Getting a job in one other nation is at all times a sophisticated course of. However the necessities for educating English in South Korea aren’t as intensive or troublesome as you might suppose.
Thankfully, for a lot of jobs, akin to educating at academies referred to as hagwons, the necessities to show English in South Korea don’t embrace prior expertise or perhaps a educating certificates.
You possibly can land certainly one of these jobs with little greater than a bachelor’s diploma in any topic.
That was my scenario when I discovered my first educating job. I had lately graduated from college and had by no means taught earlier than, so I solely met the minimal necessities for educating English in Korea.
My newly acquired bachelor’s diploma was sufficient to get employed, nevertheless. I discovered a job at hagwon and started what turned out to be a long-lasting profession in educating English overseas.
Requirements for educating English in South Korea have modified considerably since then, and different sorts of colleges, akin to universities, require extra {qualifications} and certifications from potential academics than hagwons.
On this article, I’ll evaluate these educating English in Korea necessities.
Teaching English in Korea Requirements: The Fundamentals
Apart from consulting articles like this one, one of the simplest ways to seek out out the necessities for educating English in South Korea is to go looking on-line for English educating jobs.
Their job descriptions sometimes listing the necessities for every particular job, with extra vital data such because the wage, variety of working hours, and placement.
A typical web site for locating educating jobs everywhere in the world is Dave’s ESL Cafe. It’s best to spend a while looking by means of job descriptions to get an concept of what the necessities for educating English in South Korea are.
One other good web site that’s particular to Korea is the KOTESOL affiliation web site. It’s significantly good for locating college jobs. Lastly, take a look on the EPIK Program, which was initiated by the Korean Ministry of Training.
When you discover a faculty that you just like, a recruiter or faculty consultant will allow you to by means of the hiring and visa software course of.
They’ll offer you an inventory of the paperwork you want for the actual job, in addition to how one can get them licensed with apostilles or notarizations, if needed.
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Sorts of Colleges in South Korea
Completely different colleges have totally different necessities for educating English in South Korea. A few of these embrace the trainer’s nationality, {qualifications}, and expertise.
The primary sorts of colleges the place you’ll be able to train English in Korea are hagwons, private and non-private grade colleges (elementary, center, and excessive colleges), and universities.
Requirements for Teaching English in South Korean Hagwons
Hagwons are small, non-public academies generally attended by kindergarten college students and older kids. There are hagwons for math, tae kwon do, musical devices, and virtually every other topic you’ll be able to think about.
English hagwons are one of the prevalent varieties. They often have kindergarten courses through the morning and early afternoon, after which shorter courses in the afternoon for college students in elementary by means of highschool.
Hagwons for youngsters have the fewest necessities for educating English in South Korea. Normally, solely a bachelor’s diploma is critical, and it doesn’t matter which topic it’s in.
There are additionally hagwons for adults in South Korea. The necessities for these colleges may be barely stricter than at hagwons for youngsters. Together with a bachelor’s diploma, they might additionally require a TESL/TEFL certificates and former educating expertise.
If you happen to’d slightly train adults than kids however don’t have the expertise or different necessities to take action, long-term plan is to start educating at a hagwon for youngsters and later discover a job at a faculty for adults.
Hagwon contracts are nearly at all times for one full 12 months. Together with a month-to-month wage, they often present housing, airfare reimbursement, and two one-week paid holidays.
Requirements to Educate English in South Korean Public and Non-public Grade Colleges
Some grade colleges (elementary, center, and highschool) in South Korea will rent anybody with a bachelor’s diploma, like at hagwons.
Most, nevertheless, have considerably more durable necessities, preferring academics with expertise and a level in schooling or at the least English. A TEFL certificates of at the least 100 hours is usually required. Click on right here for an inventory of the very best TEFL certificates.
It might be doable to show different faculty topics, in the English language, after all. For instance, you probably have a bachelor’s diploma in historical past, you might get employed as a historical past trainer.
As with all job, it’s a good suggestion to flick through many job descriptions to get an concept of what their educating English in Korea necessities are. Take a look on the
Requirements to Educate English in South Korean Universities
College jobs are a few of the finest educating jobs in South Korea. Additionally they have probably the most stringent necessities.
Many universities require two or three years of earlier educating expertise, usually however not at all times on the college stage.
Many individuals who train in South Korea for lengthy intervals of time are in a position to work their method as much as universities. Expertise educating at hagwons or grade colleges, together with a greater understanding of the nation and the way it works, permits them to ultimately get an in-demand college educating job.
Having a grasp’s diploma and a TESL/TEFL certificates is one other frequent requirement at universities. Even when it isn’t a proper requirement, you probably have both of those {qualifications} you’ll definitely be paid extra.
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Requirements for Teaching English in Korea
The next necessities are needed for locating a educating job in South Korea.
1. Passport
Your passport should stay legitimate at some stage in your contract, so at the least a 12 months from the day whenever you arrive in South Korea.
If you happen to determine to remain for a second 12 months however your passport will expire throughout that point, don’t fear. You possibly can apply for a brand new passport at your property nation’s consulate. When you get your new passport, you should use it to use on your second visa.
2. Nationality
Many faculties solely settle for academics from English-speaking nations.
If you happen to don’t come from certainly one of these nations, inform the recruiter or consultant instantly, as a result of an early a part of the hiring course of is whenever you ship a scan or photograph of your passport.
Some colleges, particularly hagwons, might rent non-native audio system with a excessive stage of English and a complicated certification to show it (akin to from Cambridge). It’ll be far more troublesome to seek out colleges like this, however they do exist.
Some colleges, largely universities and grade colleges, specify that they solely settle for academics from seven nations: the US, Canada, the UK, Eire, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
3. Teaching Expertise
As talked about above, the overwhelming majority of hagwons for youngsters don’t require earlier educating expertise. Many hagwons for adults do require expertise, although.
Grade colleges might or might not require expertise, and universities at all times do, though this earlier expertise doesn’t at all times need to be at one other college. Two or three years at a hagwon is likely to be sufficient.
4. Language abilities
Many individuals are stunned that proficiency in the Korean language is not a requirement for educating English in South Korea.
In actual fact, nearly all of English academics in South Korea didn’t converse any Korean once they first arrived. And as soon as there, many foreigners by no means hassle to be taught any greater than the fundamentals.
In fact, it’s a good suggestion to be taught the native language of the nation the place you reside, nevertheless it’s not needed for educating. English classes are simpler in the event that they’re 100% in English, and many faculties have English-only insurance policies.
Relating to English grammar, you may get by with a hagwon for youngsters with solely a fundamental understanding of it. For educating adults, you’ll want a better stage of information than merely being a local speaker, and also you’ll have to be an skilled to work at a college.
You possibly can examine grammar by yourself, or be taught it as a part of the content material of a TESL/TEFL certificates.
Required Paperwork for Teaching English in South Korea
Generally, higher jobs that require expertise (akin to universities) require extra paperwork, whereas colleges (like hagwons) that settle for folks with out educating expertise require fewer paperwork.
You’ll want the originals of all paperwork. Don’t fear, you’ll get them again after making use of on your visa in Korea.
Even so, it’s a good suggestion to make scans or take digital pictures and save them someplace everlasting, like a Google Drive or different cloud account.
As soon as you start the hiring course of, the college will let you know whether or not you want these paperwork licensed or not. Certifications akin to apostilles or notarizations are typical necessities for educating English in South Korea.
1. Bachelor’s Diploma
You will get an English educating job at a hagwon with a four-year bachelor’s diploma in any topic, whether or not it’s English, engineering, music, or something in between.
For different sorts of colleges, like grade colleges, you’ll in all probability want a bachelor’s diploma in schooling, English, or another related topic. You possibly can decide what precisely these different related topics are by speaking with particular person colleges.
You’ll in all probability want your unique transcript too. If you happen to’re unsure, ask the one who helps you thru the hiring course of.
2. Grasp’s Diploma or PHD
When you’ve got a grasp’s diploma or PHD, particularly if it’s in schooling or English, you’ll have a significantly better probability at getting a job at a college or a public or non-public grade faculty.
At all times use the best diploma you have got. It gained’t solely open up higher positions to you, however will in all probability get you paid extra.
Similar as for the bachelor’s diploma, you’ll want the unique diploma and in addition the transcript.
3. TESL/TEFL Certificates
Examine the necessities for educating English in South Korea for particular jobs earlier than you join a TESL/TEFL certificates program.
For many faculties, this certification isn’t truly required, however merely most well-liked. Having stated that, it provides you with a greater grasp of lesson planning and classroom conditions. And, it could offer you a leg up on different candidates for the job.
TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and TEFL (Teaching English as a Overseas Language) programs fluctuate enormously in their content material and high quality, particularly amongst on-line and in-person programs.
Chances are you’ll spend $100 for an inexpensive on-line TEFL course that doesn’t actually train you something, or you might spend $1,000 for knowledgeable course that may permit you to work anyplace in the world, although in all probability gained’t be needed for educating at a hagwon.
Whichever course you select, you continue to gained’t know should you’re any good at educating and even should you prefer it till you set foot in a classroom. And what you be taught in the classroom can be much more helpful than no matter you be taught in a TESL/TEFL program.
Which means a TESL/TEFL certificates isn’t needed for educating in South Korea – not for touchdown an entry-level hagwon job, nor for the precise educating – however it’s most well-liked.
If after a 12 months at a hagwon, you take pleasure in educating and know you wish to proceed doing it, you’ll be able to at all times do a TESL/TEFL course later.
4. Prison Background Examine
Hagwons hardly ever require a legal background verify, however different sorts of colleges, akin to non-public grade colleges, might request certainly one of these certificates. Normally, you’ll get it at a neighborhood police station.
Don’t fear about fulfilling this educating English in Korea requirement till a faculty requests it — except, after all, you have got a legal report.
If it was some minor high-school transgression, then order a legal background verify now, earlier than you start your job search, to see if it comes up clear or not.
5. Delivery Certificates
You in all probability gained’t want your beginning certificates to get employed, however it could be needed when you’re in South Korea. Chances are you’ll want it to open a checking account, to join medical insurance, or for one thing else that requires you to show your id.
As with all different paperwork, you’ll want the unique. If you happen to don’t have it, in most circumstances you’ll have to request it from the hospital the place you have been born.
6. Certifications: Apostilles and Notarizations
As talked about earlier, some colleges require your college diploma (and probably legal background verify) to be licensed with both apostilles or notarizations.
Apostilles are internationally acknowledged doc certifications. They’re signed, stamped, and connected to the doc that’s being licensed.
In the USA, you’ll be able to organize for an apostille by checking the web site for the Secretary of State of the state the place you graduated from college. Some price round $10, whereas others are as low-cost as $1. It depends upon the state.
It’s a easy course of. You mail your diploma (and transcript, if needed), a verify for the price, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the workplace, and the paperwork with the apostilles connected can be mailed again to you.
Different nations have an analogous course of. Merely do a Google seek for “apostille” together with the title of the area or province the place you went to college.
As a substitute of an apostille, the college might require that you just get your diploma or different paperwork notarized by a Korean consulate in your nation.
On this case, you’ll in all probability want to go to the consulate to find out the method and the prices, though this data could also be obtainable on-line.
Don’t fear about this till you discover a job that desires to rent you. They’ll offer you their particular educating English in Korea necessities.
7. Safety for Your Paperwork
A part of dwelling and dealing internationally is carrying round a folder filled with unique paperwork. You’ll want a sturdy plastic one that may maintain the whole lot described in this text and extra.
As you proceed educating, you’ll add extra paperwork to this folder. While you get any new certifications, akin to a TESL/TEFL certificates, put the unique certificates and transcript in your folder.
Each time you end a contract at a faculty and plan to maneuver on, get a letter of advice (with particulars concerning the job, contact data, and the date) and put it in the folder.
Make two photocopies of the whole lot, one to go away at dwelling with a member of the family and one to take with you — however not in the identical place the place you retain the originals.
Additionally, take digital pictures of your passport, work visa, and the whole lot that’s in the folder. Save the pictures on a tough drive, and in addition e-mail copies to your self.
Abstract of English in Korea Requirements
A fast run-down of what we’ve coated. Every sort of college has totally different necessities, however mainly, you’ll want:
- a passport
- Bachelor’s diploma
- TEFL
- be a local English speaker
- a legal background verify
- For all colleges: you’ll want a passport legitimate for longer than the time you’ll be in South Korea (at the least one 12 months) and the unique diploma and transcript of a bachelor’s diploma in any topic.
- For many hagwons for youngsters: all you’ll want is your passport and unique diploma and transcript — no extra. Some colleges might ask for a TESL/TEFL certificates, however many gained’t.
- For hagwons for adults: you might want a 12 months or two of educating expertise and probably a TESL/TEFL certificates.
- For public elementary, center, and excessive colleges: you might want a bachelor’s diploma in English, schooling, or one other related topic (for instance, a level in chemistry should you’ll train chemistry courses). Earlier educating expertise could also be required, together with a legal background verify and TEFL Certificates.
- For Universities: universities nearly at all times require at the least two or three years of earlier educating expertise. Generally hagwon expertise counts towards this. You’ll have a a lot simpler time discovering a job you probably have a grasp’s diploma in a related topic, and a TESL/TEFL certificates is helpful too. A legal background verify might also be required.
Now You Know What’s Wanted to Educate in Korea
These are the necessities for educating English in South Korea. Sounds sophisticated? Belief me, it’s not.
Over the numerous years since my first English educating job at a hagwon in South Korea, I’ve discovered jobs at colleges in three different overseas nations. In two of those nations, I labored at a number of universities.
The necessities in these nations have been far stricter than the necessities to show English in South Korea, which upon comparability have been fairly straightforward to satisfy.
Due to this, together with the sheer amount of jobs obtainable, South Korea is without doubt one of the finest nations in the world for potential academics to seek out their first educating job. Skilled academics will discover much more choices, akin to at grade colleges and universities.
Good luck.
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