So you wanna teach English in South Korea? Smart.
Whenever people tell me they can’t travel abroad because of college loans, I ask them why they’re not teaching in Korea. As of 2014, it is, hands down, the best way for citizens of the USA, UK, South Africa, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to quickly earn money while also having an adventure.
I get tons of emails asking me about my experience, so I figured I’d answer the most frequently asked questions here. If you’re wondering more about the intricacies of life in Korea, rather than the teaching, check out this post about what I do and don’t miss about Korea.
Bottom line: The life is easy, and the money is good. If you’re in need of money, adventure, or both, I’d recommend teaching English in Korea. You’re going to have good days, bad days, and WTF-am-I-doing-here-days, but that’s life.
FAQs About Teaching English in Korea
Do I have to speak Korean?
No; you’re expected to teach your classes in English. The whole point of you being there is to expose the kids to a native accent and Western culture. That being said, it’ll definitely help if you learn some Korean. It’ll come in handy in classroom so you can talk to and discipline kids, and it’ll also help you get around outside of work.
Do I need teaching experience or a TEFL certification?
No again. Of course, a love of kids or previous experience teaching will be helpful — but is definitely not necessary. If you haven’t ever taught before, I’d do some reading into best practices for getting kids engaged and excited. It will help so much in the classroom; besides, you want to do a good job, don’t you?
You also don’t need a TEFL certification, but I’d recommend it anyways. I took this 100-hour TEFL course before going. It was easy, and it meant I earned an extra $100 each month I was abroad.
How do I get a visa? Where do I find a teaching job?
You’ll apply for your visa once you’ve signed a contract with your school. How you find your teaching job will depend on whether you want to teach public or private school, which I’ll explain in detail below.
Should I work at a private school (hagwon) or public school (EPIK)?
There are two main types of English teaching positions available in South Korea: private school and public school. I don’t know too much about private schools (hagwons), since I worked at a public school, as did most of my friends. I taught through the English Program in Korea (EPIK), which is run by the Korean government.
Hagwons, on the other hand, are private English-language schools. Korean children attend them before or after regular school to work on their English.
I chose to teach with EPIK, because it seemed more reliable, and I liked the hours and vacation. I’d heard rumors about hagwons closing suddenly and not paying their teachers, etc. But, if you get a good one, most people enjoy it.
Pros of teaching with EPIK
- Regular hours: 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday; at hagwons, you might work 2-8 pm, or a split shift
- Easy work day: You’ll only teach a few hours a day, with the rest of the time to lesson plan; at hagwons, you’ll be in the classroom the whole time you’re there, which is exhausting
- Five weeks of paid vacation: Hagwons usually only offer two weeks
- Reliable: You can know with a fair amount of confidence that your school won’t close, and that you’ll get paid; I’ve heard some horror stories about hagwons suddenly closing
Cons of teaching with EPIK
- Feeling of isolation: You’ll likely be the only foreign teacher at your school; at hagwons, you’ll be one of many
- Can’t pick location: You won’t find out your school until you get there; with a hagwon, you’d know beforehand exactly where you’ll be living and teaching
- Long commutes: Again, you won’t know this until you get there, but you might have to commute up to an hour to your school; whereas hagwons usually house you within walking distance
- Large classes & lots of students: At hagwons, you’ll have smaller classes and get to know your students better
Everybody I know says that, overall, EPIK is a better program. I don’t know anybody who switched from EPIK to hagwons, but I did know teachers who were trying to switch the other way.
I knew a girl at a hagwon in my city who taught eight hours straight, five days a week, with two weeks of vacay a year. Though this might sound pretty normal, you’ll see that my situation was a million times better.
How does EPIK placement work?
It’s first come first serve for city/province choice, but you won’t know what age group, school, or city you’ll be in until the end of orientation (which is a few days before you start).
If you want a popular location (Busan, Seoul, Jeju), you should get your application in as early as possible. I knew I wanted to live on the beautiful island of Jeju, so I made sure my application was in on the first day it opened.
What is teaching with EPIK actually like?
I worked Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. I only actually taught 22 classes per week though — and each class in elementary school is 40 minutes. So I was really only in class from 9 am to 12 or 1 pm each day.
The rest of my time was free for lesson planning and fooling around on the internet. (This spare time was when I started my blog!) Only on very rare occasions did I ever have to bring work home.
I taught second through sixth grades. I saw each class once a week, and most of my classes had about 30 students — so I had 700 students, which sucked. I didn’t get the chance to really know any of them.
This varies a lot though; for example, my friend taught at a country school on Monday and Tuesday, where he was alone and saw every grade twice, and then at a city school the other days, where he only taught fourth and sixth grades.
As for the actual material, there’s a national curriculum you must follow. What your responsibilities will be will vary greatly with your school and co-teacher. Technically, there will always be a Korean teacher in the room with you, though this doesn’t always happen.
In my situation, I had one co-teacher who’d have me plan the entire class, and another co-teacher who would take care of the first 20 minutes (from the textbook), and I’d be responsible for a fun game, song, or activity to practice the material.
How about the Korean kids?
They’re adorable. I mean, when are kids not? In elementary school, they’re highly engaged and interested, and they LOVE you. In middle school, they start to get an attitude and lose interest, but they gain it back in high school.
They have a lot of pressure on them to succeed, which is hard to understand coming from another culture. I was horrified to learn of third graders staying up until midnight to finish their homework, but it’s the way of life there.
Another thing to note is that the level of the students varies immensely. They don’t really believe in separating students, so I had mentally handicapped kids in classes with kids that spoke near-fluent English. It was challenging, but not impossible.
What is EPIK housing like?
Again, this totally depends. You will have your own furnished studio apartment with kitchen and bathroom, but the size, location, and quality can vary greatly.
While living on Jeju, I was housed in a remote apartment building used solely for teachers. My apartment was big by Korean standards (probably around 350 square feet).
One negative of EPIK is that you can sometimes have really long commutes. (With a hagwon, you’ll usually live very close to your school.) You might have to split your time between two or more schools, so you won’t necessarily be close to any of them. Commutes on Jeju ranged from 10 minutes to an hour and a half, with the standard being about an hour door-to-door.
What is the the salary for teaching English in Korea?
Ah, the money. Besides the smiles of the kids, it’s the best part of the job.
Not only do they pay for your flight, relocation, and housing, but they give you a good salary. Oh, and it’s all tax-free. (Unless you’re Canadian.) This is the BEST place to earn money and pay off loans if you’re from an English-speaking country and have a four-year university degree.
I took an online TEFL course before I came (it cost $400), so I got about $1,750/month tax-free after health insurance, school lunch, and pension. My housing was paid for, so I easily put more than $1,000/month towards debt/savings, and led a very posh life compared to at home. (I ate out a few times a week, bought things if I wanted them, etc.)
And that’s about the minimum you’ll make. If you were an English major or have a teaching certificate, you’ll earn more. Here’s a complete list of EPIK salaries.
Plus when you leave, you’ll get a bonus of about $5,000 (severance pay, flight allowance, and pension refund). You really can’t beat it if you want to make money.
Should I teach English in Korea?
That depends. Are you adventurous? Do you like kids? Are you willing to go with the flow and not get easily annoyed at cultural differences? If you answered yes to all of those questions, then you’d probably like it.
The pay is excellent for the amount of work you have to do. The kids are incredibly cute and eager to please, at least in elementary school. It is very safe. The vacation opportunities are awesome. I was able to travel to the Philippines, Mongolia, and Japan — while getting paid!
What are the cons of teaching English in Korea?
South Korea is VERY different from the United States, and it’s easy to get homesick. Different food, different language, different movies, different life!
Everything in Korea is a process. You want to find out some information? You can’t just do a Google search and go find it. You have to ask your co-teacher to call for you, then get lost on the bus, then try to explain to the actual store what you want/need. It’s important to understand that you’re going to lose some of your independence and freedom due to the language and cultural barriers.
The culture is also extremely different, and it drove me CRAZY sometimes. You have to be prepared for things to change at the last minute and a lot of stuff gets lost in translation. It can be incredibly frustrating. There were days when I really just wanted to go home, but most of the time, I was glad to have such a good job.
I’m in. How do I apply to teach English in Korea?
Let me warn you: The application process is LONG and confusing. Get started early. It’s recommended you apply six months before you want to go; so July through September for the following spring, or January through March for the following fall.
If you want to teach with EPIK, you should speak to a recruiter. They’re free to use, so why not? They will have all of the most updated information and be able to help you through the application process.
I went with Kirk at Gone2Korea, whom I’d highly recommend. He always answered emails within a day and was super helpful and nice. I’ve also heard good things about TeachAway and Footprints. You can also find hagwon jobs on Dave’s ESL Cafe. The BEST website on teaching English in Korea (and everything else about expat life in Korea) is Waygook. If you have any specific questions, ask in the forums there; you’ll get real-time info from people who are in Korea right now.
What other questions do you have about teaching English in Korea? I’m happy to help!
Wow!!! Great post. Dang. I want to jump on this tonight – this is one of the best breakdowns of teaching English in Korea I have read and I know I will reference this again. Thanks for this awesome post!! 🙂
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Aw you’re welcome, Tiffany! Thanks for the kind compliment. I’m glad it was helpful — please let me know if you have any questions in the future!
Hi Susan, I am so glad you posted this- I always thought about teaching in S. Korea and know someone who does this but heard some horror stories of kids picking on the teachers and teachers not getting paid. I was wondering how long you were a teacher? 🙂
Hi Paige! I taught in Korea for a year. I’ve only heard about teachers not getting paid through hagwons (private schools), which is why I recommend going through the government program. As for kids picking on the teachers: of course it happens — they’re kids! But for the most part, they were great. If you have experience with kids, you should be fine.
Wow! What a comprehensive guide! My husband often says he’d like to take a year to teach abroad. (He’s an English teacher here in the States.) Now, if he ever really means it, we’ll know where to start. I’m going to save this post as a reference.
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Great, Juliann! I think you guys would enjoy teaching in Korea — and your husband would make a lot more money since he’s had teaching experience.
If I wanted to teach in Korea with my boyfriend, is it possible that we could both end up in the same city? I wouldn’t care about being at different schools, but could we live together in the same city and teach in the same city?
Yes, Abbie! You can apply with a friend or partner, so that you’ll both end up in the same place. There were a lot of people who did that (including me). You won’t be at the same school, but you’ll probably be housed really close to each other. I was in the same building as my boyfriend.
I am near retirement age and travel every year to Thailand for two months but am thinking of switching it up a bit in the coming year after retirement. What would the Koreans think about an older woman teaching their children. Do you think I could be accepted. I have a BSW in Social Work.
Hi Joan, I hate to say it — but there is a bit of ageism regarding teaching English in Korea. They are more likely to accept younger teachers, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t get accepted — especially considering your experience. I’d talk to a recruiter and see what they say. They’ll know a lot more than me!
Are there any positions that don’t require a Bachelors or is that a pretty common requirement? I haven’t found any that don’t require less than that besides TALK but they don’t even have a website anymore. I’m guessing it doesn’t exist anymore.
Hey Leah, having a bachelors is a common requirement for teaching English in Korea. I do think TALK still exists: http://www.talk.go.kr/talk/talk_new/intro.jsp, and that’s an option for teaching with only an associates degree. I’d recommend talking to a recruiter about your situation!
Hi Susan:
It is only for english´s natives
Thank you
Yes, Isabel; unfortunately, it’s only for people from English-speaking countries.
Do you need a degree?
Yes, Shaun: you need a four-year degree. If you have a two-year degree, you can look into the TALK program.
Hellou Susan!
Thanks so much for such a complete article about teaching in Korea, do you know anything about teaching Spanish over there? because Spanish is my native language but i manage completely English language as well, but i read in the last comments that teaching English over there was only for English speaking countries. So i was wondering if you know anything about teaching Spanish.
I will really appreciate your answers!
Thanks! have a nice day! 🙂
The liking kids things is kind of huge. If you don’t, it’s basically going to be the longest year or two of your life. I taught kindy kids for a year in Korea and really hated it.
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Yes, it’s definitely important — thanks for sharing your insight, Jackie!
Thanks for the post! It helped me a lot. I have a strong desire to teach in Korea, the only problem is that I am not native speaker, do I have any chances?
Hi Mary, I’m sorry — but they only hire native speakers to teach English in Korea. You could probably find volunteer or low-paying gigs in other less-developed countries, though!
WOW! Thank you so much for this post; I am graduating in May and have been looking to get my TEFL and teach in Korea for a long time. This definitely make my decision on Korea so much easier!
Do you have to have a degree to teach in Korea?
This post is fantastic! It answered many questions and address some of my fears of teaching in a foreign country. I graduated last year, and have completed some credential courses to teach. I’d like to really get my feel wet and have a new experience; thank you for all of your insight and wisdom about your experience!
I taught in both public schools and in hagwons in Korea. I also taught in China and Taiwan.
A few points I’d like to add about hagwons & public schools:
1. You are an assistant teacher in EPIK. This could be good or it could be bad depending on you and your co-teacher.
2. You have less control over your situation in a public school. You can’t control where you teach and you don’t usually control what you teach. You are told what to do and you have less freedom over your teaching in the classroom.
3. Public schools can be easier since you have a co-teacher. They can be better for beginners.
4. As mentioned you work 8 hours a day in a public school. Many hagwons are closer to 7 with 6 teaching hours. There are ones out there with a lighter schedule though. You just have to search. I worked in many and one for 1 year where I taught 24-28 hours a week with maybe 1 hour or so of prep a week.
In the beginning you usually need more time for prep, but after a few years you figure it out. There is a lot of desk warming in a public school.
What is desk warming
I will be moving to South Korea with my husband in September. So I wouldn’t need housing or flights or insurance… Is the program set up for situations like this? Also, due to the fact that we’d have our own housing would they work to find a school near where we reside?
Hi Jennifer, not sure! I’d advise getting in touch with a recruiter — that’s what they’re there for 🙂
Hello, Susan!
I very much enjoyed reading this post. I hope you have the chance to respond to my question 🙂
I just graduated from UCSC two weeks ago, and am very interested in the prospect of teaching in Korea in the spring. As of now, my main predicament is whether I should pursue a position on Jeju Island, or on the mainland in one of the larger cities.
I am not a city girl by any means. Originally, I thought that living in a big city like Seoul would be an awesome opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone and try out a new way of life, since I’ve never lived in a big city before. (just California suburbs!) I should mention that I grew up with many Koreans so I am familiar with their culture (also have a friend currently living in Seoul!)
However, Jeju Island looks so incredibly beautiful, and the “island life” seems to better complement the way of living I am accustomed to. My main question comes down to this: do you think that by living in such a unique (yet beautiful) place in Korea, I may be passing up a crucial opportunity to completely immerse myself in “traditional” modern Korean life, and all the idiosyncrasies that come with a big city like Seoul?
I know each individual’s experience will vary on both the island and the mainland. I am just curious if you have any regrets from living on Jeju in respect to other options within Korea. This is of course if I even get accepted, but if so, I would hope to make the best possible decision for myself 🙂
Sorry for the long comment, thanks for reading!
Hi Yasmine, sorry I missed this. I’m guessing you’ve made your decision by now… but for others who might read this, I’d say: Jeju’s great if you love the outdoors. If you want a big city experience — and to be able to easily travel to other parts of Korea — live on the mainland.
I am an English teacher but not a native speaker and want to teach in Korea . Can I?
Hi Reda, I don’t believe so.. but I’d check with a recruiter!
I’m 21 years old
I’m Egyptian
I’m 3rd year student in faculty of arts English department so my major is English literature and language and I know little bit korean
I have been to korea 3 times and I will go again on June
Can I work with u?
Great article! Just a quick question regarding the curriculum and teaching. I am a bit nervous as to how to plan the lessons. What if the kids do not like it or do not warm up to me? Is there a possibility of the school cancelling my contract?
Hi Herman, I’ve never heard of that, but I guess it’s possible. In my experience, little kids like everyone — so unless you’re really mean, I imagine they’ll warm up to you. As for lesson planning, there are loads of resources on the internet.
Hi. Great post! I have a question – I have a BA, MA, Montessori Diploma and TEFL cert and taught in Vietnam briefly last year. I’ll admit I wasnt the best teacher. It’s playing the games with the kids I found difficult. But I’d love to give it a go again in Korea. Whatever skills I had then which were minimal are gone now.. What would you recommend me do – say I gave a TEFL cert and chance it or say I don’t? I’m kind of very rusty!! Thank you!!
Many teachers come to Korea with ZERO experience — so it sounds like you are more than prepared! And desk warming is just sitting at the school during vacations. You have to show up, but you have no work to do, so many people pass the time by reading or watching movies.
Thank you for your reply Susan. Do the schools provide training of any sort? And is it just English that is taught or a range of subjects – like a primary teacher? I’m hesitant whether to say I’ve done a TEFL or not so training would be helpful
You have a weeklong orientation before classes begin. You teach English only. Training is the same whether you have a TEFL or not — but you’ll be paid more with a TEFl. But just so you know: playing games and doing fun activities will be a big part of your job!
Hello Susan
I just loved reading about this! However, I was worse rung if you could tell me more about your housing? Such as, were bed sheets and blankets provided to you or did you have to bring your own? Was there WiFi in your building you could use? Also was cooking dishes provided too you too? Lastly did you have to provide your own outlit converter?
Thank you again!
HI Laura, everything you need is provided for you — including sheets, cookware, and wifi. You have to bring or buy your own converters.
Hello! I have been interested in the idea of teaching English in Korea for quite some time, even though I’m only 15 Anyway, my questions are: Should I learn Korean before going? Are you fluent in the language?
Hi Angela, no need to learn Korean before going. I learned a bit while I was there, but didn’t have to use it in school.
Hi Susan. Do schools provide some training and is it just English that is taught? Or other subjects in English? My TEFL is two years old so I’m very rusty and don’t know if Id be up to teaching without some training. Quite nervous about this. Grammar especially. Thanks Susan.
Hello,
Susan
It was very interesting to read all the comments, it answers all my questions.
I m interested in Teaching English in Korea have Teaching experience as a home Tutor for Korean students who is residing at India. will I be able to teach in Korea though I m not from native English Countries. I have completed my TESOL courses. Thanks
Hi Rv, unfortunately, you need to be from an English-speaking country!
Hi I’m reading this now because I have been interested in going to Korea and teaching there at the same time and I’m fully Filipino and born there but I’m an American citizen and fully know English so will I be accepted to be a English teacher in Korea?
Oh, man! This looks like a dream job for those who want to travel! Thanks for such an informative post!
Thank you for posting this great info! A few questions:
Do you have to have a degree to teach English in Korea? I’m still working on mine.
I’m here in Korea with my husband with the military and don’t need housing, is it possible to teach without relocating?
Hi, I am Canadian but … I graduated my bachelor’s degree in France, would I still be eligible and considered by schools in Korea to be a teacher ?
Thank you 🙂
This is such a great and informative blog! Thank you!
One question I have is – do they have options if you are married and want to take your spouse with you? Have you heard of anyone who has done that?
I appreciate your help!
Hi Susan!
If my husband and I apply, will we be able to live in the same apartment since we are married and possibly the same school? I have a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education (emphasis on Language Arts) and he has a Bachelors’ in Communications. Thanks!
Hi Susan
I wanted to know is it possible to teach english if you’re a french native ?
Thanks !
Hi Susan
I don’t have my TEFL certification yet. My girlfriend and I are going to be certified in thailand and will finish the program in march. I have two years experience teaching in Ireland and in the US as a full time substitute teacher. I’m wondering that because the application process takes so long is it possible to apply before you have finished the TEFL certification?
I am from India and I have been teaching English to Korean and I want to go Korea and personally teach.Please help and this post is really good.
Hi Susan! I am a teacher in the Philippines with a 4-year teaching degree and with 1year experience. I have read in your blog post that only English native speakers are allowed to teach as an EPIK teachers even alin Hagwons? What if I want to apply and teach in Korea and also qualified with other qualifications but I’m from the Philippines? I’m hoping for your response. Thanks
I loved reading your post! I’m currently an undergraduate student and I’m planning on teaching english language abroad as a career since i love learning about different cultures and children. I have a question, do you know if I have to have a bachelor’s degree in English or can it be in, for example, psychology? I do plan on getting a TEFL certificate as well.
Hi Susan, I absolutely loved the post and the way you described the job process to get over there. I do have a question though in regards to the degree required. I was wondering if the bachelors degree could be a degree in business or marketing since I don’t want to be an English teacher the rest of my life! I appreciate the blog!
Hi!
I was born in Korea, but moved to the U.S. when I was 3 y.o. so I am by far more comfortable with English. Am I still eligible to teach, or are most schools looking for people who are born in English speaking countries? Also, I am currently 16, so I have no idea where to start with what kind of classes to take or degrees I need in order to teach in another country. I know I’m young and still have time, but I have my heart set on teaching in Korea as I also see it as a way to reconnect with my roots and my extended family that all reside there (not to mention I LOVE kids).
Thanks!!
so me and my two friends want to teach in korea one is 13 I’m 15 and the other is 16 we do research and learn Korean is there any thing to know about epic up to date no.?
Can i ask if it’s tax-free even for Czech people?
Great blog post! Lots of useful information for anyone thinking of teaching English in South Korea.
Here’s a blog post I wrote about my two years there with advice to anyone thinking of taking the leap.
Great blog post!
I just have one concern, I’m 17 years old and quite fluent in english though I’m actually middle eastern. How hard would it be for me to get a a position if I’m not from an english speaking country? (I might be able to get a european citizenship)
Hello, Susan,
I just read your post and had a few questions. So, I am currently a college student in the US (with a lot of debt…) and won’t be finished until 2020-21. I’m aiming for my bachelor’s in history with a minor in Writing Communications. Is there any bachelors degree needed specifically to teach in S. Korea? I was also thinking about get my TEFL after college as well, so would that help? Does teaching also help with student loans to a certain degree?
Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my reply and answer my questions!
I delight in the knowledge on your web sites. Many thanks!