Teaching English in South Korea        

 

Teaching English in South Korea is an amazing experience. There is definitely a reason why thousands of university graduates flock to teach English in South Korea year after year. Korea has become one of the number one destinations for being the best country to teach English in and there are many reasons why. Korea has so much to offer that English teachers they keep coming back year after year. I will explore some of the reasons why Korea is so popular.

 

I worked in Korea for 3 amazing years. I had only planned on teaching English in Korea for a year but I had such a great time that I ended up staying in Korea for 3 years without even going home! I paid off all of my student loans and I got to meet other ESL teachers from all over the world. I had such an amazing experience.

 

I worked at a private elementary school. There are so many private schools hiring university graduates to teach English in Korea. It is a very big industry. There is a huge demand to learn English in Korea because they want to be able to compete with other western businesses so being able to communicate in English is very important.

 

The students in Korea are great. They are very eager to learn English. They are very well behaved in the classroom and don’t spend any time fooling around because they really value education. They understand that knowing English is a key to success in their future.

 

Koreans are very fascinated by western people. Since Koreans don’t have much exposure to other races, they really enjoy to meet foreigners. Often they will stop you on the street and try to speak English with you. They will ask where you come and what is your name. Many Koreans may even ask for your photo! You will feel like a celebrity.

 

English Teachers in South Korea receive a free round trip flight to Korea paid by the school. All of the ESL schools in Korea pay for the teacher’s flight upfront. The cost of the flight is roughly $2000US and they get it for free. Most other countries will not pay for English teacher’s flights let alone upfront. Getting a flight to Korea for free is great especially for university graduates who do not have a lot of money to spare. Traveling can be so expensive so this is a great way to get to see a new country without any expenses.

 

English teachers in South Korea receive free accommodation that their directors pay for. They get the choice of living with another teacher or having single accommodation. All the apartments are completed furnished by the school. Also the apartments are available the moment the teacher gets to Korea so they can move right in on their first day. Many other countries require the teachers to pay for their own accommodation and this can be quite expensive especially when furnishing an apartment and paying damage deposits. Also the accommodation in Korea is within 10-15 minutes walking distance to the school so it is very convenient.

 

Many English teachers pay off their student loans while they are in South Korea. English teachers in Korea can save over a $1000US a month. The reason is because they don’t have any major expenses. Since their flights are cover and their accommodation is free, most of the money they make is saving money. The cost of living is very low in Korea as well so that helps. Food is pretty cheap. The tax rate in Korea is less than 5% so English teachers can save a lot of money. Some countries have high tax rates which make it impossible to save any money.

 

English teachers in South Korea get a chance to experience a new culture. It is neat to see how other people live on the other side of the world. People from different cultures usually have different values. It is a great opportunity to open the mind and see how other people live. In other countries, they have their own traditions and customs. It is a great opportunity to see how other people live and what is important to them. Korean culture is very different to western culture.

 

English teachers get to taste new food in South Korea. The food in Korea is quite different to western food. They have many spicy dishes. Korean food is very delicious. Their traditional food is called Kimchi. Kimchi is a spicy formented cabbage that they eat with every meal. It doesn’t sound very appetizing but it is absolutely delicious and addictive. Korean food is also very healthy including a variety of vegetable dishes.

 

 

            English teachers get to learn a new language while in South Korea. It can be hard learning a new language from a book. The best way is to jump right in! Teachers in Korea have a good opportunity to learn a new language because they are completely immersed in a new language. Often when you need to learn a language for basic survival, it can be easier then just studying it. Also many schools in Korea provide their English teachers with free English lessons.

 

English teachers in South Korea get a chance to meet other teacher’s from all over the world. The ESL teachers in Korea are from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, America, England, South Africa and so on. English teachers in Korea work with teachers from all over the world. It is an amazing opportunity to talk to other teachers and learn about the countries that they come from.

 

As you can see, there are so many reasons why English teachers choose to Teach English in South Korea. Teaching English in South Korea seems to be the number one choice for foreigners across the world. Since the schools in Korea pay for the teacher’s flights and accommodation upfront, it seems like a hard offer to turn down. Graduates are attracted by the idea of saving lots of money to pay off their student loans. They also like meeting other teacher’s from all over the world. Many teachers love Korean food and are interested in Korean culture. Also many English teachers enjoy learning Korean. Korea has so many opportunities to offer English teachers and that is the reason why teachers keep returning to Korea.

 

 

By Sarah Fauset

www.eslteacherrecruiter.com