Teaching Placement Overview
| Salary range in USD per month |
$1600 - $1900 USD * * May fluctuate due to exchange rate volatility. |
| Salary local currency per month | 2.1 – 2.5 million Won |
| Saving potential in USD per month | $400 - $1000+ |
| Employment Type | Full-time |
| Contract Length | 1 year |
| Placement Types | Private Language Schools ("Hagwons") |
| Classroom Audience | Kindergarten, Primary (elementary and middle), High school students rarely |
| Classroom Age | Between 4 - 18 |
| Classroom Size | 3 - 15 |
| Working Hours per week | 45 including lunch, 30 hours contact teaching |
| Days off | 2 days per week but may not be consecutive. |
| Holidays / Paid Leave | 16 Public holidays at the discretion of the school (paid), Paid vacation usually between 10 – 15 days (Exact amount differs between schools). |
| Tax rate range for teachers | 4-7% |
|
Visa |
E2 Visa |
| Initial Enrollment to Arrival | 4 Months Minimum |
| Top Placement Locations | 1. Gyeonggi-do Province and Seoul 2. Gyeongsangnam-do Province (Inc. Daegu, Ulsan) 3. Chungcheongnam-do Province (Inc. Daejeon, Sejong) 4. Jeollanam-do Province (Inc Gwangju) 5. Gangwon-do Province |
Teaching Placements
There are two main types of schools in Korea: Public Schools and Private Language Centers.
Private Language Centers – “Hagwons”
Private language centers are where students go to learn English either as a supplement to their public school education or as a replacement for their public school education.
As a result, language center are generally open from 09h00 until 22h00. The shift you will work depends on the age group you are teaching. Generally, kindergarten and elementary teachers primarily work from 09h00 until 18h00. Elementary and middle school teachers usually start around 13h00 until 22h00.
Language centers typically offer high tech facilities and have lots of resources for teaching and lesson planning. They offer a well-supported working environment to new teachers. Most language centers we work with are large companies with many different branches all over South Korea.
- Class sizes tend to be around 8-15 students per class
- Teachers have access to internal systems where they can share lesson plans
- Minimal lesson planning is required
- There are many books and resources to help plan for classes
- Classrooms are well equipped
- Around 30-35 teaching hours per week
- Teaching in the afternoons and evenings
- There is generally more than 1 native English teacher at each school
Grace with her students in South Korea.
Marek, an English teacher from the USA, in front of his class. Our placements offer both public and private school options.
Korean students are generally well behaved and eager to learn, at least compared with children in the West!
Your school will provide and train you on their specific curriculum. The schools have specific curriculums and curriculum support.
What are the age groups I will be teaching?
Mixed ages but mainly children. Anywhere from 4 – 18 years old. The age group depends on the school you end up in.
Do schools provide lunches?
Schools sometimes provide lunch options for teachers. You will always have a lunch/dinner break scheduled into your daily routine.
Can I be placed with my friend or partner?
We can do our best to place you in the same town as your friend or partner. You might be teaching in the same school or in nearby schools, depending on the availability of jobs. We unfortunately cannot guarantee that you will be able to be placed together due to a number of factors, but we have previously successfully placed many pairs together (couples, friends etc).
Holidays
As Language centers are open all year round, teachers will not share the usual school holidays. Instead, participants may take vacation leave and take some public holidays which will be at the discretion of the school. Paid holidays are usually between 10 – 15 days (Exact amount differs between schools).
Are there sports or activities after school which I will need to attend?
No, you generally won’t be required to do anything at school after teaching hours.
How long is the teaching contract?
Your placement duration is for 12 months or more. Placements are renewable so you can choose to teach English in South Korea for several years if you’d like!
Do I get any bonuses?
Yes, you’ll receive an end-of-contract bonus pay (13th paycheck).
What is the dress code for teaching?
Dress code is smart-casual – collared shirts for men and conservative for women. Covering the shoulders is especially important for women but the length of skirts and dresses is less of a concern.
Is transportation provided from accommodation to work?
Transportation is not provided by schools. This will be for the teacher’s own expense and is relatively inexpensive. In most cases, teachers either live within walking distance from the school or a short bus ride/train ride away costing anything from USD 2 – USD 5 return per day.
Medical services and insurance?
NHI (National Health Insurance) is provided by your school a couple of weeks after you begin teaching. It takes some time to process the documents and you will be required to pass an in-country medical examination in order to apply for your ARC (alien registration card) which is your identity in Korea. Once you have your ARC then you are able to see a local doctor. We recommend you have travel insurance for the first three months of being in Korea.
What are the chances of schools deducting money from my salary?
This depends on the school and details will be stipulated in the contract. Some schools deduct $250 USD per month for three months as a housing deposit and this will be paid back at the end of the contract minus the cleaning expenses, unpaid utility expenses or damage beyond general wear and tear.
Do you get paid overtime?
Yes, in most cases and this will be stipulated in their contract.
What are the chances of getting a salary increase?
Quite high for your second contract but your salary is typically fixed for your contract duration., but there might be opportunities for overtime work.
Visa Trip
Teachers who take the In-class TEFL/TESOL course may be required do a visa trip once they have completed the course and before (or soon after) they start teaching.
Visa trips are mandatory trips to countries bordering South Korea to acquire or renew visa statuses.
Popular destinations for the visa trip are Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand or Vietnam. The visa trip usually lasts for 5-7 business days depending on the destination.
The cost of the visa trip is fully funded by the participant (see our Budget section for estimates of a visa run trip) so it is essential to expedite all documents as soon as possible in order to avoid a visa run trip.
Note that this may not be required for those who do the Placement Only program, as they will likely have their placement before they arrive and thus will arrive on a business visa provided by their school.
| Don’t worry, we’ll talk you through the whole process, explain all your options and guide you every step of the way! |