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| Teach English in Korea! |
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Why Teach English in Korea?
In South Korea, English education is a booming business. There are many job opportunities around the country, whether in bustling big cities, peaceful small towns, or sunny tropical islands surrounding the mainland. Competitive pay with a relatively low cost of living makes teaching English in Korea ideal for traveling, saving money and exploring the rich culture of this vibrant country. |
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| Living and teaching in Korea provides the unique opportunity to explore Asia during vacations and holidays. Korea is a short plane or ferry ride away from Japan, making it an ideal destination for a long weekend. Thailand, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines are also easily accessible, making Korea the ideal starting point for your Asian adventures. |
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| WorknPlay Consulting, based in Seoul, South Korea, is the leading recruiting company for native English teachers wishing to teach in Korea. We hire hundreds of ESL teachers each year, and work with both the Ministry of Education in Korea and private language schools to find the ideal working situation for each of our teachers. Established in 2003, WorknPlay takes pride in the high quality, personal service that each of our recruiters provides. |
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To Qualify to Teach English in South Korea: |
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You must be a native speaker from an English-speaking country. This includes the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Ireland. |
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You must have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in any field. |
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Teaching experience or language certificates (TESOL/TEFL/TESL/CELTA) are not required, but would be a major plus. |
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You should have a passion for the English language, and be able to share it with students. It¡¯s important to develop a love of teaching and sharing your culture, as well as to be open to understanding other cultures. |
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You must have an E2 Visa to teach English in Korea, which your recruiter at WorknPlay Consulting would be happy to assist you with obtaining. |
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Some Duties of a Native English Teacher in Korea Include: |
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Conducting English classes at least 22 to 30 hours per week, as required |
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Preparing lessons and designing curriculum |
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Helping prepare students for English exams |
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Tutoring Korean co-workers |
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What Kind of Teaching Jobs are Available in South Korea? |
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Many different teaching opportunities are available in South Korea. The most common are contract-based, in which teachers work full-time for at least a year. Such contracts can also be extended, should the school decide to hire the teacher again or the teacher request to be transferred to a different school. There are also short-term positions available, which are often best for travelers who wouldn't mind teaching in English camps, as needed.
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| In 2008, 25,000 native speaker English teachers taught in South Korea. The following describes the opportunities available for a native English speaker wishing to teach in South Korea: |
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A. Public Schools
B. Private Language Schools (Hagwons or Hakwons)
C. Corporate In-House Language Programs
D. University Foreign-Language Institutes
E. University Departments
F. Government/Private Research Institutes
G. Public Relations, Advertising, Publishing Companies
H. English Villages
I. Part-Time Teaching |
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A. Public Schools |
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| Federal, municipal, and certain provincial governments have begun hiring more native English teachers to teach English in public schools in Korea. The Korean government sponsors the English Program in Korea (EPIK) program in an effort to recruit native English speakers to teach at public schools throughout Korea. |
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Base salary ranges between 1.8 and 2.3 million won per month. There is a set pay scale for these programs; however, rates may differ depending on the government body sponsoring the program. Rural allowances may be added for certain areas and range between 100,000 and 200,000 won per month. Housing and basic furniture are always provided. |
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| A candidate with a master's degree and those with more than 2 years of teaching experience will be compensated at the higher end of the pay scale (LEVEL 3), while teachers with a non-education related bachelor's degree would be at the lower end (LEVEL 1). |
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| The Korean government has made the decision to hire more native English teachers for the public school system, with the goal of having one foreign teacher at each school in the near future. |
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B. Private Language Schools (Hagwons or Hakwons) |
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| Private language schools (hagwons) can be found throughout Korea. This is especially true since the boom in learning English as a second language took place at the turn of the 21st century. Most private language schools are located in Korea¡¯s metropolitan areas. Some are quite popular and have many branches or are part of a franchise. Other language schools can be small, but still offer a high quality of English education. |
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| The ESL market in Korea is extremely competitive; hence, it is quite common for institutes not to succeed if they don't meet the expectations of their students, and more importantly, their parents. |
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| Private language schools usually employ American, British, Canadian, New Zealander, Australian, Irish and South African expatriates to teach English conversation classes. Most of these companies provide housing for their instructors. Full-time teachers are expected to teach between 30 and 40 hours per week. |
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| Most hagwons conduct classes from the morning to early evening for kindergarten students, while students between the ages of 7 and 18 are taught in the afternoon to late evening. Adult classes, which usually include university students and business professionals who want to improve their English, are conducted very early in the morning until late in the evening. Classes are small and accommodate between 10 and 15 students. |
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| The average monthly salary of an English teacher at a private language school is presently between 2.0 to 2.3 million won a month. All institutes are required by Korean law to provide health insurance to English teachers during their period of employment. Severance pay upon completion of a one-year contract should also be paid by the employer. Some institutes, however, fail to honor these provisions. |
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C. Corporate In-House Language Programs |
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| Larger corporations often have their own in-house language programs for the benefit of their employees. An English instructor is often expected to teach more than 30 hours per week, and may work irregular hours ranging from early mornings to late evenings, as required. Most of the programs offered in-house are intensive residential programs usually required to be taken by the company's staff and employees, and range from three to six months. |
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| Some in-house programs provide English instructors with full benefits but would require them to live on-site or given a housing allowance. Average monthly salary for instructors in such programs currently ranges from 2.0 to 2.5 million won. |
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| D. University Foreign-Language Institutes |
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| Most universities in metropolitan cities, as well as some universities in other provinces, operate language institutes. Many of the students studying at these institutes are university-enrolled or are working students. English courses offered by these foreign language institutes run throughout the university¡¯s breaks. |
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The hiring standards of these institutes are the highest in Korea. Most instructors employed have master's degrees in Linguistics or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and have substantial teaching experience. The pay, status, and benefits offered by these institutes also are among the best in the country. There are many advantages to working at provincial universities, such as a larger house, better working conditions, higher salary, and the increased inclusion of the foreign instructor as part of the faculty. |
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| E. University Departments |
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| F. Government/Private Research Institutes |
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| G. Public Relations, Advertising, Publishing Companies |
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| H. English Villages |
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| I. Part-Time Teaching |
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| Many full-time English instructors teach part-time on the side. Private instruction is illegal if teachers only have an ESL teaching work visa (E2). When considering private teaching, teachers must be aware that he or she is taking a serious risk. Most schools would not allow their native English teachers to take on a second job, as stated in their contract. Besides the threat of being fined, the teacher also runs the risk of losing his or her job. |
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| If caught and fined, a teacher cannot leave Korea until the amount required is fully paid. Immigration authorities will insist that the English instructor arrange for money to be sent from their home country if the teacher has insufficient funds to pay the fine. |
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| For the answers to our most frequently asked questions, click here |
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| Public School Opportunities |
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| Public school opportunities for native speaker English teachers exist across the Korean Peninsula. Elementary, Middle and High Schools are looking for teachers excited to share their language and culture with students. Korea has a number of metropolitan, mid-sized and rural areas, each with their own pace, personality and cultural offerings. |
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| GEPIK (Gyeonggi English Program in Korea) |
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Teach English in Gyeonggi
Vast Province Dotted with Many Attractions
(2.0~2.3mil won; Start February, 2010) |
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| Public School Positions Throughout Korea |
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Teach English in Busan
The Largest Coastal City
(1.8~2.65mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Daegu
A Developed Urban Area
(1.9~2.75mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Daejeon
The City with the Highest Quality of Life
(1.9~2.75mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Gangwon
An Area in Great Harmony with Nature
(2.1~2.85mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Gyeongbuk
A Peaceful and Historical City
(2.1~2.85mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Chungbuk
Ski Resort & Natural Rest Area
(2.1~2.65mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Incheon
A Costal City with a Mixture of Cultures
(1.8~2.65mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Gwangju
Hub City of the Southwestern Region
(1.9~2.75mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Jeju
Beautiful & Peaceful Island
(2.0~2.75mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Gyeongnam
Mild Climate; In Harmony with Nature & People
(2.1~2.65mil won, Throughout the year) |
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Teach English in Jeollabukdo
Real Korean Culture and Food
(2.2~2.85mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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Teach English in Ulsan
Upscale Center of Modern Industry
(1.9~2.75mil won; End of August, 2010) |
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