Top 5 Reasons to Teach ESL in Korea
Teaching English as Second Language in Korea is the Experience of a Lifetime
I'm sure you're heard lots of stories from your friends and family and around the Internet about how South Korea is a terrible place to teach English. There are Hagwon blacklists all over the Internet. And the truth is that there are people who've had bad experiences getting ripped off by shady schools in South Korea. But for every one of these people, there are others that have an amazing year Teaching ESL in South Korea. To me, it's worth the risk because South Korea is a fascinating place, one that is so unlike anything you'll have ever experienced before. Here are my top 5 Reason to Teach ESL In South Korea.
#5 Reason to become an English Teacher in Korea: Experience an Up and Coming World Power First-Hand
Korea consistently ranks in the Top 10 among the world's biggest and most powerful economies. And, combined with their watertight strategic alliance with the USA, their views are taken seriously in the political arena as well. It's all the more amazing considering that after the Korean War in the 1950s their country was reduced to rubble, divided and was one of the poorest in the world. It truly is a rags to riches story.
And Korea is still changing at a rapid pace today. In terms of being "Wired," it's the top country in the world. If I had to choose only one word to describe South Korea, it would be "Dynamic." Come experience this amazing place first-hand.
#4 Reason to Teach ESL in South Korea: Come check out the Korean Wave
K-Pop, Korean movies,TV dramas and other facets of Korean culture are becoming increasingly popular around the world. When I travel, I'm always astounded at the number of people who know a lot of stuff about this little, out of the way kind of country. Come check out the Korean wave first-hand.
Do you want to get a Job in a South Korean Uni?
Are you living and working in South Korea?
Teaching in a South Korean University: All the Resources You Need
- ESL Speaking: Games, Activities and Resources
Plan your next speaking or conversation class in style! - Logic Puzzles and Trivia for ESL students
Once you get that fabulous job in South Korea, be sure to keep it by making your classes interesting and fun with these logic puzzles and trivia especially designed for ESL students. - My Life! Teaching in a Korean University
Check out this blog by a Canadian teaching in South Korean Universities.
How to Thrive in South Korea: 97 Tips From Expats
#3 Reason to Teach English in Korea: It's easy to get a job
Once you've met the basic requirements for a visa set by the government, the only thing needed to teach at a hagwon (private institute) in South Korea is a pulse. It doesn't matter how fast it's beating. Once you've got all your paperwork in order (not such an easy thing), you should be able to land a job in no time. However, it does pay to be choosy because there are certainly terrible (and excellent) jobs out there for first-year teachers.
#2 Reason to Teach English in South Korea: Free Airfare and Housing=Money-Saving Potential
Most countries where you can teach ESL don't offer free airfare and housing for their teachers. Instead, you pay for airfare yourself up front and housing comes out of your monthly pay. However, Korea is a different situation where most jobs (except unis) offer free airfare, in that they'll reimburse you for the cost with your first paycheck. And housing (or a housing allowance) is almost always included. This makes it very easy to save substantial amounts of money during your year in South Korea. All teachers save at least $500 US/month, while $1000 is about average. Some people who are thrifty, or work a bit of overtime save even more than that.
#1 Reason to Teach ESL in South Korea: You'll have the experience of a lifetime
South Korea is an entirely foreign place from what most people are used to back home in one of the Western Countries. The food, the culture, family dynamics, and the working environment are entirely new. When you first get here, you'll find yourself looking on in disbelief at something almost daily. And many people never leave home without a camera in their pocket to take some pics at the weird and wacky things you see almost every time that you leave your house. I guarantee that your year Teaching ESL in South Korea will be one that you never forget.
