How To Teach English In Korea – Full Steps

Teaching English in Korea is a lucrative career, for those who are considering it, and this is because it is not an English-speaking country and many Koreans are looking into international prospects like studies and business. In this article, I will guide you on how you can become a qualified English teacher in Korea.

According to reviews I’ve seen online social media platforms and some websites, teaching English in Korea is an exciting and adventurous experience that comes with great opportunities. You must have been considering or aspiring to teach English in Korea too which has driven you to source for answers on the web and land on this goldmine.

In this blog post, you will see how well you will be guided to achieve your goal of becoming an English teacher in Korea, and when you finally achieve it, you too will be part of the reviewers.

Teaching English in South Korea offers a rewarding career, a lot of adventures – let’s keep the adventures aside for a minute – and open doors of opportunities. Who knows, you might land a job teaching English to a wealthy CEO or their successor. But the typical English-teaching jobs are found in schools, language academies, and higher institutions which come with really good pay.

This “really good pay” is among the reasons why many teachers choose to go teach English in South Korea. As a teacher in Korea, you can easily save money from your teaching salary about $1,000 per month or even more if you spend wisely. The country has a low cost of living, cheap housing, affordable healthcare, cost of meals, and transportation are also very cheap in the country.

Note that Korea is a highly developed nation that is compared to the likes of the US but yet, there is a high standard of living at a low cost.

Also, South Korea is very safe and has one of the lowest crime rates in Asia and the world as a whole. Your safety is one of the many things that you should consider when traveling abroad either for work, business, vacation, or educational purposes. Also, the citizens are exceptionally kind to foreigners which could also be a plus for you.

It doesn’t matter whether you know the language or not but if you do feel like you need to before heading out there, then you can start taking some free online Korean language classes to start getting prepared.

Did you also know that you don’t have to travel to Korea to achieve your aim you can also teach English online to Korean students and still make money from the comfort of your home. But doing this would make you miss out on all the adventures and experiences that the country has to offer. And your opportunities for further explorations and career success would be limited.

If you decide to go for this alternative, you may equally teach English online to Japanese students and also to Chinese students and earn from all three sources.

But then, there is a lot to gain from traveling abroad and getting firsthand experience, and as an English teacher in Korea, you will gain a truckload of this experience plus more money.

And now, let’s see what is required to become the English language in Korea.

Requirements To Become An English Teacher in Korea

If you are setting out to teach the English language to students and other individuals in South Korea, here are the requirements that you need to have.

  • Get A Visa

It is typically required that you need a visa to enter any country and Korea is no different from this law. But in this case, where you are going to teach English in Korea, you won’t be applying for just any kind of visa but the E-2 (teaching) visa from your embassy.

  • Teaching Qualifications

To teach English in Korea, you must have appropriate qualifications. A bachelor’s degree in English or any discipline from an accredited university is often required. A master’s degree also works and this could land you bigger jobs or better positions like teaching at a university.

Another qualification, although rarely required, is the TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA teaching certification. This kind of qualification is for those who do not have a bachelor’s degree but want to teach English in Korea. So, if you do not have a degree but want to teach English in South Korea, then you should get one of the teaching certifications mentioned earlier. To learn how to get a TEFL certificate, click here.

  • Clear Criminal Record Check

Ensure that you have a clean criminal record if you are considering getting a teaching job in Korea. You will find it hard to find a teaching job in the country if you have any charges or convictions.

  • Be A Native English Speaker

Native English speakers are citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa. If you are looking to become an English teacher in Korea, you must be a citizen of one of the native English-speaking countries. Although some jobs do not require you to be a native English speaker, you just have to show proof that you are fluent in English.

teach english in korea

Steps To Become An English Teacher In Korea

To become an English teacher in Korea, you must meet the requirements discussed above before applying for a job. You can find different English teaching options in Korea such as government-sponsored programs, private schools, public schools, and universities.

These options come with various application requirements, work schedules, benefits, and pay. However, whichever of the options you want to go for, you will still have to follow the routes outlined below.

Step 1: Start Making Research

This is the first step to becoming an English teacher in Korea and you have already taken this step which is why you are currently reading this article. This is where you start making research on everything that concerns teaching English in Korea.

You may decide to seek help from experts or agents who handles things like this and speak to them or make inquiries concerning your aspiration to teach English in Korea. You should also be careful while doing this so that you don’t fall into the hands of scammers, to avoid this, you should look for an authorized company.

However, a simple blog post such as this is enough guidance.

Step 2: Prepare For Your Job Search

For you to start preparing for a job, that means you have met the qualification requirements to teach English in Korea. I have already discussed this above but you also need to add other things like a cover letter, resume or CV, passport photo, clean criminal record, and transcripts.

These documents will be useful during your job application.

Step 3: Apply For Jobs

Now that you have your documents ready, you can start applying for jobs. The job applications are done while you are still in your home country and it is when you have been employed that you can travel. You can check for job listings at private language schools or hogans as they are commonly referred to because they recruit and hire English teachers all year round.

You may also check up on jobs at public schools and universities if you meet the requirements. The job requirements are usually posted along with the job so that you can see whether you qualify or not. For any job you apply for and get picked for, you will have to go through with the interview which is typically done over the phone or via Skype.

These are the steps to becoming an English teacher in South Korea. You already know what happens when you get a job offer. You make travel arrangements, hop on a plane, and begin a new adventure in South Korea.

Teach English in Korea – FAQs

[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h3″ question-0=”Do I need to know Korean to teach English in Korea?” answer-0=” You don’t need to know Korean before you can become an English teacher in Korea but learning some basics in the language can help make your class run smoothly and also help you in daily aspects of life outside the classroom.” image-0=”” headline-1=”h3″ question-1=”Are English teachers in demand in Korea?” answer-1=” Yes, there is a high demand for English teachers in Korea due to this there is high pay and extra perks that comes with the job such as free or subsidized accommodation, completion bonuses, free flights to and from Korea, vacation days, and other allowances.” image-1=”” headline-2=”h3″ question-2=”Do I need a degree to teach English in Korea?” answer-2=” You cannot teach English in Korea without a degree and this is because when you want to set out on this career path, you will need the E-2 visa and the only way to get this visa is you must have a bachelor’s degree.” image-2=”” headline-3=”h3″ question-3=”How much does an English teacher make in Korea?” answer-3=” As an English teacher in Korea, you will earn between $1,800 to $4,400 per month depending on where you teach.” image-3=”” count=”4″ html=”true” css_class=””]

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