Teaching English in Korea, Part 1

So you wanna teach English in Korea huh?
Its a popular place for teaching, that's for sure.

I'll tell you my story, my tips and things a recruiter might not disclose.


First the basics
Hogwan or
Public schools?

Hogwans are private academies for Koreans to study at, from small children to adults.

Public schools are just that, government schools that teach by grade level, teach regular hours and will have national holidays off.

First to Hogwans: "Don't worry you wont teach small kids" Yes, you will. You will teach whomever they want you to teach. Adults, Teenagers or small kids. A good hogwan can pay quite a bit more then a public school, a bad one will pay the same salary(with 10-12 more hours teaching per week).
Most Hogwan teachers work a split shift, am classes, then off for a while and then evening courses.

Public schools are desirable because you generally have fixed schedule and hours 840-440pm or something along those times.
You would teach 20-21 hours a week, the remaining time is for lesson planning, surfing the internet, reading, playing school sports, chatting in the teachers lounge.
You will eat lunch at school but you might have to eat in a classroom with kids or you might eat in a teachers lounge.


Pay, Benefits, Fun?
Public schools have a set pay scale according to your degree, experience and time in Korea. You cannot really haggle much with regards to the pay scale.

You will have an apartment provided, it may or may not be near your school. It will be small by western standards and mostly will not have a bathtub just a shower hose.
Utilities are not covered! They should be under 100,000 won a month for everything though, phone, net, power and water.

If your working at a hogwan, I'd angle to get more holiday time before you sign your contract, EPIK(a Public school program) provides 21+ days of paid vacation and many hogwans provide 10-12.

Health care is provided but you will pay into it from your check.

Pension can be recovered by some nationalities(Americans) but not by others(UK). Your pension payments will be returned to you when you prove you are leaving Korea.