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| Salaries are typically higher in larger cities, but so too is the cost of living. <ref name="Canadian Consular Advise">, retrieved Sept 14, 2006</ref> | Salaries are typically higher in larger cities, but so too is the cost of living. <ref name="Canadian Consular Advise">, retrieved Sept 14, 2006</ref> | ||
| ==black list== | |||
| Schools you should avoid working for: | |||
| {| class="wikitable" | |||
| |- | |||
| |} | |||
| REI (Reformed English Institute, | |||
| Wonderland, | |||
| Brighton Junior English School, | |||
| Yes Youngdo English School, | |||
| Carlitz Language School, | |||
| ESS Language Institute, | |||
| JEL English School, | |||
| Like English/English Friends, | |||
| Maple Leaf College, | |||
| SBSi Kids, | |||
| Sae Kye Foreign Language Institution, | |||
| Sajik Little Campus, | |||
| YBM ECC, | |||
| Chicago Language Academy, | |||
| Easy Foreign Language Institute, | |||
| Kids Herald School, | |||
| The Red Bank Institute, | |||
| FSL (Fantastic Story Book), | |||
| Oxford Language School, | |||
| Swaton Language School for Kids, | |||
| BEST Language Institute, | |||
| Sarah Han International English School, | |||
| USA Jr. School, | |||
| Dong-gu Castle Language School, | |||
| Kwaks English Country, | |||
| Wonderland, | |||
| Kalma Language School (KLS), | |||
| Kids College, | |||
| NOW English School, | |||
| Eastern Language Academy, | |||
| Single Way Education Center, | |||
| EWHA American Language School, | |||
| Palace Language Centre, | |||
| Haba Playschool, | |||
| Kwandong University, | |||
| Koje College, | |||
| Sogang Language Program Institute (SLP), | |||
| Time Foreign Language Institute, | |||
| Direct English, | |||
| EG Language School, | |||
| English Training Center, | |||
| Ewha American Language School, | |||
| Jung Chul English Junior School, | |||
| Notto English School, | |||
| Seoul English Insitute, | |||
| SISA Foreign Language Institute, | |||
| Evan Moor School, | |||
| Global Education and Culture Center, | |||
| Guk Je Foreign Language Institute, | |||
| Michigan Language Academy, | |||
| BIT English School, | |||
| Yes English School, | |||
| Brainy English School, | |||
| Jae Yeon Kindergarten | |||
| Do note that this list is far from complete. Be extremely cautious when selecting a Hagwon to work for. Teaching English in Korea is really a minefield of potential disasters. Read the warning from the U.S. Department of State regarding teaching English in Korea: http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/teaching/teaching_1240.html | |||
| ===Notes=== | ===Notes=== | ||
| <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"><references /></div> | <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"><references /></div> | ||
Revision as of 21:51, 24 November 2007
| Hagwon | |
| Hangul | 학원 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 學院 |
| Revised Romanization | Hagwon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hagwŏn |
A hagwon is a private cram school prevalent in South Korea. For families that can afford it, hagwon education usually starts at or before elementary level. It is common for Korean school children to attend one or more hagwons after their school.
It is not uncommon for students to be enrolled in several hagwons of different subject areas at once (in addition to their normal school attendance). Hagwons may specialize in subjects like math, foreign language, science, art, or English. Hagwons offering integrated instruction in several subject areas are also common. These are known as soksem hagwon at the elementary level, and ipsi hagwon at the middle-school level. High-school, college and adult students attend gosi hagwon, which are typically focused on preparation for specific civil service examinations.
One example of a well-known hagwon is the Seoul Language Institute. The competition for college admissions in South Korea is usually fierce, and as a result, hagwons can sometimes assign large amounts of homework to students.
Like in many Korean public schools, discipline is sometimes administered with extra amounts of work assigned, as well as corporal punishment, if students fail a test or do not complete their homework.
Hagwon is sometimes used to describe similar institutions operated by Korean Americans in the United States.
Native-speaker instructors
Many native English-speakers are hired to teach at English-language institutes in Korea, referred to as 'English hagwons'. The requirements for such teaching positions typically include a 4-year university degree, citizenship in an English-speaking country, and the ability to sign a contract for one year. In return, the institute often provides an instructor with a monthly salary, round-trip airfare from his or her country of origin, a rent-free apartment for the duration of the instructor's contract, and an additional one month "severance pay" at the completion of the contract.
Many recruiting companies exist to hire native English speakers for Korean hagwons. Some are based in the US and Canada, while others are Korean-owned. While some of these recruiting companies provide decent services, many of them have earned a reputation of being shady and willing to lie and even fabricate diplomas to get teachers to go work in Korea.
English hagwons frequently experience staff problems and conflicts between the Korean staff/management and the foreign teachers. While many Korean managers are unable to manage non-Korean teachers appropriately, there are conversely just as many foreigners who are unable to adapt to the new work and cultural environment or are simply inexperienced teachers. Although no statistics exist as to how many schools experience such problems, there are many blacklists advocating one of the opposing points of view. Many problems also occur between the visiting teachers themselves, many of whom often come from radically different backgrounds. Clashes due to these personal differences occasionally arise, sometimes exacerbated by culture shock from living in a foreign country.
There are also teaching opportunities in neighboring countries such as China, Japan and Taiwan. Apart from Japan, the average salary in these countries, however, tends to be lower than in South Korea.
Salaries are typically higher in larger cities, but so too is the cost of living.
Notes
- US Embassy Information on Hagwons and Teaching in South Korea, retrieved Sept 14, 2006
- How to get a teaching job in Korea, retrieved Jan 28, 2007
- Teach Korea NZ, retrieved Sept 14, 2006
- Transitions Abroad - Teaching English in South Korea, retrieved Sept 14, 2006
- Teaching English in Korea - Canadian Consular Affairs, retrieved Sept 14, 2006