Alec Ng <a23ng@mail.com> -- 21 July 2004

Hi,

My name is Alec. I've been teaching English in Taiwan for almost a year now. Even though I'm Chinese, I was raised in Canada. My first language is English. My contract with my current employer is almost up. I'm trying to look for a teaching job in Korea. But it seems to me that there's an unmentionable requirement for most of the jobs; caucasian only! I've been sending out resumes for almost a month. Nothing seems to come up at all. I'm just wondering should I still keep looking or should I should give up?

I'm honestly interested in the profession of teaching. I'm hoping that my overseas teaching experience can help me to get into Teachers' College in Canada. In terms of salary and benefits, I'm flexible (I don't even care if I have to pay for my air-fare). I want to know what are my chances of landing a job in Korea. Thanks for your advice.

Alec

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Victim Extreme -- 22 July 2004

Hello Alec,

Do you hold a Canadian passport? Korea issues work visas (for teaching English) to "native speakers" only (USA, Canada, UK, Australia). In addition, Koreans are very particular about "looks" and think that hiring white teachers will make their business more attractive.

Many do not particularly agree with me, but I think your chances of getting a job in Japan are slightly better. The only catch is that you have to be there yourself to attend interviews, plus the schools that would most likely hire you are very small conversation schools that do their advertising in the local papers. (Unfortunately, the big schools, as in Korea, have the "unmentionable requirement" of hiring only Caucasians).

Good luck!

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Chunping Alex Wu <chunpingwu2001@yahoo.com> -- 22 July 2004

Hi, Alec:

I am also a Chinese-Canadian from Canada. I had taught English for more than 10 years in Taiwan,25 in Torontor, an in the last 5 in China. I found students who really wanted to learn adored me. Lots of them still email me for problem solving or just simple greetings. But those who wanted to pass the exams along with some of the administrators don't. Following the returning of students from abroad, the situation has changed quite a bit. First, due to the fact that most of the administrators didn't have any language basics at all, they depended on the foreign officers. While the foreign officers were not really good enough, some even didn't know how to read your cover letter and resume. For instance, I had a BA and BEd, but only know BS, so he replied saying that he couldn't accept me because I didn't have a BS. Some depended on the hired teachers to manage most of the paper work and the recruiting. Oriental language teaching has become a huge money-making market. British, Australians, Americans took most of the beachheads, they eventually monoplized the market by spreading the "Native speaker" theory, hired and introduced lots of the recruiters thought this was true. Some even broadly advertized as "White Anglo-saxons" or "caucasians only". Even if the ones who didn't have any language teaching certificates or qualifications, by the name of a "Native speaker", he/she was hired. There were also a good business created, in the big cities like Shanghai, whoever didn't have any certification, could go to one of those Seminars for a couple of weeks and got a paper as being qualified. So, even you were brought up and educated in an English environment, but you were born oriental, for the appearance of the English business, most of them would be refrained from hiring you. No matter how experienced like I, they would rather turn you down for a less or no experienced one. Several "Native" foreign recruiters recommended me to their bosses, but a yellow face is not a good poster for the student-attracting operation. Am I too arrogant? I am experienced. I speak very good North-American English according to my professors in the faculty and college of Educations. In order to evaluate my proficiency, I had gone through several interview by board of judges. Among the more than twenty thousand schools, there are still educators who can recognize a gem like you. They might want to see all your merits. White caucasians don't have to have certificates and experience. So illiterated "Native speakers" are also hired; but for you, I suggest you go to one of the seminars and get the paper to be "qualified" as a CELTA graduate, so you don't give them one of the reasons to refuse you. Good luck, Alec.

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Robin -- 27 July 2004

Alec,

I do the hiring for a university here in Seoul. Most hagwon do want "white" teachers. This is a business here after all; they want to give their customers what they THINK they want. At the university level, however, when hiring is not done by Koreans, the teachers' training and experience are more important. True, they still want native speakers, but I will hire the best candidate who meets the highest requirements. At my school, the minimum requirement is a native speaker with a CELTA certificate. I would rather hire MATESOL holders, but my public university can't pay what they are worth. I decided who makes the cut and who doesn't.

If you are interested in an ESL/EFL career, start by getting a CELTA certificate. This is a 190-hour, 2 million won program. I recommend you get a job and come over a month early to do the program. Hagwon go all year round, so you won't have time to do it if you are working. A CELTA certificate is recognized worldwide and will get you in the door anywhere they don't require an MATESOL. Work at the hagwon for 2 years. In your second year, start applying at universities.

Good luck!