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Most English instructors teach in private foreign-language institutes (hakwons in Korean). There are,
however, positions available in several other types of organizations:
Hakwons are found all over Korea, but the majority is located on Seoul, many are small, short-lived operations. The typical full-time employment can be 20 to 30 hours a week. The majority of classes are offered in the early morning and the evening. Many instructors have time off in the afternoon. Most classes are 10 – 15 students. The students are generally university students and business people. There are numerous Hakwons also have after-school classes for children as young as five years old.
All institutes are required by law to provide health insurance during the period of employment and severance pay on completion of a contract, but some institutes fail to honor these provisions. The average monthly salary is currently about 1.8 to 2.1 million won a month (1918 – 2240 USD).
Corporate In-House Language Programs
Most of the large corporate groups (chaebols in Korean) have their own in-house language programs. An instructor can typically be expected to teach more than 30 hours a week, working irregular hours all day from early in the morning to late at night. Most of these programs are intensive residential programs that require the students to study for three to six months. Some of the programs provide instructors with full benefits, including housing, but instructors may be required either to live on-site or to commute long distances from Seoul . The average monthly salary in such programs is currently about 1.5 to 2 million won. As a result of current economic conditions, many chaebols are reducing or canceling their in-house programs.
University Foreign-Language Institutes
The major universities in Seoul, as well as some provincial universities, operate language institutes. Many of the students are enrolled in university but the majority are business people. The hiring standards of these institutes tend to be the highest in Korea : most instructors have MA-TESOL (Yeah!!) and years of teaching experience. The pay, status and benefits offered by these institutes also are among the best in Korea . As a result, there is a very low staff turnover.
Provincial universities tend to provide better housing, working conditions and salaries, and to treat foreign instructors as part of the faculty. These advantages, however, should be balanced against the cultural isolation a foreigner may encounter living in the Korean countryside.
University Departments
Most universities in Korea employ full-time English conversation instructors. University classes tend to be larger and feature less personal contact with the students. Most instructors teach between 10 and 15 hours a week. Academic standards in Korean universities, however, tend to be somewhat lax. Leftist, nationalist and sometimes anti-American attitudes may be prevalent among some students. Many universities in Seoul do not provide housing, and some do not provide the benefits required by law. Monthly salaries currently average about 1.5 million won, with three to four months of paid vacation a year.
Government/Private Research Institutes
Many government agencies and some private companies operate research institutes. Most of the institutes hire foreigners with degrees in the humanities, economics or business administration to work as full-time editors. The editors proofread correspondence and research publications, write speeches, and occasionally teach as well. Most of the institutes pay quite well and some provide housing. Because the research institutes are usually government-run or closely associated with powerful corporate groups, instructors who work in them seldom experience problems in obtaining employment visas.
Public Relations and Advertising Companies
There are several public relations and advertising companies in Korea that hire foreigners to work as copy editors and occasionally as teachers as well. These positions are very difficult to obtain as they are quite popular with the resident English-teaching community. There are also opportunities to appear on television and radio programs, and in movies. Most of these companies pay quite well and some provide housing assistance.
Teaching English Part-Time
Many full-time English instructors teach part-time as well, either at another institute or in privately arranged classes. In principle, private instruction is illegal; however, many English teachers do have private students. Part-time instruction at a second institute is possible with permission from the sponsoring institute and the Korean immigration authorities. Private students often pay more per hour but some instructors have found that it is difficult to sustain a long-term private class.
If you are going to hold private lessons, you should arrange for lesson fees to be paid prior to each class. Keep in mind that, over the past few years, Korean immigration authorities have tightened their control over work permits for private instruction. If you are fined, you cannot leave Korea until you have paid the required amount. The immigration authorities will insist that you arrange for money to be sent if you do not have sufficient funds. When considering private teaching, make sure you know the law and understand that you may be taking a serious risk if you teach without permission.
Working Hours
Most institutes require foreign instructors to teach 5 to 6 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and some ask instructors to teach on Saturday mornings as well. University departments usually require instructors to teach 10 to 15 hours a week, and to participate in student activities and in the editing of school newspapers. Research institutes usually require instructors to work 40 hours a week and do occasional overtime without compensation. If full-time, you’ll usually spend from 35-40 hours a week at your school. The Korean work week is 55 hours, so they will have little sympathy if you complain about this. They also get little time off. If you are constantly sick or absent, you will not be well-regarded. This will lead to problems. In a hakwon, expect two weeks of vacation time a year, mostly unpaid. If you don’t mind hard work, on the other hand, and hold up your end of the bargain, you will usually be rewarded by your boss (half-days off, banquets, respect).
The US State Department counsels against taking South Korean employment because of problems with salary, severance pay, insurance and living conditions. There is the exception of receiving a favorable written referral from a current American citizen employee. Teachers are fired shortly before their contract is up so they don’t receive severance pay or plane fare.
Many people see the programs in Korea as simply being a way to milk money from students with little regard for quality of lessons. Teachers that are entertaining, versus qualified, are often given more hours to keep students attending, thus making more money for the school.
Doing illegal work (seeing private students while legally employed at a school) in South Korea is STRONGLY advised against. There is a hotline that anyone can call and turn you in, (i.e. doormen who see the same foreigner repeatedly entering a home or building).
The teaching routine in South Korea is filled with change on a short notice, not logically organized and not operated on a strict timetable. One web site stated "please prepare yourself for the change as much as possible and take off the "rose tinted glasses." If you come with an open mind - to learn a new culture - these things can be handled without too much problem. If you come, however, to make easy money, and hold up your culture as the end-all of civilization, if you complain and are inflexible, these issues will pile up and bury you. You will be miserable, as will your Korean co-workers, your boss, and most people you talk to. This seems like the simplest thing in the world, but nevertheless countless foreign teachers I met in Korea suffered from a cultural superiority complex, in which they compared every situation they came across in Korea to "how things are at home," criticized everything, and never stopped to think that different doesn’t always mean inferior. They were guests in the country, but acted as if it should be more like a quaint suburb of the West rather than a 2,000-year-old civilization with its own norms, rewards, and penalties.
| www.eslcafe.com | Supreme general and specific info, including forums |
| www.tokyojon.com | Black and green lists of employers |
| www.usingenglish.com | Very good resources for ESL |
| www.englishschoolwatch.org | Identify problems and schools |
Korea is seriously polluted, especially Seoul. The water is either undrinkable or a gamble, you can have problems from brushing your teeth. Some report a crowded numbness (as a result of the sameness of many buildings). The rural areas are like…rural areas. Expect less pollution, more cultural immersion, and fewer native speakers to consort with.
Be very cautious about "accommodations provided" as this could mean sharing a room with another teacher in the residence of the school director. Apartments in Korea can be nice. Mine was a small studio in a brand-new building. It had a balcony, sliding glass door, and ample light. Some employers will give you the choice of sharing an apartment or living alone. If you share, chances are you will get a larger space. Living alone, however, may be a better bet, else you may end up living with a couple or someone unpleasant. Korea is a very safe country, so the security of living alone should not be a concern. If you liked the way you lived in college, or if you have no choice, ask for any potential roommate's email addresses, if possible. The apartments will be furnished (often a TV, VCR, microwave, and even a rice cooker are included). There are horror stories in this realm, of course. Question your correspondents closely on living arrangements. Proximity to the school is important. As is your neighborhood (industrial? commercial? residential?). Will you be living in one of Korea’s ubiquitous high-rise concrete blocks? (Likely, if you share.) Or in a smaller building of studios ("one-room apartuh," as they are known).
Rent in Korea
If you are working in Korea as a teacher then your school will probably rent the apartment for you. You may have to pay some form of key money as a deposit (though this is not normal, if your employer asks you to do this you should probably say "no"). This varies from place to place but you should expect to pay between 200,000 and 500,000. If you are in the position where you have to fund your own apartment then things can get a bit tricky. The Koreans have an unusual system when it comes to renting apartments Renting is often not an option. Tenants pay a large deposit of between 50 and 200 million won. This a really huge amount of money to pay but no rent is paid and after a period of two years the money is returned. If you can persuade the landlord to take a monthly rent you should expect to pay about 100,000 won per 10 million key money. So, if the asking price is 50 million won you should pay about 500,000 won per month and not have to put any key money down.
Utilities
Approx. 70,000 per month for electricity, water, TV and gas although this can vary depending on your lifestyle. Internet connection is really fast and will set you back about 30,000.
Phone Calls
International phone calls are expensive. There are various types of international calling cards available but they are quite hard to find outside of the big cities. If you are unable to buy a card where you live then you can replace the usual 001 number that you dial for international calls with 008. This will put your call through a different company and will give you international calls at a reduced rate. International calling cards in Korea are readily available in Seoul and other major cities. I am a British citizen so when I call England I use "world Express" which gives me 220 minutes calling time to a land line in the UK for 13,000 Korean Won as apposed to 20 minutes using the normal 001 prefix for the same price.
Food
All apartments in Korea come with a kitchen so cooking your own food is normally the cheapest option. If you eat at home everyday then expect to pay about 250,000 per month. Restaurants are fairly cheap in Korea and the food is fairly good. Expect to pay between 7,000 - 12,000 per person.
European Food
If you have a craving for European food there are very few options in the smaller cities though the bigger cities normally have the usual array of fast food restaurants. A Big Mac meal in McDonalds will cost about 4,500 and a twister meal in KFC will also cost about 4500. Koreans enjoy eating spaghetti and pizza so even the smaller towns will have restaurants the serve these dishes, I'm fairly sure that most small towns will have a Mr Pizza delivery store. They make good quality food and are also cheaper than pizza hut. Expect to pay 5-7,000 for a plate of spaghetti and 12,000 for a large pizza. In Seoul there are many foreign food restaurants (especially in Itaewon). I have found these meals to be over-priced and the quality of the food is not that great. You are better off cooking at home.
Drinks
Transport
Clothing
Again, a wide range of makes, both local and imported are available with prices often relative to quality and/or brand name. As in Europe prices vary widely with where you buy!
Local goods
There are many outlet stores in Seoul and these can be found in a number of places. Dongdaemun is a very good place to find cheap clothing and if you go to Dongdaemun in the night-time you will find the night market which is where store owners buy the clothes to re-sell.
Toiletries and Pharmaceutical Products
A wide range of local and imported brands available. (all prices approx.)
Electrical Goods
Cigarettes
Local brands around 1500, imported (e.g. Dunhill 2,000) The prices of cigarettes has gone up and I believe that a pack of Dunhill costing 2,500 Won. The price of cigarettes will continue to grow and is expected to reach about 5,000 won per pack by 2007.
Haircuts
7,000 for a man and about 60,000 for a woman.
Books
Relatively expensive, from around 10,000 to 20,000 Won.
In general, Korea is not an expensive place to live. It is easy to save money there and you can have a good lifestyle. If you are an ESL/EFL teacher and you find yourself joining you adult students for dinner at a restaurant or drinking with them at a bar they will not let you pay for anything as you are the teacher. This is always nice, but it is also normal in Korea to try and pay the bill. There will often be a good natured bustle over who is going to pay for the drinks but normally the most senior person will pay. When I have found myself going out with students quite often, I have had to sneak up to the counter without anyone seeing me so that I could pay for the drinks/food. Koreans will pretend to be offended that you have done so but I am sure that they also appreciate the gesture. I always feel guilty if my drink and food is always paid for by my students.
| www.pbs.org/hiddenkorea/culture.htm | PBS Online with great links |
| www.pusanweb.com/ | Great site with excellent info on medical |
| www.escapeartist.com | Living and working overseas |
| www.transitionsabroad.com | Everything to live abroad |
About 10 – 30% of the available jobs are posted on the Internet. Most of the reputable companies pay the lowest salaries (because they are actually going to pay you)
Job opportunities look plentiful but this may be because of the high teacher turnover that exists because of dissatisfaction. Benefits look excellent; however, it seems that many schools have no intention of paying portions. Look at the sheer volume of negative feedback about South Korea versus other countries. The devaluation of the Won has reduced the ability of private people to pay for English training as well as making salaries not go as far as they did in the mid -1990’s.
Who?
Something else to consider: the age of prospective students. The younger the children are, the more your vocal cords will be strained. Kids are kids—though they are more rambunctious than disrespectful. There is some "police" work to be done in a large classroom, and the language gap can make this especially difficult. Of course, with children, the emotional rewards can be greater. I taught many kindergarten-age classes and grew to love each student. If you enjoy kids, or you feel your ability to teach English might be less than spectacular, go young. If you want quieter, less chaotic days (or have a weak larynx) request adult classes.
How?
Many Korean schools and hakwons use recruiters to secure their foreign workforce. It doesn’t really make a difference whether you are hired directly by a company or through a headhunter—in fact, it can be a blessing to have a third party involved. Usually they will mediate any disputes. What’s more, school directors are often harried. If you’re smart or neurotic or both, a lot of questions will occur to you during the hiring process. While it’s the full-time job of the recruiter to answer these, a busy school employee will have much less time for niggling questions about the layout of your apartment. Either way, you want to be sure about your situation. Ask for the email address of a native teacher currently employed by your potential bosses. This should be no problem. If it is, you might wonder why. Google the institute or school. If there is a lot of negative feedback on Internet bulletin boards (see Wonderland Institute), you might look elsewhere. These bulletin boards can be wonderful sources of information in general (see links below). Scour them.
| www.esljunction.com | Great place to start |
| www.usembassy.gov | Thorough US embassy site – visa questions |
| www.efl-law.com | World legal service for TESOL teachers |
| www.eslteachersboard.com | ESL jobs, forums and fantastic links |
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Embassies Abroad
Web site provides Address, email and web site for US embassy in Seoul and great info for teaching English
Top 40 TEFL related links
Top 40 TEFL related links
How to Collect Severance Pay in South Korea
Addresses the practice of severance pay being denied in South Korea
xe.com
Universal Currency Converter
Dave’s ESL Café
Excellent info, forums and links
Using English
Resources for ESL – very good
EFL-Law.com
Comprehensive world legal service for TESOL teachers – excellent
ESL job find
Average
English Teachers Network
E-2 Visa info, consulate locations, job info
ESL Employment
Great employment site with lots of extra information
Work and Play in Korea
South Korean site with jobs, information and forums
Jobs Abroad
Unique combination of links and resources and jobs
USA Jobs
Office of Personnel Management job site
Avue Central
A federal employment service
Department of Defense
Department of Defense job search
US Department of State - US Embassies
Thorough US embassy site with links
Hi Teacher
Korea's Job Board for the English Teaching Professional
ESL Jack’s ESL Ring in Asia ESL Korea
Jack’s ESL Ring in Asia ESL Korea
Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Teach Abroad
Good job links with numerous links and resources
Expatriate Forums in South Korea
Excellent Expatriate Forums in South Korea
City Population
Population statistics of country, city, Great comparison charts
korea.net
Excellent general resource on South Korea – Government, economy, society, culture, arts and events
Blue Ocean Consultants
Jobs and other helpful links
South Korea Travel Report
Travel Center – links to safety/security, crime info and penalties, traffic info and medical facilities
tesall.com
Jobs, Blogs, and resources (lesson plans)
The Korean Hagwon Blacklist
Hagwon blacklist with forum and explanations
English School Watch
Identify problems and concerns about schools – very good
Flying Cows Consulting
– arranges placements in South Korea – good info
ESL Teachers Board
ESL jobs, forum, homestay, recruiter reviews, and materials (links to lessons) – SUPREME
Jon’s ESL page
Black and green lists - excellent
Great Pusan site
Everything you can imagine – excellent info on medical
Escape Artist
Living, banking, investing and working overseas – excellent
Transitions Abroad
Work, study, travel and live abroad - excellent
About.com - Geography
Maps and geography of Korea
Asian Info
Geography, regions, provinces and weather - excellent
Julice’s Korean job site
Julice’s Korean job site
4 International Careers & Jobs
Employment sites in Korea – every kind
My Career
Jobs site
Park English Recruitment Agency
Park English Recruitment Agency
Teach Korea
Jobs, forums and links
Cactus TEFL
TEFL job listings
ESL Junction
World job links, resources and training
Teach Koreanz and Teach Korean – USA Program
Cultural resource site
Seoul Searching - Housing
Everything about living in Seoul
Wikipedia - South Korea
Excellent overview of South Korea
US Department of State
Consular information sheet - excellent
Library of Congress Country Studies – South Korea
The definitive review of EVERYTHING South Korea
CATO Institute
Issue of private tutoring in South Korea
Seoul Searching - Money
South Korean currency
Wikipedia – South Korean Won
Detailed history of South Korean Currency
mdtravelhealth.com
Excellent travel medical issues in South Korea
Cell Hire
Cell phone rental in South Korea
Department of State - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Human rights issues in South Korea
iExplore.com
Shopping in South Korea
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Information shown on this website is the result of a collaborative effort by Dr. Rod E. Case and the EDS491/691 Special Topics in Teaching English
as a Second Language Class, Wintermester, 2007. |
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