by Toby Simkin

Teaching English in South Korea is a job opportunity most popular among recent college graduates. Certain things are very attractive such as being paid to travel and experience a new culture. Many people know and understand that the schools and businesses that teach English in South Korea may or may not be reputable companies. Examples of schools practicing bad business include not giving promised vacation days, not paying on time, not providing the benefits offered, making teachers work weekends, and making teachers do extra work. Understand that your top priority should be to research and understand how your school will function. The country is thousands of miles from your home country, right? Although this may be the case, the internet connects us to those who are far away as well. Email your recruiters and ask about anything and everything. Be clear with the contract terms. Try to even ask for materials and ask what is expected out of each class. I am a strong believer that you should hear everything bad about a business or organization before working there because you will more than likely experience the bad while working. If you here the bad before working somewhere and still want to do it, there is a stronger chance you will be happy with your job decision. A good example may be if you want to join the military, talk to someone in the military that has done a tour. This article is not to sway your decision one way or the other. What do I care; it is your life, right? Considering your recruiter wants you to take the job, he/she is more inclined to tell you the information that you want to hear. Please use this guide to reference things that your recruiter, school, or business will probably not tell you.

1. The Structure- So you just got out of college. You are probably used to many professors having classes that lack structure. What do I mean by this? An example is there is no textbook for your marketing class. Or, perhaps your professor stands up and lectures and expects you to take notes for the upcoming test. Sounds familiar for many of us. While you are teaching English in South Korea, expect that your voice does not matter as much as you wish it did. What do I mean by this? While you may want to expand on a something with a relevant story or even a joke, this is normally not advised. Having structure is mostly important because the parents want to see progress from their kids. In college, a syllabus is passed out to clarify student expectations from the beginning of class. In a similar way, your school will probably have expectations that you as a teacher set on a daily basis. This could mean that each hour of your training is broken down into academic sections, and those academic sections are further broken down into subsections. In my opinion, many schools break the class into way too many subsections. The kids will not know what the sections are because you as the teacher will have them memorized. I hope this makes sense. Basically, you will stay busy and do things exactly how the company wants it done.

2. CC TV-Yes, more than likely you will be recorded during your teaching sessions. This is not too big of a deal other than you need to be able to take criticism from your superiors. Another thing to consider is that CC TV does not just exist in the classroom but all over South Korea. On the streets, at bars, at the 7 Eleven, you are being watched everywhere!

3. The Unknown- Did your school change owners without anyone telling you? Maybe it did. The unknown is a huge issue when talking about teaching English in South Korea. Many assume that you already know something but why would you? This is probably your first time in the country AND your first time teaching. Did you know that grades were supposed to be reported tomorrow? If no one communicated that information to you, you should not be expected to know it, in my opinion. Did you know that the parent teacher conference was this Saturday? The unknown will probably include things prior to departure as well such as the grade level you will be teaching and/or the apartment you will be living in.

4. Learning To Say No- If you continue to say yes every time to do more work, you will consistently be given more to do. Learn what is reasonable and what is not regarding your contract obligations.

5. The City-Obviously, this section does not have to do with contracts or business but where you will be living. If you are teaching English in South Korea, there is a good chance you will be in Seoul. Seoul is a cool city with a lot to offer. Seoul is also a concrete jungle. If you are used to the country life, you are going to go through a massive adjustment phase. Things to consider are smog, busy traffic, subway systems, and unfamiliar laws. One major thing to think about is that cars actually have the right away. Also, running red lights is okay. Drinking on the streets is okay. The traffic laws seem very lax which makes it understand why the police population is low. I believe the police mainly deal with domestic disputes. Other cities that are popular destinations for teaching English include Deajeon and Busan, just to name a couple.

So have I convinced you to teach English in South Korea yet? You may go over there and have the best company, have a great apartment, make lots of money, and travel. You will certainly experience something new every single day. Some will be good and some will be bad. Teaching English in South Korea is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, even if you are a seasoned traveler. I hope this article helps you make the right decision.

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