ESL in Korea | South Korea - Lonely Planet Forum

ONLINE

Sat, 18 Jan 2014 07:44:57 +0000

I already posted a message in here but it didn't seem to go through. If it shows up I will delete this one.

My questions are regarding getting a job teaching English in Korea.

I have a University degree (not in teaching) and intend to get a TEFL certificate (possibly CELTA).

What are my chances of finding work in South Korea as a first time teacher? What is the job market like at the moment? I have read that the government is banning foreign English teachers from public schools so I am wondering how that is impacting upon the job market.

My other question is regarding the visa process. I was planning to do my TEFL study in Thailand (would do in Korea if possible). After which I was planning to look for work in Korea. However I have the impression I would need to apply for the visa back in my home country and I would also need to have a job offer first before I can apply for a visa that would allow me to work in Korea. This presents some significant logistical limitations.

Any advice about my questions would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by: davey82

ONLINE

Sun, 19 Jan 2014 12:48:25 +0000

It's best to post on waygook.org or the Korea forum on eslcafe.com.

You'll get way more information there. Those sites are dedicated to foreign English teachers in Korea.

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ONLINE

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 03:46:44 +0000

The job market i still pretty strong here. Its best to go through a recruiter for your first job. Most likely you will get a job at a "hogwon" or private English academy (typically teaching kindergarten/preschool in the morning and older kids/adults in the evening).

Hogwon's are very hit or miss and there are a lot of horror stories. I've heard mostly good reports from my fellow teachers in Seoul but unfortunately I'm at a crappy one. You can read more about it on my blog if you want but we've had late paychecks and a lot of other shady business.

http://livelearntravelteach.com/southeast-asian-adventure/a-hogwon-horror-story/

What are my chances of finding work in South Korea as a first time teacher? Pretty good. I don't know many foreigners who struggle to find a job. Especially if you have a TEFL or some other teaching certificate.

What is the job market like at the moment? I have read that the government is banning foreign English teachers from public schools so I am wondering how that is impacting upon the job market.
I've heard the same "changes" but haven't seen any actual change in the work yet.

I still get regular emails from recruiters with job openings. I was first contacted after putting my resume on http://www.daveseslcafe.com/

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ONLINE

Sun, 23 Mar 2014 20:48:34 +0000

I'm also looking into teaching ESL in Korea in the coming months. I have a Uni degree (not in education) also, and am looking into TESOL / CELTA certifications in Thailand as well... with similar concerns.

My thoughts were to get all documents prep'd and apply through a S. Korea recruiter and look for a start date after my certification classes were completed? Or, I suppose to go teach in S. Korea for a year, then get certified and look to get a better placed job afterwards?

@Davey82 - Just wondering if you have any more updates on this - I'd be happy to share my research so far on the topic as well. Thanks!

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ONLINE

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 03:44:00 +0000

My son has just applied for a teaching job in S. Korea. He has both a BA in Applied Linguistics and CELTA qualifications so is confident of getting a good job as a first time teacher. His references were both from Uni tutors and he had a Police clearance. This is for jobs starting in august.
Not home so cant say who he's doing it through.

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