Teaching in Korea should be an enjoyable experience. The location and credibility of the school obviously plays an important role; however, student age, type of school and job responsibilities are also key factors in determining whether or not you have a positive encounter with Korea. The teaching experience itself depends on a number of variables: the age of your students, class size and the type and credibility of the school.
The bulk of teaching opportunities (90%) in Korea involve working with children between the K1 (kindergarten) and high school levels. There are two teaching sectors that teachers can choose from: public schools in Korea and private schools in Korea.
Although there are other teaching options in Korea (College Instructors, University Professors, Business English Instructors, Factory and Corporate English Programs, TOEFL Instructors, etc.) these positions are VERY limited and usually require applicants to have specific qualifications such as education degrees, TOEFL test certifications, etc. In short, these kinds of jobs are limited, highly competitive and hard to secure.
The fact is, the very large majority of westerners teaching in Korea work with children between the ages of 5-18. This is where the demand for English instructors resides and where the large majority of credible opportunities are found. Why? Because the majority of Korean children study English on a daily basis while only a small fraction of adults do. As a result, there are literally 20 jobs available at the children’s level for every adult teaching opportunity available.
To make yourself more competitive to hiring schools and public school programs, Gone2Korea recommends enrolling in a TEFL Certification course. We advise enrolling in the 100 hour program. Successfully completing one of these courses does not gaurantee you employment; however it could help you secure an interview.
