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.

For the full article please go to our new website at www.esldaily.org

or visit the link directly HERE.

Korean E2 Visa Drug Test Pot Free

What might be old news to some teachers will be a sigh of relief to others. As of March 15th, the Korean Immigration Service announced the Ministry of Justice has dropped the cannabinoid test from the medical check required to receive an alien registration card.

For full article please see our new website at:
www.esldaily.org
or go directly to our blog at:
http://blog.esldaily.org/2008/04/07/korean-e2-visa-drug-test-pot-free.aspx

The New Korean E2 Visa: A Teacher's Story

This is a story in the words of an American teacher who recently went through the experience of applying for and receiving a Korean E2 visa after the new regulations of December 15th, 2007...

Please see our new site for the full story:
http://blog.esldaily.org/2008/03/25/the-new-korean-e2-visa-a-teachers-story.aspx

No Child Left Behind Act Leaves Many: America

A new study by Rice University and the University of Texas-Austin finds the 'accountability' model on which the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is based upon a direct contributor to lower graduation levels...

Full story can be found at:

http://blog.esldaily.org/2008/03/14/no-child-left-behind-act-leaves-many-america.aspx

Fake Degrees: Taiwan

The Chinese Language media has reported that up to 40% of teachers in Taiwan possess fake university degrees and are unqualified to teach ESL. Some Taiwanese University officials site the easy availability of fake degrees in Thailand as one of the major sources for the large number of unqualified teachers. According to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), the amount of qualified foreign teachers at cram-schools, private language institutions, was down 9% from 2006. The gap needs to be filled and fake degrees seem to be doing the job right now for most employers who are just meeting the demands of the parents who want to see someone with blond hair and blue eyes teaching their children.

The supply and demand in Taiwan for foreign English teachers has certainly been exacerbated by the discretion of consulates taking it upon themselves to regulate the visas necessary to receive an Alien Registration Card (ARC). Anyone familiar with the process will know how much of a gamble it is to go to a consulate in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vancouver, etc, and receive an extendable tourist-visa, the only visa that allows a teacher to receive an ARC card. And a potential teacher still needs to lie to the consulate and tell them they are just vacationing in Taiwan in order to receive the extendable tourist visa. I recently just tried this and the consulate in Bangkok granted me only a 60-day non-extendable visa, which meant I could not receive an ARC card. If Taiwan wants to clean up their act, they need to clean up their visa process so everyone can stop lying to each other.

For a full report, refer to:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/2007/12/19/135433/40%25-of.htm

By Spencer McCall

E2 Denied: Korea's Universities, Government Not On Par

It's a tough lesson to learn, but if you're going to teach in Korea, read the fine print. Korea's E2 visa regulations have been transient as of late, but one stipulation that has not changed is the fact you must have a degree from an accredited university from Canada, America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa. A British student studying at the Hangkuk University of Foreign Studies, a prestiguous University in Seoul, recently discovered this hard truth when he applied for an E2 teaching visa just ahead of finishing his English Education degree. Mark Thomas, the British student, recevied the news he had been denied an E2 visa just after Christmas 2007 by the Seoul Immigration Bureau. The Bureau cited that because Thomas had not graduated from a University in a native-English speaking country, he did not meet the requirements of the E2 visa.

For further details go to the blogs that first reported this incident:
1. http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/22/how-fucked-up-is-koreas-english-teaching-racket/
2. http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/english-education-major-denied-visa/

This incident speaks volumes to the dicord between official goverment departments. Korea remains a country where there is an obvious lack of commitment on the part of the government to the quality of its public education system, if a Korean univeristy will train a foreign teacher and then refuse to hire them as one. Although Thomas was eventually denied an E2 visa by the Seoul Immigration Bureau, the Seoul Board of Education had given him a green light on receiving a visa prior to the Bureau's decision. The Board of Education should have been aware of the law before misleading Thomas. Nevertheless, it is still the responsibility of the student or teacher to be aware of all laws before embarking on such an undertaking.

By Spencer McCall

E2 is Prejudiced: Foreign Envoys Criticize

The Korea Times recently reported an outcry by foreign ambassadors that Korea’s E2 teaching visa discriminated against other English speaking countries. The term “native” speaker was the word of contention that caused ambassadors from Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, and even India to request changes be made to the visa regulation which would allow teachers from non-native countries, but with a high proficiency in English language, to seek employment in Korea’s strong ESL market. For further details go to:

Korea only accepts foreign English teachers from Canada, America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The large majority of these teachers also happen to be Caucasian, although this is a prejudice that exists only in hiring practices and not as a stipulation in the Visa itself. In an independent report published online last year, Caucasians has a higher success rate of employment that any other racial group.
(http://korean-school.blogspot.com/2007/03/study-five-skin-color-popularity.html)
In many ways, this policy is discriminatory since the E2 Visa is based upon nationality rather than a teaching qualification, unlike most other Asian countries that offer teaching visas.

The new visa regulations that came into effect on December 15th have discouraged many potential teachers from applying because of the long process involved in getting a criminal background check and paper work processed. The new regulations have also discouraged many experienced teachers from reapplying to Korean schools, choosing to find employment elsewhere. This has begun putting pressure on many private institutions, as well as public schools to continue guaranteeing the prestigious presence of a native speaker in their classrooms. In the Korea Times article of January 20th, 2008, the envoys were reported as suggesting the “ ‘narrow-minded’ visa policy prevents Koreans from developing English proficiency in a more efficient and cheaper way.”

Although no official announcement has been made in response to the ambassadors requests for a change in the policy, if one is made it could not only benefit the Asian teachers, but the Korean school system as well. The suggestion that hiring other non-native English proficient teachers would be a cheaper and more effective way to develop English language ability would definitely help many of Korea’s private language academies which are financially stretched offering foreigners generous salaries in order to entice them to suffer the long, arduous task of applying to the new E2.

By Spencer McCall

Am I qualified to teach English?

If you graduated from University with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Sciences then the answer to that question is yes, you are qualified, in certain countries. Korea, Japan and even Taiwan in certain cases are countries that are accepting of almost any degree and who pay their teachers a competitive salary. And if you have previous teaching experience then you are also qualified. But this is misleading. Many employers choose to ignore previous teaching experience because of the higher salary it entails. Schools in some countries are specific about the experience you have, i.e. If you have taught in Korea for several years, and wish to move to Taiwan, you are highly unlikely to receive additional pay for a new job because the experience wasn’t in Taiwan.

Just because a school is willing to hire you does not necessarily make you qualified to teach either. This is aggravating if you accept a new job thousands of miles from home and discover only after you arrive you are being paid less and working for a disreputable school because you lacked the proper qualifications. ESL teachers are hired for many reasons (James, article reference to experiments article)

There were many instances in 2007 where, in both in local and foreign online magazines, it was reported that English as a Second Language education was generally poor in quality. The list of complaints stretched anywhere from a lack of experience in the classroom, to the education of the teachers not pertaining to English teaching.

On one website it was reported that in Korea, “Only 3 percent [of current English teachers] have a teaching qualification, while 2 percent have a qualification that relate to the teaching of English in a foreign language setting” http://www.tesol-law.com/Vol_1_2006_rk.php

And there have been recent cases of foreign teachers illegally teaching with fake degrees. On another website it was reported “A Canadian English instructor who was arrested for using a forged bachelor's degree to get a visa and a job in Korea has been sentenced to jail.” http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200707/200707160021.html

But Korea is not the only country currently experiencing negative feedback about the quality and qualifications of its English teachers. The Thai government has had many of the country’s English language and other educational institutions investigated to ensure their teachers are adequately certified. Many EFL teachers in Thailand are now required to take special modules in Education to retain and maintain a legal teaching job.

As mentioned in a previous article in http://www.esldaily.org/, even Saudi Arabia is now questioning the qualifications of its ESL teachers. http://esldaily.blogspot.com/2007/12/speaking-english-doesnt-mean-you-can.html

“What is a qualified English teacher?” It’s a very difficult question to answer because the word “qualified” has many definitions. If you have a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature or Education, a TESOL certificate, or even a Masters degree you will be considered a qualified teacher depending upon the country in which you teach. Not all degrees are considered equal.

There are also teachers who have obtained a PhD in TESOL. These teachers should by all accounts be deemed the most qualified to teach English as a Second Language. And although this is true, over qualification actually decreases your chances of finding employment in many sectors of the ESL market. A private study published on the web last year showed that English job seekers who possessed post-graduate education and teaching experience had less opportunity for employment.
http://korean-school.blogspot.com/2007/04/korean-trends-education-vs-experience.html

In the report, a Bachelor of Education was the degree that showed the greatest potential and success in finding employment. Nonetheless, a degree in English literature had a higher chance of success than a Masters degree in TESOL. Experience was also shown to decrease the amount of job options.

Returning to the original question, are “we” qualified to teach English? One must first look at what are we being hired for. Many experienced and inexperienced teachers alike are now being regarded as unqualified because of their degrees. At the same time legitimately qualified teachers are being overlooked and denied employment because they are overqualified. On occasion they are even discriminated against because of their age, sex, race, etc.

Perhaps it is the responsibility of the educational institutes to properly train teachers. The demand is there for teachers and the teachers are willing to teach. Are the educational institutes ready to accept the responsibility to guide and train its teachers? An international job in high demand should set up programs to deal with its new teachers. I have been an ESL teacher for seven years and have been to many “professional conferences” designed to enhance teaching abilities. However, the majority of these conferences tend to focus less on improving the quality of a teacher’s abilities and more on “cultural adaptation” to the host country.

In a personal opinion, I believe there is no such thing as a REAL qualified ESL teacher. Nothing can prepare someone for the classroom more than experience itself, and if the educational institutes do not appreciate experience, they are always going to have problems with finding a “qualified teacher.”

Korea Jim

Teaching ESL in Taiwan: A look at the visitor visa

You may have to distort the truth in order to get a job teaching ESL in Taiwan, but don’t worry, your employer will most likely return the favor. In order to get a work permit you will need to get an extendable visitor visa outside of Taiwan. Most teachers do a visa run to Hong Kong while others may get one from their home country or elsewhere. Here is a link to the Taiwan consulate in Hong Kong, www.whosetravel.com/Hong_Kong_Embassy.htm, it gives you an idea of what is involved in applying for a visa. The hitch is you can’t tell the authorities that you intend to work in Taiwan, instead you must make up a story about wanting to visit a friend or learn Chinese for two months. This fictionalization of the truth really only becomes a problem if the consulate doesn’t believe your story and issues you a non-extendable visitor visa, which will allow you in the country but prevents you from getting a work permit. One fun way to look at things is that legal teachers in Taiwan began illegally.

Now lets look at just one (and I think one of the more blatant) ways in which some employers can be dishonest. You will hopefully notice that the repercussions can be much more dramatic.

A bill passed for political reasons in 2003 by the Taiwanese government made it illegal for foreigners to teach kindergarten classes (www.tealit.com/news.htm). Not only is it illegal for you to teach kindergarten age students (many jobs on Tealit.com will list “very young age” or “3 to 10 years old” instead of using the word “kindergarten”), but it is also worth noting that it is illegal for foreigners to even teach in a school where there are kindergarten classes being held. It will come as no surprise to teachers who have worked in Taiwan to hear that a number of schools still have foreigners teaching kindergarten classes. These schools will often simply dismiss or play down the legalities of teaching kindergarten if questioned by a possible teaching candidate. It is also not uncommon to hear stories of teachers who were told to practice an escape route in case government officials raided their school. Be assured the raids do happen and the escape routes are used and an unfortunate few do get deported. Why does this practice still continue? The schools with kindergarten offer teachers more hours and sometimes better pay, while the schools themselves generate a wealth of extra income. So maybe you should ask yourself if you would like jumping out windows or hanging off fire escapes before signing that kinder contract.

Both the visitor visa and the kindergarten classes fall into the ESL grey zone. This is not unique to Taiwan, as bending the “rules” for both employee and employer in most Asian countries is nothing new. But never forget that the teacher, and not the school, will pay the higher price...if one should be caught doing something one should not.

By Sean McCall

Canadian Consulate: Further Information on the E-2 VISA Korea

Recently, in South Korea , there has been much speculation about the changes in the laws regarding E-2 VISA regulations, otherwise known as a "Teacher's VISA". This is the VISA required for teaching English in South Korea.

Upon browsing through the Canadian Consular website at http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/world/embassies/korea/menu-en.asp, I believe that I've found information on where to go in South Korea regarding information on the E-2 VISA. I hope that this information will be helpful and useful.

In South Korea , the Immigration Bureau of the ROK Justice Ministry should be contacted for information regarding other types of visas and/or adjustments of visa status. You can learn more from the Immigration Bureau on-line. Their main Seoul office is located at #319-2, Shinjeong 6-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul , telephone 02-2650-6225/6. Take Line 5 of the subway to Omokyo Station, Exit No. 6. The Bureau is about a 10 minute walk once you exit the subway system.

You will find their pamphlet, "The Korean Immigration Service" (their number 11-1270000-000279-1) a useful English-language reference for visa questions. Contact the Immigration Bureau directly or refer to its website www.immigration.go.kr.

Concerns and complaints should be made to Korean Immigration's "Foreigner's Advice Office", telephone number 02-2650-6341, or to the "Control Office" at 02-2650-6212 in South Korea .

If you have any questions or concerns about the new changes in the E-2 VISA regulations, you can try this website for information.

John "pipes" Lawley

ESL Jobs: When To Go Where? (Part 2)

By Spencer McCall

ESL Jobs: When To Go Where? (Part 1)

In Part 1, I provided you with some general timelines of when you should apply for jobs in certain countries in Asia . In Part 2, I am offering some complimentary advice on two more things you should be aware of when searching for a job in Asia . Again, please feel free to comment on anything you read, whether it is to provide further advice based on your experiences or if you have found this article to be of any help to you.

International Schools: These schools can be a good option for qualified teachers or someone with a Bachelor’s of Education. But don’t judge a book by its cover. These schools are sometimes nothing more than glorified private academies. Although International schools pay higher salaries on average than most private academies and boast prestige because of their “international” staff, they also require longer hours and more work that is often times incommensurate with their salaries. International schools can be affiliated with Universities as well as government-run programs, but this is not always the case. Bottom line, do your research and don’t assume from the title of the school that you will be working for a reputable company. In terms of the best times to teach at one of these institutions, their semesters follow the same pattern as most Universities. January and September are the months when most new teachers are hired. That means teachers should apply at least a month before, in December and August.

Countries: Every country in Asia has at least a few International schools. If you are interested in working for them, try directly contacting someone at the school if possible. Don’t rely on what a recruiter has to say.

Calendars: If you were planning on teaching in Asia , it would be wise to consult a lunar calendar as most holidays that affect ESL hiring dates are based upon it. It’s a good idea to always check out a local calendar of the country in which you intend to teach for special events and festivals. All of them are available from government and tourist homepages.

If Asia is not the place for you, please stay in touch in the coming weeks as we will also be covering the best times to teach in Europe and South America .

ESL Jobs: When to Go Where (Part 1)

By Spencer McCall

Are you looking to start teaching ESL in 2008? Then timing is critical in finding a job that suits you. Before you begin your search on the Internet or over the phone, determine which ages and grades you want to teach. Once you have decided on whom you would like to teach, next choose where you would like to teach. You need to find out as much as possible concerning the school systems in the country of your choice. Almost all countries run their public and private schools on semester systems, but the months and days are usually quite different from North American and European school calendars. Religious holidays in Asia and the Middle East dictate vacations and semester lengths just as much as Easter and Christmas do in the West.

So where does this leave you? Well, in Korea and Japan, where hiring goes on year-round, the new school semester for University and public schools has already begun, which means finding the highest paying job in a reputable school will be very difficult if you’re starting your search today. But not to fear! Asia and many markets around the world have teaching positions available for inexperienced and experienced teachers alike throughout the year. You just can’t be that picky about certain things like city location, apartment size or the extra hundred dollars of salary you want.

So if you’re desperate to start teaching today, or if you’re looking for a position in a few months time, check out the list below for a brief guide to the hottest-times of the year to head to these countries. Remember, private schools hire year-round. But if you want a very good job, then be patient and wait for the right time to visit these countries.

If anyone has any further dates, additions or comments to add please feel free to do so at the end of the article.

When To Go:

January / September: The two biggest international starting months for school semesters. Never forget to watch these months for job offers. Usually the best positions at the most reputable, well-established schools become available for these months. Start looking at least two months earlier for these positions, as they are very competitive. There are also many winter camps in Korea and Japan which provide month-long gigs to teachers looking for extra income.

Countries: Korea , Japan , Hong Kong , China , Taiwan

When Not To Go:

Late-January/February: Only travel to Asia in late-January or February if you already have a signed contract and a visa with a school. The Chinese New Year in 2008 begins on February 8th. The vacation time for this festival stretches from days to weeks depending upon the country and few jobs are available at this time. As well, there is the major Tet festival in Vietnam that coincides with the Chinese New Year in Late January and Early February. In general, it is a poor time to travel Asia looking for ESL work.

Countries: China , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Thailand , Vietnam .

When to Go:

May – August: This is a good time to find teaching positions in private academies. There are summer camps in Korea and part-time work in Japan and Taiwan . Schools often extend teaching hours and add more staff in the summer as full-time teachers and students go on vacation and parents send their children to more academies. If you are hired during the summer for a short contract, available in countries such as Taiwan , Thailand, China and at the present time Korea, there is a good chance you could sign-on for the fall. Also being in the country allows you the opportunity to network and interview with other schools to find a position that suits you.

Countries: China , Thailand , Taiwan , Vietnam , Cambodia , Laos , Korea , Japan

When Not to Go:

March, April/ October-December: These months are usually the off-seasons for most ESL markets. The semesters for Universities, public and private schools are only mid-way through. Generally, only private language academies hire teachers during these months and even then the jobs available will not be the best ones. However, if you are desperate for a job, it is still possible to find teaching positions in a select few countries during these times.

Countries: China, Korea , Taiwan

Part 2

Benefits and Pitfalls of Freelance English Teaching: Part 1

By Korea Jim

Many ESL teachers practice freelance English teaching, also known as “private” tutoring. But before a teacher decides to engage in freelance work, they should consider the laws of the country in which they reside. Countries such as South Korea have laws punishable by deportation and high fines for working without a proper visa. And there are countries such as Japan and Taiwan where freelance work in encouraged and legal. There are still hundreds of teachers that continue to teach illegally in countries around the world, but they have made the conscious, albeit risky, decision the remunerations of freelance work outweigh the punishments.

The first thing a teacher should consider when engaging in freelance work is their schedule. Tutoring can have dry spells, when schools are on holiday or students cancel classes. Freelance work as a supplement to full-time income is the best situation to be in when these dry spells occur. It is inadvisable for a teacher to rely on freelance work as their primary income. Rent is expensive and with damage deposits, as well as first and last month’s rent, getting an apartment can be a large burden for a first-time English teacher. You should have enough money to continue with your daily routine without having to rely on income for a few months. You should also keep emergency flight money on hand, just in case you have to leave. You should also know your host country very well and understand the laws and risks you take by engaging in freelance work.

The second thing that you must keep in mind, you must be social and have many friends. You cannot make the transition into freelance work and expect many students without having a social network, because a teacher can find many students based on referrals by other teachers and their students. You should also socialize the local people of your host country when possible. Perhaps even have a “home stay” family to help you out for a few months.

Third, depending on your legal situation, you should advertise. Yes, word of mouth works best, but it can be slow in the beginning. Posting advertisements at local schools may help a little, but it’s the parents you need to focus on; they are the ones with the money. Leave a little leaflet with your information and experience in both your language and the local language, with little tear off sheets at the bottom with your phone number. You may even consider placing your picture in the local paper to help grab the eye of parents. Do not forget to ask permission before placing the advertisement.

Fourth, how much should you charge? You must consider your student and his/her financial situation and the local going rate. Check out the different Internet forums in your host country and ask what the going rate is. You don’t want to under-charge or over-charge your clients; this can upset other teachers or students. It is also wise to keep your dealings quiet and confidential. Only discuss your freelance work with those people you feel you can trust.

2007’s Most Infamous ESL Teacher: Christopher Paul Neil (One Man Can Make a Difference)

By Jim Korea

2007 will most likely be remembered in the ESL world as the year Christopher Paul Neil was arrested. Neal will be remembered not only as being a terrible pedophile, but also as the individual responsible for governments across the Asia Pacific region changing and tightening their restrictions in regards to foreigners and working visas.

Neil, an English teacher who taught for the past few years in South Korea, instigated a huge Interpol manhunt this year under charges of pedophilia. Numerous disturbing photos of Neal with young children from Vietnam and Cambodia surfaced on the Internet more than 4 years ago, but Neal’s face had been purposefully distorted in all the photographs. It wasn’t until this year when German police reconstructed one of the images using modern software that Neal’s face was finally identified and arrested in Thailand on October 19, 2007.

Since the arrest of Neil, officials from around the world have been tightening their laws. Korea, the country in which Neil last taught, has decided to stiffen laws for all teachers. Visas now require (A slight delay to March 15th 2008) a police check, a criminal check and verification of degrees by the teacher’s university. In the near future, teachers may also have to undergo interviews with the nearest Korean Embassy. Thailand Police have posted 50 other photos of Western pedophilia suspects and they have cracked down on over 1000 teachers, verifying their documents and making sure they are abiding by the rules of their visas. In November, Japan began fingerprinting all foreigners entering the country. Japanese immigration officials claim that it is not a direct result of the Christopher Neil incident, but the timing of the law change makes many visitors question the motive behind it. China has always had strict laws regarding foreign English teachers, but they have certainly raised their awareness this year of the international community of teachers and earlier this year charged an ESL teacher under similar charges as those of Neil. Taiwan, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and even Mexico have been hard hit by the news of Neal’s actions and subsequent arrest.

Many ESL teachers feel angry about the shame Neil has brought on the international ESL teaching community and in some situations teachers find the finger pointing to them. Discrimination for some is at an all time high.

Currently Neil is facing numerous charges that can land him over 20 years in Thai prison. Thai police are conducting further forensic testing and Neal’s court date has been extended: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8qdIstGdTbpAUxvxeDJETLe7-Xw Little else is known about the infamous Canadian who proved in 2007 that “One man can make a difference.”

Speculation: Korea’s Visa Regulations Delayed

By Spencer McCall

Although the new E2 visa regulations were to come into effect on December 17th, there is growing speculation the Korean government will possibly delay the deadline until March 15th, 2008. The cause for this delay has not been publicly announced, but on December 17th, the Korean Herald published an article detailing the possible problems of implementing the visa changes and the anger of foreign instructors over the new rules. The Herald stated, “Critics [of the law changes] suggest that the Korean government did not make sufficient preparations before implementing the rule, as in publicizing and explaining the changes to teachers, and coordinating with foreign governments.”

The administrative task set before embassy and immigration officials, not to mention police services and hospital staffs, in Korea and internationally, is daunting. Given the speed and zealous nature at which these new changes came into effect it is little wonder the deadline will be pushed back. For a detailed report of what is being changed with the E2 visa, read the press release of the Ministry of Justice here: http://tinyurl.com/28qn2g

Volunteer At Own Risk

By Spencer McCall

If you’re an English teacher thinking of heading down to Mallipo beach to help clean up Korea’s worst ever oil spill, don’t let your goodwill get the better of you or you might just be deported. Unless you fill out the proper form and pay a certain fee, the Korean government would much rather you stay home. There are rules for foreigners volunteering, and the rules mean paying for offering a free service.

As surprising as it sounds, under the Immigration Control Act of Korea, “it is punishable that you [a foreigner] engage in the activities beyond your current visa status without permission” from the Ministry of Justice. This includes volunteering, not just at the oil spill disaster, but also for any work or event outside of the school that is sponsoring your E2 visa. The documents you require to volunteer include:

A travel document (passport)
Alien Registration Card
Application forms (downloadable from http://www.immigration.go.kr/)
Fees (60,000 won)

The government crackdown on volunteering extends far beyond the recent natural disaster relief effort, a particular event that has drawn dozens of English teachers to the beach in a genuine gesture of goodwill. For more on the extent the government has gone to pursue E2 violations check out an article by Carli Brosseau on Empas News <Click Here>

English Teacher Brain Drain

By Korea Jim

With news of NOVA in Japan closing its doors (an English language academy chain) and the changes in Korean immigration policy, foreigners are flooding to new areas of Asia. Japan and South Korea, known to be the most lucrative English teaching countries, are now loosing many of their more experienced foreign teachers. Nova has let go of hundreds of their foreign teachers and now the teachers are faced with either returning home unemployed, or trying to quickly find a job in another country. Some distressed teachers have responded to Nova’s closing in online forums. One teacher stated “Originally I had my heart set on Japan, however, with the news of a major school like NOVA closing shop, with little or no warning to its employees, think again. How can such a large school just let all its students and employees go without any form of protection…” Granted, not every Language school in Japan is having financial difficulty, but news like NOVA is not giving a good name to Japan’s ESL market.

Next to Japan sits Korea, known for hiring thousands of ESL teachers every year. However, with new strict visa procedures hiring teachers in Korea will be more difficult. For expatriates of some countries it will take over a month to organize the appropriate documents, i.e. Police Check, Medical History Check, University degree, transcripts and proof of alumni. Further, teachers who have not taught for more than 8 months are required to have an in-person interview at the nearest Korean embassy nearest to their hometown. Experienced teachers with years of teaching will unlikely want return to their home country and wait for anywhere from a week to a month or more for the appropriate documents. Few will also want to wait unemployed. Public schools and smaller private institutes will not be able to afford sending these experienced teachers to their native countries and pay for hotel or rent plus their monthly salaries. Schools will find it more feasible to let the experienced teachers leave and find new inexperienced teachers to replace them, or refuse to hire foreign teachers in general.

If you now look through the Internet online job boards you can see such a variation in teachers. However, one distinction that differs from just months ago, where people use to write “absolutely no China” or “Only Korea/Japan” you now see people requesting Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Taiwan and other countries. One teacher wrote in his application “Looking for work that will sponsor new visa process and salary over 3 million won.” Countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan may not pay as much in monthly salaries, however, teachers can find work without having to return to their home country and can easily change jobs if their employment becomes endangered.

Japan Fingers Foreigners

By Spencer McCall

On November 20th, 2007, Japan implemented a regulation to fingerprint and photograph all foreigners entering the country. This new regulation extends not only to short-term visitors, but also permanent residence, work visa and spouse visa holders.

Once a foreigner enters any airport or port of entry, they must wait in the foreign immigration line to be fingerprinted and photographed. Once this has been done, their information will be cross-referenced with an immigration blacklist, which will determine their eligibility to enter the country. The main goal of the program, the Japanese government contends, is to bar entry of suspected terrorists or criminals. However, this is the first time an all-encompassing approach is being taken in fingering foreigners as they enter a country. Even the United States, the only other country currently fingerprinting foreigners, still allows visas and residency holders to enter the same way, as do American citizens. Japan, so it seems, has made no such distinction.

This is yet another blow to the ESL market in Japan, which has been reeling from the recent scandal of Nova Corp., the nation’s largest ESL franchise. The new immigration regulations will most likely further decrease the desirability of the country for teachers. Coupled with Korea’s upcoming regulation to ban visa runs to Japan, these new steps leave little doubt that both Korea and Japan are becoming less interested in supporting an ESL market as both governments continue to pass laws which restrict foreigners in entering, leaving or staying in their countries.

For further details on the new Japanese regulations, read The Yomiuri Shimbun, of Nov. 19, 2007
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20071119TDY04310.htm

Both Japanese and foreigners have begun to speak out on the new changes. Several foreigners have expressed their outrage at the new treatment. To see what two have had to say in the Japan Times, click on the links below:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20071120zg.html
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20071101a1.html

Not all Japanese consider the new changes negative. To find out what some Japanese people think of the new system, go to Japan Today at:
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/popvox/758

Change is Imminent

By Korea Jim

The Korea Herald stated "According to a Ministry of Justice press release, foreigners who apply for teaching visas will have to submit a criminal background check and a medical check, and must undergo an interview at the closest Korean consulate to their home town. Visa runs to Japan will also be scrapped. Teachers must now receive and renew visas in their home country."

Regardless if you disagree with these policy changes, the visa process in Korea are changing. It should be noted this information comes on the heels of the announcement made by the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development, Kim Shinil, that in 2008 the number of foreign teachers will increase in the public school system and that English education will be made more of a priority, both increasing the number of hours of English class and number of foreign teachers.

One teacher I talked with, who did not wish to have his name disclosed, was not happy about the recent changes. "I have been in the country for over 5 years," he stated. "However, why would I return if it takes my whole vacation time just to renew my contract? I would have to travel to a city that I don’t live in [and] wait for an interview and visa to be processed. The trip would set me back too far. There are many other countries I can teach in, without the hassle of this change." This is a reality many teachers, both new and experienced, will face in the coming year.

Though some teachers are finding the positive side of these changes. One teacher I spoke with, who is married to a Korean woman, believes the new E2 visa requirements will mean "fewer teachers, greater demand [and] more money." Which is very likely as private schools will be forced to offer even more incentive to returning teachers, or even first-year teachers, to go through the hassle of the application process. "This is the change I have been waiting for," he said smiling. However, his F2 visa, which he received upon marrying, precludes him from having to submit to any of the new requirements to obtain employment. He is definitely a minority among foreign teachers.

Korean private schools pay thousands of dollars in recruiting fees to attract ESL and EFL teachers. The extra expense to return a teacher to their home country on a round trip for an interview with a consulate will probably force some smaller schools to shut down. These expenses will also likely affect public schools, which operate under strict budgets. This will hinder public schools in providing for their classes native English instructors, the very instructors the government wants more of in the coming year. It’s not clear whether the government will provide extra financial assistance to public schools to cope with the added burden of this expense, but at the moment they have not discussed the issue.

One outcome of the new changes could be foreigners working illegally on a visitor visa, something that already occurs and though the numbers of teachers doing this has declined recently, they could easily spike again in 2008. Fake marriages to obtain an F2 visa might also transpire. Another scenario could see a drastic drop in teacher recruitment as a result of teachers who simply refuse to work in Korea and submit themselves to a laborious application process.

The Korean government is pushing these new policies to increase the number of qualified, experienced teachers in the country; however, the consequences of these policies may discourage them coming in general. It will most likely increase the people who are willing to take the risk to come and work illegally without proper teaching credentials. Especially if private institutions are willing to increase the pay of illegal ESL instructors in order to avoid the new changes in the visa process.

Education in the Korean Presidential Elections

By Spencer McCall

Whoever wins the December 19th elections, one thing is for certain, Korea’s public education system is going to receive some significant changes under the new administration, particularly in English education.

Front-runner nominee Lee Myung-bak of the Grand National Party, is proposing, among other things, to add more English classes to public schools to narrow the disparity gap between the nation’s wealthy who attend high-priced private English schools (Hagwons) and the underprivileged who cannot afford such luxuries. It is part of his larger economic reform policy intended to make the country more competitive in the global market place and is reminiscent of American President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act of 2002.

More hours in school will require more teachers. Lee intends to train more Korean teachers to have a high degree of English proficiency to fill this gap. Whether this will push foreign teachers out of the job remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a possibility. By January 2008, the process of applying for an E2 visa will be stricter (extensive criminal background checks, medical histories and physicals and further verification to authenticate degrees) and will likely take a considerable amount of time longer to receive.

Add them together and one can easily see the strain these proposed reforms will have on the private sector of the economy, particularly the private schools who rely on foreign teachers to add expertise and prestige to their businesses. Job loss in this market is a real possibility not only to business owners, but to Korean and foreign teachers as well.

Other candidates Chung Dong-young of the United New Democratic Party, Rhee In-jae of the Democratic Party, and Moon Kook-hyun, an independent, all promise economic reform and growth.

However, the E2 visa reforms were introduced by current president Roh Moo-hyun, so either way you slice it, education reform, and in particular English education reform, is on the mind of everyone in or near the president’s seat.

For an extensive review of the candidates go to http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/