Country info and advice - South Korea
The following comments are from teachers who have taught, or are currently teaching, in South Korea. If you are a teacher and have some advice to share, please add it here.
South Korea is a challenging
place to live and work because of the language barrier. One year is a good
enough period for you to learn and understand the teaching style here. I don't
recommend this country if you are into serious teaching. South Korea is for those
who just want to have fun and for those who have no prior teaching experience.
There is plenty of work.
If you are coming to South
Korea, make sure you will be living somewhere along the Seoul subway line. I'm
stuck out in the middle of nowhere and bored senseless most of the time! Also
try to get a job in a public school or a university. A lot of Hogwon's are
really dodgy. After 6 months my boss has only just started paying my pension, I
still don't have medical insurance and I frequently have to remind him to
actually pay me!
Everyone's experience is
different. My best advice is to ask plenty of questions. Find out about
everything. Many of our teachers have found themselves in sub-standard housing
(bugs, mold, no heat, no hot water, etc.) Don't be afraid to find out what your
whole situation will be like before you go. It is important that you have a good
living situation. Be careful, as my recruiter told me not to ask questions as it
was considered rude. Don't follow this advice. Even a co-worker here who has
been here for over nine years says plainly: Ask questions!! If you don't, you
open yourself to a lot of problems. It's equally important to find out as much
as you can about your work situation. The school I work at has a manager who is
only interested in making money for the school. This includes giving low grades
to students (even if it's not deserved) in an effort to prevent students from
leaving the academy. He also has a definite bias against foreign teachers,
feeling they don't work as hard or as efficiently as our Korean counterparts.
Our staff is about half and half. Our manager also pushes quantity over quality.
In other words, he doesn't care as much about the students learning the material
as he does about them getting through the book. I'm a former Peace Corps
volunteer, I've had considerable experience living and working abroad. My
experience in Korea (from a work standpoint) was not very satisfactory. I hope
your experience will be better and that this bit of advice will help you.
There will be a lot of things
that might faze you when you first come to South Korea. A year here will
definitely toughen you up! You should get to grips with the alphabet early
because even though you might not be able to speak or understand Korean, if you
can read, it helps a lot. A lot of the words are 'Konglish' which means English
words phonetically translated into Korean so if you can sound out a word you'll
probably be able to understand what it means. The most important advice I can
give is to check stuff out fully before you commit to a job here. Aim for a
school with a good rep, good holidays, a boss who can speak English etc.
Research the school and you'll probably find something on the internet about
your area. Post any questions on forum websites. There are a lot of dodgy places
here that are just interested in making money so watch your back.
Get things in writing like promises to pay bonuses or flight money. It also
pays to get a job at a university if you can get one. The pay is maybe not as
good but it works out much better for holidays and overtime rate. And you don't
have to do crappy extra things like market days and speech contests.
Good luck!
Living in Korea is hard
especially if like me you are not in what I call a "foreigner friendly" place. I
live and work in rural South Korea up near the DMZ and the people here are very
warm and welcoming. However, the administration doesn't know how to deal with
the needs of a foreigner, especially with regards to living conditions. The
Korean culture and professional behaviour are very different from what one
experiences in many Western countries. My advice is to not judge them on your
own value system. This I find greatly reduces the frustration levels one feels.
Also if possible try and find work in either a public school or university,
though the money may be less there is more job stability. Doing your homework
about your employer and being aware of the possible pitfalls can greatly reduce
your chance of running into problems in Korea. Enjoy the opportunities this
country can offer though. Good Luck.
Working in a public or
government school is alright, but be careful accepting a position with a private
school, hagwon. There's a saying among hagwon owners in S Korea, "If I could
make more money selling kimchi..." English schools are big business here. They
don't all necessarily have the interests of the students, or teachers, at heart.
I would suggest getting references from previous teachers, and have everything
in writing. Contact the embassy as soon as you arrive.
Well, I have been teaching in
Korea for about 4 years now. I have had good moments and bad. I have taught at
private schools and in companies. I suggest teaching adults but I was lucky I
guess, because some people say that they don't like to teach adults so it's
mostly up to you. Right now I am teaching in a public school. I have a
co-teacher but I do most of the teaching, the only problem is most of the books
at public schools are written in Korean which brings up a problem with making
lessons. If anyone knows some good ways to handle large groups of students and
some handy lessons that would be great.
I haven't been teaching long
here in South Korea but my impression of the country, the people and the schools
so far is excellent. Both my husband and I are teaching in public schools, which
are not only well organised, but very welcoming and helpful to new teachers as
well. People have helped me out with so many things so far and I have found the
whole process of getting here and settling in to be really smooth. I have heard
that there are a lot of problems with private langauge academy owners and poor
conditions for teachers. In this case I would thoroughly recommend getting a job
in a public school.
I have been in Busan for 7
weeks after leaving a very boring and unsatisfying job in London. I am working
in a public elementary school and from what I've heard from other people working
in the academies I am extremely lucky. The academies give less time off and my
school is actually closed for normal lessons for 12 weeks per year. With this in
mind I will be doing a winter camp which I will be paid extra on top of my
normal salary. This is one of the perks of being in a public school. If you
decide to come here be prepared for the initial culture shock but don't be put
off by it. The people are really friendly most of the time and very willing to
help in any way they can. Money for teaching is low compared to England but the
cost of living here is so cheap. The beauty of working in Korea is that you can
do all the things you want to do and still have money left at the end of the
month to save. Now is definitely time to come here with the schools paying for
your flights and accommodation for a year, I don't think anywhere else in the
world does that but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Overall I would say if
you're not happy doing what you're doing now go for it!
Korea is the best place to
make money while teaching ESL. Unfortunately I see so many people here squander
all of their money on drinking and partying every night of the week. You don't
have to party to have a good time in Korea. You can travel for very cheap, dine
at good restaurants for prices a little better than US prices. Advice on picking
a good school: Talk to one of the foreign teachers who already teach at your
school. Get a VERY GOOD account of all aspects of daily teaching life that will
be important to you, such as do you get paid on time, do you work a split shift
(pain in the @$$), is there anything to do outside of work, are you close to
public transportation, how is the residence? My school provided me a very
comfortable residence and it's very clean, my boss cares about her employees and
takes care of us all whenever something goes wrong. In return, we have to be
flexible with her. We stay late some nights, maybe once a month I'm at work from
9 am to 6 pm, then a school function til 8:30 pm then mandatory staff dinner and
beers together until 11 pm. You have to be willing to scratch their back. A lot
of schools and employers take advantage of foreigners. A lot of residences are
terrible. But a lot of employers want to make this as easy as possible for you
because that means making it easy for themselves, too, so do your homework and
find a good school. Don't rely on blacklists, etc. Talk to someone who works
there. Talk to the person you are going to replace. If your potential school
won't provide you with that contact, move on. There are too many jobs available
here to put up with that kind of nonsense. It's SO WORTH IT to teach here.
Yes, the E2 visa is strict.
You even have to take an HIV test, this is just wrong, would they ask tourists
to do this?
Ladies, my South Korean
employer let me know that I didn't dress conservatively enough (and that just
means a v-neck sweater!). Be sure to pack some non-questionable clothes,
especially if you're not a small person. Korean sizes tend to be too small for
some westerners, and you certainly need to think about bra and shoe sizes.
Many of these people have said
to ask questions before coming. Bare in mind that you will not get a straight
answer. Koreans will do whatever it takes to get what they want. If they want
you they will promise the world to you, only upon you arrival you will see not a
single percentage of what was told holds true. I was told that my school had 6
other foreign teachers and we all would be living in the same apartment complex.
However, not only did my school not have 6 other foreign teachers, I was the
only and the first. I'm not going to say anything for my living arrangements,
hey it's a roof over my head, but it isn't even close to the pictures they sent
me. Don't believe what people say about the pay, they will not pay you what they
promise you. They won't even pay you what it says in the contract you sign.
There are so many loop holes along with no legal repercussions. My advice, if
you aren't going to be teaching in a Seoul public school, don't go, find another
country.
I've been in Gwangju for 180
days today, and am ready to return home to the USA. My schools are good and my
pay is regular; I have never had issue with those... it is my neighbors. I live
in a very decent flat, but it is populated by Koreans who are all attempting to
emulate the hard-partying frat lifestyle that I am told is actually very common
here - stomping and screaming and careening around literally at all hours of the
night. Between February and March I literally slept less than 2 hours a night,
and became susceptible to hallucination. When I ask local police or my
co-teachers for assistance, they ask around the building and report back to me
that "[all of the other residents] say there is no problem," and just walk away!
Nope, can't be the loud, drunk, inconsiderate locals... must be the foreign guy!
Again, my school environment is generally ok, my pay has never been slighted and
I live in a nice place, but am simply unable to function because of a lack of
rest and no assistance for to acquire any. I will likely be returning home in a
month or so as a consequence.
If you're a recent university
graduate, Korea is a great place to teach. You can pay off student loans, and
still live a comfortable lifestyle. Hagwon's (private academies) are extremely
sketchy, and I would advise you to accept a position at your local McDonalds
before working at a private institute. As for the public school system, it can
be worthwhile if you plan on only staying in Korea for a couple of years. It's a
shame that Korea's public school system offers no real incentives for serious or
qualified teachers. As you gain more experience and become more qualified, (ie:
CELTA, TESOL, B.Ed, M.A etc..) the opportunities to find teaching jobs where the
benefits are commensurate with one's experience and qualifications are few and
far between. Even with a teacher's certificate and 10 years of ESL experience,
you'll almost never make more than 3 million won a month ($30 000 USD per year).
If you do happen to make more than this, be sure to expect long working hours,
very basic accomodation, and very little vacation time. Pretty insulting if you
ask me (especially considering the fact that Korean "English teachers", most of
whom can barely speak 3 words of English, can expect to make about 5 million won
per month with the exact same experience and qualifications. All in all, Korea's
a great place to teach for people who want to gain ESL experience, pay off
student loans and party like a rock star. For those who are looking for a real
teaching career, I'd suggest that you look for employment elsewhere.
My advice is research,
research, research. Don't leave anything to chance. Contracts are a year long
and if you have to break that contract you can probably forget about being able
to work in Korea again until that visa has expired. I have started making audio
recordings of my experiences of living and working in South Korea that can be
obtained at www.hagwonreflection.000a.biz
Teaching in Korea, is really
like a lot of other people said rolling the dice. First things first you are a
foreigner and therefore lesser then a Korean. I knew a lot of public school
teachers and their experience seemed different but I also heard about a lot of
the same too. It doesnt matter the size of a hagwon they are all kind of cut
from the same cloth, I worked for one of the bigger ones in my area and it still
was shady. I did get paid on time, but they were always real secretive about a
lot of things until my last day on the job I wasnt confident in them. As far as
research goes, thats kind of a joke too, fact is most hagwons close so even if
they get reported its a good chance they are closed anyways which makes the idea
even looking funny. Which leads to another point hagwons close and open like it
rains. If they close that means you dont get anything if you are working for
them, I had several friends have to deal with this problem. Contracts as many
people have alluded to are jokes and truthfully they are only used against you
in most matters. Before I came to Korea I was under the impression that most
people would be decent people, how I was very wrong, my head teacher (foreigner)
would bad mouth me to students was generally a douchebag and the Korean
management did nothing despite my complaints. The other foreign teachers I
worked with generally displayed toxic behavior too. Korea just generally employs
most of the people you thought sucked back home. The bosses and management, I
would say that for the most part they were useless and shady. They will do
anything to screw you over in the interest of making a buck, quite frankly most
Koreans I met in this field were just shade better than people that actually
steal. The treatment I received and the way they did things anywhere else I
would have grounds for suing their ass, but this is Korea. Intimidation was
always used to keep workers in place. The living conditions in Korea were okay,
most people partied too much and it got old after a while. My apartment was
small but compared to other peoples it was bigger, if you come expecting a big
western apartment you will be in for a shock. To sum up all the parts, if you
want to teach in Korea, then just be aware that its a losing battle. The chance
of finding a decent job are slim and even after that there is still other
factors. I would compare teaching in Korea to being a slave, you dont have any
rights and people look down at you.
I spent 18 months teaching in
S. Korea. It was my first teaching assignment outside the USA. Most of the
children were wonderful. There is a language barrier outside areas like Seoul.
Korean food is the norm (tasty but way too spicy). If you are anything but a
small built foreigner then clothes and shoes will be a challenge to find. I have
found that there are countries better than Korea to teach in. The food is way
too spicy, the women not too friendly, and the cultural barriers too apparent.
Of course there are exceptions, but they are the EXCEPTIONS!
I have worked at both public schools,
hagwons and at universities in Korea. Hagwons are the ones with the least amount of job
security and continually look for ways to cut corners especially with their foreign staff.
I have found that if a dispute occurs that the foreigner is usually painted as the bad
guy irrespective of the issue.
Public school has a certain amount of job security, but in saying that it is a year-by-year
thing, if the school doesn't get enough funding or the student numbers decrease then the
likelihood is that you will lose your job. There is no such thing as a career for a
foreign English Teacher in Korea, it is a year-by-year process. The ony way you can
make a career is by marrying a Korean and opening your own hagwon, but even that has its pitfalls.
I would seriously recommend any first timers in Korea to thoughly research any
prospective hagwons before making the commitment of coming here. Publioc school
and Universities are a lot more secure and generally follow the contract, even though the governing language is Korean.
Don't come here. I cannot stress that enough. Don't come here.
I am typing this from the extremely cold English room of my drafty school in Busan.
I am employed through the "EPIK" program and while the money has arrived on time every
month this job is not worth what they pay. You will be treated as a 4th class citizen.
If you are mistreated YOU will be ganged up on since it WILL be your fault and THEY will accept NO blame.
Since being here I have been avoided as though I have the plague by the 95% of the adults from day 1,
been screamed at by a co-teacher for asking what number she wanted from my passport (she is literally a mental case),
constantly having to deal with passive aggressive put downs (until I stopped it in a not so nice way),
never being told when the school was having a holiday or when classes were not going to happen (it's
not fun showing up to work with no one there), and also being harassed by the vice principle to hang
with her husband who wanted a token foreign pet (I've met him, he is creepy. He really wanted to hang
out with anybody foreign just because). Speaking of such, my wife and I along with another
person were "kidnapped" and taken to an impromptu get together with the landlord. This wasn't bad
except that while eating some kind of fried rice the landlord's wife actually took the chopsticks
out of our hands and gave us forks to eat with. I put my fork down and picked the chopsticks back up
and she forcefully put the fork back into my hands (I cannot stress how odd everyone felt) and watched
like some kid who was looking at an interesting insect. I guess "foreign" things like watching fork
usage make people fell special? It's not even about skin color because everyone at the table pretty much
looked similar.
You can be Asian, African, White, whatever if you are not Korean AND from KOREA you
are garbage to these people. The only ones that I have not had trouble with are the kids (after some
discipline). I also noticed that the mental case of a co-teacher that I have has no concern for the
children at all. There was a child crying right before class with two other third graders around him
and they were fairly close to her I was looking expecting her to do what she was supposed to do and
take care of the kid. Well, guess who had to walk all the way across the room and use his limited
Korean to find out whom hit whom? This person doesn't even know how to discipline these children.
For the first month or so these kids were throwing paper, passing notes, running around and talking
so loud that I couldn't hear the "teacher" during classes. I had to start punishing AND mommying the
kids when they needed it.
GARBAGE best describes all that I have seen here from countless negative
experiences to the condition of the poorly built country. The whole country seems to be built on
lies and excuses. The rest poorly constructed concrete buildings that tend to lean to one side or the other.
When they ostracize you its Korean "culture" its also Korean culture when they don't follow your contract
when benefits them not too, its more of a guideline after all in Korean culture! I have also never been
lied to for pointless things so much before. I was told that the principle was the one who wrote our
English instructional book. She can't speak English. That Koreans invented Ramen noodles, and...
I just can't go on but there were some VERY stupid ones as well. This could actually be viewed as
funny but it was more scary than funny at times.These people should really be in a mental institution
in some cases. How can they be around children!?
Don't come here! I mean it. I wish that they would pass legislation requiring recruiters to have a
heart but they won't so just DON'T COME HERE. Our recruiter emailed a week into orientation to
request a review of how things were in Korea. After that we heard not one peep. They should have
called during the first month. Or they should have called after some crazy guy tried to push my
wife against the stairs in the subway station. He got dealt with but had a cop been present I don't
think he would've been on her side. Do your own research you'll see what I mean. Just so you know
this school is about a 10 minute subway ride from Haeundai beach. This is actually one of the nicer
(heh-heh) areas in Korea so don't think that "horror stories"/ mistreatment cases are dependent on
being in a "rural area “or in a Hagwon. Korea is a small country.Thankfully I only have one more month here.
Do not come here. Do not come here. Do not come here.
There are plenty of other places to teach ESL. This garbage is too insane to deal with uness you
are crazy yourself. Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Vietnam... anywhere but Korea.
01/31/2011: current up to date experience-nothing has changed-it may be worse.
Don't listen to any recruiter(period). Don't listen to any Youtuber who NEVER has anything
negative to say about the place. Anyone who doesn't tell the whole truth has an agenda.
"Well, it's what you make of it"
"Hmmm, prison is what you make of it! You have time to work out and read...."
Wow Vincent, you've had an unusually
bad experience. I feel bad for you. I wish you'd ended up in a better school, because
there are many good schools with good co-teachers. I'm also teaching with EPIK and majority
of my friends who are teaching here have had good experiences. In fact, really good experiences.
I've been in South Korea for over 6 months now, working at a public school and I must say that
it's been a challenging but 'good' experience. My co-teachers are all really polite and people
have been so nice to me. I'm South African, so I thought they might treat me differently,
but really, there are so many charming and kind people who just want to know about your language and culture.
Yes, in Korea there is certainly a hierarchy, with the eldest Korean teachers being at the top
of that hierarchy. If you are a foreign teacher, you don't have any say in what goes on, in
essence you're a newbie and at 'the bottom' of the hierarchy. It's really hard but if you
try to adapt to Korean culture and are polite and do your job, in most cases you won't have
a problem... Teaching in Korea turns out to be a different experience for everyone but it's
true that it's what you make of it. Sorry for your circumstances this time vincent. Korea is
not all bad and it's a pity you didn't get to see it!
Working in Korea has drained my spirit and my health,
my mental energy. I no longer have the will to keep going here. I've fallen under the worst spells of
depression here. There's a constant aggression in Korean society, lots of pushing and shoving,
no personal space. Every time I get on a bus, or a cafe I feel like there are lots of loud, and
inconsiderate people pushing to be first. In my workplace I have experienced this passive aggressive hostility,
not being told it's a holiday and finding an empty school, events and picture day being told to me the morning of -
and many more instances. I'm leaving in a month and I'm so overwhelmed with all the stress here.
I won't have as money saved as I thought, and the social life here is horrible. The only options
are going to the "noraebangs" (singing rooms), PC rooms, drink yourself silly, and drink some more.
It's not easy to meet people here, as the people here are very cold and unfriendly and unapproachable.
Even if you manage to strike up a conversation it's AWKWARD as hell. I've gotten lots of weird looks,
and attitude, but I will admit there are some really cool and friendly Koreans, but it's not that often
that I meet someone who exudes warmth.
The only reason I managed to get through my time here was that I found a boyfriend. But having friends?
The ones I did make they left once their contract finished up! Be careful when you come hear, think about it,
and realize it's another dimension, and world out here. The weather is oppressively cold, it's been 7 straight
months of freezing, horrible temperatures. It never lets up summers are muggy, humid, cloudy from the dust (?)
be prepared air quality is horrible. Health wise I lost motivation to be active, you might gain some weight if
you're not careful. Vegetables and fruits are expensive, unless you like eating pickled vegetables.
Don't come here if you're expecting to run away from your problems back in your home country whether
it's economic, or personal problems. I see lots of foreign teachers walking around who look completely
on edge and stressed, and are at the brink.
I've only been here a month and already I want to quit.
Hogwons just want to use you and will never help you. I came for the experience and not really for the
money plus I stupidly believed everything my recruiter told me.
So my working experience sucks and so does the money. My living experience is so-so (lol).
My experience of teaching and working in South Korea is completely negative. I wish I had done more research
before I came but I think most of what you learn you learn in Korea.
On the flip side, Daejeon, where I live, is an interesting city and experiencing another culture is always
rewarding and helps to build character etc. But having a shitty job and expending a lot of energy on getting
your Hogwon to give you what they promised can quickly destroy any good feelings you may have towards where you live.
My advice. Either find another country to teach in or research as much as you can before you come.
And always get everything in writing and ask to speak to one of the foreign teachers already working there.
Simply put...ask...ask and ask and don't stop asking until they give you and answer or until you decide they
aren't going to give you an answer!
AND OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE...
Don't come for anything less than say 2.3 million won. It's not worth it if you do.
Go public. My experience (thus far) has been at a hagwon.
I know dozens of people at other hagwons and public schools, and those at public schools are generally happier.
My sentiment (that is shared with many other teachers) is that I hate my job, but I love Korea.
Korean people are fairly friendly and the culture reminds me a lot of the south. The food is delicious.
People respect their elders (though foreigners are exempt no matter how old). Walk around during the day
and you will find yourself surrounded by women. They never work. It is just baby after baby and pedicure
after brunch after haircut. The women are constantly recovering from some sort of plastic surgery to look
like the people you probably will be leaving behind. Don't get me wrong, Korean women are gorgeous, but
they are completely vain.
Additionally, DO make sure you are close to the subway. There is nothing worse than spending time in the sticks.
Tall stacks of singing rooms, pc rooms, chicken diners, pizza shops, gyms, and cafes (rarely with coffee) --
none of which are interesting or house interesting people. Outside of university areas, no one speaks English.
Even after studying English for years, most people can't or won't (usually won't) speak English.
They are so ashamed to speak English that they won't even give you directions unless you beg.
Humiliating, but Koreans beg like crazy. At first I thought it was just my students, but when I go
out and meet people, they ALWAYS ask how much money I make or have and want me to buy them food.
Now for the worst part: the school.
I work at a private academy. The students take a placement test which without fail places them in the
wrong class. Two students might be on the same level, but one has been studying for four years longer
(and is basically slow and stupid). Highly motivated students are washed out by noisy, obnoxious, and
disrespectful ones. I started teaching my second day. I had 6 classes. I was handed a book and told,
"Teach this." Some of my co-teachers cannot even speak enough English to tell me what they want me to do:
"5 time" and a cryptic piece of paper is all I get. Students usually fall into 3 categories: (1) young,
excited, and perfect, (2) disrespectful, or (3) exhausted. In the afternoon, I am usually babysitting
tired middle schoolers. Anyone who has a basic understanding of psychology knows that children (i.e. little versions of people)
respond to incentives. First of all, most hagwons have no grades. I won't even go into how insane this
is, but I'll stop by saying grades are a motivator. I made up a few games, but only one or two were any good.
My co-teachers did not give me any suggestions on how to keep the young students interested yet learning.
Other foreign teachers were infinitely more helpful on the subject. Candy and stars (to earn candy) are
sometimes decent incentives, but unless you are willing to have a half a dozen kids latch on to you or
shove their book in your face every time you give out stars or candy, don't do it. I usually give candy
to my older students because if you look them in the eyes and strongly say no, they will stop begging.
Homework is a joke. One of my teachers asks that I assign homework three times a week. Each day,
one or two students comes to school with their homework done. I always tell the co-teacher who did
and who did not do their homework and some days she chews them out in Korean (the only way to get
a handful of homework sheets). There is an inexhaustible supply of whines from the students. I know
that I am following horrible teachers because all of my students expect from day one to play hangman
after 10 minutes. I shake my head and try my hardest to compete with hangman while helping them learn.
What I cannot figure out is why my director insists on making me feel like I am a failure and I could
lose my job at any moment. I replaced TWO very bad foreign teachers, but he still uses intimidation
to get me to work as hard as possible.
The culture of Korea is well worth taking note of and the people are generally friendly. There
is plenty to do on Saturday night in Seoul. My recommendation, however, is that you insist on
teaching at a public school (day work). DO NOT be the only teacher. You may think you can handle it
(and you probably can), but it is not worth leaving all of your friends to spend half of your weeknights alone.
You will get NO help from your Korean co-teachers and have to rely on the internet for entertainment, knowledge,
communication, etc. and live an utterly sedentary lifestyle.
Jesus, a lot of what people have posted here seems
to be a load of self pitying guff, poorly worded and grammatically incorrect guff may I add (I thought
you were English teachers?).
Yes living in another culture is hard, what made you think it wouldn't be? So you had some bad experiences.
So bloody what? Why would you fill this post with scaremongering rubbish advising people against coming? Surely you must
realise that your solely negative views on South Korea are the minority? Did you think that everything
was going to be a bed of roses, your co teachers or other members of staff carrying you through like you
were the most important and best thing that's happened to them and the school? Just because your high
and mighty expectations were dashed you have no right to spew opinionated bile in order to deny people
the experience you clearly craved and didn't get because of a mixture of bad luck and not knowing how
to effectively navigate sticky situations through applying common sense.
Let's be clear. You are not important. You are an employee, that is all. Not a superstar, not the best
thing since sliced bread, a regular (bottom ranking) foreigner, somebody who might be seen as a hindrance
if you do not understand Korean, somebody who may need looking after (a hassle in their already busy and stressful lives).
This is not a bad thing depending on how you deal with it, but it seems many of you were deluded in what
your status would be when you applied for the work, that you would sweep in and everyone will fall at
your feet. Did you think about first impressions? Did you bring a gift for your employer and staff?
Even small tokens go a long way. I doubt the thought crossed your mind though.
Build bridges as soon as you arrive. Research the culture not just the job. A lot of the comments made
in previous posts lack any sympathy or understanding of Korean culture, if you do your homework
things won't be so tough. Remember you are in their culture so be mindful to respect it and adapt
to it, even gestures towards making the effort, even if you make a mistake, are seen as an effort made
and are greatly appreciated, rather than being completely ignorant of them. Somethings you may
dislike or not agree with. Some advice. Swallow your pride, attitude, opinions and pre conceptions
and go with the flow. It makes things so much easy than fighting it, which in turn will make you
miserable (such as some of the people posting in this thread)
So you had trouble making friends? My guess is you didn't try hard enough, you expected friends to
come to you instead of being proactive and getting out there.
I am particularly annoyed by the xenophobic comments made by people in this thread that are bordering
on the outright racist, clustering a whole nation of people through their own warped vision and
pathetically self absorbed outlook on life...
Vincent, I'm looking at you mate, you sound like a dislikeable individual, childish, bemoaning
and incredibly petty. I can understand frustration at your school, if it's all true it sounds
horrible, but I have had horrible jobs back home, constantly abused and frustrated by members of
staff and customers but it's work, you find the positive aspects of it and do not dwell on the
negatives, your work should not dictate your life.
You sound like a dweller. A massive dweller. Dwellers shouldn't be listened to, they should be ignored.
And to the comment made about the food being too spicy, a comment made to deter people from
working in South Korea, I say you are an idiot. It's not too spicy it's too spicy for you,
not everyone else just you, it's an opinion not a fact and in no way helpful.
Please do not be put off by all these people fractured and distorted experiences, it's just a
view, their view point and how they have interpreted certain situations - it is not concrete.
I'm working in a public school in Masan and yes certain aspects have been very hard. Making
friends is a tricky one, what you need to do is find a common interest (music/film etc) use
the internet and find people. This is what I have done and it has worked a treat. You really
need to put yourself out there, it is very easy to find yourself sitting at home alone,
feeling sorry for yourself, thinking why haven't I made any friends. Remember you came out
here on your own, there isn't anybody waiting for you, you need to go and find them!
Thanks Sam!
I am "between careers" and figured a year in Korea might be a great experience.
After reading all these negative posts u was having second thoughts. I've actually been
there (3 times!) but only for short stays, though enough to get some idea of the kind of
hardships that one could face out there. Seriously though, these posters really make it
sound like an oppressive 3rd world dictatorship, which it wasn't by any standards.
Koreans I met were great for the most part, loved meeting foreigners and went
(often overwhelmingly) out of their way to make me feel welcome. That's of course
once they know you. It does sound a bit like some of the posters here were expecting
special treatment or something? Having said all that though, I know enough about the place to believe that doing your
homework and finding a good employer will make a HUGE difference.
PS you sound British? I'm Irish. Kind of hoping to find the odd Irish and Brit
knocking about... might soften the culture shock a bit when I'm getting homesick :)
Wow Sam, now I know why they say women
are more empathetic than men. Maybe you shouldn't be so hasty to pass judgement over someone
you barely know. Vincent very well may have had a bad experience in Korea. Some people adapt
to particular cultures better than others. For example, I felt a lot more comfortable in Latin
America than Spain. It doesn't mean Spain's trash. It's just my personal preferance.
And Paul, why would you assume Sam sounds British? Are you insinuating that Americans are
unable to adapt to other cultures? If so, you need to rethink that one because I've come across
plenty of "ugly Brits" abroad on vacation. Don't be too quick to judge or assume. Peace!
I hate teaching in the Hagwon with selfish little brats.
Korean parents don't know how to discipline their children and let them do whatever they want. When the spoiled
little brats come to school, they expect to run all me over and do whatever they want in the classroom. There
are some children you will adore, and some children you wish they weren't born. I don't have much problems with
the children, I always knew how to set a brat straight. But i do have a BIG problem with the parents.
Korean parents expect us to magically make their children speak and write fluent English. Children learn very
quickly, but they are not geniuses, they have a very short attention span and it is very stressing when you have
to teach little spoiled brats that don't want to listen or get out of their seats whenever they feel like, or talk
to their friends when i'm giving directions.
Just because you speak English perfectly, doesn't mean teaching is easy the first time, it requires special skills
and a lot ALOT of patience... =___= *drinks a shot of soju*.
I have been living and working in South Korea for 18 months
now and in this time i have been producing a website, mainly based around the "foodie" side of things. it should
be useful for any people who are thinking of coming to South Korea. Some posts may not be completely relevant but
hopefully it can help some - lizziestastyjourney.blogspot.com/
All of these posts have been very helpful. I plan on teaching in South Korea
soon and I was looking for some advice. I have learned not to teach in a hagwon because most
of the posts that are negative are from people that have taught in a hagwon. I am nervous but excited
at the same time and I can't wait to go. Thank you all so much!
I lived in South Korea a few years back in a city called
Ulsan and I'd have to agree with a lot of the negative stuff I've read here, even though I was lucky in that
I could sort of pass as a Korean (half white and half Native American). Of course this caused problems of a different sort.
For example I was with a male friend (from New Zealand) shopping at a department store in downtown Ulsan when
out of the blue a Korean man started yelling at my friend and then tried to pick a fight with him. Neither me or
my friend could speak Korean and didn't know what his problem was. The Korean man only stopped when I tried to
calm my friend down and the Korean guy heard me speak. I now know it was because he thought I was a Korean woman
out with a foreigner, something strongly looked down upon I guess.
Overall I found South Koreans extreamly passive aggressive and totally adverse to being honest. They will lie all
the time but as I understand it now, it's done to keep things running smoothly in the moment. Only later do you
realize you need to learn to read between the lines or be prepared to get the cold shoulder (or stink eye) and
have no clue what it's about until you're pulled into a room and chewed out.
The children are adorable though and really want to learn (except the exhausted ones who try to sleep in class).
Hmmm i see strange and shocking views here.
I am wondering am i in the right country. I'm in a public school and i know i've been here a short while
but i've been helped every step of the way. Yes i agree i will have shit days but i didn't think it
was this bad. Yes, private schools, i have heard, are bad but i can't find any problems bar the bus drivers they are crazy.
Sorry for you guys who seem to have hit a bad note maybe i was one of a small lucky few by the sounds of it.
I agree with the so-called "negative" posters.
We are not negative, we are just observant. I am sick of the racism I deal with on a daily basis.
I'm sick of the passive-aggression of the teachers I work with. Overall, my apartment isn't bad
(but I hear that's rare), and the director himself is nice enough, except that he takes pictures of
me when I'm not looking with his phone, and doesn't mind his own business...oh and makes fun of me for every non-Korean thing I do.
I do all right with the children, although I teach directly from a book (God forbid I do something
that's not directly from the book). I am the only foreign teacher at my hagwon, and the Korean teachers
are just assholes to me. Everything I do is wrong (except my teaching, my teaching is "excellent"... what
the hell else should matter?), from keeping my door open or shut, from being too hard on the kids to not
being hard enough, they constantly contradict themselves with insults.
Overall, if you have a really thick skin, and left a very shitty situation at home, Korea will not seem that bad.
Otherwise, really really really think it through...a year is a long time...longer than you realize. Just pick another country.
I'm not on here to give advice but instead
looking for some guidance. You guys seem to be pretty active on this blog I thought i'd throw out some questions.
I have had a few interviews over the last few weeks and I got rejected first because of my
ethnicity and then due to religion (Bizarre, I know!!!) I mean this itself has been quite
discouraging but then yesterday my recruiter called and said I got a job offer in Chang-dong,
Seoul for a private school: Plus Academy. Has anyone heard about it? Not sure if I should go for it,
any thoughts? suggestions? Anything would be helpful at this point. Thanks!
Wow, I am shocked to read such horror stories regarding teaching in Korea.
I live in the middle east and teach English to about fifteen Korean kids. It is fantastic. The money is excellent (I charge
hourly rates), and they always pay on time, if not, in advance!! I am treated with the up most respect, always given refreshments
and my students parents are very friendly and always inviting me for dinner etc. So much so, I considered going to Korea to work,
thanks so much for the insight, I think I will stay put here. I must say though, they are very competitive and always trying to
out do each other, good for me, as if one doubles a lesson, they all follow. I was teaching Arabs, but much prefer the Korean
students, they are always so eager to learn.
This is more about the culture than the work environment.
Korea is liveable... but far from ideal. First off the whole place is ugly, the buildings are godawful and
there is very little in the way of nature (their ideas about natural preservation are nonexistent as far as
I can tell). There are lots of great people, but they are in the minority. And even Koreans who don't mean
to be offensive are by dint of their culture. In Korea hitting someone in the shoulder on the street is not
only normal, it may be mandatory. I once looked down to adjust my IPOD and it was sent flying out of my hands
as someone just happened to smash into me. Koreans also spit everywhere. THEY SPIT EVERYWHERE. This dovetails
nicely with the litter they toss all over.
They, at least the men, spend about one hour in the public bathroom admiring their hair and makeup, without
even contemplating using the soap. Different Culture. They are blunt. Some people find them refreshingly blunt.
I prefer tactful people. They are hard to find in Korea. They ask ridiculously offensive questions. They are very childish.
People drink too much - everyone. Why? There is nothing else to do.
Koreans are also extremely homophobic and yet you cannot get the men to stop groping each other. I am from
Toronto, have been around gay people most of my life, Korean men take the touching too far. Going out with a
group of Koreans is fun, sit back and watch how quickly the men all group together and ignore the women. I stay
with the women - who I find better in almost any culture, but especially in Korea.
Another thing to watch in Korea is the superficiality of the people. There are no women who have not had some
surgery to enhance their looks (which means look more like the white monkeys). Koreans also believe, and perhaps
many people do, that your value is based on your looks. You are as good as you look. Books are judged by their
covers - and in Korea this makes sense because most of the pages are blank.
I know this sounds harsh. But if you go there, you will find out. The good thing is that there are so many expats
that most people find a group and hang out with them - and of course get the obligatory Korean girlfriend who won't
admit she's dating you ... blah blah blah.
In summation ... don't go. ha. Or go, drink, and get used to being groped by business men regardless of what your gender is.
South Korea was great for me for my year teaching there.
Private schools get almost NO vacation during the year, which can be very hard, but the classes were very
good and the students were well behaved, hard-working, and fun. The public schools get more vacation but
the classes can be harder to manage and seem to have less serious curriculum (I did not teach public, that
is just what I have gathered from talking to others). Either way, I have talked to people who loved both of them.
The country is good. It has great festivals, great transportation, and lots of stuff to do. Keep an eye on
travel groups and the tourist websites for lots of stuff all the time. Many foreigners love it and don't want
to leave after a year. I can't blame em'; life is easy there. = )
Geez. I'm about to go public with my own bad experience in South Korea.
Generally, I try to keep it in and put on a smiling face.
I've taught in South Korea before. This is my fourth year. I have my MA degree. My first year was at a hakwon, my second
two at a university, and my fourth was at a hakwon. I stupidly thought that taking another hakwon position after being at
a uni would be a great experience--a chance to teach children again and to whip my butt into gear after cushy uni positions of 12-16 teaching hours a week.
Wrong. It's been a nightmare. The curriculum is a disaster. We use American textbooks and it's a reading/writing based
curriculum. No---I repeat---no ESL certified instructor would ever recommend such a boring curriculum for elementary and
middle school kids. As a result, they've been less than engaged in the classroom setting.
On top of it, the director has been generally unpleasant and unsupportive. Like other posters on here, I've received
contradictory comments from her regarding my teaching, including that I was "too nice to the kids" and yet "too severe."
What I found to be the most offensive, as well as the most persistent, was when she's said that "You purpose here is not
to educate students. The Korean teachers do that. Your purpose here is to entertain students."
What makes this whole situation extremely difficult is the fact that, without order in the classroom, students descend into chaos.
In my worst classes, students swear at me in Korean and have taken out their exacto blades to pretend-stab each other. When
this occurs, I establish order. And of course, the kids complain that I'm no fun when they're not allowed to swear and defile the classroom.
The kids know what's going on, and the milk the situation. When I tried to catch kids attention and get them to stop shooting
pieces of lead onto the ceiling (using a contraption made from their lead dispenser and glue) one student actually had the nerve
to say to me, "Teacher, we pay money to be here. Why? We should have fun."
It just feels like a no-win situation between keeping the kids happy so they won't complain to their parents and making sure the
classroom is safe and learning is occurring.
After six months of intense anxiety over the situation, I gave my resignation. I would have pulled a midnight run and had considered
it, but she had all my references and my job history, and I was afraid she'd call them all to complain I'd left high and dry.
Although my contract stated that I needed to only give 30 days notice, she demanded 60 days, a step down from the 90 day demand.
She threatened to contact my recruiter unless I did. The implicit threat was that the recruiter would attempt to make me pay their
recruitment fee (a thousand dollars), even though my contract stated nothing of that nature.
As it is now, I'm counting down the final days--I have five more weeks. It's been a hellish experience and I can only hope my director
honors her agreement to pay me my final paycheck in cash, especially since I'm leaving the country two days after I finish, and legally
cannot fight for my paycheck once I'm outside of the country.
In short, if I knew what I knew now about hakwons, I never would have taken the job. I believe much of my trouble had to do with the
fact that her hakwon is struggling financially. I also found out that if hakwon directors want to screw you out of money, it's very
easy for them to do so, and it can be very hard to seek redress.
I was fortunate with my first hakwon--it was run extremely well and the administration was supportive. AND THE CURRICULUM WAS TOP NOTCH.
They had great textbooks and resources for me to use at my convenience. I've found out the hard way that teaching really sucks when you're deprived of those things.
I can't tell you how happy I will be when it's finally over.
My experience in Korea was FANTASTIC! I can't believe how many people
have written here that teaching in Korea is awful! I worked at a private Hogwon (just outside Seoul) and my
co-workers and bosses were always respectful, paid me on time (even in advance if when I asked a couple times),
and were always very reasonable and always fair.
I worked hard and had fairly long hours 10-7 but showed up at 9:30, and it was tiring but rewarding.
Some people have posted comments like "don't come to teach in korea", "it's awful and they won't pay you on time"
meanwhile these people state they worked at one school...there are bad schools out there just like there are bad
managers in Western countries!!! Take everything people on here write with a grain of salt. I'm TESOL certified and
actually teach TESOL courses, and have worked in other Asian countries too. Living in Asia is not for everything and
I think some of the people on here have just not adjusted well in Asia.
Before signing a contract talk to teachers at the school and listen to what they have to say. Not all schools are bad,
in fact, there are many great opportunities out there!
P.S. it is not hard to meet in Korea at all!!! There are great programs such as "Adventure Korea" that organize big
trips every month. I would say it was definitely easier to meet people and make friends in Korea than in Japan!
Be open-minded and enjoy the country! It's a beautiful one and the people can be the most amazing people you've ever met
as long as YOU are respectful of their culture.
I honestly don't understand it when people say Korean food is spicy.
I'm not trying to be a overly macho "manly man" either. Not spicy at all. It looks spicy and Koreans will tell you its spicy.
It's not. I work at a public elementary school through SMOE in Seoul and it is Par.
Don't be fooled into into thinking that you can easily save 1,000USD a month in Seoul. Not on a public school teachers salary,
2-2.5 mil roughly. Maybe if you illegally teach privates on the side. After all bills and the exchange rate, it will be hard.
If you don't have a phone, go out 2-3 a month and eat ramen noodles, then you can. Don't flame me for partying every day, I go out probably once a week.
This might sound like a strange complaint but if you work at a public school it will be COLD in the winter. I am
literally cold 8 hours a day. I wear a winter coat, gloves and a scarf inside WITH the heat on. I seriously don't understand it.
One thing that shocked me was how misbehaved the students are. There is a stereotype that Korean students are the best
behaved students in the world due to culture, emphasis on studying and family structure. This is not true at all. I have
a korean co-teacher and she is certified, experienced and can speak Korean and still has a lot of problems with discipline.
There is no way I will live in Korea for another year. it feels like a lamer version of America.
The honest truth is Koreans have issues with African Blacks, they don't want Blacks in their schools. Teaching is a vocation, you cannot teach because you have a degree in Engineering and white skinned, I pity them deeply, they are still missing the point. The truth is in Asia if you are Black you cannot get a teaching position except when they are desperate and for a contract to be renewed you must bring God down to earth. The excuse would be 'accent', for them who have been taught by so called Americans they have nothing to show, in all these schools every year they have an American English teacher but even the Korean English teacher cannot even express herself in English. Wake up Koreans. Stop this obssession. Learn to speak English first, and the accent will follow.
My partner and I worked in a well known hagwon in Gwangju for three months. We worked our tails off teaching 8 lessons in a row, then a one hour private every day. Coming home exhausted to a cramped apartment that we both shared. After 3 months we were fired without much explanation because a couple of parents complained (we were teaching over 100 kids each week). I still consider this a good academy because we were paid, and they gave us a release letter and I didn't come on this forum to complain. Rather to express how surprised I am.
We are now working in a public school near the DMZ. The people here are so friendly, work is so relaxed and easy going. I am actually being paid more money for working less hours. Also we now get to live in a proper apartment which is warm and has 2 spare rooms. The faculty have also been very nice taking us out for lots of meals.
I guess it just goes to show, that there are good academies and there are bad academies. You hear the horror stories, but it doesn't mean that all schools in Korea are bad. Public schools are safer and generally treat teachers a lot better than hagwons which are just there to make money.
Koreans are great in general and you ought to come here with a open heart and mind... Complaining about Korean society and work conditions ultimately leads no-where and in the end, you're not a slave - if miserable just go home! One shouldn't see teaching English here as a carreer choice. This is a one or two year life expirement at best...I've been here for three years and while my experiences have been mostly good - I'm now at a point where I can see that while teaching English in Korea can be very exciting and interesting - it's ultimately a dead end job for about 95% of the foreigners living here. Hogwans are a joke. Increasingly they are becomming more "corporate" ...insisting on teaching boring standarized lesson plans that leave any "real teacher" feeling more like a cold and impersonal robot. Students are bored because most want to "make a good relationship with a foreigner," while teachers are beholden the heartless, stringent ways of "the system."
Public schools are a little better in that you get more money, vacation days and often a better apartment - but you'll be teaching classes of 40 to 50 kids with mixed levels...also you'll most likely have zero help from your co-teacher. You'll also most likely have no books or workbooks - which basically means you'll be reduced to circus clown status - always running around acting like a fool - trying to get the students to notice you - In a public school you might be the only foreigner so you'll be seen a freak by everyone - students and teachers alike...you will NEVER be treated as an equal to the other Korean teachers. Partly, because - well - honestly YOU'RE NOT! Are you a licensed teacher? Do you have credentials of any kind? - So basically most Korean teachers think that you even being in the classroom at all is unethical and at the very least unprofessional...I can't say that I disagree with them totally...but still the second class treatment with all the 'secrets' and occassional outright lies is a little much. By the way "co-teacher" in Korea really means "back-stabbing - totally vindictive -crazy bitch spy." - you think I'm kidding??
My advice to newbies is to ask questions before signing a contract...ask everything to the point where you feel like you're being ridiculous and rude. Talk to other foreigners at the school before making any decisions. On the phone, always ask - 'so what's the worst part of teaching at your school?' 'what really sucks about it?' If you get any attitude or avoidance about a question like this - you can assume it's a hellish nightmare of a place...steer clear.
Bonus advice - most foreigners here are losers, misfits - social riff raff from back home. They always seem to be from screwed up families and always have divorced parents in common. While many foreigners are smart, compassionate, thoughtful teachers ...stil at their core they are totally screwed up in the head and will always find ways to drag you down...either through women or alcohol or some other nonsense. To survive here you must have a stong moral compass. You have to be willing to take a hit for doing the right thing. My best advice is to be pleasant at work but stay away from EVERYONE. Make up a story about how you have a girlfriend in some other town so you'll never be available to hang out with others on the weekends. Do whatever it takes to avoid everybody. Just teach, collect your money and after a couple years get the hell out of here!
I came to a small struggling Hogwon in Daejeon. The director was a housewife who devoted her life to raising 5 kids, and sending each to America. She however can barely speak English and the culture circumstances are similar to other negative postings. My living situation is a bit shabby, but tolerable, and she certainly wants to focus on her own interests and not mine. But I came on a 5 month contract with my fingers crossed, ready to tough it out no matter the circumstance. I even help solicit new students for them in front of the public schools. I have freedom to teach and entertain kids pretty much as I want, and often need to tell her "no", and demand action against unruly kids. And I do. I've never taught, but teach as I see fit with the materials that are available. I figured out how to get here without a recruiter, and can care less about minor hassles. With this attitude, things are great, people are great, and the experience is great.
I worked at hogwans (private schools) for over 4 years in Korea. I experienced the good and the bad. What most people fail to understand is that Korea is a society of extremes. It is either black or white/good or bad. There is no gray area. Your experience will be overwhelmingly great or misserably poor. I have experienced both. I once worked for a small country school that went through a staff change and in the toilet overnight. I have just as many bad stories of horrid magnitude as anyone else. My advice to anyone is work ONLY 1 year. DO NOT under anycircumstance sign a new contract at a school you have worked at for a year. Schools are always afraid that you might pull a "midnight run" during your first year. They will treat you well until you sign the contract for the second year. Then they start treating you like crap because they know you are in it for the long haul. And you will never be a part of Korean culture. Women will hang around you but it's only because they want free English lessons and it's"chic" to be seen with a foreigner. You will soon realize that you aren't any better than one of those ridiculous looking pink poodles they drag around on a leash.
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