Avalon English
Programs and Reviews
Avalon Education is an after-school English academy. Classes are held in the afternoon until 10 or 11 PM. At Avalon, students develop their English language skills by studying with both Korean English teachers and native English speakers. Students spend half of their time with a Korean teacher, and the other half with a native speaker of English. Each teacher focuses on slightly different areas. The Korean teacher primarily focuses on grammar and vocabulary, giving the students the chance to ask questions and get clarification in their own language. In the native speaker's class, the focus is on listening, speaking, reading, writing, and pronunciation, and is the student's chance to implement the things they've learned and be immersed in an English-only environment, allowing them to sharpen their English communication skills.
Programs Abroad
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Reviews
80%Overall
Rating
80%Overall
Rating
I was brand new to teaching and living abroad, when I hopped on a plane to Korea and to Avalon's Pyeongchong campus. Overall, my experience was great. I stayed in a hotel for my first week, and I got a great chance to attend a party at what would be my new apartment. I fell in love with my new space, and I got to spend time with current teachers and those that were completing their contracts. I taught on the IVY Nokjiwon level, which was a very close-knit group of foreign and Korean teachers. I loved my students, who were well-behaved, intelligent, and talented. Whenever I had a question (and I had a lot!), someone had an answer. I was given responsibility according to my talents and interests; for example, I created a United States History class. When wonderful personal issues drove me to see a doctor, my co-workers were right there to support me and make sure I was comfortable. I would have to say that I wish vacation time was more ample and more on my own terms, and there were times when some of the expectations of teachers seemed a bit unrealistic. But honestly looking back after 2-3 years, I realized that a job is a job, and the experience alone was worth everything to me. I learned that I really can teach and enjoy it, to take responsibility for my own attitude, and that life can be good anywhere in the world. I walked away from Avalon with great experience, new friends, a family, and confidence. For a first-time teacher, I would say Avalon is a good place to begin your teaching career.
70%Overall
Rating
Avalon as a whole is a relatively good program to work for. They are structured and have a good amount of materials for teachers. All teachers are given a syllabus with the pages and homework already assigned for each class.
Most of the tedious work is all of the administration. You're required to write teacher reviews on all of the students and have quarterly progress reports.
The hardest part for us (in Pohang) was being treated as someone in the lower rank. Our director often used us as scapegoats when it came to talking to the parents and we always came last. No matter what we said or did, we were always in the wrong regardless of how bad the students behaved.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time (2 years) spend in Korea but would not recommend working for the Pohang Langcon branch. Overall, we'd recommend working for Avalon, but be sure to ask for reviews of that certain branch beforehand.
80%Overall
Rating
I worked for Avalon English in Pyeonchong, South Korea for a year and had a very enjoyable experience. The school is well organized and the staff all very friendly and helpful. The school provides all the lessons and lesson planning so it makes it very easy to be prepared for class. Avalon has a very good reputation and for good reason. Unlike some other schools in Korea, Avalon was always very good about paying their employees on time.
Upon arrival, they really took the time and effort to make me feel welcome. My first night there I was taken out for Korean BBQ and introduced to my future colleagues. There was a real sense of community and I quickly made many new friends.
One downfall would be minimal vacation days. In a whole year, I was only able to take one week off for vacation. But I ended up saving so much money, was able to take a big trip through SE Asia when my contract was up.
If you are considering teaching English in Korea, I would definitely recommend Avalon as a school to choose.
80%Overall
Rating
I would consider Avalon a safe school to begin as a first time teacher to South Korea. Considering the horror stories I heard prior to committing to move to Korea, Avalon was a great choice. I never had an issue with being paid on time, was never worried about job security and the school closing over night and leaving me stranded in a foreign country which were some of the issues other friends of mine encountered while teaching at other schools in Korea. The students I had were for the most part well behaved and genuinely interested in learning English. Co-teacher support was usually very good and I always felt my head teacher had my back if any issues were to come up. The campus I was at would usually take the staff out once a month to let loose and socialize with each other outside of the workplace. Some days were harder than others to live in a foreign country where most don't speak your language but the experience is something I'll always look back on and be proud I did. If I were to do it all over again I would absolutely live in Korea for another year!
Avalon English is probably one of the more reliable hagwon chains that I am know about. I worked for a franchise for a year and overall enjoyed my experience. The Korean teachers I worked with were great and very friendly and since I worked in a small school (only 3 foreign teachers and 4 Korean teachers) it made the year long experience a lot more enjoyable.
Day-to-Day: Work hours aren't bad, I worked usually 2-10, though at times that was stretched to 12-10:30p.m. depending on circumstances. I taught anywhere from 2-6 classes in a day (each 50 minutes long) for elementary & middle school school students. The work hours can be nice because it allows you to have your mornings while still being able to hang out and see people during the nights, which I enjoyed. Usually the first couple of hours are spent planning the days lessons and getting office work done; depending on your schedule that can vary from day to day.
Difficulties: Just like many hagwons and afterschool programs; Avalon isn't without its quirks. Communication can be very slow and difficult (language barrier aside), so at times that made meeting expectations and deadlines difficult as things weren't always communicated timely. There are times when tasks will be thrown at you and you are expected to finish it last minute (but that can be with any school, so not out of the ordinary).
Overall: Avalon can be a great place to work, always paid on time, very little hassle with money/insurance/end of the year bonus and often the Korean teachers and staff are extremely helpful and understanding. Avalon to me is a very reliable institute and I would feel most comfortable working with this large chain then some of the others out there. I enjoyed my experience very much.