A Possible Step Back: Korea Considering 2-Year Degrees
It's been four months since the Korean
government issued new, strict regulations for E2 teaching
visas and now some schools are asking for further changes, this time to lower the academic standards. Foreign teachers need a four-year degree from an accredited university in an English speaking country to receive an E2
visa. But some rural schools that are finding it especially difficult to attract foreign teachers are now calling on the central government to lower the academic requirement for foreign teachers from four-year degrees to two. The hope is that by lowering the standard, the schools will have a larger teacher pool from which to choose. According to the
Korea Times, "top educators in 15 cities and provinces recently asked the ministry to accept two demands regarding foreign English teachers ― lowering academic criteria and allowing the hiring of those from countries where English is spoken as one of the official languages."
There are fears though that Korean English teachers will not take kindly to working with less qualified colleagues who will most likely continue to receive the standard income of 2 million won. There is also the possibility of lowering the country's quality of English education by hiring teachers who are inexperienced and have less academic qualifications than their Korean counterparts.
For more, refer to the Korea Times:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/04/117_22068.html
Categories: Finding ESL employment,Spencer McCall,2008,Visa,ASIA,Universities,Korea,Immigration,teacher reputation,esl reform
Is that what you guys call an Associate (or College?) degree in the US. I don't see any problem with that, really.
The main point, however, is that all new teachers in Korea (or anywhere, actually) should be properly trained in teaching first! It doesn't matter if a new teacher has a PhD or a college degree - if he don't know how to teach, he ain't gonna be no good!!
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To be quite honest, I am working in an International school in Shanghai with a two year degree(from a college in the US), and a TEFL, furthermore, I believe that teachers are born. I am doing a great job focusing on the proper areas that need to be addressed. Education is a must and very important ,however, two vs. four in some grade levels Preschool and under is sufficient.
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Christy, and any other misguided people,
Ask yourself, can you get a job teaching at an accredited school in your home country. As a professional teacher with 36 years of teaching in California and Asia, what I have seen boggles the mind. If you think you can teach, come to office in Beijing and show me. I have been here for 15 years and I haven't seen anyone who could teach correctly. Get off your high horse and discuss it with a real teacher. People like you are abusing my profession.
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Christy is absolutely correct when she said good teachers are born. I have a four year degree in Science and no teaching certificate but I have twelve years of ESL teaching experience in four countries. I never ask the students if they like me or they learn from me. They always tell me first. Some of my students became and still are my friends. I like to spend my evenings voice chatting with no- native English speakers. The two problems I faced in my career are inept school administrators (with degrees) and gossipers.
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I don't think this will solve any problems instead it will lower the standard of teachers. I think the main issue that the Korean government should focus on is the new E2 visa laws. I agree with the criminal background check, but having to fly back home to renew your E2 seems ridiculous. Its expensive for both the teachers and the hagwon owners.
And why do degrees now have to be apistollized, isn't an official transcript good enough? This is causing headaches for many consulates.
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No degree is required. Not even a 2 year degree, just two years of college. I may agree with Christy that some people are born to be treachers but not all teachers are born with those qualities. They are going to pay only 1.5 million won and have to go through a 4-6 week training program. Being that they are targeting big ciies this is doomed to fail. They should be targeting students who already live in rural areas. Instead of going to where their consulates are they shuold head to Nebraska, parts of Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and other places which have rural populations and are more acceptable to going to small comunities. Koreans need to get off this idea that only students from Ivy leagues make good teachers. There are 100s of small liberal arts schools throughout America's heartland which produce thousands of teachers.
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This topic does not apply to me for I
took technical courses in electronics
electrical theory, and electrical maintenance. I graduated in 1970, and have a better vocabulary than the university grads that are coming out of the universities, with the possible exception of those that major in English. My knowledge of the english language is superior because back then we actually paid attention to what was taught. I am having a very hard time in find employment because of the university requirement. If by chance you
know of countries or schools that do not
insist on university grads other than China, please let me know.
Sincerely yours
Russ Ward
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Yes, I'm having the same problem as you. I graduated in 1975, and went back to college recently to become a Teaching Assistant, but that is not enough for many countries. I even went to a private school to get my TESOL certification. I've had dozens of phone calls from Korea and Japan about positions, but as soon as they find out I don't have a 4-year university degree, they're not interested.
I work here in Canada with people that are real "teachers" with degrees from great universities, and some of them are good at what they do and others are mediocre. As Sandy and Christy both said, teaching is a gift (like anything else) and some people have it and some don't, and likely never will. I've sat in classes with teachers that were so boring and unengaged, they could put you to sleep in 5 minutes flat.
Anyway, besides China, there are not many places that you can go to teach English. You could try Mexico, the requirements vary depending on the school and level. Also, some EU countries like Poland and Greece are not as demanding, but difficult without an EU passport. I've had some job offers from Turkey too.
Good luck!
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I doubt hiring teachers with 2 yr degrees will solve the problem. Americans with 2 year degrees are less likely to have a passport, less accustomed to dealing with jumping through a lot of hoops to get to their goals, and more likely to be focused on getting into the American job market right away. There are some pockets of 2 yr students who would be good candidates. students who have earned a childcare license or certificate, for example, would be great for younger students. However, the Korean government and schools have never been good at targeting their foreign teaching staff; otherwise you would see them on college campuses.
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Good news!
This has already been enacted into the TaLK program for rural areas. Technically, the requirement is to have completed 60 credits at a 4 year university.
I have 2 years at a 4 year university, 2 years of volunteer ESL experience, a TESL certificate, and I am coming to Korea on a university exchange to study the Korean language for a year. I might be able to take advantage of this rule.
By the way, I think there should be no education restrictions made by the government whatsoever! The public schools and private hagwons can determine who they want to hire. If there is someone without a college degree, but experience all around the world and fluency in Korean and he wants to be hired, the government should not stand in the way! That is an agreement between the business and the employee.
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Thanks for the update. Actually I was just reading on one of the Korean forums of the new program opening. You can visit the website at http://talk.mest.go.kr
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Are you kidding me.
To be honest with all the illegal teachers already here it wouldn't really change much other than the legality of it.
As for Korean teachers being more "qualified" than a native speaker with an associates degree... well even a highly fluent Korean will still make heaps of mistakes.
I've taught in Korea for 3 years and work at a public school and let me tell you that Koreans who think they can speak English fluently are really operating more at a grade 9-10 level in terms of North American proficiency.
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