Teaching in South Korea:
I taught in South Korea for two years through the government run program called EPIK. I'd recommend teaching with EPIK because it is a safe, secure contract and a very reliable and trustworthy program. I received everything I was supposed to according to my contract and I also had nice working hours from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm in a public school and I also a Korean co-teacher to help translate things for me.
There are a few different ways to teach in South Korea. The main ways are through the official government-run EPIK program (English Program in Korea) where you work in public schools or at a "Hagwon" (학원). You can apply for these jobs if you have a University Degree and in addition some schools also require a TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a foreign language). You also need to meet the requirements to obtain a working visa for South Korea. There are also teaching jobs at International Schools. If you have a Masters you can also apply for lecturing jobs at Universities.
What it is like to teach English in South Korea with the EPIK program?
I had a great experience with the EPIK program because my contract was very good and secure and I received everything I was supposed receive according to my contract. The EPIK program (English program in Korea) is the official government program through the Korean Department of Education, and it places English teachers in public school teaching positions. Their website is: http://epik.go.kr/ .You teach in a public school during the regular public school hours from around 8 am until 4:30 pm.
What is the application process like?
Teaching jobs with EPIK start in either February or August. The application process can take a few months, so when applying for overseas jobs it is best to begin early because there is usually a lot of paperwork to do and documents required. I applied in November, graduated with my degree in December, flew to South Korea at the end of March for orientation and training and then I started my teaching job in Korea in February.
There are a number of steps you go through in the application process including Skype interviews. The first step is the application step. The documents you will need to apply to teach through the EPIK program in Korea are a notarized, certified copy of your Degree from University; a sealed copy of your transcripts and marks; a few professional reference letters (I got letters from my University professors); a certificate to prove you have no Police Record (Criminal Background Clearance); a120 hour TESOL / TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) but if you have a teaching degree you don't need this; a completed application form; copy of passport and passport photos.
If you are South African you must also prove with documentation that you did all your schooling in English and that you are a native English speaker. You will also have to pass a medical check to show you are healthy and your medical check is usually done upon arrival in Korea by Korean doctors and nurses. They do blood, urine and eye tests and check for everything even drugs and HIV AIDS. If they find anything seriously wrong with your health then you could be immediately deported. Fortunately I am 100% healthy!
If your initial application is successful you will have a follow up Skype interview with an EPIK staff member in South Korea. They will ask you all kinds of questions about yourself and why you want to teach in South Korea. My interview went extremely well and I was offered the job two days later and a contract was sent to me to sign.
What is the training and orientation like?
Upon arrival in South Korea you will have orientation and training at a Korean University. You will stay in the University dorm which is a good way to see how Korean University students live. The training is intensive and you are busy with classes from morning until afternoon and evening. There are also other fun things you do during orientation such as watching a Taekwondo performance, Korean fan dance, dressing up in Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), learning to do Taekwondo as well as learning Korean language.
During the training you are put into groups and you will present lessons and plan lesson plans.
You will get a completion of training certificate when you finish your training and then you are taken to your school and new apartment. You will meet the staff of your new school, move into your apartment and begin work shortly after this.
What is the actual teaching job like?
Koreans work hard and you will work hard too! Koreans have very high standards for education and Korean students are smart and hardworking. At your new school you are often thrown into the deep end of teaching and you must stand in front of a class and teach them to speak English. You must plan lesson plans (you have to type them out and give them to your co-teacher), follow a textbook and do assessments. You will also have additional responsibilities like sometimes running a broadcasting show (I did this) and running a summer and winter academic English camp during part of the school holidays. A lot of South Korean schools use technology and have smart interactive TVs in the classroom so you will also most likely have to make PowerPoint presentations and interactive educational English games. A fantastic website to go to is www.waygook. (Waygook means foreigner in Korean). You will have a South Korean co-teacher with you in all your classes with you to help you translate, but every South Korean co-teacher I had let me do all the teaching on my own. Everyone has a different experience when it comes to their co-teachers.
Your co-teacher is probably your most important ally at your school so it is important to try and build a good relationship with them. Pray that you do not get a crazy co-teacher, as this sometimes happens. Also pray you don’t get a lazy co-teacher who does not help you translate. The whole experience will help you learn how to get along with all kinds of work colleagues which is a good skill to have in life.
What are the benefits like?
If you work in a public school through the EPIK program you can earn around 2000 USD per month (sometimes more) plus extra benefits like a free, fully furnished apartment and medical aid. Since I was South African I was also able to enjoy a tax-free salary and I did not have to pay tax in either country for two years. Part of your generous salary package includes a free furnished apartment (all to yourself, you do not have to share), free airfare and return airfare (refunded to you), financial and vacation bonuses for renewing your contract, medical aid and a good salary. You will be responsible for paying your own bills like electricity, gas, and your housing deposit. The housing deposit is refunded to you. By working in South Korea for 2 years I paid off my 100 % of my entire student loan for my Degree as saving a big nest egg and affording to travel to Japan and Hong Kong on holiday. Countries like Japan, Taiwan and Thailand do not offer to pay airfare and do not give you accommodation, so South Korea is a better offer as the schools may provide you with furnished accommodation and reimburse you for your airfare.
A word about hagwons:
A hagwon (학원) is essentially a business selling education. It is a business-run private language school that offers extra classes after public school hours. If you choose to teach at a "Hagwon" make sure you do your homework and find out about the working environment at that school, try speak to some teachers who have taught at that school and check that it is not on the Hagwon blacklist. Teaching at a Hagwon can be fine, but there are teachers who get overworked, don't get paid, don't get their flights covered at the end of their contract and don't receive what they are supposed to. Hagwons are private schools that students attend for extra lessons after they finish public school, therefore the hours can vary and you usually start working in the afternoon and finish work at night. Korean Hagwons, like Japanese Eikaiwas have a strong business focus because they are selling education. They care about making money, not only about teaching. You often have additional business duties at these schools and you have to sell their textbooks and seminars and meet financial targets set by management. The Japanese version of a "Hagwon"(학원) is called an "Eikaiwa" (英会話) and I have taught at an Eikaiwa in Japan. Some people think these kind of schools fill a need not met by the public schools while others see these schools as creating unequal footing between the rich and poor, with rich children having the chance to get ahead by getting extra lessons. Another reason why I think these schools are popular is because South Korea and Japan both have incredibly high standards and children have to study very hard to get the top grades they need to get into the top Universities there so they often take extra lessons at cram schools. I've experienced teaching in both the public schools and the private language school systems in Asia and the public schools are far nicer in my opinion.
If you are thinking about teaching in South Korea I'd highly recommend the EPIK program. If you have any questions about teaching in South Korea then please leave a comment below and I would be happy to answer your questions.
