FAQs about teaching English in South Korea

1. What qualifications do I need to teach English in Korea?

You need to have a BA/BS university degree in any subject to teach English in Korea. Also you must be from an English speaking country.

2. Do I need any teaching experience to teach in Korea?

No. You don’t need any teaching experience.

3. Do I need the TEFL certificate to teach in Korea?

You don’t need the TEFL course to teach in Korea but I would highly recommend getting it because schools prefer to hire university graduates that have it. Most graduates are taking the TEFL course before going overseas. You can easily take it online. We offer a range of courses to fit your budget and teaching goals. To sign up, click here.

4. Will I get a free flight to Korea?

Yes! All the directors from the schools we are hiring for will pay for your flight upfront. The director will book your flight for you.

5. Will I get free accommodation?

Yes! You will have the choice of a single studio apartment or a 2 bedroom apartment shared with another English teacher.

6. Will my apartment be close to the school?

Yes! Your apartment will be within 10-15 minutes walking distance to the school!

7. Will my apartment be furnished?

Yes! Your apartment will come with everything you need!

8. Will I have shared or single accommodation?

It is up to you! If you want single accommodation, you will get a single studio apartment to yourself or if you want shared accommodation, you will get to share a 2 bedroom apartment with another teacher.

9. How much will I get paid?

As an ESL teacher, you will make 1.8-2.4 million won per month. It depends on how much experience you have.

10. How often will I get paid?

You will get paid monthly.

11. What is the overtime rate?

The overtime rate is 15,000-18,000 won. Overtime is optional but it can be a good way to make some extra money.

12. How long are the contracts in Korea?

All contracts are a year long.

13. Will I get a bonus when I complete my contract?

Yes! After you finish your 12 month contract, you will receive one month’s salary free!

14. How many hours will I teach a week?

You will only teach 30 hours a week.

15. What age of students will I teach?

You will teach elementary students. We have a kindergarten program in the morning and an elementary program in the afternoon.

16. How many students will be in each class?

The class sizes are small. You will only have 10-15 students in each class.

17. Do the schools have a set curriculum?

Yes! You will not have to buy any books. The schools have a very organized curriculum. You are always welcome to add in your own lessons too though.

18. How many classes will I teach a day?

You will teach 6 one hour classes a day.

19. Will I get training before I teach?

Yes! You will have a few days of training before you teach.

20. What days of the week will I teach?

You will teach Monday through Friday. You will have the weekends off to relax!

21. How many holidays will I get a year?

You will get 15 national holidays plus 10 days paid vacation time so that is a total of 25 days of paid vacation.

22. Will I get full health care in Korea?

Yes! You will pay 50% of the cost and your employer will pay the other 50%. It works out to about $40US a month.

23. What will be my exact teaching schedule?

You will teach your classes between 9am-5pm or 10am-6pm. This is the best schedule in Korea because you will have the whole evenings free.

24. Will I have to plan for my lessons?

Yes! You should come into the school an hour early everyday to plan for your lessons.

25. How should I dress when I teach?

I would say dressy casual. This is a professional job so you should look professional. Also Korean is a very conservative country and directors don’t like piercings, dreadlocks and tattoos.

26. How do I teach English to children who don’t speak English?

You will have different levels of students. Some students will be fluent in English while other students will be working on phonics such as ABC’s. You will also have a Korean co-workers who will teach your classes alternative days and go over the same lessons that you taught your students. You will teach from the same books.

27. Can I pay off student loans in Korea?

Yes! Most university graduates in Korea are putting at least $1000US on their student loans a month. It is great opportunity to save money.

28. How much money should I bring with me to Korea?

When you go to Korea, you will not get paid for a month so it is a good idea to bring at least $500-600 to cover your living costs for the first month. After that you don’t have to worry about it because you will receive your monthly salary.

29. What is the tax rate in Korea?

The tax rate in Korea is less than 5% so it is barely anything!

30. Will I get to meet other ESL teachers?

Yes! You will get to meet teachers from America, Canada, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and so on.

31. Will I get to work with other ESL teachers?

Yes! Most of schools have at least a few other foreigner teachers. Plus there are so many ESL teachers in Korea, you will meet tons of new people!

32. Do other ESL teachers like to get together and socialize?

Yes! ESL teachers love to social. It is part of the reason why they go to Korea. Many teachers start different social groups such as Ultimate Frisbee and touch Rugby teams. If there is something you are into, why not start a group?

33. What are some tips for the telephone interview with the director?

The directors are looking for something who is enthusiastic and likes working with kids. If you can express this is the 10 minutes you have to speak with the director, you will have a good chance of getting accepted.

34. Do you have any couple jobs?

Yes! We always have couple jobs available. If you want to bring a friend or your partner, it is not a problem as along as their have a BA/BS degree.

35. Do you have jobs for certified teachers?

Yes! We have special jobs for certified teachers. You will get to teach a full curriculum program designed especially for teachers.

36. Can I teach in Korea if I have a criminal record?

No! The laws are very strict in Korea.

37. Can I teach private English lessons in Korea?

No! You can only teach at your school. Teaching private English lessons outside of your school is illegal. You can get fined or deported if you are caught. I would highly not recommend it.

38. Will I need to get vaccinations before I go to Korea?

Yes! You should go to your local Health care center and let me know you are going to South Korea. They will tell you all the shots you need to get. They don’t do all of them right away so please leave a few weeks for this because it may take a few weeks.

39. What kinds of transportation can I use in Korea?

The public transportation system in Korea is awesome and it is very cheap. Many people use public transportation and do not even need cars. The buses are really cheap. Also taxis are pretty cheap as well. Taking a 10 minute taxi ride might only cost you $2. Some people buy motorcycles or scooters to get around. If you have the money, you can even buy a used car quite cheaply.

40. What are some fun things to do in Korea?

There are awesome private karaoke rooms in Korea. You can rent the room for $5 for an hour. They have many English songs. You and your friends can sing your hearts out. Also you can learn Taekwondo, the national sport of Korea. You can travel around the country on your time off and go to tourist places.

41. Can I get the internet in Korea?

Of course! Their internet is very fast and efficient in Korea. There are computer rooms called PC rooms all over Korea where you can use the computer for an hour for only $1.50. You can also get internet hooked up in your apartment.

42. Can I get a phone hooked up in my apartment?

Yes! You can get a phone hooked up in your apartment and most likely there will already be a phone in your apartment. The cost to keep that is about $5 a month.

43. What is the best method to call home?

I recommend buying prepaid long distance calling cards. You can get them at any convenient store. It is good to use them so you don’t end up running up a huge long distance bill on your apartment phone. If you just call on your landline without a calling card, you could be paying a $1 a minute which is very expensive. These days, it is best to use an online telephone service to call home such as Skype. It is one of the cheapest ways to call around the world.

44. Are people in Korea friendly?

Definitely! Koreans are very kind and friendly. When you are walking down the street, many will stop and say hi! They love meeting foreigners.

45. Can I travel on my time off?

Of course you can. On weekends, why not adventure around other locations in Korea? Also when you take vacations, you can even go to other countries. China and Japan are close by and many people like to head down to Thailand when they get a chance.

46. How can I communicate in Korea when I don’t speak Korean?

It is helpful to use a phrase book. This way it will teach you some simple phrases that can be useful for getting around.

47. Can I get a cell phone in Korea?

Yes! You can and I would definitely recommend it. This way you can program your director’s number and friend’s numbers into your phone and if you ever have any problems, you have someone to call.

48. What is the difference between public and private schools?

Public schools have huge classes sizes. You teach 40-50 students in each class. Private schools have small classes sizes. You will only teach 10-15 students in each class. Most university graduates start off working for private schools. I am only hiring for private elementary schools.

49. How long does the visa process take?

The visa process takes 4-6 weeks so it is important to organize your documents as soon as possible!

50. What documents do I need for the visa process?

You will need your passport, your original diploma, 3 sets of university transcripts (sealed and stamped), and a criminal record check with apostille stamp. If you are from Canada, you don’t need an apostille stamp on your criminal record check. Instead you will have to get it notarized at the Korean embassy.

51. When do ESL schools hire?

We are hiring every month so any time is a good time to apply!

52. Will I have to take a drug test when I get to Korea?

Yes! If you are tested positive for drugs, you will be deported from Korea so it is important not to do drugs!