay our bills, go to the store with us when we need a translator to help us shop, and introduce us to Korean culture.
They pay is what I was promised by my recruiter, and it's always in my bank account when the bank opens on payday. The school also reimburses us for half of all medical, dental, and pharmacy bills if we bring receipts to JJ.
The schedule is a little daunting at first, but becomes comfortable after the first few weeks. We have a lot of freedom within the SLP-provided lesson plans. The administration backs us up on discipline issues, and the Korean teachers are true partners and co-teachers in our classes. The kids range from preschool to middle school, beginners to "returnees," who have lived in English-speaking countries. The more advanced classes are entirely given over to the foreign teachers, and we have a tremendous amount of leeway in how we approach them.
I heard that there'd been "runners" during my predecessor's tenure, but I suspect that they were immature and not willing to adapt to things that are unfamiliar or less than ideal. Of the three people who left before their contracts were up during my tenure, one had a personal beef with the director and wasn't willing to negotiate, another was one of those complaining people who just hates everything, and the last one was lonely for her fiance and left to get married. All three left gracefully, with no bad feeling spilling out and poisoning the atmosphere.
I think we're treated very well. I've been here 11 months now, and I've extended my contract one month. I plan to return after a visit home for a few months. We had one other teacher who just returned for a new contract after going home for a while. Another teacher hopes to extend for six months, and possibly come back for another full year. Both of these teachers have worked at other schools, and they're pleased with Nam Inchon SLP, so I don't think I have an unrealistically rosy picture of this school, which is my first foreign ESL experience.
Lots of days I'm practically dancing around, delighted that I have such a wonderful job that allows me to do work that I love, see the world, and earn decent money along with a free apartment. I'd recommend Nam Inchon SLP in a heartbeat.
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 08:57:37 EDT
Subject: So far so good.
Dear Jon,
I've only been here in Seoul for seven weeks, but after reading all the messages on the blacklist, I felt like I should share my positive experiences.
I am working for R.E.I., the Reformed English Institute in Nowon-gu, Seoul. The Principal of the school is Mr. Choi, and the Director is his daughter, Sandra.
I was met a the airport by Mr. Choi and his wife. They took me to a restaurant, fed me, and took me to a clean, if modest, hotel for the night while the former teacher vacated her place.
The next day, I moved into my new place. It was not the largest place I have ever lived in (nor the smallest) but it was a single and it had a TV, computer desk, and kitchen with cooking utensils. I was a little distressed about the mold that had taken up residence in the wallpaper behind the headboard of the bed, but I didn't complain.
In my second week I came down with a case of bronchitis. While I do get three sick days, I had figured out why the school doesn't want me to take them: the kids report to their mothers that the 'American' teacher was not in class that day. They are paying extra to have a native speaker in the classroom, so the school gets flack whenever we're MIA. So I decided to be a trooper and I kept teaching even when I was very ill. The Director sat in on some of my more rowdy classes to help me control the students while I was in my weakened state. We colored and made the best of it.
When my condition didn't improve I mentioned the mold in my apartment to the doctor that was treating me, and she told me to move out of the apartment. I cleared out to a hotel and let the school know about it. The next day, the school paid my hotel bill and the Director let me stay at her place for two days while I recovered. She went to my house and scrubbed up as much of the mold as she could.
For a while they tried to find me a new place, but they were locked in to the lease at my current place, so there wasn't much they could do without it costing a lot of money. But, I eventually got better and the place is quite livable now.
Since then, they have been very helpful. The staff makes phone calls for me and the other teachers whenever we need something that's hard to negotiate without speaking Korean: getting a cable modem installed, tracking down a lost package from home, etc.
I ran out of money more quickly than expected. After the second week, Mr. Choi advanced me a week's pay and after a month, he advanced me another week, just to help tide me over until payday on the tenth.
I received my pay in full, minus the advances, tax, and health insurance -- both of which, by the way, were nothing by American standards. 6% tax and a $35 health care co-pay.
At a teacher's meeting, some of us complained that two of the rooms were too hot. The next day, a large, wall-mounted, oscillating fan appeared in each room.
My washing machine broke. They paid a repairman 60,000 won to fix it, and charged me nothing.
In a separate incident, my bathroom sink fell and smashed on the floor. I told the school, and within 24-hrs, Principal Choi came himself and installed a new sink. He charged me for half ($23) because I was leaning on it when it broke. I still say it was a cheap assed sink on it's last legs and that the landlord should pay for it, but it's only 23 bucks.
My stay thus far has not been completely free of problems, but they pale in comparison to the horror stories I've read about on your site.
Teaching English is incredibly fun and rewarding. The kids are adorable and infuriating by turns, but it's ultimately a very good time. I enjoy teaching English. It's one of the best jobs I've ever had, and I've had many jobs.
Otherwise, I've been having a very positive experience. The vibe in Seoul reminds me very much of New York City when I lived there in the early 80's. But the food is better -- much better. And Koreans are surprisingly friendly. They are very curious about Americans, eager to flex their English, and there's a real culture of eating and drinking in Seoul that is a very worthwhile thing to experience. I've lived all over the US and I've never had such fresh, delicious produce. One of the teachers here is from Florida, and was chagrined to admit that the oranges here are better. I feel like I never tasted a strawberry until I came to Korea. The salads at restaurants are always crisp and fresh -- but if you are looking for sad, wilted, iceberg lettuce, the geniuses at McDonald's are still slapping it on the burgers, even here in Seoul!
Lunch at the Korean equivalent of a diner costs me $1.75 to $3.00 at day -- and it's very good food. A double espresso? Three dollars at Starbucks in LA, $1.25 here. A night on the town winds up costing only about 15, 20 bucks a person. Almost everything is much cheaper than in the US, though some things are the same: I pay $40 bucks a month for a high-speed cable modem.
Of course, you might wind up in a bad hagwan. But I think your experience here hinges a lot on how you approach the place. For what it's worth, I think it's helpful to see Korea as a nation with a slight insecurity complex. They have been trounced on by one power or another for a whole lot of years. At best, they've played second fiddle, and usually they are stuck way in the back of the string section. And yet they have a very proud history -- most of the evidence of which has, unfortunately, been obliterated during various wars. That and the constant tension that is created by North Korea, looming above them makes for a strange and uncertain balance in the Korean psyche.
I think I have gotten a long way just by embracing Korean language, culture and cuisine as much as I can. I've have made more than a few Korean friends by plopping myself down in a market stall and ordering up pig's feet and soju. They love to see foreigners enjoying what they have to offer. This makes them feel more comfortable enjoying what we have to offer.
My two cents.