Delta Module 3 Tips

I'm happy to report success on the Delta Module 3 (big paper).  I got the middle grade, not the highest, but higher than just the basic pass, so take my advice for what it's worth.  Admittedly, I didn't put as much effort into it as I could of and just kind of sent it in at the end, even though I know I could have worked on it more and gotten the higher grade.  Anyway, my tips:

1.  Get yourself into a good preparation program (The Distance Delta) and then follow ALL your tutor's advice.

2. Follow ALL your tutor's advice!!!

3. Not that you'd want to pick an "easy" specialization just because it's easy, but if you're doing any exam preparation classes that semester, "examination preparation" is a good choice because it's relatively easy to do assessment of your students and there's a lot of materials out there to read and reference.  Plus, it lends itself to quantitative measurements, which could be quite helpful.

4. Unlike Module 1, where studying everyday is the key, this took more focused effort.  I set aside a block of about 4-5 hours each week on my day off and that was sufficient.  It would have been confusing to try and do 20 minutes/day or something like that.

Check out this book if you want to get a University Job in South Korea.

Teaching Content Classes, with PPT

So, I'm back in Busan after my not-so-brief semi-vacation in Thailand.  And although the chilly weather was quite a shock to my system, all is well these days and the first week of classes went very smoothly.  And, I'm EXTREMELY happy to report that not an hour of my 22 or so teaching hours/week consist of anything resembling "conversational" English.  I'm teaching 3 sections of Advanced writing to 3rd/4th year English majors, a presentation/interview class to engineering students, business English to students who have graduated and are preparing for an internship in the USA and a current events discussion club kind of thing. 

But, teaching content (especially writing) is much different than conversation classes and I'm trying to figure out my teaching style.  Previously, on very rare occasion would I use a PPT (Powerpoint for my North American friends), and instead I would focus almost exclusively on having the students interact with each other, in a student-centered to the extreme, engaging and purposeful kind of way.  And I would generally try to keep my whiteboard warrior activities to about 5 minutes out of every hour or less.  But, there is almost no way to do this for something like Advanced Writing and in fact would probably lead to extreme frustration and confusion for the students (and me too).  So, it's back to the PPT, even though it kind of kills me on the inside and I wonder if there is not a better way.  I've tried to include lots of group work/exploration within the lesson but it's still a lot of me, lecturing.

Anyway, I'm interested to see how this will all work out by semester end.  I'm sure you'll get an update or two!

Tips for Newbies and Korean Uni Interviews

A few reader questions that my previous posts cover:

Preparing for your Korean Uni Job Interview

Ten Tips for Newbies to teaching in a Korean University

And check out this book for far more details and answers to all your questions about getting a university job in South Korea:

Reader Questions: Korean Uni Jobs

(I just landed my first uni job, but I don't have a Masters degree).  I would like to invest in getting my masters in education in TESOL. I heard from a friend that it is possible to take intense courses in Seoul during my vacations from the university. Have you heard of this program? Is it worth it?

My answer: I have no idea what you're talking about.  There are a million and one TESOL courses in the world.  Worth it? I also have no idea.  If you're planning on staying in Korea for the long-term, then probably yes.  If you're going back home to do whatever, then likely not.

If I stay at my Uni job for two years, but do not get a masters would that hurt my chances of moving back into Seoul? 

I'm actually very surprised that you managed to land any uni job at all.  Consider yourself lucky.  Moving into Seoul?  Not a chance without a masters unless you happen to get something last minute or personally know the person who does the hiring.  A couple years ago, I was applying for uni jobs (with a Masters and 5 years uni experience) and only got interviews for about 1/2 the jobs I applied for in Seoul.  And I was a prime candidate (young-ish, North American female with experience).

What could I expect at an entry level position at a University?

If you read beyond the first page of this blog, you'll see that I've talked about this extensively.  Use the helpful sidebar labels to find what you're looking for (testing, lesson planning, textbook selection, etc).

Reader Question: Applying for uni jobs from abroad

"I am about to finish my PhD in Cultural Anthropology
 this summer and plan to take a TEFL course in July. I have three years university teaching experience within anthropology but none of that time was spent in ESL. My plan is to apply for the uni jobs that come out in March and start in September. Do you have any tips? Does this sound like a feasible plan? I'm wondering if it would be easier to take a hagwon job for a bit and try to land a uni job once there."

It's not entirely clear if you plan to apply for uni jobs from abroad, or not, but I think that is what you're asking about.  My answer:

It can be very difficult to get a Korean Uni Job
from abroad, but not impossible.  I know a few people who've gotten hired through Skype interviews, but I'd say this is maybe 5-10% of the cases.  Most unis have in-person interview requirements and no exceptions to this rule.  You do have a big advantage because you'll have a PhD and even those unis with the no exception thing might be willing to make an exception in your case.

The other option is to come to Korea beforehand.  If you come, but don't work and just hang around waiting for interview offers, you can burn through your money pretty quickly.  But, you'd be very likely to get a job.  If you want to start work in September, you'd have to start applying for jobs in March/April/May and then just be prepared to come over when you get an interview offer or two (probably in late May/early June)  The other option is working. You suggest a hagwon.  I think this would probably make anyone who is over the age of 30, with a Phd and "real" teaching experience absolutely insane so I don't necessarily recommend this.  The other issue is that you'd have to sign a one year contract and then the school kinds of "owns" you.  As in, it's not as simple to just switch jobs as it would be in your home country.  It could in fact be a total nightmare. 

Best option?  I'd probably try for the Skype interviews and then plan to be in Korea for June/July/August if I didn't get a job offer before then.

For all the details about Korean University Jobs, check out this fabulous Ebook:

EFL Writing Grading Rubric

This upcoming semester at my university, I'll be moving to the actual English Department, which means that I'll be teaching English majors.  I've been given three sections of "Advanced Writing," which should be comprised mostly of 3rd and 4th year students.  While I've taught writing before at my previous uni and in various camps, it's my first time doing it with such high-level students.

I think preparation is key and I've torn myself away from the beach here in beautiful Koh Lanta (which is fabulous by the way) to get a start on it.  Here's a writing grading rubric I've come up with.  I'll use it for my two big assignments and the midterm and final exam.  It's very much a work in progress so any feedback would be appreciated from you, my smart readers.  I'm wondering whether it's focused too much on form/conventions of writing and too little on the actual ideas.  Thoughts?

Reader Question: MA +2

This one from James:

"I have an MA (in English Language & Literature), but, I have been looking at many advertisements that say MA + 2 years experience at a college or university, and I would like to know more about what that entails, and what the expectations are. I completed my MA in 2012, and my university teaching experience is limited to the 8 months I was a teaching assistant to an ENGL 101 class. My goal is to teach at a university this fall, but I would love to know, how does one get the experience if most jobs are asking for 2+ years?"

My answer: 

These days, it seems like job requirements are getting higher and higher and due to some government regulation regarding funding, universities want the magic MA +2 years experience at a uni.  If you have an MA but don't have the experience, you're still a step ahead of many people competing for the entry-level uni jobs, which is where you have a chance, especially at crunch time when the semester is starting in a few weeks and they still haven't filled all their slots with warm bodies.

By entry-level, I mean the jobs that have some sort of negative factor(s).  These include: in the countryside, low-pay (2.2 or less), high hours (16+), low vacation (less than 16 weeks), unpaid summer/winter camps, 5 days a week schedule, or teaching children as well as uni students.

You could also look for "uni-gwon" jobs, which are hybrid uni/hagwon jobs.  Something like an English cafe, or language institute at a uni and usually around 20-25 hours/week with a month or two vacation.  For the purposes of your resume, it still counts as "uni experience."

Apply to these jobs and stick it out for 2 years, even if it's not great.  Then, you'll have the magic number on your resume and can move on to bigger and better things in Busan or Seoul and with better working conditions. 

Reader Questions about the Delta

These ones from Shirley:

 "I found a DELTA module 1 distance course that starts in March and ends in June. I'm hoping to work at summer schools at the end of June, so do you think that's enough time to complete the module?  Additionally, is it possible to postpone the exam?"

Is it possible to do module 1 and 3 simultaneously? Is it possible to start module 3 before module 1?"

My answers:

Cambridge holds the Delta exam twice a year, so you could postpone the June exam, but it would have to be for 6 months later.  If you want to take the exam in December, just take the prep course that finishes in December.  You'll be so tired of it if you study for a year and it's really not necessary.  And, you have to register for the exam a few weeks ahead of time and pay a lot of money, so it's not like you can just get stressed out and then decide to postpone it on a whim.

You can do modules 1/3 at the same time, but you'd have to be very organized/extremely self-motivated if you did it by distance.  If you do the Delta in person somewhere, you'll often be working on modules 1/2/3 concurrently.  You can do the modules in any order, or just do one or two and not the other one(s).

Reader Question: Asian looking people working at Korean Universities

Another question from Shirley:

"Would being of Asian appearance reduce my chances of getting a job at university?"

Short answer: yes!  While I have met people who are Asian looking (or black) working at Korean universities, it's relatively rare.  And I've heard that it's actually quite difficult for any non-white person to get any job in Korea, since most admin/school owners/principals have some sort of idea that the white, blonde hair/blue-eyed person speaks English better than someone who does not look like that.

Another thing that Koreans think about Korean-Americans or Chinese-Canadians (etc), is that they will have an accent of some kind and not the "real" accent of the country that they grew up in.

For all the details about Getting a Uni Job in South Korea, check out this Ebook:

Reader Question: Delta recognized by Korean Universities?

Another one from Shirley:

"If I got the DELTA qualification,  would Korean universities recognize it?"

My short answer is no!  Most admin in Korean universities have absolutely no idea what a Delta is and what it actually means.  Most of them don't even know what the Celta is.  If you're choosing between a Delta and an MA in anything, you'd be better off by far doing the MA if you want to work at a Korean university.

I'm only doing the Delta as a post-Korea plan.  I'd like to eventually become a Celta trainer, somewhere warm, near the beach, with scuba diving (preferably!)