Travel, Teach, Live in Korea
Most English teachers work in language institutes ("hakwon" in Korean). There are, however, positions available in several types of institutions
private foreign language institutes (hakwons)
corporate in-house language programs
university language institutes
university academic departments
government/private research centers
editing/public relations, advertising companies - private teaching/informal classes
HAKWONS
Private language institutes are found all over Korea. Some institutes are well-known with many branches while others are small and short-lived. The ESL market in Korea is extremely competitive and many institutes fail. Most hakwons employ a number of instructors for conversation and occasionally for writing classes. The typical employee can expect to work 20 to 30 hours per week. The majority of classes are conducted early in the morning and in the evening, so many instructors have free time in the afternoons. Most classes have between 10 and 25 students. Pupils may be grade school or college students, or businessmen who are contemplating overseas assignments. Some of the better institutes will provide housing for instructors. The average salary is currently about two million won per month (US $ 1,700).
PRIVATE BUSINESS PROGRAMS
Most large corporate groups (chaebol in Korean) have their own in-house programs. The typical instructor can expect to teach more than 30 hours per week, teaching all day from early in the morning to late at night. Most are intensive residential programs where the students study for three to six months. Some employers provide full benefits including housing, but the instructor may be required to either live on campus or commute long distances from Seoul. The average salary for these institutes is currently between 2.1 to 2.5 million won per month (US $ 1,700 to US $ 2,000).
UNIVERSITY INSTITUTES
Major universities in Seoul, as well as some provincial universities, operate foreign language institutes. Some pupils are university students, but the majority of students are businesspeople. These institutes tend to have the highest hiring standards in Korea; most instructors have MA degrees in TESOL, and years of teaching experience. The pay, status and benefits offered by these institutes are among the best in Korea. As a result there is very low turnover.
UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS
Most universities in Korea employ full-time English conversation instructors. University classes tend to be large, with little personal contact with the students. Most instructors teach between ten and 15 hours a week. Most universities in Seoul do not provide housing, and some do not provide the benefits required by law. Monthly salaries currently tend to run about 2 million won (US $ 1,700) per month, with three to four months of paid vacation per year.
TEACHING IN THE PROVINCES
Provincial universities generally provide better housing, working conditions and salaries, and tend to treat foreign instructors as part of the faculty. The better working conditions, however, should be balanced against the cultural isolation a foreigner may encounter living in the Korean countryside.
GOVERNMENT/RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Many government agencies and some private companies operate research institutes. Most of these institutes hire foreigners who have degrees in the humanities, economics or business administration as full-time editors. Editors proofread correspondence and research publications, write speeches, and occasionally teach. Most institutes pay quite well, and some provide housing. Because these institutes tend to be government-run or affiliated with corporate groups, their instructors seldom experience problems in obtaining work visas.
EDITING/PR/MEDIA
Quite a few public relations and advertising companies in Korea hire foreigners to work as copy editors, and occasionally as teachers. These positions are very hard to obtain as they are quite popular with the resident English-teaching community. There are also opportunities to appear on television programs, movies and radio. Most of these positions pay quite well and some provide housing assistance.
KORETTA/EPIK KOREAN GOVERNMENT PROGRAM
This fairly new, Korea-wide, government-sponsored program places native speakers in every school district in Korea and presents a unique opportunity for the adventurous to live far from tourist routes and population centers. While recruiting and training appear to be performed quite professionally, teachers' living and working experiences vary considerably. Some are welcomed with open arms and treated extremely well. Others, arriving in areas where the program has been forced upon reluctant, underfunded schools, are not wanted and this is made clear to them from the beginning. Housing, benefits, reliability of pay, and access to ombudsmen is steadily improving, but still has a long way to go.
PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT
Many full-time English teachers teach part-time as well, either at another institute or with privately-arranged classes. Extra-contractual private instruction is illegal; however many English teachers do take private students. Part-time instruction at a second institute is legal only with permission from the sponsoring institute and Korean immigration authorities. Private students pay more per hour, but some instructors have found it hard to maintain long-term private classes. One should arrange for private lesson fees to be paid prior to each class. The Embassy reminds teachers that they are personally responsible for any violations of Korean teaching and immigration law they might commit.
