Sogang Language Program (SLP) – Gwanak: Jungang-dong, Seoul

I worked at GwanAk SLP for two years (2005-2007) and had a good experience with the hakwon. The pay was always on time, extra work was always announced in a timely fashion, and the contract honored. Perhaps things have changed since then, but at least when I was there, it was definitely one of the better hakwons.

I had a similar experience to hateSLP’s:

They stole my tax return (about 600,000 W in total) and continually smiled without any acknowledgment about it or intention to cough it up, even after I got legal assistance. What happens is they routinely take advantage of the unaccountability of the small biz tax system which allows them to pocket money in small chunks that are too small for the tax office to worry about, but is significant to an individual wage-earner, and is significant to them once it aggregates.

They also had me move suddenly in the middle of the contract year, and [tried ridiculously hard] to put me in seriously substandard housing (no kitchen sink/pipes, instead a pot on the bathroom floor for cooking/washing dishes, layer of construction dust everywhere, what was basically the storage unit for a construction site) (not kidding).

And yes, the headman (at that time. I’ve heard that guy’s office is at a newer franchise now) and the lady director did show plenty of favoritism–which explains why some have had positive experiences there while to others it was the pits.

Unfortunately, this SLP branch is not managed as well as it used to be. If you decide to work here, know that management will rarely act in your best interest, make sure your living conditions are suitable before you agree to walk into work (they won’t provide pictures of dorms/apartments beforehand), DO NOT be a doormat (they will walk all over you) and don’t be afraid to threaten to quit. The all-or-nothing attitude seems to be the only thing they respond to in Korea. Otherwise, if you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself and you can provide good retorts, you will be treated well. You are expendable, but you’re also a $10,000+ investment.

“at SLP now” I am getting ready to come to Seoul in February to begin teaching at Gwanak SLP, could you possibly elaborate more on “DO NOT COME” disclaimer? I just came across this review and now I am a little freaked out. The earlier posts all seemed to deal with issues of sexual bias, which I am not concerned about being a 6′2 man who doesn’t deal with much crap. But, your review has me a bit concerned.

At SLP Now,

I thank you very much for your response. I am in fact going through a recruiter here in NA and I am very far from naive when it comes to what that recruiters charge is and how they will go about doing it. I am not a recent college grad and have cut my teeth as a producer with a fortune 500 company for the last 5 years. I am really looking forward to my experience in Seoul mainly because I feel it will provide a unique opportunity to not only get away from the monotony and pressure of what I am currently doing (I am bunt out), but also the opportunity to get into what I went to school for (teaching). I feel as if I can fight my own battles when it comes to “office” issues, and I have the financial means to just leave if things are unbearable. But surely there must be some positive aspects of you experience at Gwanak? How is the area in which you live? How is the experience in the classroom? Are you given any freedom to develop unique lesson plans? Is the pay administered in timely manner with no difficulties? Is administration constantly breathing down your neck? I noticed you ratings of the school are extremely low in the location and benefits and pay categories. Can you speak to why? Salary and benefits seem to be pretty uniform across the board in most Korean schools I have received offers from (2.1 to 2.4 mill won, health care, plane ticket, 1 month of severance, 2 weeks of vacation ect.) what makes Gwanak any different? From the research I have done the area where the school is located is in a decent part of south Seoul in a swanky college town with great subway access? Am i mistaken? Why the low rating in terns of location, which has nothing to do with the work environment? I am sweating bullets about what to do as I am about 25 days from departure. I was given the contact info for 2 separate teachers that are currently at Gwanak by my recruiter. Both teachers gave extremely favorable reviews of the school and their experience. They were also both working on something like their 4th consecutive contracts? Are they fictitious plants, or are there some staff members who actually enjoy the school? How long have you been with the school? I very much anticipate your feedback, as I am in crunch time and tying to make an informed decision. Thanks again.

Hey Red,
It sounds like you have an excellent attitude so far. That post was probably meant to serve as a warning to people who come out expecting sunshine and skittles to greet them.

Now for SOME of the positives! (I hope others will help me so that this thread has an active discussion between more than just a purely negative opinion)!

The school has excellent equipment for teachers to use during sessions, the lessons are laid out for teachers to experiment with (so long as you complete the required material on time for test days), the workload will keep you busy during your working hours and make the days fly by (I can’t believe how fast it does), the pay is almost always on time and you can grab pay stubs from a very helpful and polite Korean woman, a new VP has been brought over to help ease some of the difficulties we foreigners face (she speaks perfect English and understands Western culture so there is no “cultural exchange” estrangement), and there is TONS of stuff to do here!

The location ranking, in my opinion, is too low. Though we do live in a somewhat sketchy location, Korea is very safe and I’ve had no problems so far. The pollution is terrible, but there’s no way you can get away from it in Seoul. It is an unfortunate followup to the city’s rapid growth.

Though there are definitely some conflicts between Koreans and the native English speakers, these are minor work issues. Unless you are blatantly shirking your responsibilities as an educator or as an employee, there will very little drama you encounter. That said, you sound like the Koreans and foreigners will think twice before going toe-to-toe with you over you touching their umbrella! (Inside joke out here, I’m sure some of the current workers will get a crack out of that).

All things considered, this school is not the absolute best place to be, but nor is it a place where you will be ready to fly home in a week. One thing to always keep in mind when you read these threads is some people use them to blow off steam and others because they want to cause a bit of havoc. I think both of these are necessary sometimes where we work, neither should involve trying to jade and dissuade people from giving it a shot!

I hope my response helps answer some of your questions, Red! I hope you do still consider coming to work at this branch because, from the way you are approaching the job, you will be a great addition to the school!

A fair warning: the kids are adorable. Be ready to take lots of pictures and get little gifts that make you blush.

Hi Redram.
I agree with Also@SLP. Some stuff in some of the reviews is a little over the top. Nothing is sunshine and skittles. It’s not perfect anywhere. But if you are respectful, positive, and keep your cool, you will probably be fine. The new manager seems nice, has been easy to work with so far, and her English is great. Going to Dave’s ESL or somewhere like that is taking a big chance because lots of small and new private schools go out of business all of the time. SLP is at least bigger and has been around for a while. A lot of teachers in this country worry about if they will have a job next month and that’s a worry teachers at this school don’t have. The owner Catherine is also very sweet. And yes, the kids say many things that make you blush and laugh. LOL.

I’m gonna be around for a while longer! A lot of people are moving onto new careers or new places in the world, so a lot of people will be in the same boat as you. I promise that there will be a group hangout so we can all get to know one another (at least the foreigners, I can’t speak for whether the Koreans will join)
Also, just a heads up to add to this thing: make sure you bring a bit of extra money to set yourself up with a phone. You can get smart phones for a pretty penny, but you can also get a regular cell that you can charge up with minutes. There is a rumor that you don’t pay for incoming calls, only the outgoing, but I don’t know if there is any truth to that. I hope you have a good time for your last few weeks in the West, Red! Ask away if you have any questions or are wondering about what to bring–this is an active forum from the looks of it!!

I am going to start using the term “skittles and sunshine” that made me laugh haha

I don’t want people reading this to think that the reviews have been exaggerated or doctored in any way. I just think that most incoming teachers will have gotten more than enough “skittles and sunshine” from the recruiters and documents from their current contacts. Lets be honest, the reason people look this stuff up is to get an idea of what others think. Arguing who had fun and who didn’t won’t make any difference because we’ve all had different experiences over our course working here. That said, it also isn’t fair to say “it could be better or worse” is incredibly useless since it offers no actual feedback! I might be guilty of this, I can’t remember, but if so I apologize.
The rankings I posted were based on what I think. A 5/5 star rank for location would be the equivalent of paradise–or close to it. Considering we live in a slummy, gritty part of Seoul does not qualify as a utopia (or even a moderately pleasant environment).
But heck, me saying what it could be isn’t very helpful, is it? So allow me to break it down a little more thoroughly: our living situation is comparable to a college dorm with some major differences. The size is similar, the smell is similar and there is a ton of people around. One thing dorms have which we don’t: quads. Open expanses of grass will not be found walking around our neighborhood. Hop on a bus, chill on the subway, sure you can find a nice place to take a stroll elsewhere. But not where we are. Another similarity to a dorm is we live where we work. Walking a block to get to work is very nice, but also manages to feel monotonous after doing it for a few hundred days. Now, before people go barking that we can go and find parks or beaches easily (which are true statements), I am addressing the location of where our school and our rooms are positioned. Couple these relatively minor inconveniences with the truly absurd level of pollution we inhale and it makes me feel very comfortable reinforcing my previous ranking.
Oh yes, the pollution! The postings above are true, the city is considerably polluted because of expansion, but we live and work practically on top of an exceptionally busy intersection which churns out enough fumes to make Keith Richards hack a lung. Sure you can get meds, walk into the hospital and get a cocktail shot to OD your immune system with God knows what so that you can’t feel your sinus leaking like a mini-BP oil rig. But hey, I think that giving just one star would be just downright mean. Pardon my opinion, cuz it’s here to stay!
And ah yes, the work environment! Right now we have just about one month left till we are free from our contracts, so I’ll need to bite my tongue (or fingertips…damn keyboard), but I agree with Truth’s comments that most people who spout nothing but positivity are playing the game nicely so they can be replaced and gtfo. Pardon my profane acronym. So, Red, I’m sorry but specifics won’t happen. Korea allows employers to sue anyone for slander and libel (even if the comments are 100% true). If you think I’m making that up, check it out–and I think it is very possible this thread is being observed and chewed over by managers or whoever. The sad fact is that we ARE in a place where some people worry monthly over if they are going to have a job; just not everyone–favoritism will save you or damn you.
Conflicts and meetings flare up mostly because of parents. You’ve probably read online that teaching is quite easy here; it’s true! But you’ll be in a very tense waltz with the parents of your kids in a ballroom where everyone speaks a language you don’t understand. If you and the parents miss a step and screw up that pretty dance, people will mutter and most likely blame you (the foreigner) for messing it all up. Even if the mothers hound you because their sons and daughters are poor students. As correctly mentioned above, this school’s policy is:
1) Business
2) Education
Which, in all honesty, looks more like this:
1)Business
a: Money
b: Public Relations
c: Customer Satisfaction
d: Company Image
2) Education
Now, again, before people start lighting torches and sharpening pitchforks trying to find me; this is the way that ALL hagwons seem to operate. But if you are looking at this, it means you have probably been wondering if this is an exception to the nearly universal flaws we find with the private education sphere in Korea. Sorry, it’s not. So when parents are shrieking for blood and you point out that the school has this kid on video insulting you to your face before you bring up the issue, you’re probably going to bleed.
Sorry for all the metaphors, they are my skittles and truth is my sunshine.
Hehehe… similes.

Now, as a riposte against myself (woah, we can DO that?!)

The school IS making changes and the new manager IS genuinely making a positive impact on our work environment. The school was great a while ago. The Koreans and foreigners don’t hate each other across the board. There are lots of fun things to do in Seoul while you are working in it. My question I want to pose for Red and all the others who are getting ready to fly over is this: are you willing to gamble a year? There are TONS of jobs opening up at the end of February since it marks the end of many hagwon’s semesters. Why not hunt for a little bit longer rather than waiting till you’re here? Just a thought.

Recommendations for working at SLP and living in Seoul.

1. Have a life outside work. Make friends outside work and meet Korean people. Find a nice boyfriend or girlfriend. They will help you learn about Korean life and culture.

2. Get out of Seoul. Its a great place but leave occassionally to see other parts of the country. It’s pretty small and great public transportation. Check out Busan or Jeju Island in the warmer months and go to the beach.

3.Teach privately outside work. Its a great way to make 50 dollars an hour and its super easy and fun. It will also help you with #1……make new friends outside work. Korea is also really expensive if you like to go out drinking or go to cafes (coffee is 4 or 5 bucks a cup)…..so that extra 150 bucks a week will cover a Saturday night of fun in Itawon or Hongdae.

4. Communication, Communication, Communication. This is crucial for success. Talk to Catherine everyday at work. If you have any problems with coworkers, supervisors, or your apartment…let her know. Shes the only one who can fix a bad situation for you at work.

5. Know how to reach the labor board. This is for any problems that cannot be resolved at work.

Website and Address:

http://wiki.galbijim.com/Labor_Board /
Seoul Gwanak District Office
Extent of Jurisdiction : Gwanak-gu, Guro-gu, Geumcheon-gu, Dongjak-gu
Address: 222-30, Guro 3(sam)-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea
Zip Code: 152-848
Phone No. : 82-2-3281-0009
Fax No. : 82-2-3281-1472
How to get there: Korean map. Get off at Guro Digital Complex Station. Take Exit No. 2. Head south and turn right at the next street. After a few minutes, you’ll see the building on your left.

Just a side note, market data shows that people are as high as 25 times more likely to leave a bad review of a product of service as opposed to a good one. It just is what it is. The disgruntled lash out and the content don’t typically post about great experiences. That is fact. But anyone out there with and tips on things to bring would be greatly appreciated.

oh, things to bring.
toothpaste,
towels,
shoes if you’ve got size 10+
bedsheets for a twin XL bed
a pillow
laptop
kindle or ipad (english books are kinda easy to find, but i love my kindle)
camera

i think thats a decent list. others feel free to jump in on that! see you in February, Red

Smart phones are everywhere here. They can be a bit pricey though. If you wanna buy one yourself it will run you about 800 dollars and then you will have an open contract for about 50 to 70 bucks a month. You can also use a Korean friend to buy the phone in their name on a 2 year contract and you will not pay anything up front for the phone. The monthly cost will be more however. A smart phone may cost you half of your first paycheck, but the investment is well worth it and wifi is everywhere here.

A lot of cloths here are smaller, but there are many places in the city that make suits, shirts and pants for a reasonable price. Cloths can also be a bit expensive here sometimes. I recommend shopping somewhere like “UNIQLO”. They will have cloths that fit.

They don’t have “Walmart” or “Target” in Korea. Try “Emart” or “Homeplus”…..they have everything you need to buy and are affordable. There are also big shopping districts in Seoul. These are Myeong-dong, and Dongdae-moon.

No problem, Red!
Cyn, if you want I could pm you a link to my facebook and you can see pictures of our rooms. They are singles (smaller than what I was accustomed to in college) with a half bath and a washing machine. No dryer, no significant cooking space. It is possible to be a warlock and turn the small space into a cooking area, but it isn’t easy. Anything less than Sheen level sorcery won’t help ya!!
Red, deo is something you should definitely bring. I snagged around 5 bars before I flew out here and am glad that I did.
As far as phones, I am the last person you should ask I went six months without a phone and it rocked! Though I was a bit hard to find when I left the city for snowboarding But then again, I don’t bring a phone when I go up the lift anyhow…. Oh well, I just got a cash phone and all incoming domestic calls are free, so that’s a decent option if you dont wanna lock yourself into a 2 year contract at around 70,000 won a month. Totally your call though!
Hmm… I think that covers most of the questions so far? I’m glad I can answer questions!!

@ At SLP Now- I have been reading a lot about teaching in Korea and have know many people who have worked there, and a lot of what you say seems to be similar with most hagwons. I still don’t understand what is so horrible about this particular one compared to most hagwons in Korea. From what I’ve heard, a bunch of teachers have been there for years which, from what I understand, is not all that common. There must be a reason they’ve all stayed there. Are you one of those teachers? If not, how can you really give an accurate review? A lot of your posts sound a bit dramatic which make it hard to take you seriously. Also, you were complaining a lot about the location. All your complaints pretty much describe a typical Asian city, so I don’t really understand why you even chose to live in Seoul. Anyway, I guess I appreciate your reviews since they triggered what seem to be more accurate reviews from other workers which, in turn, helped make my decision easier.

I’m curious…………….why did everyone choose to work in Korea to teach English? What are your expectations? Why not China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Spain, or Brazil?

From my understanding Korean schools work the teachers a lot and it is a small Island country.

So just for the sake of opening up the conversation……..Why did you or are you going to Korea? Why not somewhere else?

If drinking and partying is your only reason for going to Korea, I guess thats cool. What else do you expect to get from the experience living there?

I don’t wanna comment on negatives or positives…
Beez, our living area is like most backstreet city apt complex hubs you might imagine. Tons of convenince stores, tons of food, not a ton of bars, a hospital fairly close, and a short walk from the subway and our school (which are almost on top of one another!)
Thanks to Urban Dictionary, I have the answer to another question though!!
Sketchy:
1) someone or something that just isnt right.
2) the feeling you get the morning after usuing a lot of drugs, most commonly associated with extacy.
3) something unsafe
4) someone or something that gives off a bad feeling

For me, I think it is safe with all the cameras the government hangs all over the place, and I have yet to see/hear/smell any drugs around us. No junkies have ran down the street screaming for vengeance at 3 in the morning–those are just the occasional old drunk monks who are having a jolly old time.
Just kidding.
Not really.

Hope packing is going well, guys!!

@ tokyorose
My opinions are exactly what I say they are before you read any of my comments. If you think they are unfair, biased, or unfounded then I have no issue with YOU writing anything you want. People look for reviews of the school and that is what I wrote. It is not common for us to stay for so long, but when we do it is because we have a strong support group of close friends in our office or outside the school. You are welcome to bicker about what I’ve let people know, but when people look up info on this school it is important to remember that it is not a perfect world. Red comments that people have a higher probability of writing negative comments than positive ones. Fair, but people who are content and pleased with their work place probably are not trying to raise some caution and, thus, have no reason to write reviews like this. If you want sunshine blown through your monitor, give your recruiter’s emails another read. But so long as you are reading an open forum, you will always get plenty of opinions. I’m here writing what I think, not trying to reel in more teachers. Read the whole thread and see how it plays out, it actually is pretty interesting and accurate all around. I just skip the whole “it could be better or worse” excuse.

*simply

I did have one more question that I forgot to ask. What is the appropriate male attire for work everyday? Thanks again.

Business Casual. Look professional at all times. You will need a suit and tie a few times a month for special cases.

http://tcbsolutions.net/Proper_Attire_and_etiquette_for_men_and_women.pdf

Dear Balls, Thank you very much for your insights. I really appriciate the info. I’m comin to that place soon. and i hope to meet you there! i feel so much better about it now after you’re comments. and you too, kyle!!! i hope i can be in you’re “quad” *___*