With there being so many schools that teach English in Korea, how the heck do you choose between them? We can't really tell you what to choose, but we can definitely help you to make your choice more comfortably.

To quicken your decision, here are a few things you should consider first:

• Do you have any ESL teaching experience? Overseas?
• Do you have a degree in Education, TESOL, or CELTA?
• Along with a degree (in any discipline), do you have any other teaching certificates (TOEIC, TOEFL, TESOL, TEFL)?

If you can answer yes to at least 2 of the above questions, then you definitely qualify to teach in a public school. If not, then there is still a possibility, but it will depend on your experience and you need to talk to us to find out if you're a candidate (email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Otherwise, there are still plenty of great opportunities to teach in Korea. Remember, the schools we represent are thoroughly prescreened to ensure that they are reputable and secure so you can feel comfortable with any choice you make with us.

Private Schools - "Hakwons/Hogwons" (English Academies)

Private language schools are the most common type of English language instruction in Korea. They are privately owned, operated, and have their own teaching curriculum, providing text books and teaching manuals to streamline the teaching process. Frankly, this makes it fairly easy to just step into a classroom and teach.

The salaries are based on 6 teaching hours/day plus about 30 min-1 hour of prep/day (prep time will be stated in the contract at the employers discretion), Monday through Friday. If you are well prepared or can pull off teaching a class flying by the seat of your pants with your students' staying attentive or entertained throughout, most directors will toss that prep time out the window, regardless of what the contract says. If the kids are happy and learning, their parents are happy and will keep paying for their child to attend that academy, which makes the director happy ...get it?

There are literally thousands of private schools scattered throughout the country, from small single-branch academies to larger multi-branch, to very large franchises. Students range in age from pre-school to adults (the most common being primary and middle school), with class sizes up to 15 students. The degree of professionalism can also vary between schools as just about anyone can open one with a lease and a little money in the bank. We only work with professional and reliable schools.

The Pros

• Great pay with a reasonable workload
• Negotiable contract and salary (based on experience)
• Only basic qualifications are needed and no experience is necessary
• Huge job pool
• Opportunity for advancement
• Fewer working/teaching hours required
• Greater opportunity for overtime
• Plenty of freedom to supplement your lessons with games and activities
• Most often there are other foreign teachers at the school
• Easy hours for those of you who like to go out or sleep in (or both)

The Cons

• Choosing a reputable school can be discerning (that's why we're here!)
• Some schools will want you to do split shifts (there are actually a few teachers out there who have requested this). Although, you can state when you apply if you'd not like to do split shifts and we won't put you with "those" schools
• Only 2 weeks of paid vacation/year

Public Schools

Public schools are run by the Ministry of Education in Korea and are pretty standardised. You'll usually be teaching as a "team" and expected to do your lesson planning with your Korean co-teacher, although you are still meant to focus on the communication and pronunciation of your students, while the Korean teacher is expected to teach the grammar and writing skills.

The working hours at public schools are usually a little longer, with you having to be there at the beginning of the school day and leaving well after the children have left (most often it's an 8~9 hour work day). The students range from primary school to high school and the class sizes are usually 25-40 students (can be up to 60!), which can make your job much more challenging.

Public school positions are a little harder to come by because they most often require experience or certification (or both). Having a degree specific to English Education is also a common request.

The Pros

• Great salary (public schools generally pay a similar salary to private schools)
• The schools are government-run so being reputable is not an issue (but it really shouldn't be anyway, right?)
• Longer vacations (typically 3~4 weeks a year)
• Early starts (7 or 8 am) and early finishing times (3 or 4 pm), for those who like that
• No split shifts

The Cons

• Generally only two hiring periods - December~February (for March start) and June~August (for September start)
• More experience or credentials required
• Large classes (25-60 students)
• Fewer resources
• Very little freedom to supplement your lessons with games and activities
• Often you are teaching side-by-side with your Korean co-teacher
• Most often you are the only foreign teacher at the school
• Early starts, for those who DON'T like that

Really, it's all about what you want from it and what you're willing to put into it when you take a job teaching in Korea. Everyone has different needs, so all we've done here is given you a little help to get you started. There are those who only want to work for a public school and those who would only work in a private school. Whichever job you choose, we will do everything we can to help make the experience a positive one. The choice is yours...

If you have any questions or would like further counselling about selecting a job in Korea, please don't hesitate to contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Someone will personally get back to you via email or phone to discuss your concerns.