Any info on S. Korea teaching jobs?

Question

My daughter announced last week that she will be leaving in 3 weeks to go to S. Korea for a year. She will be teaching English to 9-12 year olds in a suburb outside of Seoul. Does anyone have any info or tips? Area safe? How expensive?

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Hey there! I've got tonnes of tips after having been there for ten years.  Sounds like she's already got a job then.  First, I'd recommend being in Seoul.  There's so much more there in the city.  There are wonderful parks, restaurants, friends, theatres and she won't want to be taking in an hour long bus ride every time she wants to go enjoy herself.

Generally it's quite a safe country in the daytime, though night-time can get a bit crazy, especially after midnight.

Feel free to message me if you like.  I've got a lot of connections in Seoul.

Good luck to her!

Answer 2

Suburbs should be pretty much safe. Not much to worry about.

Some tips:

A bus pass would be a great idea.

Dont take the taxi too much, traffic is horrible and they charge by time, so it's expensive.

Subways are always a good idea, too.

It would be a good idea to get a mask to cover your mouth because of the sand filled air that occasionally floats down from china.

Korean people are always wanting their kids to get ahead. If you speak fluent english with an american accent, then those korean parents will be battling eachother to get to you.

It might be a good idea to learn some basic korean too.

Ahn nyoung ha sae yo == Hello (formal, for strangers and adults/elders)

Ahn nyoung == Hello (informal)

Go map ssem nee da == Thank you

Hwa Jang Shil? == Bathroom? (just in case xD)

Nae == Yes

Ah nee == No ( informal)

Ah nee yo == Formal

Answer 3

The EFL in Asia website has many links to articles by experienced teachers who can give you a clear idea of what to expect. Also, use the teacher forums for Korea at Dave's ESL Cafe to get more information. Links follow...

Answer 4

I'm going to Seoul then too, but I've been there before.  It's a great city and your daughter is going to have a great time.  It's much safer than living in the states and her school should be providing housing or a housing stipend.  Korea is not really that expensive as long as you have housing.  If your daughter is on Facebook there are several groups for meeting other teachers, newbies and veterans.

Answer 5

I've looked over the other answers and all are quite good.  Just a couple of things I wanted to add or emphasize:

1)  Korea is an exceedingly safe country.  There is very, very little crime and street crime is virtually unheard of (though you should still practice common sense).  Seoul (including its suburbs) is the world's second largest city and easily one of its safest.

2)  The water is perfectly safe to drink (you didn't ask this, but I hear it a lot)

The biggest issues that I, as an American, have faced are food and toiletries.  As for food, Koreans eat (surprise!) mostly Korean food.  Korean food can be very nice, but westerners (North Americans in particular) are used to a variety of cuisines and eating at Korean restaurants all the time can become a bit monotonous.  The way of getting around this is weekend trips to the big expat neighborhoods of Itaewon (Itaewon Subway Station on the #6 line) and Hongdae (Hongik University Station on the #2 line) where you can get all types of food.  The Korean take on Chinese food isn't always to westerners' tastes so if you're a lemon chicken junkie (like me), PM me as I have a couple of recommendations in my neighborhood (close to a subway station in the southwest corner of the city).

For toiletries, some things, like hand lotion and toilet paper are pretty much universal.  Other things like antiperspirant, fluoride toothpaste and western over the counter meds are not.  For these, you just about HAVE to schlep from time to time to Itaewon.  There are foreigners' markets there that sell all the necessaries (again, if you need directions, just pm me - I'm more than happy to help).

Expenses:  most employers pay for all the teacher's rent and utilities and also normally supply a free meal (or two) while the teacher is at work.  This makes Seoul (and its expensive reputation) a pretty cheap place to live overall.  

Answer 6

I think Korean school staff will help your daughter to find a place to stay nearby school.Koreans love Americans especially a Caucasian girl teaching English.Many foreigners are in Korea and much safer than America.If she is staying in a suburb,not too expensive to live and she can meet many good people willing to help her while she is in Korea.