Category Archives: Korea
Destination close up: Part 3. Language & Job Information.
The Korean language, Hangul.
The Korean language looks daunting to most westerners when they see it, however like English it has an alphabet. The Korean alphabet has 24 letters, containing 14 consonants and 10 vowels. These letters are placed into boxes that represent on syllable (as you can see to the left). These boxes are known as jamo. The shapes of the letters are supposed to represent the shape of your mouth when pronounced.
The Korean language is very phonetic making it easy to read and pronounce. This makes it very possible that with several hours of study you will be able to read and pronounce the Korean alphabet and read words at a basic level.
Below is a short video giving you the basics of reading and pronouncing Korean letters.
The Korean language is an interesting and fun language to learn. It is more accessible than most Asian languages due to its initial simplicity. When teaching in Korea it is important you learn Hangul at least to a basic level due to not all signs and stores having English translation.
Job Information
There are a number of compelling reasons why Korea is a great destination for ESL teachers. Korea has an abundance of teaching positions available to all levels of teachers. The only requirements to teach in Korea are that you have a degree in any subject and are a native English speaker. The majority of positions available are entry-level positions where no experience is required. There are jobs with Universities and state run middle and high schools that require more advanced qualifications and would be appealing to the more experienced and qualified teacher. All these types of job are in constant demand and finding the right job to fit your circumstances is not difficult.
The compensation and benefits package in Korea is a big attraction. After university many students are left with high levels of student loan debt, teaching in Korea offers a possible solution to this. The salary and benefits offered to teach in Korea make it easy to put aside large amounts of money (in my experience at least 50%) and yet not have to compromise your lifestyle. You also will have your return plane tickets paid, for so there is no cost to you to travel there and start teaching and return home when you are done. The average wage for a teacher in Korea of between $2000-$3000 gross per month with the pay rising the more experience and qualifications you have. From that you will have around 5% taken in income tax. Other than tax you have very few other expenses to worry about. The school pays for your accommodation although it is your responsibility to pay the utility bills and in most cases you will have to pay 50% of your medical insurance (normally around $50 per month). This will be a total deduction of around $150 to $200 per month. So as you can see you are left with a very large portion of your paycheck to do with as you please. Living costs such as food are not particularly high either, especially if you like Korean cuisine. On top of all this at the end of your contract you will receive one full months salary as a bonus. Some schools also offer a resigning bonus to teachers who sign another contract.
Korea geographically is only a short flight away from other east and central Asian destinations such as China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. It is very common to take a couple of months between teaching contracts to travel these countries and really explore the continent. Teaching in Korea gives you the flexibility to take a longer break between contracts due to the demand for teachers.
Korea has a lot of benefits for teachers but there are also some pitfalls that have to be considered and avoided. Proper research needs to be done before leaving to teach both on the school you will be teaching, its location and also the Korean culture.
Your time spent working at the school or “Hogwan” as it is known will play a huge role on how happy you are and where most people’s problems occur. What must be understood is that these “hogwans” are businesses and like all businesses some are more reputable than others are. Teachers can have problems with non-payment of wages, breaches of their contract in regards to hours, overtime payments, or living conditions. If the right steps where taken before accepting the position most of these issues could will be avoided. Before accepting a position it is a good idea to speak with one of the current western teachers preferably by phone that can alert you to any possible problems.
When it comes to culture it is very important to do your research about Korea. Korea culturally is vastly different to North America or Europe and research on this should be done before deciding to teach there. Many teachers will experience culture shock in Korea and some will not be able to deal with these differences. These differences can be more distinct dependant upon you location within Korea. If you intend on living in Seoul or other of the large metropolitan cities then the differences will not be so distinct due to the large foreign presence. In smaller cities and towns there could be little western influence meaning these destinations may not be for everyone.
Korea offers numerous benefits to teachers both monetarily and through opportunities provided with by job. The labour market for teachers in Korea also means getting the right job is easier than many other locations.
See Part 1: Introduction and Landscape
See Part 2: Culture and Cities
Related articles
- Korean Customs and Beliefs (brighthub.com)
Destination close up: Part 2. Culture & Cities.
South Korea is not just about its history and scenery. Korea has a vibrant and distinctive culture, which melds it traditions with the modern world. It has fused many western influences into its society, yet retained many of the core Confucian principles upon which Korean society is based.
Over the past few decades Korea has experienced a rapid increase in wealth and became more open to the outside world. This can be seen in Korean music. These two videos show traditional Korean drumming then a modern pop song.
Cities
Gwangalli Beach Busan Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/seafaringwoman/
Korea’s cities are an example of its burgeoning wealth and technological expertise. Their futuristic skylines and neon signs could be straight from the scenes of the latest science fiction movie. In amongst all this modernity you can still find many examples of traditional Korea, with tightly packed streets of pitched roof traditional houses.
Busan is Korea’s second city located on the south coast. Busan is famous for it beaches, temples and scenery. It is also home to one of Asia’s largest international film festival held annually. Watch the video below to see what Busan has to offer.
One of Korea’s medium sized cities is Jeonju located in the central area of the country. Jeonju is built in the center of a bowl of mountains meaning you are never far from a hike or temple. Jeonju is famous for its food and is home to one of Korea’s most famous dishes, bibimbap.
See Part 1: Introduction and Landscape
See Part 3: Language and Job Information
Destination close up. South Korea, Part 1. Introduction & Landscape.
Image via Wikipedia
South Korea is probably the most popular destination for first time ESL Teachers. But what is it like to live and Work in this country?
South Korea is located between China and Japan and has a population of over 48 million people. These 48 million live in an area the size of Virginia making it the third most densely populated country in the world.
But what is it like to teach in Korea? Here is a video that shows details of a teachers experiences and general information on teaching ESL in South Korea
South Korea is a country dominated by its mountainous terrain. Mountain ranges cover around 70% of South Korea’s geographical area, making it difficult for farming but great for the hiker. Hidden away in these mountains are numerous pagodas, temples and monasteries many of which still house monks today.
Korea’s cities between sprawl mountain ranges with high rise skylines. They are a mix of the ancient and modern, with traditional slate roofed houses next to large apartment buildings. These thriving metropolises buzz with life, with street vendors selling ‘Stick’ food to open air markets selling a wide variety of of items.
Here is a video provided by the Korean Tourism Organization that shows some of the landscape and sights in Korea.
See Part 2: Culture and Cities
See Part 3: Language and Job Information
Teaching English in Korea
South Korea is an incredibly popular destination for people teaching English as a second language. But why is this and conditions will a teacher expect to find when they arrive?
There are a number of compelling reasons why Korea is a great destination for ESL teachers. Korea has an abundance of teaching positions available to all levels of teachers. The only requirements to teach in Korea are that you have a degree in any subject and are a native English speaker. The majority of positions available are entry-level positions where no experience is required. There are jobs with Universities and state run middle and high schools that require more advanced qualifications and would be appealing to the more experienced and qualified teacher. All these types of job are in constant demand and finding the right job to fit your circumstances is not difficult.
The compensation and benefits package in Korea is a big attraction. After university many students are left with high levels of student loan debt, teaching in Korea offers a possible solution to this. The salary and benefits offered to teach in Korea make it easy to put aside large amounts of money (in my experience at least 50%) and yet not have to compromise your lifestyle. You also will have your return plane tickets paid, for so there is no cost to you to travel there and start teaching and return home when you are done. The average wage for a teacher in Korea of between $2000-$3000 gross per month with the pay rising the more experience and qualifications you have. From that you will have around 5% taken in income tax. Other than tax you have very few other expenses to worry about. The school pays for your accommodation although it is your responsibility to pay the utility bills and in most cases you will have to pay 50% of your medical insurance (normally around $50 per month). This will be a total deduction of around $150 to $200 per month. So as you can see you are left with a very large portion of your paycheck to do with as you please. Living costs such as food are not particularly high either, especially if you like Korean cuisine. On top of all this at the end of your contract you will receive one full months salary as a bonus. Some schools also offer a resigning bonus to teachers who sign another contract.
Korea geographically is only a short flight away from other east and central Asian destinations such as China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. It is very common to take a couple of months between teaching contracts to travel these countries and really explore the continent. Teaching in Korea gives you the flexibility to take a longer break between contracts due to the demand for teachers.
Korea has a lot of benefits for teachers but there are also some pitfalls that have to be considered and avoided. Proper research needs to be done before leaving to teach both on the school you will be teaching, its location and also the Korean culture.
Your time spent working at the school or “Hogwan” as it is known will play a huge role on how happy you are and where most people’s problems occur. What must be understood is that these “hogwans” are businesses and like all businesses some are more reputable than others are. Teachers can have problems with non-payment of wages, breaches of their contract in regards to hours, overtime payments, or living conditions. If the right steps where taken before accepting the position most of these issues could will be avoided. Before accepting a position it is a good idea to speak with one of the current western teachers preferably by phone that can alert you to any possible problems.
When it comes to culture it is very important to do your research about Korea. Korea culturally is vastly different to North America or Europe and research on this should be done before deciding to teach there. Many teachers will experience culture shock in Korea and some will not be able to deal with these differences. These differences can be more distinct dependant upon you location within Korea. If you intend on living in Seoul or other of the large metropolitan cities then the differences will not be so distinct due to the large foreign presence. In smaller cities and towns there could be little western influence meaning these destinations may not be for everyone.
Korea offers numerous benefits to teachers both monetarily and through opportunities provided with by job. The labour market for teachers in Korea also means getting the right job is easier than many other locations.
Teaching in Korea is an experience you will have that will stay with you for the rest of your life and is a great opportunity for anyone no matter what his or her situation.
ESL Teaching Destination Guide: Seoul
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylerdurden/ / CC BY 2.0
The capital city of South Korea, a metropolis of over 10 million people, Seoul is one of the top destinations for ESL teachers. This vast city is home to thousands of ESL teachers from around the globe. But what is there to see in this city?
Here is a quick video from Delta Airlines that shows some of the sites of the city any allows you to see what Seoul looks like.
