Teaching English to koreans

[hard2kill]

May idea ba kayo kung magkano ang standard rate per hour for Korean English tutor?

Thanks

[macre_2]

dpende. iba rates pag private tapos sa house pa ng student. iba rin kapag maramihan. may ibang sobrang baba, coz agency sila. so hanap ka talaga ng academy ang settings.

[psychosonicindy]

nagturo na ako sa 2 language centers, primarily for koreans although pwede rin me hapon or what-have-u...i started doing this ESL thing 2004 sa 1st language center...doon starting P50 every 50 minutes kasi me 10 min break ka between students but no work, no pay ang policy nila and what's worse, me parang "star system" among the teachers kaya yung mga "popular" yun yung maraming estudyante...so if you're a really good teacher(accdg sa mga koreano) ok ka lagi marami kang estudyante...u can handle up to 10 students a day tapos marami pa doon yayayain ka pang maging private tutor nila kaso ikaw ang pupunta sa dorm/house nila but iba rate noon and actually, it's not allowed sa language center although marami pa rin gumagawa....
nowadays, I actually have a full-time job and nagaartista anak ko so I guess 'di kami masyadong hard up for money, catch my drift? but still pumasok ako as part-time ESL teacher sa ibang language center....1 student lang naman....mas ok rates dito at mas ok ang mga nagpapatakbo na koreano kesa nung sa unang language center but still the star system remains...all I can say is good luck out there... PM me if u feel like it!

[Pronghorn]

Hiyah folks! Know any good language academies I can apply into? I use British but I can shift to American if needed. Do you think the Koreans would prefer American over British?

Thanks! :)

[kendra24]

based on my experience, Koreans want to speak and sound like Americans...because after they study here, most of them plan to study in America or Canada...your knowledge of BrE would be an advantage because they would love to know the difference between AmE and BrE...:)

[DarthScully]

a family friend is interested to teach English to Koreans. she's got that American accent thing down pat since she's travelled quite a bit (sh can even do a british accent if they want her to :lol: ). she's a mom though, so she's a little picky. can anyone suggest a good Korean school where she could apply, like a place w/ good amenities and competitive pay?

[glossconcern]

i'm interested to teach English to Koreans. i'm a writer but i have previous call center experience. i'm willing to do it part-time though. does anyone know of a good company/school where i can give it a go?

[macre_2]

Hiyah folks! Know any good language academies I can apply into? I use British but I can shift to American if needed. Do you think the Koreans would prefer American over British?

Thanks! :)

in korea, they follow the british accent, it is because of the language. they are having a hard time combining their way on how to read using the korean language and applying it in english at the same time. like most of the end part of the consonant sounds are omitted due to the limited letters that are used in korean alphabet.

[angkolaring]

What qualifies a person to be an english teacher to Koreans? I need your suggestion pls.

[macre_2]

What qualifies a person to be an english teacher to Koreans? I need your suggestion pls.

if it's here in the philippines, d mashadong problema. daming openings for english teachers to koreans here. may it be online or one on one. basta tyagaan lang, find ways to teach basic of the basics, and also good english speaker shmpre. dapat madaldal rin actually. hehehe

if you want to go to korea to teach english there, that's the problem. been there already. much as i want to stay there and enjoy my work, i cant. im a filipino. yari na, yun talaga ang problema. it's in the law. they are only hiring english native speakers. they do recognize that filipinos are good english speakers, but cant do anything about their law.

malaki scarcity ng english teachers dun, especially in the provinces. koreans that are good english speakers na pwede ng inconsider are the ones staying in the city. sa seoul or pusan. but if you try to go to other places. wala na talaga. u need to learn the language.

u can only teach there if you have an american passport (and the likes, basta english native speaker) or if your going to marry a korean. naman! wag nalang d ba.

[RöttenMind]

Ive been teaching Koreans, and I should say, pay is really good. However, it's really hard to find Korean students here. You have to have contacts.

The rate is per hour. It depends on your skills and experience, and also on your client's budget. :D

There are also online teaching centers in Ortigas, you guys might want to apply.

As for me, I prefer man-to-man. :)

[angkolaring]

To Macre_2,
What exactly you mean on "basic of the basic"?
To be a teacher of any subject you got to have a degree in teaching, right? or BSEd.
As an english teacher you have to have BSEEd major in english di ba? and I'm not, I have a college degree in Engineering, i can speak conversational english well with no filipino accent (mild southern twang though ). In fact a group of korean students here in Cubao ask me if I'm really a Filipino after a brief chat with them. (tho' I'm pretty much look like a filipino). My question is what else do i need BASICALLY in order to teach english to koreans? do i have to go back to college to take BSEEd? Could anyone here give me a correct answer or anything closed to my yesterday's question? pls.;)

[Pronghorn]

Ive been teaching Koreans, and I should say, pay is really good. However, it's really hard to find Korean students here. You have to have contacts.

The rate is per hour. It depends on your skills and experience, and also on your client's budget. :D

There are also online teaching centers in Ortigas, you guys might want to apply.

As for me, I prefer man-to-man. :)

I also prefer teaching one on one. But online teaching is fine with me too. I went to this language centre in Parañaque and their pay wasn't that high. I really would like to teach language than return to taking calls.

Might I know this online teaching centre in Ortigas? Please? :)

[kendra24]

To Macre_2,
What exactly you mean on "basic of the basic"?
To be a teacher of any subject you got to have a degree in teaching, right? or BSEd.
As an english teacher you have to have BSEEd major in english di ba? and I'm not, I have a college degree in Engineering, i can speak conversational english well with no filipino accent (mild southern twang though ). In fact a group of korean students here in Cubao ask me if I'm really a Filipino after a brief chat with them. (tho' I'm pretty much look like a filipino). My question is what else do i need BASICALLY in order to teach english to koreans? do i have to go back to college to take BSEEd? Could anyone here give me a correct answer or anything closed to my yesterday's question? pls.;)

qualifications?actually, iba iba...meron nirerequire AB English or Masscom grad or any related courses meron naman kahit anong course mo basta you've got EXCELLENT English communication skills...try mo bumili manila bulletin sunday issue...a lot of companies are hiring English tutors and the qualifications are there...but jus' to give u an idea:nakita ko lang to sa manila bulletin:;)

1. 18-30 years old.

2. at least a graduate of any four-year course.

3. proficient in both oral and written English.

4.patient, hard-working, dedicated, flexible...

hope this helps...:)

[altair]

To Macre_2,
What exactly you mean on "basic of the basic"?
To be a teacher of any subject you got to have a degree in teaching, right? or BSEd.
As an english teacher you have to have BSEEd major in english di ba? and I'm not, I have a college degree in Engineering, i can speak conversational english well with no filipino accent (mild southern twang though ). In fact a group of korean students here in Cubao ask me if I'm really a Filipino after a brief chat with them. (tho' I'm pretty much look like a filipino). My question is what else do i need BASICALLY in order to teach english to koreans? do i have to go back to college to take BSEEd? Could anyone here give me a correct answer or anything closed to my yesterday's question? pls.;)


In Korea (and Japan, too), if you are a native english speaker, you need only to have a college degree (any degree) and a pulse to be able to teach english. :D

there were a number of english teachers here who have been caught with fake degrees.

private tutoring in Korea (which is illegal, but still a lot of people do this) could pay something like 40,000 Won per hour (around 40 USD)

the most important for Koreans is the accent. You gotta have an american accent. they are not impressed with RP. Some brits here have to sport an american accent.

a lot of english teachers (native speakers) here actually have horrible grammar (as in could not differentiate between stationary and stationery, affect and effect, spells "per se" as "per say"...)

I've met a couple of Filipinos who were teaching english here. they must be illegal teachers?

The level of english of the Koreans in general is not really good. Even in Seoul, it is very difficult to get around if you don't know the Korean language.

One of my supervisors, when he visited the Philippines, was raving about how even the market vendors could understand english :D

[Pronghorn]

the most important for Koreans is the accent. You gotta have an american accent. they are not impressed with RP. Some brits here have to sport an american accent.

How unfortunate for RP users like myself. RP is waning...

But I once heard this female news caster from Arirang TV using RP. I thought she was cool. Using North American phonetics on Korean, Park would actually be prounounced with an R, when in fact it shouldn't, right? :)

[SUX2BÜ]

This is another missed opportunity for the Phillipines. We should have taken care of English as our own, but, oh well...

Anyway, why limit yourself to teaching Koreans? ESL is an open worldwide market to qualified ESL teachers (the US, Latin America, some parts of Europe, et cetera). And I agree with altair: It's true that formal schools and even hagwons in Korea are quite strict about hiring only native speakers. Interestingly, these native speakers (backpackers in most cases), can't even explain the difference between do and make, effect and affect, and have difficulty spelling simple words and phrases. Learners only become lucky if the ESL teachers have at least obtained an ESL or EFL certification from reputable schools providing CELTA, TESOL or Praxis certifications. For some ESL schools, however, you won't be required any certification (even if you are not a native speaker, but for as long as your English is impeccable, of course) because you will be using their own ESL approach and method (for example, Berlitz).

:)

[angkolaring]

thanks to kendra24,sux2bu,altair and pronghorn, i just came to a japanese website hiring native english speaker such as people born and raised in the US. the requirements are very simple, just a two year attendance of any course in college and no licences necessary of any kind. My conclusion is that koreans and japanese interested to learn only on dictions, more emphasis on everday language, and correct american accent. they don't worry much on spellings coz they later use the dictionary for it's meaning anyway. many koreans students complaints that filipino teachers accent is not what they want to incorporate on their english unfortunately. so we better leave this job to those who can speak english well in american way such as those US backpakers. I had ignore International Phonetic Symbol subject in my high school days in Caloocan City High, we just make a fun of it, but when i landed a job at the Ships Repair Facility (SRF) in Guam years after, i felt sorry for mysef and wish i took that subject seriously. cos my english accent was too harsh cos i'm Ilocano.

[angkolaring]

thanks to kendra24,sux2bu,altair and pronghorn, i just came to a japanese website hiring native english speaker such as people born and raised in the US. the requirements are very simple, just a two year attendance of any course in college and no licences necessary of any kind. My conclusion is that koreans and japanese interested to learn only on dictions, more emphasis on everday language, and correct american accent. they don't worry much on spellings coz they later use the dictionary for it's meaning anyway. many koreans students complaints that filipino teachers accent is not what they want to incorporate on their english unfortunately. so we better leave this job to those who can speak english well in american way such as those US backpakers. I had ignore International Phonetic Symbol subject in my high school days in Caloocan City High, we just make a fun of it, but when i landed a job at the Ships Repair Facility (SRF) in Guam years after, i felt sorry for mysef and wish i took that subject seriously. cos my english accent was too harsh cos i'm Ilocano.

[angkolaring]

bouble post

[angkolaring]

double posting

[SUX2BÜ]

thanks to kendra24,sux2bu,altair and pronghorn, i just came to a japanese website hiring native english speaker such as people born and raised in the US. the requirements are very simple, just a two year attendance of any course in college and no licences necessary of any kind.

Some ESL teachers (not native speakers/not Filipinos) that I know were able to get ESL jobs in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. I always believe that it boils down to perseverance and a lot of guts (or kapal ng apog); skills and experience are just pluses. But, true, there are schools that will require you to be a national of the US, Canada, or even South Africa; some will only hire whites and won't even look at experience, certifications and/or skills. But if you look hard enough, there are schools in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan that don't care about who you are for as long as you have what it takes to be an ESL teacher.

My conclusion is that koreans and japanese interested to learn only on dictions, more emphasis on everday language, and correct american accent. they don't worry much on spellings coz they later use the dictionary for it's meaning anyway. many koreans students complaints that filipino teachers accent is not what they want to incorporate on their english unfortunately.

The exception would have to be Korean or Japanese students who would rather go to the Philippines to learn English. And there are lots of them. :laugh:

so we better leave this job to those who can speak english well in american way such as those US backpakers. I had ignore International Phonetic Symbol subject in my high school days in Caloocan City High, we just make a fun of it, but when i landed a job at the Ships Repair Facility (SRF) in Guam years after, i felt sorry for mysef and wish i took that subject seriously. cos my english accent was too harsh cos i'm Ilocano.

I am an Ilocano too, but I have been lucky to get ESL jobs abroad; I even held an ESL academic director position in one of the language schools I used to work for (not in Korea/Japan, though). Right now, I teach ESL, US history, literature, and technical/business English at a big private university in Latin America. Just for you to know, I studied economics in college and don't have ESL certifications. Makapal nga siguro ang apog ko. :lol:

You can still work on your accent, angkolaring. There are a lot of good language schools that offer accent neutralization/reduction/modification courses. Besides that, all you need is a combination of dauntlessness, perseverance, and determination.

:)

[angkolaring]

I guess i just have to refine, grind and polished my accent a little bit and i'm ready to go.*okay*

[SUX2BÜ]

Go, go, go, angkolaring! Kayang kaya 'yan!

*okay*

[Milliardo]

Actually, you could also use this experience of teaching Koreans English as a springboard to teaching English in call centers. It would be a good addition to your resume. One good way to learn how to speak American English is to watch a lot of American shows and news. This will also help: http://www.m-w.com/ Enter a word, select dictionary as reference, and hear how it's said, then repeat exactly how it's said. You'll learn quickly that way. Above all, think English. That means you should form your thoughts in English, so even if you don't use it on an everyday basis, your thought process is still in English, and you can form what you want to say faster.

[senzo90210]

makiki join lang ako sa duscussion dito. I am also an english tutor for koreans,more specifically to korean kids. So far, I'm enjoying the experience. Nakakatuwa rin kasi makinig sa mga english conversation nila. Usually, they're not very particular about the spelling as long as you teach them how to pronounce the word correctly, coz that's what matters sa kanila. Also, ok lang sa kanila kahit yung accent mo ay hindi American or Brit, as long as they can understand you.(Observation ko lang ito sa mga students sa Learning Center dito)..

[robert_s_huxley]

Slightly off-topic, pero when/why did/do Korean students started going here in the Philippines? I noticed na ang dami ng Koreans dito sa Manila. Dati sa Baguio lang marami Koreans. Parang napalitan na yung mga Indians as minority dito.

[macre_2]

Slightly off-topic, pero when/why did/do Korean students started going here in the Philippines? I noticed na ang dami ng Koreans dito sa Manila. Dati sa Baguio lang marami Koreans. Parang napalitan na yung mga Indians as minority dito.

sobrang mura kasi dito sa pinas. compared to the cost of living in korea, here, sobrang mura talaga. if they want to study english in other countries, usually its australia, US or canada. pero ang mahal. but now, they are considering the philippines already coz mas mura, and also they want to visit boracay. sobrang famous ng bora sa korea. even koreans nagtataka, hwcme ang pinoy magaling mag english, samantalang 2nd language lang daw natin to. sila, they are trying to learn the language and nahihirapan daw sila. bilib sila kasi kahit sino pwede mo makausap ng english. tapos yung accent na na-adopt ng pinoy hindi mahirap pakingan and madaling intindihin.

[altair]

Unqualified' foreign teachers busted in crackdown (http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/208359.html)


A 38-year-old Bulgarian who came to South Korea on a tourist visa in July 2001 found he was treated special here, at least compared to other illegal aliens, especially those from Southeast Asian countries, who have to work for lower wages and live on the run from the law.

The Bulgarian was hired as a "native lecturer" at a foreign language school in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, and earned about 2 million won (US$2,160) a month. He lacked formal qualifications and came from a non-English speaking country, but he got his teaching job because he can speak some broken English and is white.

Two other foreigners - a 27-year old from Columbia and a 32-year-old from Panama- were also hired as as English teachers for the same reasons, though they are illegal immigrant workers.

Illegal aliens who have found teaching jobs in the greater Seoul region sometimes pay 25 to 30 percent of their income to the middlemen who find them their jobs, in order to stay relatively "safe" from legal authorities. Some are caught, of course, and deported to their respective countries.


On May 9, the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency (GPPA) said it found 46 illegal immigrant workers who were teaching illegally at foreign language -including English and Mandarin Chinese- institutes on tourist visas. In addition, police arrested 56 South Koreans who hired the foreigners or found them their job, on charges of violating immigration-related laws.

The foreigners were able to hide their lack of English skills by teaching just the alphabet or counting numbers for children in kindergarten-level classes, police said.

Kim Su-gwang, head of the police agency's investigation for foreign crimes, said, "Those foreigners came here after watching Internet ads that luring them with money and tourist opportunity in exchange for language skills."

"The case shows you a lot about South Korean English education," Kim said.

Of the arrested foreign language teachers in the latest roundup, there were 17 Chinese, 10 Canadians, 7 Americans, 4 New Zealanders and 8 foreigners from non-english speaking countries.

[gemini_star]

I wonder why Koreans are so specific with the accent. I thought they are just after for the English but the accent as well. Any ideas?

[altair]

^
That's kinda difficult to answer.

They even resort to snipping off some of the frenulum under the tongue in the belief that it would make them better speakers of english.

Anyway, here's a cached column from the Korea Times.



[The Crimson Report] The Korean English Patient


By Joshua Park

Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to meet U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour along with representatives of NGOs and victims of human rights abuses in Korea. Arbour was in Korea to attend two international conferences on human rights, but she had scheduled a session with representatives from civil groups to hear directly from them, a report on human rights in Korea. The meeting covered six areas of human rights violations that had not been on the agenda at the official conferences _ National Security Law, conscientious objection to military service, treatment of foreign laborers, irregular workers, human rights in information technology and Japanese military sexual slavery _ and for approximately one hour, representatives from each group spent five to ten minutes each trying their best to communicate to her the situation of human rights in Korea.

Although the session was rather hurried, it was fruitful, for what it was. It seemed to be an instructional experience for the High Commissioner, appointed earlier this year, as she mentioned that she had previously not been familiar with some of the issues such as conscientious objection, coming from Canada, a country that does not employ a conscription system. And her comments the day after the meeting showed that she was affected by what she had heard. While she commended Korea for having made great strides in improving human rights, she also raised three of the issues that had been addressed in the meeting with civil groups the day before, emphasizing that the National Security Law should be repealed and that human rights violations against conscientious objectors and foreign laborers must be addressed and resolved.

Although I would like to comment more on the state of human rights in Korea, I will save that for another column. Because today, I want to make a separate point from what I observed in the meeting _ perhaps a side point _ but a point that has some real significance for education in Korea. The meeting with High Commissioner Arbour was held in English, and most representatives presented their case to her in English, although a couple spoke in Korean through an official interpreter. No matter how good the interpreter is, the power of the message is reduced when it is filtered through a medium, and Arbour clearly seemed more affected by the presentations that were given to her directly. Almost none of the representatives were native English speakers, but all were well-prepared, held strong convictions and were passionate about the matter being presented, and when presented directly, it was very persuasive _ even if the message was not given in perfect American English.

And this is my point. Koreans each year spend countless hours and won outside of school to learn English. And much of that is spent on pronunciation. One of the primary reasons that an increasing number of parents send their children abroad during their primary or secondary school years is to help them develop a so-called ``butter’’ _ smooth American English _ accent. And when those parents see their children developing more fluid accents, they feel a great sense of accomplishment in the knowledge that their children are now ``good at English.’’

Such was the case with Mrs. Han, who was visiting her sixteen-year-old daughter who has been studying abroad for the past four years in San Diego. As they dined together at an Italian restaurant, she could see that her daughter, who had struggled with buying even the most basic goods four years ago, no longer had any problems placing complicated orders or holding a conversation with the waiter. She even felt a sense of relief in the knowledge that ``English is no longer a problem.’’ But that night, Mrs. Han could not help but be shocked at the report card that her daughter had received. She had received D’s in English and Social Studies. What had gone wrong?

Just because one can speak a language with a native accent, it does not necessarily mean that the person is ``good’’ at that language. In fact, it may be argued that many Americans are not ``good’’ at English in terms of being able to communicate their thoughts in a logical and persuasive manner through speech and writing. Being good at a language is all about effectively expressing one’s thought _ and this is determined more by what is in one’s head than the dexterity with which one can move his tongue and jaw muscles to produce the perfect ``R’’s and ``L’’s.

With globalization, English has become a common language of sorts in the international community. However, a perfect ``native’’ _ American _ accent is neither required nor expected. People speak English with all sorts of accents depending on what their native language is, and as long as they are able to get their message across, their accent does not make them less effective communicators. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan himself possesses an accent native to his home country of Ghana. But like him or not, you don’t see people questioning his credentials as a leader because of any perceived language handicap.

So the point is this. How good one is in English does not depend on how American he or she sounds. This is not to say that working on pronunciation is worthless. Some basic work with pronunciation is required to speak the language and to make one’s speech comprehensible. But a student of English should not feel pressured to believe that he needs to speak like an American to become good at English or lose confidence in front of a native speaker, feeling that he is any less fluent due to the difference in accent. What makes someone a good English speaker depends not on the accent he uses but on the content and organization of what he says and the conviction with which he says it _ the art of speech and debate _ and students of English in Korea would do better to focus on developing such skills rather than spending countless hours and won working on perfecting an American accent. You are Korean, not American. You need not feel like you need to sound like an American to be a ``good’’ English speaker.

One of the most persuasive presentations at the meeting with Arbour was prepared by a Bangladeshi laborer, speaking on behalf of other foreign workers in Korea. He spoke English with the distinctive accent native to his own country, an accent that perhaps few Koreans would find attractive. But he captivated the attention of everyone in the room, bringing both logic and emotional appeal to his petition. And to me, the man, regardless of whether he is compared to me, High Commissioner Arbour or anyone else in the room, was ``good at English.’’

joshuapark@post.harvard.edu

09-21-2004 18:51

[altair]

here's the link to the article on frenulum snipping

Surgical snip a language aid?
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The, Apr 8, 2002 by BARBARA DEMICK

Surgical snip a language aid? (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20020408/ai_n10777215)

Koreans hope tongue operation will help children with English

By BARBARA DEMICK Los Angeles Times

Monday, April 8, 2002

Seoul, South Korea -- In a swank neighborhood renowned for designer boutiques and plastic surgery clinics, anxious parents drag frightened toddlers into Nam Il-woo's office and demand that he operate on the children's tongues.

It is a simple procedure: Just a snip on a membrane and the tongue is supposedly longer, more flexible and -- some South Koreans believe -- better able to pronounce such notorious tongue-teasers for Asians as the English word "rice" so it does not sound like "lice."
...



if they go to the trouble of cutting loose some parts of their tongues, the english teacher better be speaking with a midwestern twang :D

[SUX2BÜ]

Thank you for those interesting articles, altair.

I have a friend who went to Seoul two years ago to teach English. He was born in the US, studied applied linguistics at UCLA, and is a very learned language teacher with almost 7 years experience now. He was totally dismayed when 90% of the hogwans he applied to discriminated against him. The teaching job he had in one of the hogwans was a horrible short stint when some parents of his students went to the school he was teaching at and demanded to replace him. The reason: He is of Chinese descent.

:shrug:

[aticus]

I agree with the points regarding Koreans' preference for native speakers. I was just one of the lucky ones that were able to get jobs regardless of ethnicity and skin color. I taught at the most famous and most established foreign language high school in Seoul, and I believe I was the first Southeast Asian ever to be hired there.

The thing is, I don't speak English like most Filipinos, having grown up on a steady diet of Sesame Street and Hollywood. My dad also was forward-thinking enough to demand that we (the kids) only speak English at home, reasoning that we'd learn Filipino on our own anyway, and that English would help us to be globally-relevant. He was right. Koreans keep commenting on my accent and how it's not what they expected from a Filipino. Many of them just assume that I'm a US citizen.

But I'm an exception to the rule. I mean, my teachers literally drilled grammar into me, and so I'm unlike the backpackers that members like altair have described. I also have specific skills that Koreans are interested in (such as public speaking and debating), and I coach the National Debate Team, which lends me additional credibility. I was also fortunate in that I was recruited directly by Koreans, and did not go to Korea looking for a job. The irony here is that the person who wrote that article on English (Joshua Park) is the same dude who went out of his way to recruit me to Korea. Small world. :)

Anyway, I've established my own private academy here in Seoul (a "hagwon" if you will), and now I manage my own set of native-speaking teachers. I hire Ivy League grads and/or those from prestigious universities, and I really make it a point to see how good they are before I hire them. I won't make the same mistake as other hagwon owners mentioned above.

Would I hire a qualified Filipino though, regardless of accent? That's a tougher call. I agree that the market demands a "white" face, and much as I want to be an evangelist for human rights, I also have to face the realities of business in a foreign country obsessed with white people. I have not, as yet, recruited from the Philippines, but I must honestly say that if I ever do, I'm going to have to get those who sound American (or who can adequately fake it), rather than those with more regional Filipino dialects.

[sanchezmira]

May idea ba kayo kung magkano ang standard rate per hour for Korean English tutor?

Thanks

we have to go back to the original question?

so how much now the ongoing rate/hour of Korean English Tutor.
not "depende", just say how much they have paid you the last two weeks or a month for how many students.
Going to Korea to teach might not appeal me, unless it's free lodging, apartment in Korea for sure is high foods are high, everything there is high. and also it's away from "home".i'll bet it's gonna be a lonely job too.

[aticus]

I don't know the going rate in the Philippines, but in Korea you can charge anywhere from 25 to 50 US per hour, depending on your qualifications, accent, etc. etc.

Again, this is all assuming the Korean would want to learn from you in the first place.

Some exceptional folks can charge a ton, but not for straight up English teaching. Instead, they'll pay up to 100 or even more per hour if you teach them English-related subjects such as essay writing for the SAT test, Advanced Placement subjects, etc. etc.

And you're right about not coming here unless you have a place to stay, etc. Your salary will be hard-pressed to cover the costs of staying in a decent place in a good neighborhood.

Good luck!

[sanchezmira]

Rate is good in Korea, but why is so cheap in the Philippinnes? isn't time to charge them a little bit more lke $15.00/hour or about 700pesos/hr. a . I think the rate right now here in the Philippines is about 50pesos/ hour. it's too low. kase rin naman ay nagbabayad sila ng apartment rent. but still apartment rent and food cost here is a lot cheaper than korea. Filipino english accent is a neutral accent. every foriegners could understand it easily compared to other southeast asian english accent such as India(worst to me). that's why koreans prefer to learn english here first than to go straight to US. I think it's not about American accent when they they decide to come here in the Phils., what do they expect anyway. besides american accent are plenty, southern drawl is one, Rhode Island got another twang too. california has a distinguishble accent too.New York, Alaska, and so on. I for one, I'd rather hear them talking(koreans, japanese, filipinos, indians,) english with their own accent than trying themselves to copy brit or american accent which is pretty awful to listen to. when japanese or koreans speak english naturally they are cute, di ba?

[DarthScully]

Thank you for those interesting articles, altair.

I have a friend who went to Seoul two years ago to teach English. He was born in the US, studied applied linguistics at UCLA, and is a very learned language teacher with almost 7 years experience now. He was totally dismayed when 90% of the hogwans he applied to discriminated against him. The teaching job he had in one of the hogwans was a horrible short stint when some parents of his students went to the school he was teaching at and demanded to replace him. The reason: He is of Chinese descent.

:shrug:

koreans dont know sheit.

lots of koreans even filipinos mistaken me for korean/chinese. there was a time when a korean tried to carry a conversation in korean and i told him i'm not korean. he couldnt believe it. then he tried talking to me in his broken english and i replied back rather lengthily in my perfect american accent. dude was floored. did he understand a word i said? probably not. do i give a rats furry arse? hell no :lol:

[altair]

we have to go back to the original question?

so how much now the ongoing rate/hour of Korean English Tutor.
not "depende", just say how much they have paid you the last two weeks or a month for how many students.
Going to Korea to teach might not appeal me, unless it's free lodging, apartment in Korea for sure is high foods are high, everything there is high. and also it's away from "home".i'll bet it's gonna be a lonely job too.

do not be contented with how much the current market rate is


word of mouth is very powerful in Korea
e.g. good restaurants situated away from town centers thrive because of reputation (e.g. good boshintang restaurants that are so far away one would need a car to go there; no public transpo)

to give you an idea of the prices in Korea:

1 PHP =~ 20 KRW

taxi flagdown -> 2000 KRW
bus fare, minimum -> 900 KRW
starbucks cappuccino -> 3800 KRW
dunkin original, large -> 2300 KRW
mcdo egg mcmuffin -> 3500 KRW
kfc zinger set -> 4900 KRW
movie ticket -> 7000 to 8000 KRW
kk original glazed -> 1000 KRW
internet access, pc bangs -> 1500 KRW/hour



the point is, if you are really good, you could charge more than 50 PHP per hour. isang donut lang yan :D

so what should you have or what should you do to be able to charge above the market rate

1. twang
this has already been discussed. midwestern or southern or boston or new york, does not matter much what you have, as long as it is "twangy" :D, they could not differentiate between american accents anyway

2. dress neatly, groom properly
maselan sila dito
you would be taken more seriously if you dress well
in Korea, when job applicants appear for interviews, they wear suits.
long distance bus drivers wear suits

if you are a man, SHAVE!
here, colleagues will almost always tell you to shave if you have a noticeable stubble (lalo na pag me bigote ka). sabi ko sa kanila, eh bakit yong sa Jumong at DaeJangGeum eh ang haba haba ng bigote ng royalty saka ng yangban. Noon daw yon, now, if you don't shave, it's like saying f.u.c.k y.o.u to the boss :D

3. let them know how good YOUR university is

attending a "good" university is very important for Koreans
- that is why they cram
- that is why there is a spike in suicides after the national college entrance exams
- that is primarily why they study english


so, if you are from the State U, you tell them that you are from the Pilipin Kungnip Daehakyo; tell them that it is the equivalent of Seoul Dae :D:D

admu <-> sogang dae

rasar <-> yonsei dae (well, yonsei's presbyterian/methodist, but Koreans wouldn't know the difference :D )



heed at your own risk
:D

[sanchezmira]

mag call center na lang kaya ako.

[aticus]

3. let them know how good YOUR university is

attending a "good" university is very important for Koreans
- that is why they cram
- that is why there is a spike in suicides after the national college entrance exams
- that is primarily why they study english


so, if you are from the State U, you tell them that you are from the Pilipin Kungnip Daehakyo; tell them that it is the equivalent of Seoul Dae :D:D

admu <-> sogang dae

rasar <-> yonsei dae (well, yonsei's presbyterian/methodist, but Koreans wouldn't know the difference :D )



heed at your own risk
:D
ADMU is not equal to Sogang. Sogang isn't one of the top 3 universities. Ateneo's more like Korea U. than anything else.

Sorry for the off-topic comment. :)

[aticus]

Here are two suggestions for anyone seeking to teach Koreans English in the Philippines:

1) Take on more than one student at a time. You can charge a bit more for group classes and yet the students pay less per person. Not all Koreans would want this, but if you're a good teacher you may be able to do this. It's one way to increase your income;

2) Be ENTERTAINING. Koreans study very hard, and are often bored by the usual teaching materials. Make an effort to be interesting, exciting and even funny. The more you are, the more popular you will be, and the referrals will come.

My academy does ZERO advertising, yet we got over 100 students in less than 2 months simply from word of mouth. Koreans can and WILL tell their friends about good teachers, and I suggest you make an effort to be warm, friendly and fun. You won't regret it.

[sanchezmira]

^thanks Aticus, these are good suggestions. If were to teach Koreans english I will also incorporate some points regarding english words that are being used at present such as "up" instead "awake" and there are a lot of them and to avoid overused english words too. and also some points in working side by side with people in US which i have observed so differrently compared to other countries. Americans are very accustom to be aware that they will let you know that they know you are there around, everywhere such as in apartment building, parking lot or even in gas stations. or some points of what to or what not to do in school in the US. these might take off some of their boredoms at the end of the class.

[altair]

ADMU is not equal to Sogang. Sogang isn't one of the top 3 universities. Ateneo's more like Korea U. than anything else.

Sorry for the off-topic comment. :)

SKY ba? :D

sogang's jesuit, so I thought that they'd do a good job of trailing the national university :D

[altair]

Some more tips on how to teach english to Koreans more effectively


You have to have some idea regarding the Korean language in order to be a more effective english teacher


1. In the Korean language, the subject and object have markers and they could be interchanged. The verb is always at the end of the sentence.
When you teach english: emphasize order


2. In Korean, nouns have no plural forms and, consequently, there is no subject-verb agreement. Koreans really have difficulty with subject-verb agreement (I have a colleague who spent five years in the states for his bs degree and he goes like, "Oh, you looks (sic) tired")
if you could make your Korean students master subject-verb agreement, that would be an accomplishment.

3. The Korean language does not have articles. Most Koreans complain that it is very difficult to use articles. Make them master the usage of "the", "a", and "an"

[flying explorer]

how do you find koreans who are willing to be your student if you dont have a referral?

[sanchezmira]

Some more tips on how to teach english to Koreans more effectively


You have to have some idea regarding the Korean language in order to be a more effective english teacher


1. In the Korean language, the subject and object have markers and they could be interchanged. The verb is always at the end of the sentence.
When you teach english: emphasize order


2. In Korean, nouns have no plural forms and, consequently, there is no subject-verb agreement. Koreans really have difficulty with subject-verb agreement (I have a colleague who spent five years in the states for his bs degree and he goes like, "Oh, you looks (sic) tired")
if you could make your Korean students master subject-verb agreement, that would be an accomplishment.

3. The Korean language does not have articles. Most Koreans complain that it is very difficult to use articles. Make them master the usage of "the", "a", and "an"

wow, I don't even know the rules of using the english words to construct a sentence. such as adding "S" to subject which is should be added to the third party singular.
You looks tired(incorrect)
she looks tired (correct)."she" is third party.
You look's tired (also correct) di ba? is like saying The way you look is tired.
oh well i'm just kidding.:D

"The dog barks." this one too verb is at the end, which is correct. di ba?:D

There are hundreds of rules in constructing english sentense but i never know anything about it. I learned only those things just by reading books.

[sanchezmira]

I also heard the way the Koreans construct a sentence is different.
I don't know how they do, but if you guys give some examples here, i'll appreciate it.
example:
"I bought this bag last year during my trip to Japan."

[Countryboywwc]

Greetings one and all. I am currently a teacher in America in the special education field and I looking to become an ESL teacher. My girlfriend is a wonderful Filipino who speaks English better then most Americans. She has been an ESL teacher for some years in Thailand and is quite good at what she does. I want to teach in Korea because of the pay which is better then most Asian countries. However, she is hesitant to consider this idea because of her nationality. Any shiny pearls of advice? How do we go about making this dream a possibility?

thanks

Jeff

[aticus]

It'll be tough for her to teach, Jeff, because Korean law doesn't allow 99.99% of people with citizenship outside of the US, UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa to get a proper work visa for teaching English. They aren't considered "native" speakers, so they usually don't get the chance to even teach. I know it sucks, and your lady probably knows grammar better than most "native speakers" but she'll be discriminated against at almost every stop in Korea. If she has thin skin, think again.

Your best bet is if she marries you, gets a visa as the married partner of a legal worker, and does some private teaching on the side. This, however, would be illegal, as her visa won't cover it.

In other words, her chances of finding gainful employment that maximizes her skills are slim to none. Her only hope is if she has a powerful Korean sponsor (like a top university or school), and if she applies for a different work visa (not E-1 or E-2 which are the visas related to language teaching). Oh, and she could also have graduated from Harvard or some other elite university. That'll help.

Barring that, I don't see how she'd ever really be happy in Korea.

You, on the other hand, would have no problem getting a job. I'm just wondering if you're ready for a long-distance relationship.

[Countryboywwc]

where are good countries for Filipinos teach at? I guess i need to blacklist sk for now. Having a long distance relationship sucks (for lack of a better adjective). Glyndale and I have dated for over a year now long distance. It would not be fair to her or our relationship to go to sk if she would not be able to go.

[altair]

i read that the japanese are starting to officially hire Filipinos as assistant english teachers (http://www.philippinestoday.net/index.php?module=article&view=123)

[dogster_jr]

Where can I find information about teaching english to koreans, online?

Will they normally require you to be a college graduate?
Is there a possibility of them hiring a highschool graduate with exemplary english skills?

Thanks very much, indeed

[dogster_jr]

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[sanchezmira]

Where can I find information about teaching english to koreans, online?

Will they normally require you to be a college graduate?
Is there a possibility of them hiring a highschool graduate with exemplary english skills?

Thanks very much, indeed

By reading from the start you can gain some answers to you questions, that's the reason probably why nobody's (except me) even bothered to answer your questions.

[sanchezmira]

i read that the japanese are starting to officially hire Filipinos as assistant english teachers (http://www.philippinestoday.net/index.php?module=article&view=123)

Americans are trying to avoid travelling or staying outside of the US due to their vulnerabilties on terrorist attacks and they are more prone to be kidnapped. this cause some shortages of American English teachers.