Tefl in South Korea

dapto1

I'm going to the AGG too!

roosh

JFitzgerald wrote: »

I just found out that I will be teaching in an elementary school in Yongsan-gu, Central Seoul. Does anyone know what this area is like?

There are 42 teachers in my school. Does anyone know if that would indicate that there might be other foreign teachers there?

I have to do orientation starting 21 October. Anyone know how long that takes? Is it one week?

Thanks.

I'll probably see you there

I'm not sure how long it lasts though, my contract starts on the 26th of Ocotber, which is a wednesday, but I presume it is for a week alright.

Have you done the pre-orientation course? I'm doing it now - it's pretty basic but it's just a bit of nuisance

roosh

what's the story with the public school year, does anyone know; what holidays do the kids get?

ekevosu

roosh wrote: »

what's the story with the public school year, does anyone know; what holidays do the kids get?

I'm in elementary and our winter holidays are from 28th December till feb 6th or 8th or something. As you're in gangwon you'll have three weeks to take during that time and probably do a camp or two the rest of the time. For the public schools here in my county anyway you must take the holidays in blocks, not a couple od days here and there. Also if you take a week where there happens to be a public holiday, that will count as one of your days so beware.

ekevosu

Just checked and my summer holidays were July 20th to august 24th with two weeks holidays and camps the rest of the time.

Be warned also, if your school is decent and gives you a few days extra instead of desk warming, DO NOT tell and of the other foreign teachers in your area as a lot of them can end up complaining and your days off will disappear. It's how desk warming came about.

squeakyduck

How did everyone enjoy the AGG's? I had a blast. Was hanging around with the Mongolian team for a good while and the Dokdo pirates were a mad laugh.

I even got to meet Eamon Gilmore at the opening

roosh

ekevosu wrote: »

I'm in elementary and our winter holidays are from 28th December till feb 6th or 8th or something. As you're in gangwon you'll have three weeks to take during that time and probably do a camp or two the rest of the time. For the public schools here in my county anyway you must take the holidays in blocks, not a couple od days here and there. Also if you take a week where there happens to be a public holiday, that will count as one of your days so beware.

ekevosu wrote: »

Just checked and my summer holidays were July 20th to august 24th with two weeks holidays and camps the rest of the time.

Be warned also, if your school is decent and gives you a few days extra instead of desk warming, DO NOT tell and of the other foreign teachers in your area as a lot of them can end up complaining and your days off will disappear. It's how desk warming came about.

cheers ekevosu, I was wondering what kind of holidays the kids got and what normally happens when they are on hols, but it appears as though "camps" is the answer.

one of my best friends is getting married on August 31st next year, so I'll have to try and blag something for that. is there anywhere that has a list of the public holidays for 2012 do you know?

ekevosu

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2012&country=70 - This is the one I use. Any idea where you are yet?

hyperbaby

cloneslad wrote: »

Our good friends in Gwangju made another song.

Aww, I need to meet these people.

roosh

ekevosu wrote: »

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2012&country=70 - This is the one I use. Any idea where you are yet?

cheers lad!

don't know yet, won't find out til I get over there. just started the packing now and the excitement is bubbling just under the surface!

roosh

@cloneslad (or anyone who has flown with Etihad)

do you know if the laptop bag counts towards the 7kg of carry on luggage?

roosh

should I pack bedsheets??

JFitzgerald

roosh wrote: »

I'll probably see you there

I'm not sure how long it lasts though, my contract starts on the 26th of Ocotber, which is a wednesday, but I presume it is for a week alright.

Have you done the pre-orientation course? I'm doing it now - it's pretty basic but it's just a bit of nuisance

No, i haven't done a pre-orientation course. I'm going via a recruitment agency and neither they or anyone else emailed me info on that. i've read some blogs by folk who've already done orientation and some said it wasn't necessary to have it done.
i think the orientation is a full week too.
see you there.

JFitzgerald

roosh wrote: »

@cloneslad (or anyone who has flown with Etihad)

do you know if the laptop bag counts towards the 7kg of carry on luggage?

i recently flew with etihad twice and they never checked the weight of my carry-on. however, your laptop is counted as part of your carry-on. now that i think of it, i've yet to have any long haul carrier check the weight of my carry-on.
nice airline to fly with - good choice of in-flight entertainment and the food is a lot better than most.

roosh

JFitzgerald wrote: »

No, i haven't done a pre-orientation course. I'm going via a recruitment agency and neither they or anyone else emailed me info on that. i've read some blogs by folk who've already done orientation and some said it wasn't necessary to have it done.
i think the orientation is a full week too.
see you there.

just asking, but is it the EPIK orientation you're doing (I'm presuming it is). I applied through a recruiter and I can't remember if they said anything about it (think they mentioned it alright) but it was on the information sheet attached to the contract. There is a thing on it where it records "attendance" i.e. what has been done, but I'm not sure if they actually check it.

I can send you on the link if you want it, but if you don't want to bother and they say that it is needed I can try and go through the answers with you, over there - depending on how much I can remember.

The orientation is a full week, but I think it runs over the weekend; that's going solely on my contract start date.

roosh

JFitzgerald wrote: »

i recently flew with etihad twice and they never checked the weight of my carry-on. however, your laptop is counted as part of your carry-on. now that i think of it, i've yet to have any long haul carrier check the weight of my carry-on.
nice airline to fly with - good choice of in-flight entertainment and the food is a lot better than most.

just re-checked the Etihad website and the laptop bag is an addition to the 7kg allowance - good job bcos I've a pretty big laptop bag and I'll be bringing notes and a few books in there too.

JFitzgerald

roosh wrote: »

just re-checked the Etihad website and the laptop bag is an addition to the 7kg allowance - good job bcos I've a pretty big laptop bag and I'll be bringing notes and a few books in there too.

Cool

JFitzgerald

roosh wrote: »

just asking, but is it the EPIK orientation you're doing (I'm presuming it is). I applied through a recruiter and I can't remember if they said anything about it (think they mentioned it alright) but it was on the information sheet attached to the contract. There is a thing on it where it records "attendance" i.e. what has been done, but I'm not sure if they actually check it.

I can send you on the link if you want it, but if you don't want to bother and they say that it is needed I can try and go through the answers with you, over there - depending on how much I can remember.

The orientation is a full week, but I think it runs over the weekend; that's going solely on my contract start date.

Yeah, it is the EPIK orientation that I'm attending.
Could you send me that link pls? I'd better take a look at it.
Thanks.

Yeah, the orientation runs over the weekend - according to some blogs that i read.

roosh

JFitzgerald wrote: »

Yeah, it is the EPIK orientation that I'm attending.
Could you send me that link pls? I'd better take a look at it.
Thanks.

Yeah, the orientation runs over the weekend - according to some blogs that i read.

here is the link.

EPIK were supposed to email out a password for it, but I never got one; but if you click the ID/PW you can do a password request (as though you've forgotten it) and it will be emailed to you there and then. The email address is just the one that you put down on the EPIK application form.

There are about 17 tests and the first 5, that I've done, the video lessons have been 15-20mins long; but the questions have been pretty simple (having watched the video clips mind); but, if it looks like it might take too long, it might be worth skipping to the quiz section and just googling the answers.

You do have to spend a minimum of 15mins doing the lessons though.



Again, I'm not sure if they'll actually check to see if you have it done or not, so I wouldn't be too panicked; if it is necessary, I'm sure they'll just allow us to do it during the orientation.

Actually just thinking about it, I think it said somewhere, either that it had to be done by December, or that it would be available to do til December - can't remember which.

roosh

for anyone flying with Etihad, or looking to book a flight with Etihad, make sure and register with their loyalty program; as of the 9th of October this year you get an extra 5kg [checked] baggage allowance, so it's 28kg as opposed to 23.

kraggy

ekevosu wrote: »

I'm in elementary and our winter holidays are from 28th December till feb 6th or 8th or something. As you're in gangwon you'll have three weeks to take during that time and probably do a camp or two the rest of the time. For the public schools here in my county anyway you must take the holidays in blocks, not a couple od days here and there. Also if you take a week where there happens to be a public holiday, that will count as one of your days so beware.

Who told you that?

Public contracts state annual leave in terms of days, not weeks. If your school deducted a public holiday from your annual leave, they shouldn't have and you are entitled to it back.

ekevosu

kraggy wrote: »

Who told you that?

Public contracts state annual leave in terms of days, not weeks. If your school deducted a public holiday from your annual leave, they shouldn't have and you are entitled to it back.

We were told by coteacher, foreign co-ordinator and county education office head. The other foreign teacher in my school worked in Seoul so he was under the same impression as you but it's different here in gangwon (or maybe just my county). Gangwon EPIK have 35 days including Saturdays and Sundays. I'll check the wording on the contract exactly but the wording is ambiguous. It's the same with the Korean teachers. All the foreign teachers around since last year or before have always had it that way.

roosh

ekevosu wrote: »

We were told by coteacher, foreign co-ordinator and county education office head. The other foreign teacher in my school worked in Seoul so he was under the same impression as you but it's different here in gangwon (or maybe just my county). Gangwon EPIK have 35 days including Saturdays and Sundays. I'll check the wording on the contract exactly but the wording is ambiguous. It's the same with the Korean teachers. All the foreign teachers around since last year or before have always had it that way.

hey ekevosu, what do you reckon my chances would be of getting time off around the 31st of August next year? I'd probably need the friday and the monday off?

squeakyduck

roosh wrote: »

should I pack bedsheets??

I did. I'm glad I did too.... Can't get bed sheets as funky looking as mine out here!

SpatialPlanning

squeakyduck wrote: »

How did everyone enjoy the AGG's? I had a blast. Was hanging around with the Mongolian team for a good while and the Dokdo pirates were a mad laugh.

I even got to meet Eamon Gilmore at the opening

It was a great laugh! The Wolfhound on Sunday night was nuts! The banquet wasn't half bad either.

squeakyduck

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

It was a great laugh! The Wolfhound on Sunday night was nuts! The banquet wasn't half bad either.

Yeah? I was supposed to go to the closing and Wolfhound with the Mongolian team but they left before I got there.... Hung out with some of the Daegu team and went home!

The opening ceremony was great. My brother met a load of his friends from the teams he played with, and they even asked him to play! Met a girl that my sister was good friends with year ago...totally random! Love how the world is so small sometimes!

kraggy

JFitzgerald wrote: »

i recently flew with etihad twice and they never checked the weight of my carry-on. however, your laptop is counted as part of your carry-on. now that i think of it, i've yet to have any long haul carrier check the weight of my carry-on.
nice airline to fly with - good choice of in-flight entertainment and the food is a lot better than most.

roosh wrote: »

just asking, but is it the EPIK orientation you're doing (I'm presuming it is). I applied through a recruiter and I can't remember if they said anything about it (think they mentioned it alright) but it was on the information sheet attached to the contract. There is a thing on it where it records "attendance" i.e. what has been done, but I'm not sure if they actually check it.

I can send you on the link if you want it, but if you don't want to bother and they say that it is needed I can try and go through the answers with you, over there - depending on how much I can remember.

The orientation is a full week, but I think it runs over the weekend; that's going solely on my contract start date.

You two are starting mid-semester with EPIK, yeah? I presume your contract finishes next August?

Just wondering if your recruiters told you that you'll have to sign a second contract (6 months) when your initial contract finishes next August to get the flight allowance and contract completion bonus? i.e. you'll have to work til February 28th 2013 to get them.

My recruiter never told me. I found out by accident just as I was signing the contracts and sending them back. So my initial contract is for 10 months and I'll have to sign for another 6 months to get the extras. I was livid when I found out!

Having said that, it could have been worse. I know a Canadian girl here who started just 1 day late and they made her sign another 6 month contract to get the extra benefits. So she had to work 18 months to get everything. Talk about cruel..

JFitzgerald

roosh wrote: »

here is the link.

EPIK were supposed to email out a password for it, but I never got one; but if you click the ID/PW you can do a password request (as though you've forgotten it) and it will be emailed to you there and then. The email address is just the one that you put down on the EPIK application form.

There are about 17 tests and the first 5, that I've done, the video lessons have been 15-20mins long; but the questions have been pretty simple (having watched the video clips mind); but, if it looks like it might take too long, it might be worth skipping to the quiz section and just googling the answers.

You do have to spend a minimum of 15mins doing the lessons though.



Again, I'm not sure if they'll actually check to see if you have it done or not, so I wouldn't be too panicked; if it is necessary, I'm sure they'll just allow us to do it during the orientation.

Actually just thinking about it, I think it said somewhere, either that it had to be done by December, or that it would be available to do til December - can't remember which.

Thanks for all the info. I tried to access this but I couldn't get in. I'll wait and see what happens at orientation i think.

JFitzgerald

kraggy wrote: »

You two are starting mid-semester with EPIK, yeah? I presume your contract finishes next August?

Just wondering if your recruiters told you that you'll have to sign a second contract (6 months) when your initial contract finishes next August to get the flight allowance and contract completion bonus? i.e. you'll have to work til February 28th 2013 to get them.

My recruiter never told me. I found out by accident just as I was signing the contracts and sending them back. So my initial contract is for 10 months and I'll have to sign for another 6 months to get the extras. I was livid when I found out!

Having said that, it could have been worse. I know a Canadian girl here who started just 1 day late and they made her sign another 6 month contract to get the extra benefits. So she had to work 18 months to get everything. Talk about cruel..

Yeah i knew this already. My recruiter was very clear about it. I'd be happy enough to stay on another 6 months as there are no jobs in ireland for me to go home to anyway. i'm planning to take all this experience and move on to teach in australia. hopefully 18 months experience will stand to me.

ekevosu

roosh wrote: »

hey ekevosu, what do you reckon my chances would be of getting time off around the 31st of August next year? I'd probably need the friday and the monday off?

It will depend on your school and coteacher and how nice they are. Hopefully by that time you will have a good relationship with them and they might accommodate you. If you end up having another NET at your school, they might be able to cover for you as well.

kraggy

JFitzgerald wrote: »

Yeah i knew this already. My recruiter was very clear about it. I'd be happy enough to stay on another 6 months as there are no jobs in ireland for me to go home to anyway. i'm planning to take all this experience and move on to teach in australia. hopefully 18 months experience will stand to me.

What are you hoping to teach in Australia? Are you under 30?

JFitzgerald

kraggy wrote: »

What are you hoping to teach in Australia? Are you under 30?

Nah - I'm well past 30, sadly! i've already done the holiday maker visa to australia too. i'm thinking of either working as a tefl teacher there, through the skills visa, apparently there's a demand for them there. or if that doesnt work out, i might go and do the dip for teaching there.

JFitzgerald

Does anyone have any advice about getting an internet connection at my gaff in Seoul? i haven't got my alien card yet and i know i'll have to wait for that. i brought my own laptop from home and it's about 2 years old. can anyone recommend any internet providers? how do i go about it? good and cheap would be preferable, naturally. ta.

kraggy

JFitzgerald wrote: »

Nah - I'm well past 30, sadly! i've already done the holiday maker visa to australia too. i'm thinking of either working as a tefl teacher there, through the skills visa, apparently there's a demand for them there. or if that doesnt work out, i might go and do the dip for teaching there.

Which dip? Primary or Secondary?

Just wondering as I'm a primary teacher myself and looked into Oz before but couldn't see a way in. I'm over 30.

squeakyduck

JFitz

The teachers at my school sorted out my internet for me. There was internet in my apt already but it needed to be reactivated. Mine costs like 30k per month for unlimited download and it's wired internet, wireless is supposed to be more expensive.

What drives me mad is that at night it seems to slow down. I think it may be the amount of people who use the internet at the time I get home from school. But during the day it's grand.

JFitzgerald

kraggy wrote: »

Which dip? Primary or Secondary?

Just wondering as I'm a primary teacher myself and looked into Oz before but couldn't see a way in. I'm over 30.

Primary. I'd have no interest in secondary - kids at that age are too bratty and are beyond help. You couldn't see a way in? Ah, that's a pity now. How come? I thought primary teachers were on the required skills list for Australia.

JFitzgerald

squeakyduck wrote: »

JFitz

The teachers at my school sorted out my internet for me. There was internet in my apt already but it needed to be reactivated. Mine costs like 30k per month for unlimited download and it's wired internet, wireless is supposed to be more expensive.

What drives me mad is that at night it seems to slow down. I think it may be the amount of people who use the internet at the time I get home from school. But during the day it's grand.

Thanks for the info.
Yeah, one of the teachers at my school is going to help me alright but i was wondering.......
30k a month seems ok to me. Wired would be fine with me. I was paying 20 euro a month at home.
Yeah, they seem to be mad into the internet here.

kraggy

JFitzgerald wrote: »

Primary. I'd have no interest in secondary - kids at that age are too bratty and are beyond help. You couldn't see a way in? Ah, that's a pity now. How come? I thought primary teachers were on the required skills list for Australia.

I'm not so sure Primary Teaching is on the list now. It varies from year to year.

But even when they were, you still have to have at least 3 years primary teaching experience to get into Australia. And you have to have a 4 year degree. So the 3 year B.Ed that you get from St. Pat's or Mary I isn't enough. In that case, you'd have to have the Dept. of Education dip done as well.

JFitzgerald

kraggy wrote: »

I'm not so sure Primary Teaching is on the list now. It varies from year to year.

But even when they were, you still have to have at least 3 years primary teaching experience to get into Australia. And you have to have a 4 year degree. So the 3 year B.Ed that you get from St. Pat's or Mary I isn't enough. In that case, you'd have to have the Dept. of Education dip done as well.

Oh dear.
I'll just have to marry a rich Aussie man then.

cadburys

RadioClash wrote: »

Hold onto your ARC number(this doubles as your pension number), you'll need this should you need to claim from it in the future(widow/widower/invalidity pension etc.)

Well I handed over my ARC when leaving Korea, no idea what my no. was! Any way to find out?

squeakyduck

anyone up for the rugby final tomorrow....scrooges....!?

roosh

kraggy wrote: »

You two are starting mid-semester with EPIK, yeah? I presume your contract finishes next August?

Just wondering if your recruiters told you that you'll have to sign a second contract (6 months) when your initial contract finishes next August to get the flight allowance and contract completion bonus? i.e. you'll have to work til February 28th 2013 to get them.

My recruiter never told me. I found out by accident just as I was signing the contracts and sending them back. So my initial contract is for 10 months and I'll have to sign for another 6 months to get the extras. I was livid when I found out!

Having said that, it could have been worse. I know a Canadian girl here who started just 1 day late and they made her sign another 6 month contract to get the extra benefits. So she had to work 18 months to get everything. Talk about cruel..

no, the recruiter never mentioned that. the provisional contract I received though - to get the visa - was for a full 12 months, from October to October. That could of course change.

When you renew do you have to leave the country for a while, or what is the story? I need to try and get back for my mates wedding on the 31st of August, so just wondering if that would facilitate that in any way?

roosh

I completely forgot to get any gifts for my headmaster and co-teachers before leaving home - I was too focused on getting my overweight and oversized carry-on luggage on board, at both Dublin and Abu Dhabi. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could get here??

roosh

squeakyduck wrote: »

anyone up for the rugby final tomorrow....scrooges....!?

is that the name of a bar in Seoul?

we're gonna hook the laptop up to the tv here in the NIIED and stream it

squeakyduck

roosh wrote: »

is that the name of a bar in Seoul?

we're gonna hook the laptop up to the tv here in the NIIED and stream it

It is indeed. And a fine pub it is too!

on the topic of your last post...when did you get here? You only a newbie?

roosh

squeakyduck wrote: »

It is indeed. And a fine pub it is too!

on the topic of your last post...when did you get here? You only a newbie?

got here on thursday, and yes, very much a noob!

squeakyduck

Culture shock hit yet??

where are you living then???

kraggy

roosh wrote: »

no, the recruiter never mentioned that. the provisional contract I received though - to get the visa - was for a full 12 months, from October to October. That could of course change.

When you renew do you have to leave the country for a while, or what is the story? I need to try and get back for my mates wedding on the 31st of August, so just wondering if that would facilitate that in any way?

ARe you with SMOE? Or who are you working for?

If you're with SMOE you won't be getting a 12 month contract after starting in October. You'll get one to bring you up to the end of next August and then you'll have to resign for another 6 months to get the bonuses/flight allowance for flight home.

ekevosu

I just brought a big big tin of walkers biscuits from Costco and a pack of vitamin c drinks for all the teachers et al to share. I didn't do a gift for the headmaster or vice.

You don't have to leave the country to renew your visa so that won't work unfortunately.

kraggy

What's the story with all the people on Dave's talking about visa runs? Who has to do a visa run and who doesn't?

If you're public and you renew your contract for a second year, do you automatically get your visa renewed by immigration?

My visa will expire about a month into my next contract as I didn't start in a block recruitment period, will I have to do a visa run or will it be renewed by immigration when I sign a new contract I wonder?