Teach English Abroad In South Korea

Requirements and Qualifications

• Degree

  Bachelor's Degree Required
  
  Note: Degree must come from a university from one of the 7 native countries as well (USA, UK, Can, Ire, Aus, NZ, SA)

• TEFL Certification

  A minimum 120 hours accredited TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certification approved and internationally accredited.

• Tattoos

  Minor, visible tattoos are possible on this program but must be disclosed at signup and handled on a case-by-case basis. 

• Age Requirements

  Eligible age range is 21 to 40 years old
  
  Those 41 - 49 years old with previous teaching experience and a degree in education/teaching, can be screened and accepted on a case-by-case basis. They need to be flexible and open to any location, age group and timeline.

• Medical and Mental Health Considerations

  Medical Test / Health Check required? 
  For E2 visa, health insurance and in-country medical exam. Test is very thorough and they do blood, urine and X-rays
  
  Medical and Mental Health Disqualifiers for South Korea
  Main Ones: 
  Speech impediment
  Epilepsy
  TB
  HIV/AIDS
  Mental Illness
  Dyslexia
  Legal blind or deaf
  Autism (where it is noticeable and will be an issue in a professional environment)
  Hormone replacement therapy/TRT
  Hepatitis
  Severe Asthma (bad air quality)
  Anything severe and visible, or that may affect their day-to-day teaching ability (physical issues with standing, etc) 
  Diabetes - Only where they need to inject insulin on a regular basis during class time may cause issues with the school. If it doesn’t affect their daily lives then it is okay
  Speech impediments such as a stutter that are severe and affect clarity
  
  Conditions Require Discussion before Approval
  Conditions that require medications that are also used to treat depression, anxiety, etc.
  Anything else mentioned in the previous column
  Any prescription medications
  Any physical disabilities
  
  Notes
  Visa will be rejected if answer “yes” to any of the questions related to mental health on the E-2 health form. 
  
  Anti-anxiety and antidepressants can present as false positive for amphetamine and could fail drug test
  
  Social and professional stigmas and the risk involved for business owners should an “episode” occur.
  
  Must wean off meds for anxiety and depression, and get a note from a doctor. 
  
  Applications can then be reassessed after they have been completely off of their medication for a period of six months, with a doctors note of approval. 

• Dependents and Pets

  No dependents (spouse/partner/children) can be accommodated on this program.
  
  Pets
  In-Class TESOL Program: No dependents (spouse/partner/children) can be accommodated on this program.
  Placement Program: It is possible on a case-by-case basis to bring pets only for the placement program. 
  
  Note: We discourage participants from traveling with a pet. If choosing to do so, the participant must bear all responsibility, logistics, and costs. We are unable to arrange or manage your entry into the country with a pet, nor can we guarantee support for pets at your placement. Moreover, bringing a pet may limit your placement and accommodation options, as finding suitable accommodations could become more challenging. It might also significantly increase your start-up costs.

• Religious Attire and Garments

  Religious garments (hijaabs) are not possible for the Teach South Korea program.
  
  NOTE: If the participant is willing to remove it during work and around town then we can consider proceeding, but this needs to be done on a case-by-case basis.

• Criminal Background Check

  Clean background check is required. Any offences will be disqualifiers.
  
  Criminal record check from the designated issuing authority within their country of citizenship, no older than 6 months.

• Language And Country Of Citizenship

  This program is only open citizens (passport holders) from the following 7 nationalities ONLY: 
  USA
  Canada
  UK
  Ireland
  Australia
  New Zealand
  South Africa (Currently only eligible for the Public school Program)
  
  Must be a Native English speaker
  
  *Applicants born outside of one of the designated countries but holding the correct passport/citizenship can be considered based on certain criteria such as length of stay, naturalization date and location of schooling.

• Contract Length

  12 months, renewable.

• Types of Schools

  Public Schools and Private Language Schools (Hagwons).

• Age Range Of Students

  Kindergarten to Middle School - 4 to 16 years old.
  
  No high school (extremely rare) or Adult teaching.

• Teaching Placement Locations

  Positions are available countrywide.
  
  Top or most recommended locations are; Gyeonggi-do Province and Greater Seoul Area; Gyeongsangnam-do Province (Inc. Daegu, Ulsan); Chungcheongnam-do Province (Inc. Daejeon, Sejong); Jeollanam-do Province (Inc Gwangju) & Gangwon-do Province Most placement locations are the provinces around Seoul and Busan.
  
  Preferences are requested but placement location is NOT Guaranteed.

• Class Size

  Private Schools (Hagwon): 5 to 15 students per class (solo teacher); 
  Public Schools: 25 to 30 students per class (co-teacher).

• Visa Support

  Private School: E-2-1 Visa:
  
  E-2 Teaching visa. Once visa documents are received by placement team, interviews with potential schools will be conducted and if successful, the applicant will wait 1-2 weeks after to receive a VCN/VIN (Visa Confirmation Number/Visa Issuance Number). Once it has arrived, it will be sent to the applicant to apply for their visa at their nearest Korean consulate/embassy/KVAC centre, or in Japan/Vietnam on a visa run should it not be ready before their departure (In-Class TESOL Only).
  
  Public School: E-2-2 Visa:
  
  1. Once you have successfully completed an interview the Public School Team will contact you with a final submission date for your required documents. The documents must be submited before this date in order to secure your position.
  
  2. Once your required documents have been submitted to the school they will be sent to the Office of Education for processing (the length of this stage can vary depending on the date of your application and final document submission. It could potentially take over a month).
  
  3. Once the Office of Education has processed your documents, you will receive a formal contract offer along with a NOA (Notice of Appointment)
  
  4. You will submit your contract and NOA along with your required visa application documents to your local Korean embassy/consulate. Processing times for visa applications can vary, however this stage can also take around 2 weeks

• Other Important FAQs

  What are living expenses per day?
  On a strict basic budget, $20 a day, including food and local transport. Of course, this is dependent on factors such as how often a teacher eats local foods, goes out, entertainment choices. Food in Korea would be your biggest expense, the more local foods you eat, the cheaper it is. Personal spending habits can also affect this amount. 

  
  Is travelling around Korea easy? 
  It does depend on your location. Public transportation takes some getting used to depending on what part of the world you are coming from. Of course, living close to the subway line makes getting around a lot easier as it is in English. The bus and taxi system are relatively easy but it does help to be able to read Korean so you atleast are able to read the bus stop signs. Naver Maps (the Google Maps of Korea) is your go to and it is available in English too. 

  
  Is transportation provided from accommodation to work?
  Transportation is not provided by schools. This will be for the teacher’s own expense and is relatively inexpensive. In most cases, teachers either live within walking distance from the school or a short bus ride/train ride away costing anything from $2 - 5 return per day. 

  
  How safe is it around there?
  Extremely safe. Like anywhere else it is recommended that you remain alert; however, South Korea is a relatively safe place for both men and women to be alone. It has been ranked as one of the top 20 safest countries in the world and Seoul (the capital) has been ranked the 8th safest city in the world. 

  
  What are the age groups I will be teaching?
  Mixed ages but mainly children. Anywhere from 4 - 18 years old. The age group depends on the school you end up in. 

  
  Working hours? And days per week?
  Approximately 20 -30 teaching hours per week but 40 hour work weeks and 5 days a week. If you are required to work an extra day, that will be considered overtime. You will be required to lesson plan on the school’s property. Your shifts and time of days depends on the age group you are teaching as well as the type of school you end up in.  

  
  After the contract can you still travel in the country or do you need to be out?
  Participants have 30 days after completing their contract to remain in South Korea. If they leave Korea during this period however their Visa will expire. 

  
  Can one renew a working contract and visa without leaving the country?
  Yes, provided you do it while your working visa is still valid. Ideally a month before it expires. If you are changing schools, it means your visa will change too as the visa is linked to your school. This means you are required to obtain certified copies of your paperwork from the immigration department (for private schools) or the office of education (for public schools). If you are just renewing with your existing school, then would renew your visa and no further paperwork is required. 

  
  How long is the working visa valid for?
  Working visas are valid for a minimum of one year. You would need to renew your work permit on a year by year basis.

  
  Language orientation? How will we understand Korean?
  As part of your in-country orientation you will have some Korean language lessons.  We cover the basics of the Korean language like useful phrases, and the basic Hangul (the Korean alphabet) to get you started with being able to read the language. We strongly recommend that all participants try learning some Korean prior to coming over in order to make their day to day lives easier.

  
  Medical services and insurance?
  NHI (National Health Insurance) is provided by your school a couple of weeks after you begin teaching. It takes some time to process the documents and you will be required to pass an in-country medical examination in order to apply for your ARC (alien registration card) which is your identity in Korea. Once you have your ARC then you are able to see a local doctor. We recommend you have travel insurance for the first two months of being in Korea (for in-class course participants) or the first month (for placement only participants).

  
  What is phone and Internet connectivity like?
  Really good, fast and cheap and there are many places to assist you with this process. 

  
  Dress code for teaching?
  Smart. Typically collar shirts and slacks for men and conservative dress/pants and blouse for women. Please review the packing list for more details.

  
  How difficult is the TESOL course? Can one fail?
  Yes, one can fail. If we see that an applicant is not doing well, we will spend more time with the applicant to make sure they pass. We have had people fail or be kicked off of the course, but that is typically caused by other things like drinking, fighting, etc and not from lack of competence to complete the course successfully. However, a decent level of competence is necessary as a teacher will be required to do a demo lesson before finalizing their contract with the school.

  
  Packing essentials? Sleeping bag, towels?
  Clothing items: definitely bigger size clothing items especially if you are taller than average. Anything from 170cm. Pants and top sizes for both male and female, XL or bigger should probably be packed. They rarely can be found in the international store brands but they are not as easily available. 
  Makeup: If you are slightly tanned you probably want to bring your own shade of foundation. This isn’t available unless it’s an international makeup store and this can only be found in the capital, Seoul. Again, not a large selection will be available. 
  Underwear: For women who are fuller in the chest area or bigger than size large waist, we suggest bringing enough underwear as it will not be available in Korea. 
  Packing bath towels is necessary as most towels in Korea are very small, hand towel size. You can also purchase them at select stores. 
  Any serious laws they are very strict on?
  The use of illegal drug like substances, drinking and driving, defamation of character is strictly prohibited . If proven guilty, long term jail time is often the result and of course working permits will be revoked, followed by deportation.  

  
  What is the level of English and behavior of my students?
  This will vary from student to student, however, there is typically beginner - intermediate knowledge of English throughout the country. You should expect to teach students of school going age (though they will mostly be children). Korean students are generally well behaved, at least compared with children in the West.
  What curriculum will they follow at school?
  Your school will provide and train you on their specific curriculum. The schools have specific curriculums and curriculum support. 

  
  Do my colleagues speak English?
  Sometimes. If you’re teaching in a public school, the chances are slimmer that your colleagues can speak English comfortably. Sometimes they can but they choose not to because of the shy culture and need for perfectionism. 

  
  What are the chances of schools deducting money from my salary? 
  This depends on the school and details will be stipulated in the contract. Some schools deduct $250 per month for three months as a housing deposit and this will be paid back at the end of the contract minus the cleaning expenses, unpaid utility expenses or damage beyond general wear and tear.

  
  Do you get paid overtime?
  Yes, in most cases and this will be stipulated in their contract.

  
  What are the chances of getting a salary increase?
  Quite high for your second contract but your salary is typically fixed for your contract duration. But there might be opportunities for overtime work.

  
  What are the chances of teaching English in neighboring countries?
  Very good, we can arrange this for you, if you complete your initial contract in South Korea and not be dismissed from your job post in Korea.

  
  Is all paperwork and books supplied by the school?
  Yes.

  
  When are the school holidays?
  As Language centers are open all year round, if working at a language center teachers will not share the usual school holidays.  Instead, participants may take vacation leave and take some public holidays which will be at the discretion of the school. 

  
  Can a participant choose part or full time?
  No, all positions are full time with 40 hour work weeks. Teaching hours per week, however, can range from 25-35. 

  
  Is religion a big issue?
  Whilst a person's religion is not a problem, the wearing of religious clothing (headgear etc) in the classroom is not commonly accepted and schools will ask teachers to remove it.  

  
  For the placement only option is an online or in-class TESOL/TEFL required?
  Both are accepted but an in-class TESOL is preferred. Certain public school programs require a minimum of 20-40 hours of in-class training.

  
  Should I get shots before leaving my home country?
  There are no major vaccinations required for South Korea at this time, however we recommend that participants consult their doctor about any vaccinations that they may recommend for Korea. It is also a good idea to check the CDC website for updates. 

  
  Can I drink the water in Korea?
  It is recommended that participants consume bottled water but the water in South Korea is completely fine for bathing, brushing one's teeth, etc. 

  
  What if you are unhappy in a job? Can you get a new one? 
  It depends on the circumstances. If the participant performs poorly or is fired for poor behavior, then we are not responsible for finding them a new position. But if the issue is beyond their control, we will first try and remedy the situation with guidance and training before we proceed to find them a new position.

   
  What sort of power adapter do I need?
  North America uses 110 volts while South Korea uses 220-volt outlets. Bring a converter/adapter so your electronics don’t get fried. The plug-in style has two round holes.

  
  What are the seasons like?
  There are four seasons in Korea with hot and humid summers and winters in which, depending on where on the island you live, you could see light to significant snowfall and freezing temperatures. Spring and fall are very beautiful times of year in Korea with spring bringing the cherry blossoms and fall in which the trees all change colors.

  
  What is the typical time frame in which someone signs up for the program and can be in country teaching?
  The reasonable time frame from the time someone signs up to arriving in Korea is about 4 months. This is ideal and likely it would be closer to 4 - 6 months depending on how quickly applicants can get their documents together and if they have their bachelors degree in hand and not waiting for graduation.   
  Preparation for lessons and what is that like?
  Low preparation for lesson planning at some private language schools as most materials for the classroom are supplied and there is a structure that generally can’t be changed too much. Public school positions require more lesson planning.