Korea truly does offer a plethora of sites and culturally enriching activities, enough to intrigue anyone the world round. The reasons to come to Korea to teach English are just as numerous and varied as the teachers who are hired here. For some, they seek the opportunity to explore jobs in the teaching field. Others have already decided upon a career in education, and are looking to add to their resume that experience which will make them more marketable once returning home.
Still others are simply looking for an easy way to pay off college loans while having some fun before they settle on a permanent position at home. In all cases, those who are most successful come with a passion to help children reach their potential while at the same time enjoying the challenge of being immersed in a culture different from their own.
Korea offers several different types of teaching positions. Choosing the correct one for you requires simply that you consider your qualifications and what kind of working environment suits you best. Regardless of where you decide to work, you can expect to get the following as part of your benefits package:
- a monthly salary of 1.8-2.6 million won (depending on position and experience)
- free airfare to and from South Korea, departing from the closest international airport to your house
- housing provided rent free, within a reasonable walking distance from the school (you simply pay for monthly living costs)
- settlement allowance (300,000 won, only for public school positions)
- health insurance -vacation days ranging from 10 days a year to a few months out of the year (depending on location)
- a severance bonus of one month’s salary, at the end of a completed year-long contract
- pension (deducted from your monthly salary, but reimbursed for American and Canadian teachers)
Public School Positions
Choosing to work in a public school allows teachers to come to Korea to a job that is as reliable as it is rewarding. Run by the Ministry of Education, public school teachers are not subject to the whim of a private director, who may close their school at the slightest sign of a loss in profits. Teachers can expect a stable and reliable salary ranging from 1.8 to 2.6 million won per month for working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday (only 22 hours of which are spent teaching classes PER WEEK!). With The public school teachers do have the largest number of students (ranging from thirty to forty per class) but, they also have the greatest amount of vacation time (PAID vacation at that!) starting at a minimum 14 days per year.
Public After-School Positions
The public after-school positions offer a watered down version of the public school option. There are fewer students per class, the working hours are less (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and the vacation days are reduced to the standard 10 days per year (not including national holidays). At the same time, the public after-school positions still offer a well-organized curriculum with materials provided by the school and still offering a salary between 1.8 and 2.3 million won per month.English Village Positions
As mentioned before, the Ministry of Education had made the decision to get involved in providing more options for extracurricular study. One of the areas where the Ministry of Education has been investing the greatest amount of money (as well as private investors, as ThinkOutside) is in English Villages. Working in an English Village offers about the same benefits as working in a private institution (larger number of native English speakers, working hours, salary). These positions have a diverse work environment with a variety of classes being taught and are also located within English speaking communities, making it a great place for those who don’t want to be too distanced from their home culture.
Private Institute Positions
Private institute positions (hagwon, 학원 “hag-won” positions) are usually where the greatest number of teachers cut their proverbial teaching teeth. Teaching at a private institute usually means a greater number of teaching hours per week (30-40 teaching hours), 10 days of vacation per year (again, not including the national holidays) and the potential for wages similar to those at public schools. The true benefit of working for a private institute is that usually there are more native English speaking teachers who can help acquaint you with the ins and outs of daily life in Korea.While ThinkOutside offers 90% public school positions, there are positions that can suit almost anyone. So, what are you waiting for? Let ThinkOutside help open your eyes to what Korea has to offer! (all for no cost to you!)
