I am ready for any questions!

[Dave]

I check this board daily, and I am ready for any questions that you might have about teaching English in Korea.

I am married to a Korean woman so I might also be able to provide you with some insights into the culture. Feel free to ask anything!

Dave

[dtracy]

Hey Dave:
Am curious about the cost of getting to Korea and getting setup in an appt, etc. Is is all out of your pocket or does the school/someone help with the $$?
Don

[Dave]

Great question, Don. Thanks for posting! Keep your wallet closed. When you sign a contract with a language school in Korea, they will pay for your airfare to come here and will also provide an apartment for you. Many schools offer spending money once you get here to give you a little cushion before your first paycheck. My school provided US$200 on request. Many people have recommended that you come here with at least US$500 and I concur. If you factor in that you may have a dodgy employer and things sour quickly, you might also want to have return airfare or at least some space on a credit card to get you out of a jam.

[Dean in Japan]

Dave,

Two questions: First, how difficult is it to get a teaching job at a university? Does one need any special degree or certification? Does it pay better than other types of schools?

Second, how is the food there?

Dean

[Dave]

Thanks for the post Dean and welcome to the board! University jobs are considered good positions because of the vacation time and the quality work environment. My university offers a month paid vacation, and I work 4 days per week when I do work. That's not bad. Universities will not play around with your pay or your benefits like language schools are notorious for doing. It eases the stress level considerably. These factors make the jobs competitive to acquire unfortunately.

I can share some other information about my particular situation but I can't tell you it is true of universities in general. I was told that an undergraduate degree in the humanities is preferred over science. That makes sense I suppose. Also there may be a preference for Americans at universities in South Korea. The way you present yourself in an interview is important, but to get an interview you don't need any special qualifications. Of course a master's degree would help, but it isn't critical.

Universities would like to see someone who is willing to spend some time in the country because they don't want to be bothered with hiring all the time! My school was happy to see that I was married to a Korean citizen and seemed pleased that I intended to spend a few more years here. An aside to this is that some English professors get fired for playing with their students, so if you are married or over 30 years of age that is a plus also.

The money is about the same as language schools. I was making about US$2000 per month at my language school, and the uni pays $2100 but with no free apartment which is not a big difference. I net a little bit less, but I can work overtime in all my spare time to make up the difference. Also, I only teach 18 hours per week and anything above this is overtime. Remember to factor in that cost of living is much lower than Japan. Hopefully Scott will be on the board soon and he can help us out with a comparison; he taught in Japan for several years.

Food? See the next post Dean! Thank you again for your question and please ask a follow-up if you would like!!!

[Dave]

As for food in Korea, I would have to give it a thumbs-up! Can you say "side dishes"? Koreans are nuts about side dishes. Traditionally a Korean woman is expected to present at least five side dishes at a family meal. You can sit down to a meal with a main course that you hate and still eat like a king because you will have side dishes of all kinds of noodles, vegetables, soups, fishes (anyone know why "fish" is not the plural in this case?), crab, and of course at least one or two variants of gimchee!

You know about gimchee, right? It is that fermented napa cabbage dish that is inundated with garlic. I think I eat more garlic in a day here than I would in a year back in Hawaii! Another huge plus is that Korean food is dirt cheap. If you want to eat for less than US $5 it is very easy to eat out. If you are a cook-at-home kind of person the local market will have an amazing array of foods for great prices. Here in the "deep south" we have tons of seafood which is nice.

More questions about the food? Please ask!

[orenjisun]

Hello
I'm new to the forum and I have some questions:

Where can I get information on jobs available in Korea?

Do I need to have degree in English course to teach English or it could be any degree?

Do the employers prefer to hire people from English native countries? I'm from Malaysia btw.

Do the employers prefers to hire male over female?

Thank you for your time.

Yarnie

[brucesims60]

Hi Dave:

I'm probably a bit different from your typical querent but frankly I have been trying to sort out the idea of teaching English in Korea and feel like I have been running in circles. Here is what I have to offer.

I'm 60y/o with both a Bachelors and Master's in Psychology. I'm retired from Federal Service here in the States and have been doing both Counseling and Teaching for most of the last 20 years here in Illinois where I am certified 6-12. Currently I teach PT at a local Community College and spend more than a little time with Genealogy, Literature, Writing and Research. The reason that I share all of this is that I feel that I have a lot to offer and am willing to take this whole process real slow in order to find a placement where I can really give the institution and my students the best I have.

What would be a good strategy for locating and connecting with the best fit for the qualifications I've shared. Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Jay]

I am a fresh-faced new university grad, and I'd like to teach English in Korea. But I'm kind of reticent about leaving my home and everything for a new place, only to find I'm living in a stairwell and working at a school that decides not to pay me. I do quality work, I'm pleasant, and get along with almost anyone, but you never know what you are going to get when you step on that plane.

So, I'm trying to do my research before I go to ensure that the likelihood of this happening is low. What do you know about Poly schools? Are they fairly reputable? I've found a couple of people who say they are good.

Can you give me any hints, red flags, or suggestions?

I know this is fairly broad, but basically, any information you can give me is important.

Thanks very much!
Jay.

[Suzy]

Do you know anything about Eduex recruiting?

[brandt]

Hi,

I'm interested in a position teaching English in Korea, but the web is inundated with sites that seem to be primarily for the placement of classified ads seeking teachers. This is the first resource I happened upon that wasn't like that. Can you recommend any good sites to visit for someone who's just getting started?

[BRIANNE]

Hi! I recently got a job offer in a Language School in Yongin South Korea. The school provides a studio apartment that is partially furnished. Are you able to tell me what kind of apartment conditions I should expect?

I am also wondering about taxes. What is the tax percentage deducted from my paycheck? Will I still be responsible for paying taxes in the US?

Did you teach in South Korea? If so, what are some of the challenges you faced and what are some tips you have to better prepare someone else? Thank you!