CDI Hwamyeong
“Things in CDI Busan are going great. I have been incredibly well received here and felt an overwhelming sense of accomodation for and from all of the faculty and staff. This is my third contract with CDI and I couldn’t be happier with the way this summer is going…Thanks again for all of your exceptional support.”
-Tom Fenton
CDI Hwamyeong 2008
Masters in Teaching
Substitute for CDI April English Academies 2008 (Hwamyung, Geoje, Dongrae, Gwangan branches)
Dear CDI HR team,
“I have enjoyed working at CDI and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with such great people in a wonderful environment. I am going back to the States on Sept. 3rd and I am looking forward to returning to Korea in December…I will be glad to join CDI again if there is a chance. Thank you for being part of my first working experience as an English Teacher. It has been both fun and challenging and I feel I learned a great deal here.”
Linda Kang
Case Western University Graduate May 2007
Ohio State University Doctorate Candidate
A testimonial of an instructor who has finished the application process with CDI South’s fast and friendly HR team!
“Brandon was able to answer all of our questions and then some. He was always available and quick to respond. He was great at helping us think of other alternatives since the place we wanted to go and where we wanted to go was proving to be a challenge. I never felt like the info he gave was misleading or changed on me. If it was, there was always a very good reason for the adjustment. We would definitely work with ya’ll again. We were so impressed that we told other companies, within 5 days of applying with quite a few companies that we’d already found the one we wanted to go with. yes, we felt confident about coming to Korea. Definitely there was a sense of trust established through communication with Brandon. I honestly can’t think of anything that would need improvement. Chris and I were both very impressed with how thorough he was and how extremely helpful and prompt and informative he was. Please feel free to use these comments however you need to & I hope your boss sees them!”
- Cathy and Chris Johnson, Castle Rock, Colorado, U.S.A.
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CDI Busanjin
CDI Busanjin here in Korea is situated near a highway and flanked by mountains on two sides. The staff at this branch is amazing and there is a truly admirable work dynamic between teachers and administrators. Secondly, the low levels of noise, the views of the nearby mountains and the friendly local people add to an atmosphere of peacefulness. This is a welcome escape from a busy urban lifestyle, but when a change of tempo is needed, the buzzing nightlife district of Seomyeon in only three subway stops away.
There are a convenient number of restaurants and department stores nearby, the subway stop is very close to the school, and hiking trails in the mountains are only ten minutes away. In the mountains, you can see beautiful views of the city and play badminton on open-air courts. But what really makes working life comfortable is working with people you can get along with, those who are professional, yet friendly and easygoing. At the Busanjin branch, the interaction between all employees has been exemplary and I look forward to working with them in the future.
Lee Farrand
University of Adelaide, Honours in Biotechnology
Former Saha Head Instructor, Former CDI Busanjin Instructor
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Annyeong haseyo! My name is Jef Robison and I’m the Head Instructor at CDI Busanjin. I have been in Korea with CDI for over seven months now and I can say with great ease that I made the right decision in coming here. Having already taught English for three years elsewhere in Asia, I feel very fortunate to have found CDI. It is easy for any academic institution to come up with an inspirational yet cheesy motto, and at first glance, CDI’s slogan of “Passion for Education; Compassion for Students” hardly seems an exception. What does set it apart, however, is how this motto is actually integrated into the practical workings of Chung Dahm Institute. CDI’s curriculum demands focused and dedicated students, its reputation attracts skilled teachers from a wide variety of backgrounds, and unlike many other private English academies in Korea, its administration seems more concerned with educating than making money.
This is especially the case at Busanjin. Our administration is clearly concerned with not only our students’ education, but also with their well-being. Some administrators have been known to go so far as to make daily phone calls to students’ homes to offer words of encouragement and suggestions for improvement. This administrative concern is also extended to teachers, who are provided with both professional support and personal assistance in an environment that, for many of us, is relatively new and foreign. As a newer and smaller branch, we’re a pretty tightly knit group and the work environment at Busanjin is an interesting blend of professional, comfortable, and amicable. This blend translates nicely outside of class, as well.
Jefry Robison
Albion College, B.A (Anthropology)
Head Instructor
CDI Busan-Jin
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CDI Saha
Our experience in Saha has been great. The teachers and staff at our branch get along well, and have all turned into good friends we associate with outside of work. You get a good feel for the Korean lifestyle living in Saha, but you also have all the amenities you will need as a westerner. You can catch the tube, bus, or cheap taxi to anywhere in Busan, which has a lot to offer as Korea’s second biggest city. Dadaepo beach is a 10 min bus ride away.
- Jordan Schwager and Michelle Lynch (couple), Canada and Ireland
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Hello from the April English teachers here at Saha! April English is a new program for younger students. We have a small and supportive team of five teachers - two foreign and three Korean teachers. Teaching younger kids is a challenging but very rewarding experience. The kids have a lot of energy and are very cute. We all have a lot of funny and endearing memories that we will take away from the job. If you have any questions about the April English program or working at Saha, please feel free to contact Liz Goode at elizabeth.goode@yahoo.com.au and we would be more than happy to help you.
- Liz and Simon Goode (another couple!), Australia
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CDI Dongnae
So it was a bit of a whirlwind getting to South Korea. I have only spent 7 days in the US in-between jobs, so I was very jet-lagged. I did not really have time to be nervous or think about what to expect. I will admit at first I was overwhelmed, but that was for about 5 minutes until I met the co-teachers, Korean staff, and my students. All are amazing. The students are for the most part great. They are very few, if any behavioral problems. They are very smart and do try hard. The staff is extremely supportive with everything from housing to money to where to shop. I have taught English in 3 other countries and traveled a lot, but so far I have found that here people really do care and really want to help. Of course there are days when I want to go home and I am frustrated, but those are few and someone is always around to help.
Jennifer Ishmael
Instructor who previously worked for Dongnae’s Management
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CDI Gwangan (a.k.a. Gwangali)
It has been my pleasure to work in the Gwangan location since its opening in June 2006. The school is conveniently located close to the beautiful Gwang-ali beach offering instructors the ability to enjoy the sights and sounds of this famous area. Our school is gorgeous with large, airy, well lit rooms. Having been in many other Korean Language schools that are dark and without ambient light, the feeling of positive learning energy seems to emanate and transfers itself to the students and instructors.
Our Korean staff is helpful and friendly. They quickly try to help all foreigners with the occasional difficulties that are sure to arise and do so with grace and patience. These are a great group of people to work with.
Mary E. Fogle
Tarleton State University, B.A.
Former CDI Gwangan Instructor, Currently HI at Daejeon’s CDI
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CDI Haeundae
My name is Andy Reid. I have been at CDI Haeundae for 3 months. I was first exposed to CDI via the Internet. I did a lot of research about English Institutes in Korea before deciding on CDI. I found CDI’s methodology matched my philosophy on education for children. After experiencing the curriculum for 3 months, I feel that it has lived up to everything that I had researched about English education. CDI is the leading English Institute in Korea.
It has been a very rewarding experiencing working with other Foreign Teachers as well as the Korean staff at CDI Haeundae. I feel very comfortable in this setting and this environment is well suited for passionate teachers who really love teaching children.Andy Reid
Queensland University of Technology, B.S.
Current CDI Haeundae Instructor
Over the past 7 months CDI Haeundae has seen many good times and there have been many challenges to overcome, but overall CDI has been an amazing teaching experience for me as well as a really incredible company to work for.
There’s no doubt in my mind about the success of CDI’s curriculum bases pedagogy because I have seen it prove itself time and time again with student after student. It is a fantastic English Institute to be employed by, as well as to be enrolled in. Moreover, I truly feel that CDI is well on its way to becoming the best English Institute in Korea.
Amity Shook
Ohio State University, B.F.A
Former Faculty Manager
CDI Haeundae
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In the Public Domain
“you could apply w/cdi. (http://cdibusan.com). [There are] plenty of pros and cons working there, but at least you can be pretty sure color is not a factor in their hiring process.”
-from The Supa Dupa Fly Seoul Sista
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“(…) Training at CDI is no pushover and everything is pending that you pass training (this is all explained over the phone.) You can’t just flash your college degree and say, “Hey I know my grammar and I want to teach upper-level courses.”
CDI does the right thing and starts most everyone teaching basic level courses, but if you are smart and teach well enough (that’s if…) there is much room for promotion.
CDI is a real hagwon trying to find the best teachers. They are not going to stick just anyone with a degree in the classroom and say, “Here’s a book, go teach.” It’s for serious students and teachers. There won’t be any Hang-Man games or Halloween Parties, and I don’t know why you think that is allowable at a serious institution.
So if you are serious about teaching I think CDI is the best option. The problem is that a lot of poeple come to Korea and just want to teach part-time and party full-time. I can’t think of many hagwons that pay better or give you better chances of moving up (…)”
-From a previous CDI instructor on a job forum: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/review/index.pl?noframes;read=4435
