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Teaching English In Korea - School Options & Information |
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Teaching Options
Teaching English in Korea should be an enjoyable experience. The location and credibility of the school obviously plays an important role. However, the student age and type of school you work for also plays an important role 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 of school.
People with limited or no previous teaching experience can usually choose from 3 types of schools: Public Schools, Private Schools for Children, and Private Schools for Adults.
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Although there are a number of other teaching opportunities found within Korea, (College Instructors, University Teachers, Business English Instructors, Factory Worker English Programs, TOEFL Instructors, etc.) these positions are very limited and usually require applicants to have previous experience and/or specific qualifications such as education degrees, TOEFL testing certifications, etc. To state things plainly, it’s extremely competitive.
The fact is, more than 80% of western teachers in Korea teach children, ages 5-18, at public and private schools. This is where the demand for teachers resides and where the large majority of decent opportunities are found. Why? Because most Korean children study English on a daily basis while only a small fraction of adults do. As a result, there are literally 10 jobs available at the children’s level for every adult teaching job available.
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Children's Language Schools Versus Adult Language Schools |
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Every teacher needs to make a genuine effort to ensure that their students, regardless of age, learns English at a reasonable pace. However, the 'students to teacher' expectations are much different with adult level classes. |
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Important factors to consider when deciding on your desired age group:
1. Adults attend language schools because they want to learn English.
2. Children attend language schools because their parents want them to learn English. |
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As one would know, teaching people who expect to learn requires a lot more effort and attention to detail. Therefore it's important for people to consider what their priorities are before deciding on their preferred age group. |
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Most adult schools require a split shift from their employees. Adult language schools have to cater to the working schedules of its students and a triple split shift is occassionally required to accomodate the adult students work loads. |
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Private School Sector Versus Public School Sector |
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There are a number of noticeable differences between public schools and private schools. Although age groups are comparable, the actual working conditions and options available are rather different. |
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The working schedule is a major difference between the two. There are basically 3 different working schedules within the private sector. These schedules are as follow:
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- Kindergarten and Elementary School combined - 9:30am to 5:30pm
- Elementary and Middle School combined - 1:30pm to 8:30pm
- Adult Schools - 6:00am to 10:00am (break) 6:00pm to 9:00pm
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Note:
Examples Only!
Schedules Can Vary |
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Private (Hagwons) |
Public Schools |
| Starting Date |
Year Round |
March and August |
| Class Size |
8 - 12 Students Per Class |
30 to 45 Students Per Class |
| Curriculum |
Usually Provided |
Must Design And Implement |
| Location |
Teachers Can Choose |
Limited |
| Western Teachers |
2 or more per school |
1 Per School |
| Salary |
1.8 to 2.4 million Won |
1.8 to 2.4 Million Won |
| Accommodation |
Provided |
Provided |
| Severance Pay |
Equal To 1 Months Salary |
Equal To 1 Months Salary |
| Avg. Work Hrs (Day) |
5 to 7 hrs (including prep time) |
5 to 7 hrs (including curriculum development) |
| Avg. Teaching Hrs (Day) |
5 to 6 hours |
5 to 6 hours |
| Airfare |
Provided In Advance |
Provided In Advance Or Reimbursed |
| Class Time |
40 To 60 Minute Classes |
60 To 70 Minute Classes |
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Gone2Korea offers job opportunities within both the private and public sectors however, we strongly recommend that people with no previous ESL teaching experience work their first year in a private school. Please continue reading for a more detailed explanation. |
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1. Number of western teachers at the school: |
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If you decide to work at a public school, you will be the only native English speaker teaching there. Therefore, support, help and advice is somewhat limited and at times completely unavailable. |
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Public schools are only allowed to legally hire one western teacher per school, because of the teacher shortage, therefore the school boards try to spread the applicants out to as many locations as possible. Another reason is because of the cost. School boards in Korea are on thin budgets and do not have the financial resources to hire multiple western teachers, who on average make much more than their Korean counterparts. |
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Private schools usually have 2 or 3 western teachers working at the school; therefore new teachers will have immediate support during their first month on the job. |
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2. Curriculum Development: |
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The large majority of private schools supply a set curriculum for their teachers to work from; therefore the transition into teaching is usually easier. Public schools also provide books to teach from, although the teachers are also expected to design and implement their own curriculum. As you are probably aware, designing and implementing your own curriculum is not an easy task if you don’t have sufficient training or have never taught ESL before. At times, private schools may request curriculum development from their western teachers, although this is not usually requested until their teachers have familiarized themselves with the books and teaching resources. |
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3. Class Size: |
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Public schools can have up to 40 children per class, which is a lot of children to deal with when you speak little or no Korean. Many teachers find this very intimidating and can have a hard time adjusting to this reality. Private schools on the other hand have 8-12 students per class, therefore it’s much easier to work directly with individual students and keep the entire group interested in your lessons. |
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4. Starting Date: |
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Public schools typically hire western English teachers for the start of each semester, September and February. Therefore teachers must accommodate the school starting dates, which for many people, is not convenient. Private schools have openings year round. The new instructors are brought in when the current teacher’s contract expires. Teachers are literally starting and finishing contracts in Korea everyday of the year. Ultimately, applicants can choose a departing schedule, within the private sector, that is convenient for them. |
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5. Location: |
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Teaching in the public school system really doesn't provide applicants with a wide selection of locations to choose from. In most cases the applicant can choose a specific province to work in, although what city they will be placed in is often provided by the agency or government office rather than selected by the applicant. |
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Private schools however are located throughout the entire country and applicants can usually choose a specific location and/or city to work in. Depending on the time of year, applicants may not get their first choice of location in the private sector; however they usually get one of their top 3 choices. Location is a major contributor to the overall experience as a teacher in Korea, therefore being somewhere you will enjoy during non teaching hours is important. |
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6. Class Preparation: |
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Preparing for your classes is a must. In the private sector your classes are typically 50 minutes long and you only have 8-12 students per class. Due to this factor it’s easier to develop an effective class plan with the provided curriculum. Public schools however have 35-45 students per class, therefore preparing for your classes takes a lot more time and effort. |
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{ We hope that we have not discouraged anyone from considering job opportunities in the public sector because that is not our intention. In the end, choosing to work in the public or private sector is a personal decision. If you are very organized, motivated and hard working then you will not have any problems adapting to the public school teaching system. The reality is, each sector requires quality teachers for their students, therefore both options are in the interest of English education. } |
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What the school will expect from you |
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As an ESL teacher your primary objective will be to stimulate conversation with your students. Believe it or not, the Korean teachers at your school are usually responsible for teaching grammar and reading. Your job for the most part will revolve around pronunciation and conversation. Most of the books you will use are comprised of pictures and limited text designed to encourage students to participate in discussion. You will also spend a lot of time playing English games and getting your students to engage in group activities.
As easy as this may sound, it is important to remember that most students speak very limited English, therefore communicating with them is more challenging then you would first assume. In the end, the more creative you are with your lessons the more fun you will have and the more English your students will learn.
It is standard for a director to expect you to arrive at the school 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to your first class to prepare for your daily lessons. The reason for this is so that you are not wasting valuable time in class flipping through books and deciding what to teach. You do not get paid for your class prep, but please note this is an industry standard throughout the country and it's in place so that students get the most of your time.
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What you can expect from the school |
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Most schools will provide you with teaching related games, books, flashcards, crayons, coloring sheets, etc. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the available resources during your first week of work, it will definitely help ease the transition into teaching.
You are entitled to work in a clean, safe environment which is suitable for teaching and learning. |
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