English Teaching Korea

7/30/2019 English Teaching Korea

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English Teaching Korea Guide

by EnglishTeachingKorea.com


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Foreword:

Hello,

Welcome to the world of English teaching in Korea. The aim of this guide is to familiarize yourself

with the profession of teaching English in Korea. We hope to cover all the main points, starting with a

brief introduction to Korea, then the role of an English teacher in Korean society, finding a job that's

right for you, teaching and how to manage your lessons, then visa info and even information on dealing

with your co-workers and students.

Teaching English in Korea is open to native English speaking, three or four year university graduates

from these countries ... USA, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.

The ESL (English as a Second Language) industry in Korea is big business, it's worth over $4 billion

yearly. Your role in Korea would be as a conversational English teacher to Korean kids (mostly). You

don't need a teaching degree or any type of TEFL/CELTA certificate.

This guide is compiled by the owner and manager ofwww.EnglishTeachingKorea.com. Many of theviews and opinions expressed here are from my own personal experience living and teaching in Korea

for nearly four years. Everything expressed here is an honest expression of life in Korea as I see it.

My path to Korea was typical. I came to Korea around four years ago now, after finishing an

Engineering degree in university wasn't ready to start a career in Engineering just yet. So I came over to

Asia to experience a little bit more of the world and to save some money for traveling. In the time I've

been here I've managed to fulfill all my goals. I enjoy life in Korea so much that I stayed. I've traveled

all over Asia and gained some valuable life experience. What's more I've discovered that I really like

interacting and learning with the kids that I teach. I hope that you'll find Korea as exciting and

worthwhile as I have, and I wish you all the best in the decisions which lay ahead of you.

Yours,

David
http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/


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Contents:

Foreword ............................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Korea ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

Your role as an English teacher ............................................................................................................. 7

Employment .......................................................................................................................................... 8

Teaching .............................................................................................................................................. 14

Learning styles .................................................................................................................................... 16

Visa issues ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Dealing with management ................................................................................................................... 21

Dealing with your students .................................................................................................................. 21

Free Time ............................................................................................................................................. 22

Contracts .............................................................................................................................................. 23

Further Info .......................................................................................................................................... 24


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Introduction:

The ESL (English as a Second Language) phenomenon hit Korea in the early 90's.

Korea's economy at the time was roaring ahead, with huge growth rate and wealth

coming into the country. Mostly from the larger Korean businesses such as

Samsung, Hyundai and the POSCO steel company. Korea isn't the only country inAsia to be in the market to attract English speaking graduates, but it's the leading

destination for many when wages, cost of living and standard of living are taken

into account.

There are more than 10,000 foreigners teaching English in Korea at this moment. And the number is

steadily rising each year. Many of those are long-term teachers who have stayed in Korea and re-signed

contracts. Many more are first year teachers who will return home with stories of good times and up to

18 million won in their pockets. Some however will quit and leave early, usually because they couldn't

acclimatize to their new environment easily, or because they found that teaching didn't suit them and

they didn't come to Korea in the right frame of mind. They didn't know what to expect, and what wasexpected of them.

Korea itself is a prosperous nation with the world's 11th largest economy. Teachers are paid well in

Korea, even by Korean standards. Also, while the standard of living is fairly high the cost of living is

actually fairly cheap. So it's easy to save money and travel.

The ability to speak proper English can be the difference between success and failure in

terms of employment opportunities for a Korean adult. Many large companies like

Samsung are now hiring only Koreans with English abilities. The same goes for top-

level government positions. In order to secure a position as an embassy chief-consulate,

Korean diplomats must be able to pass an English proficiency test. Although despite thisand the fact that ESL (English as a Second Language) in Korea is such a large industry -

English hasn't made much on an impact in Korean culture in general. Korea is certainly not an English

speaking country.

Traditionally Koreans have placed great emphasis on education. Many Korean families spend a large

part of their income ensuring that their children get the best education possible. Sending their children

to an after-school academy isn't cheap for the children's parents. Many of the academies charge up to

1/5th of an average wage in Korea per month.

Most kids however go to an after-school academy of some kind. Often it's to further their education, to

meet friends, keeping up with the Joneses on behalf of their parents or even just to get them out of the

house and take them away from their computer games.

The most popular after-school academies (or hogwons as the term in known in Korea)

are taekwondo (Korean for 'to kick and punch'), Chinese writing and English. Although

there are other kinds of hogwons out there also such as dancing, hip hop hogwons,

music, art etc... It's these English hogwons that hire the bulk of native English speakers

who find employment in Korea.


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Although there are jobs too for national school teachers, university lecturers, corporate language

trainers etc. All of these positions are usually filled with native English speakers. The theory being, that

it's best to learn a language from a native speaker. The research done in the field of ESL backs up this

claim. With studies showing that up to 70% of language being transmitted non-verbally.

That means that the tone of your voice and your body language can communicate to an English learner

sometimes even more effectively than your sentence syntax and vocabulary.

English is taught in Universities, national schools as well as after school private academies. Great

importance is placed on learning and interacting with a native speaker. That is where you come into it.

When you come to Korea, you'll be expected to conduct classes for your students in an enthusiastic and

active manner. For the hogwon jobs at least, it's of the utmost importance that your students enjoy your

classes. Because to a certain extent at least, they are not just your students they are also your

customers.

The reality of it is however, that the job really isn't that difficult to do, once you get over the initial

'hump' of the first three months most people find it plain sailing. Usually the classroom setting

involves you and 6-12 students for hogwon jobs, and up to 40 students for public school jobs. Your jobis to help the students with their conversational English. Most schools have Korean teachers, who will

work with the students on their grammar.

If you haven't taught before, don't worry too much about this part of your job. It takes all teachers a

while to get used to teach and managing classrooms when they first begin. And hopefully you'll have

your boss and other Koreans teachers at the school to support you at the start.

Korea

People:

Korean people are amongst the friendliest and good natured people in Asia. They are

nearly always there to help a foreigner who is lost or in difficulty. Koreans are the tallest

of the Asian races and are known throughout Asia for their good looks and the wave of

Korean pop culture that has seen Korean actors, singers and soaps make it big in

countries like Japan and China.

Unlike most other Asian countries, there are no sellers or hawks in Korea. Traders in general are honest

and friendly. Korea is the only country that I know of in Asia where it's usual to get 'special treatment'

because you are a foreigner, including maybe a free drink in a restaurant or extra fruit from a fruitseller.

Because of the lack of a tourist industry in Korea, foreigners are still somewhat of a rarity. Especially

outside of Seoul, many people are startled when they see a foreigner. Most are only too willing to help

you out though and many want to practice their English any chance they get.

You may also be approached in supermarkets or parks by parents eager for you to teach their children


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private lessons. These lessons usually pay very well, but they are in contravention of your visa. So if

you were to be caught, you would be fined and deported. Some teachers do them anyway for the extra

cash.

History:

Korea has been is often called 'the land of the morning' calm. Although if you live

in any of it's larger cities I think you may have difficulty grasping exactly why. The

history of Korea is one of invasion by foreign powers, occupation and division. But

from a turbulent past, Korea has grown to be a wealthy, prosperous and well

developed democracy.

Korea had an independent monarchy for much of the last millennium. During this time, Korea

effectively sealed itself off from the outside world and became known as the hermit kingdom. Korea

back then was an undeveloped rural economy ruled by decree of the monarch.

After the Russo-Japanese war, Japan became the regional superpower and invaded Korea in 1905.

Korea was then formally annexed five years later. After World War II the Japanese left and Korea was

split up into two parts. The south was occupied by the USA and they set up a republic, while the North

was occupied by the Russians who set up a Communist system.

During the Korean war the USA and other UN nations invaded Korea to counter the attack against the

South by the Communist North. In 1953 an armistice was signed and the two halves of Korea are now

at peace.

In 1993, KIM Yo'ngsam became Korea's first civilian president for 30 years. In June 2000, the first

North South summit took place between North and South Korea. Since then the atmosphere of distrust

and wariness has gradually thawed. South Korea is now a fully functioning democracy.

Economy:

Korea's record of economic growth since the 1960's has been staggering. Modern day Korea has all the

infrastructure of a high-tech, modern, world economy. Forty years ago, Korea's GDP per capita was

amongst the lowest in the world. On a par with some of the poorest African nations.

Today, Korea's economy is the world's 11th largest.

The success of the economy has been attributed to very close government business

ties which in the past have included directed credit, import restrictions and strong

labor effort. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses

in the Korean economic model, including high debt/equity ratio and massive foreign borrowing. But the

Korean economy quickly bounced back from this slump and achieved outstanding growth rates again in

2002.Much of Korea's wealth has been generated by the large chaebol corporations such as Samsung,

LG, Hyundai etc... Samsung alone is reported to account for almost 22% of Korea's GDP.


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Your role as an English teacher:

Once you've taken a job as an English teacher in Korea. There are certain aspects

of your performance that will be critical to your success or failure as far as yourbosses perspective is concerned. As a teacher you will be expected to improve

your students verbal communication skills and their aural ability.

All teachers are expected to do their best and to work hard on a daily basis.

Punctuality and good time keeping are essential. As often there won't be anyone to cover your classes if

you arrive late. Teachers are expected to spend time planning their lessons beforehand. So that when

they enter the class they have a set instruction list of what they are going to do and which goals they are

going to achieve in that class.

A teacher is expected to maintain the 'good name' of their school or place of employment. Illegal

activities, drug use, violent behavior are all not tolerated by a school. The teacher should be as

easygoing as possible and should if possible have experience working with other people and/or in a

foreign country. Although this isn't essential. The teacher should be comfortable working in a pressured

environment and dealing with people of different culture and values.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the business. It's not always possible to set your teaching hours and

classes at definite times. Your boss will be running a business, and classes must be planned when

around the students schedule not the teacher's. It would help if you could be as understanding about

this as possible. Although obviously, what's stated in your contract should be the final word, this is just

one area where it's preferable to have a little bit of understanding and to be able to give and take in a

working relationship with your boss if you can.

Above all though, a teacher will be expected to be friendly and outgoing with their students. Especially

if you are teaching kids. The teacher must be approachable at all times to their kids. The teacher-student

relationship is critical in a hogwon environment, because as I said earlier they are not just your

students, they are also your customers. Generally the ability to have fun with your kids is more than

enough in this aspect of your job.

Teachers are expected to take part in extracurricular activities. Usually schools and hogwons have

Christmas and Halloween plays or skits. Often there may be a 'meet the parents' day which a teacher

will be required to attend and to dress appropriately for. Some schools also have phone counseling

which requires teachers to ring the students and ask them questions about lessons etc... . Also someschools will have outings or picnics once a month or perhaps once every couple of months. These are

standard tasks that any teacher in the West would also be required to carry out in their teaching duties.


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Dress Code:

A teacher is expected to dress appropriately for class. The best

way to describe the dress code in most schools would be smart-

casual. Smarter than street wear, but not so far as formal dress.

Most organizations don't require their teachers to wear a shirt

and tie. But shorts, beach-wear, T-shirts, sandals, blue jeans

etc... are usually forbidden. Also the teacher is expected to be

clean and well groomed.

Dressing respectably will go along way towards creating a good

first impression and establishing your credentials as a teacher. It might be a good idea to bring an extra

supply of deodorant with you to Korea. As the Koreans don't use it, and sometimes Westerners smell a

bit 'funny' to Koreans anyway.

Teacher Training:

In reality is that most schools out there have neither the staff nor the resources to train their teachers

properly before they step into the classroom. Training typically consists of making a few lesson plans

and observing the classes of more experienced teachers.

After that, you're usually on your own. Even though, it's usually not too bad just try to enjoy yourself

for the first week or so. And make sure you do some preparation yourself, such as planning lessons and

activities. This guide has a section at the end which will point you in the right direction with regards to

lesson plans and resources...

Employment:

There are many different employment opportunities out there, it's important that you

understand the pros and cons of each one, in order to make the decision that is right

for you.

Types of institutes:

Public Schools:

In accordance with the Korean governments wishes to see native English speakers take a more active

role in the national curriculum and education of Korean children in public schools. The various school

boards have been asked to recruit and hire almost 800 native English speakers per year.

The best thing about public schools which most teachers seem to enjoy, is the holidays. Many schools

give their teachers up to five weeks holidays a year, although some schools insist upon you turning up


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to school even during the school holidays. Some teachers also appreciate the atmosphere and the day to

day immersion in Korean life.

On the down side, often public school teachers have a longer work day than other teachers. Most public

schools require their teachers to be present at the school from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. Although the teacher

usually wouldn' t be teaching for most of those hours you will be expected to be on the school

premises. This means that you should find something to keep you entertained while you wait for your

next class to teach. Public schools are often located in the countryside and usually hire no more thanone foreign teacher. So it's possible that the foreign teacher could get lonely. These jobs usually pay a

little bit less than other private academy jobs.

The class size in public schools may range up to 40 students. Sometimes you'll be teaching with a

Korean co-teacher who can speak English. Other times you'll find yourself teaching the kids alone.

Hogwons:

Hogwons are private academies that are often either family run, or a part of a larger franchise. These

schools usually operate from around 4:00PM to 9:00PM, and serve as study lessons where students go

after their regular classes have finished. Many hogwons also run a kindergarten program in the

mornings. These kindergarten programs will mean that a teacher will usually have to work earlier and

possibly have to do a split-shift. Class sizes for hogwons are usually between 3-12 students. Most

hogwons are used to employing foreigners so they'll know exactly what it is you'll need to get set up.

Although, some hogwons have built up an unsavory reputation over the years. In more

recent years, the labor board has been taking teacher complaints an awful lot more

seriously. There is now legal recourse for teachers who have disputes with their

employers. And soon there'll be an English speaking judge that will handle court cases

between foreigners and their schools.

From personal experience, having worked in numerous hogwon institutes, I've never hadany problems with wages or conditions. Neither do I know of anyone personally who has had any

serious problems with regards to these issues. The reality of it is, that most problems that occur are

personality based, and that at least 50% of the time, the teacher is more responsible than the school.

Some teachers consider themselves to be on working-holidays when they come to Korea. Some don't

take their job very seriously and inevitable raise the ire of their bosses. Some of these teachers post

their stories on blacklists, which by their nature are one-sided affairs, and often date to years and years

ago when the school was under different management.

The great thing about hogwons nowadays is that because they're forced to compete with the public

schools, often they are raising the level of both wages and teacher conditions. So don't be afraid to

bargain with your school before signing a contract to get exactly what you want.

Universities:

University jobs are mostly for the more experienced ESL professional. Some university jobs require

their teachers to have MA's. Others will accept bachelor degree candidates with more than one year

teaching experience in Korea.

University positions are known for their low hours and great holidays. Often teachers at a university

receive up to three or four months vacation time. However the base pay at a university is usually quite


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low.

Many universities now run ESL programs for non-enrolled students. This often means that the teacher's

role is a combination of University teacher and hogwon teacher. This is of course less preferable for a

teacher usually.

Choosing a school:In choosing a school, you need to keep in mind a few basic facts. You need to consider

what it is exactly that you want in a school. Certainly location is important, but many of

the Korean cities are quite similar in terms of things to do and see. You may feel that

you'd like to work in Busan to be near a beach. But the reality of it is is that Busan is

a huge city, and the chances are quite high that you'll be further away from the beach

living in Busan, than you would be if you lived anywhere on the East coast line of

Korea. Consult your recruiter about these and other issues ...

The important things to do in choosing a school would be :

1. Talk to the previous teachers ... your school should provide you with contact details

2. Know thine contract ... your contract will set the beat of your daily life for a 12 month period.

You should know when you are expected to arrive in school, how much lesson prep you will

need to do. What your holidays are. What conditions your apartment will be ...

3. Talk to your boss on the telephone. Discuss any issues that you may have directly with your boss

before you come over. Go over everything that you are unsure of with your boss. Your boss

should be able to reassure you that everything will be get sorted out.

4. Disregard blacklists, they are usually written by the type of people that would complain about

any job back home. They are unsubstantiated, uncontested, biased and almost entirely useless...

Dealing with a recruiter:

A professional recruiter should make your transition to Korea a lot easier. The recruiter

should be able to steer you in the right direction with regards to your school, daily life

in Korea, you and the law, and even be able to help you out with your teaching,

classroom technique and interaction with Korean management and staff. In other words

a recruiter should be able to take you right up along from choosing a job, to signing a

contract, to living in Korea, to working and maybe even point you in the right direction

when it comes to taking a holiday. Your recruiter should also stay in touch with you throughout your

contract period, to make sure everything is going as planned.Some people recommend teachers to either choose the job themselves off a recruitment board. Or to

come to Korea first and then find a job for themselves while they are here. I would sincerely

recommend NOT coming over to Korea yourself in order to find your job. If you have a lot of cash and

you' like to come to Korea to do a bit of traveling first, then maybe you could find employment while

you are here. But otherwise, you are going to have to negotiate around a non-English

speaking country by yourself. You'll have to track down and find schools, you'll have

to interview teachers and staff. And unless you are experienced and know what


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questions to ask, this may be a fruitless and money-wasting journey.

As for picking a job off a job board, that is also an option. I would say though, that if a recruiters

services are free, then you should probably use one. Or at least talk to one to get an idea of what's out

there.

When dealing with a recruiter it's important that you tell them exactly what you want. And that you let

them know what your plans are. They'll be talking to schools on your behalf, so if you stop contactingyour recruiter, it'll make it difficult for them to deal with the school. The best course of action for

everyone here is to have as wide a channel of communication as possible. If you are thinking over an

offer, or deciding between two or three different schools, or maybe just waiting to see if something

better comes along then it's fine to just tell that to your recruiter, who can then pass that information

along to the school who may in turn wish to increase their offer or give you a contract with better

conditions.

Remember, your recruiter works for

you, not the other way around. If

your recruiter is putting you

under undue pressure to take aposition. Then you should think

about engaging the services of

another recruiter. Your

responsibility to your recruiter ends

with telling them exactly what you

want and letting them know what

you are thinking. At the end of the

day, it's up to you to choose your

position.

It's very important also, toremember to go over the contract

details and any other details with

your boss directly. Your recruiter is just an intermediary between you and your school. For things that

aren't directly covered by the contract. It's quite possible that your boss might tell your recruiter one

thing, and might end up presenting that information to you in a different light, when the time comes.

Details you could ask your recruiter:

General visa questions ...

General contract issues ...

What to bring, what is expected of you, where to go on holidays ...

Any general questions with regards to teaching ...

Details you could ask your manager:

Specific points that aren't directly covered in the contract ...

Holiday questions eg. dates, times ...

Specific points with regards to the local area ...


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While a recruiter should be open to answer any questions that you wish to ask. The smarter way to go

about things, would be to know who you should direct your questions to. One example here would be

the visa run to Japan. Your boss may tell your recruiter that it's all expenses paid. However, a number of

weeks later when the time comes for your visa run, it's possible that your boss may give you cash for

the ferry journey only. So when you say that the recruiter told you that it was all expenses paid, your

boss could just say that that's between you and your recruiter. In this case, it wouldn't be a case of your

recruiter lying to you. But rather it would be a case of you relying on second-hand information.This goes double when it comes to unprofessional recruiters who will tell you just about anything to get

you to sign a contract. Beware of recruiters who seem to know all the answers off-hand. If you are

asking a specific contract question like ... will I have to work Saturdays ? And your recruiter seems to

know the answer to that question without checking with the manager, then one of two things is possible.

1) He didn't pass along all the pertinent information with regards to that job to the teacher.

2) He's just making up the answer ( usually in the final stages of the agreement ) in order to get you to

sign.

First hand information is silver, first-hand information that is clearly stated in your contract is golden,

everything else is just hearsay. Remember this during the contract negotiations and everything willwork out just fine. There won't be any misunderstandings that could get in the way of you relaxing and

enjoying your time in Korea, and that could cloud your relationship between you and your boss.

Your salary:

The average salary for a teacher is usually somewhere between 2.0million and 2.5million. Many schools

pay around 2.2 million. If you live in Seoul then 2.2 million is probably the equivalent of 2.0million if

you lived in a city outside of Seoul. Your salary should be paid on time and in full every

month.

The amount that you can save from your salary is really up to you. For a teacher who isearning 2.2 million, it wouldn't be unreasonable to save up to 1.5million. Although this

would probably curtail your social life to some extent, and would definitely preclude

you from some of the finer things in life. You should also expect your apartment to be

provided free of charge, your return flight to be paid for after 12 months, and for a 13 th month bonus to

be provided. Your 13th month bonus will be the average wage of your last three months of employment.

There should be three (and only three) deductions made from your salary.

Income tax 3-7% depending on how much you earn every month ( a teacher earning 2.0 million

should be charged around 3% income tax)

Obligatory pension scheme 9% divided (4.5%/4.5%) between you and your school. Citizens

from the US and Canada can refund their pension when they return home to their country with

the requisite documents

Non-obligatory medical insurance 4.31% usually divided (2.15%/2.15%) between you and your

school. If you have private insurance of your own, then this may be unnecessary. Otherwise,

this is very necessary and covers nearly every medical eventuality including drugs,

hospitalization, preventive care, surgery, diagnosis, test, medical materials and treatments.


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Holidays:

Depending on the type of institution that you work for, you could be receiving

anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 weeks holidays. Many schools will have set holidays that

the teachers must abide by, others will let teachers choose their own holidays.

Nearly all schools will take the Korean national holidays off. It might be useful to know

these dates and to try to plan your own holidays around them in advance in order to getthe most out of your days off. For some schools, where teachers negotiate their own holidays before

signing the contract would be a great time to negotiate your holiday days ...

YEAR 2005

Buddha's Birthday Sun May 15th

Memorial Day Mon June 6th

Constitution Day Sun July 17th

Liberation Day Mon Aug 15th

Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) Sat-Mon Sep 17th-19th

National Foundation Day Mon Oct 3rd

Christmas Dec 25th

YEAR 2006

New Years Day Sun Jan 1st

Lunar New Years Day Sat-Mon Jan 28th-30th

Independence Movement Day Wed Mar 1st

Arbor Day Wed Apr 5th

Children's Day Fri May 5th

Memorial Day Tue June 6th

Constitution Day Mon July 17th

Liberation Day Tue Aug 15th

Chuseok Tue Oct 3rd

National Foundation Day Thu-Sun Oct 5th-8th

Christmas Day Mon Dec 25

th

Resume:

Your resume basically is just a brief introduction to yourself and your skills / abilities.

The first glance at your resume will be just to ensure that you do actually qualify for an

E2 visa and that you are eligible to teach English in Korea.


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Filling out a recruiter application form is always preferable than sending in your resume. This is

because not only will it be easier for the recruiter to pass on your information to the employers. But also

because a recruiter application form will prompt you to enter your details in a way which will be easier

for an employer to pick out the main points of your application quickly. It will also ask pertinent

questions such as when the best time to call is, and other information that is important and that wouldn't

usually be included in a resume form.

The important thing to remember when you are filling out a resume is that you include a nice picture togo along with it. If you have no nice pictures lying around. Then maybe you should think about getting

one done professionally if the cost is not prohibitive. Try to wear something with maybe a collar if you

are a guy, and maybe a dress suit if you are a girl. A tie would be unnecessary. And most of all ...

remember to smile. Pictures of you in a bar with all your friends, or you fully bedecked in a Santa Claus

outfit are not what you'd be looking for here. If you are an older teacher, it's doubly important that

you're picture is energetic and life-like.

Don't be surprised to be asked questions that wouldn't be suitable for interview questions at home. Such

as your heritage and your race. Koreans don't feel in the least bit shy about asking such questions. When

it comes to experience, try to put down anything that you think would show that you are capable of

teaching a classroom. If you have any experience with kids, then by all means put that down...

Interview phone call:

Your boss may want to talk to you on the phone before she/he makes a decision about

hiring you. It's probably a good idea to build up a rapport with your boss anyway before

you come over. Don't worry too much about this phone call though. Your boss will just

want to hear your voice, and make sure that you sound genuine about your commitment

to the school. If you have a particularly strong accent, it may be important for you to

speak clearly while on the phone, and indeed when you start teaching in the classroom.

Remember that smiling while you are speaking carries across phone lines in the tone of your voice. Sothat it's often more pleasant to speak to someone on the phone who is smiling, than someone who is

frowning (or hungover).

Teaching:

A teachers teaching methodology should be a personal choice based on a number of different factors

including class level and motivation, classroom environment and numbers, availability of teaching

resources as well as the desire to provide a dynamic and exciting learning experience for the students. I

will cover the two most basic and well known teaching methodologies here.

Present, Practice, Produce

The most traditional teaching Methodology is broken down into three parts The teacher

presents one item of the English language in a clear context to get it's meaning across.

Whether this is done through a text, a situation role play or a dialog etc. Students then


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proceed with the controlled practice stage, and they would have to repeat the target items through coral

and individual drilling and other task based

problems. Then the final stage is the production stage or 'free practice' stage. Students are given a free

task such as a role play and are expected to reproduce the target language as well as to couch it with

subsidiary and contextual language in other to communicate with each other.

This is the standard 'bread and butter' form of teaching methodology. Like the name says, it basicallyinvolves three key areas. Firstly the teacher presents the topic for the lesson plan. For this example we'll

take a lesson on the present continuous tense eg. I am going, she is running, we are dancing. The

teacher would start off by mimicking a singer or else maybe pretending to kick a ball. The teacher

would ask the class to to identify the activity. The class will put up there hands, and answer. The

teacher will then continue with a few more examples. The teacher would then give a brief explanation

on the present continuous tense. How it is formed ie. the verb 'to be' plus the gerund or verb ending in '-

ing'.

The teacher will also explain to the class when to use it. The continuous tense is used to express an

action that is happening NOW. The teacher may compare it to a present simple verb construction ie. he

goes, she runs, we dance. The present simple is show to the kids as something that describes anEVERDAY action. Don't worry if you don't know these finer points of grammar. Teachers and students

are always provided with a textbook that covers these points. Often, the Korean teachers will cover the

grammar lessons anyway, (this just serves as an example lesson).

Next, you move on to the practice part of the lesson. Here the emphasis shifts from the teacher to the

student. The students are encouraged to practice using the present tense with each other. The teacher is

there to observe and correct. You could split the class into pairs and tell each of them to ask three

continuous present questions to each other eg. What are you doing ? ... I'm learning English. The

teacher might then ask some rapid fire questions to the class eg. What is John doing ? What is Kim

thinking ? Where is Danny sitting ?

Finally the students get to produce their newly learned language expressions. For this part of the lesson,

the teacher really just stays in the background and observes the students. Making corrections at times if

appropriate. A good teaching activity to use here is something I call 'questionnaire'. The students make

out a questionnaire which they then administer to each of their classmates. The questions are all

constructed in the present continuous tense in this instance. So it would kind of look like this...

KIM DANNY JULIE MINJI

Where are you

living ?What are you

doing now ?

Where are you

sitting ?

(Note: here that the students names are either English names or English sounding names )


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It's standard practice to give each of your students English names. Most will have their English names

already, either given to them by another teacher at your school, or names they have from other schools.

Task based approach

The second teaching methodology that we'll cover here is what is termed a task based approach.Students are free from language control, they use their existing language resources rather than just

practice target language. This exercise is context driven, the language is personalized and relevant for

the student. The student can develop their own unique speaking style that suits them and is less prone to

unnatural sounding overuse of target language. Much more of a varied exposure to language. A wider

range of lexical phrases and patterns as well as language forms. This teaching Methodology is needs-

based rather than teacher defined. Students spend a lot of time communicating. It's also enjoyable and

motivating.

Pre-task:

Teacher introduces a topic and gives the students a chance to brainstorm the topic before moving on to

the next stage. This may involve playing a recording or using a text or pieced from a newspaper

Task:

Students complete a task in pairs or in groups using the resources that the teacher gives them. The

teacher then monitors and gives them encouragement.

Planning:

Students prepare a short written or oral report to the class. They can practice what they are going to say

in their own groups. The teacher is available to clear up any language questions that they may have.

Report:Students report back to the class with a written or an oral report. The students listen to each other

completing the task.

Analysis:

The teacher highlights certain parts of the students presentations and gives an overview. May point out

interesting features of the topic. Maybe highlight some of the vocabulary used by the students.

Practice:

Finally the teacher selects the language areas to practice based on the teachers impression of the needs

of the students and from the task and report phases. The students do practice activities in order to

increase their confidence and they make note of any useful vocabulary.

Learning Styles

We'll give you a brief 'TESOL for dummies lesson' here, just to get you into the mood. Enjoy ... and no

there won't be an exam at the end.


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(Ellis 1985) A students learning style is the more or less consistent way in which a

student perceives,

conceptualizes, organizes and recalls information. Learning styles are important because

they allow

students to learn more quickly and efficiently with less effort. Which in turn gives them

moreconfidence with the language, which in turn increasing their learning ability and potential. As learning

improves, so does the student's self-esteem.

This has the knock on effect of improving the student teacher relationship.

The main types of learning styles

Modalities:

Visual :students may look at a teachers face intently. May recognize words by sight or may memorize

words on posters on the wall.

Auditory:

prefer verbal instructions, likes dialogs, discussions and plays. Can use rhythm and sounds

as aids to memory.

Kinesthetic:

prefer to be active and moving, find it difficult to sit still for longer periods. Can use

movement as a memory aid.

Tactile:

prefer writing and drawing as memory aids. Can learn hands on with activities such asprojects or demonstrations.

Left brain / Right brain dominated:

Left brain:

students are intellectual, process information in a linear manner, are often objective,

prefer

established, certain information, rely on thinking and remembering.

Right brain:

students are intuitive, process information in a holistic manner, tend to be subjective,

prefer uncertain information, often prefer drawing or manipulating to help them remember.


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McCarthy's learning styles

Innovative learners:

look for personal meaning while learning, enjoy social interaction, are

cooperative, want to make the world we live in a better place.

Analytic learners:want to develop intellectually, draw on facts, are patient and reflective mostly, want

to know 'important things'.

Common sense learners:

want to find solutions, value things that they find useful, are kinesthetic, want to make things happen.

Dynamic learners:

look for hidden possibilities, judge things mostly by gut reactions, synthesize information from

different sources, are enthusiastic and adventurous.

Field independent vs field dependent

Field independent:

can separate important details from a complex background. They tend to rely

upon themselves and their own thought process to solve problems.

Field independent :

find it more difficult to see the parts in a complex whole. They rely on others when

solving problems and they excel at interpersonal relationships.

Visa issuesTo teach and work in Korea you must first obtain a visa. We can help you with this

process. When you would like to accept a teaching position. The first thing that you

must do is to gather your documents.

You'll need

Your original degree from your university

A copy of your academic transcripts in an university envelope sealed, stamped and marked by your

university

A copy of your resume Two passport photos

A photocopy of the picture page of your passport

A signed copy of your contract


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picture of transcripts in a sealed, signed marked envelope

We advise you to collect all these documents straight away, even before you find a job. Often it can take

a few weeks to get your sealed transcripts and degree. In that case it isn't always possible for the school

to hold the position for you. Because often teachers will back out or change their mind at the last

minute. So the school will often give the position to the first suitable candidate with their documents in

order. Most schools only consider a position filled, when they have these documents in hand or when

they have the transit code from a delivery agency which proves that the documents are on their way.

When you do have these documents in order and you have found a position that suits you. You should

then send them either to us at www.englishteachingkorea.com or more likely to the school. The
http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/


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school will then apply for your visa on your behalf.

When your visa has been issued, you will be given a visa issuance number. You can

then take this number and your passport to your nearest Korean consulate, and they will

stamp the visa into your passport. There is a fee involved here which the applicant will

be expected to cover themselves. It's usually only around $60 or the equivalent in your

local currency. This process may take more than one day. In some consulates it's anovernight process. Ring your local consulate beforehand to sort out the costs, time

frame and whether they will accept your application in the mail. You will find the details of your local

consulate on our website here www.englishteachingkorea.com/links.html

Visa Run:

If you're boss is in a hurry or you don't have time to apply for a visa while in your

home country. Then you may be asked to come to Korea on a tourist visa. You would

then work at the school until your documents arrive and your boss would then sendyou over to Japan to collect your work visa at the Korean consulate over there.

This usually requires an overnight stay in Japan, all the expenses here should be

covered by your boss. Please note here that although the likelihood of getting caught are slim, it is

illegal for you to work in an institution in Korea without your E2 visa. So your first weeks of teaching

time will actually be outside the bounds of what's stated in your tourist visa. However, if you are caught

teaching illegally, and if your boss has already filed the preliminary paperwork with immigration.

Immigration will often turn a blind eye to your work situation.

If you are asked to do a visa run by your boss or recruiter. Do a simple cost/benefit analysis, if you are

quite contented at home to wait for your degree, transcripts and visa to be processed. Or you absolutelydo not want to work in another country without the proper visa, then make that clear to your boss or

recruiter.

On the other hand, if you are eager to get started in Korea. Or you have a job that you don't want to pass

up, or you'd just like a free trip to Japan. Then the visa run option might be the one for you. Assuming

you get asked to do one that is.

Letter of release:

The standard working visa for foreign teachers in Korea is the E-2. This visa is valid for

12 months and is tied to your place of employment. When your contract ends, so does

your visa. If for whatever reason you wish to change schools during your contractual

period. Then you will have to leave Korea to obtain another visa. Also, your boss will

need to give you a 'letter of release' stating that you are no longer contractually obligated

to his school. This letter of release needs to be provided to Korean immigration, before

they will issue you with another visa within this contract period.
http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/links.htmlhttp://www.englishteachingkorea.com/links.html


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Dealing with school management:

It's always difficult when people of two vastly different cultures and languages need to work with each

other to achieve a task. When working with the management at your school the mostimportant thing to keep in mind is that you should be respectful at all times. That means

no finger pointing, raising your voice or becoming obstreperous. In the West there is

often a management culture which dictates that we work 'with' our boss, as opposed to

'for' our boss. Koreans don't have this form of work culture.

In Korea in general, what your boss says ... goes. At least as far as issues outside of the ones covered in

your contract are concerned. Korea has a tradition of Confucianism stretching back thousands of years.

In a Confucian society, respect for your elders and dedicating yourself to your family and job are the

core values - whereas in the West, individualism and speaking your mind are core values. Many schools

have a long history with hiring foreigners so they'll appreciate that things are done a little differently

where we come from. However the important thing is that the native teacher is able to meet them

halfway so to speak, and try not to do anything that could result in 'loss of face' for their boss.

But just like anywhere else, Koreans respect honesty and friendliness. If you have a problem then by all

means you should approach your boss in a friendly manner. Sometimes you can get a Korean teacher to

help you. Writing the problem down on paper may also be something that you should think about.

Being flexible and easygoing is a must when it comes to working with Korean management. Especially

in what can be a high pressure environment like a school. Some people like to bring over a gift for their

boss as a goodwill gesture. If you would like to do this, then good suggestions are usually a bottle of

whiskey for your male boss, or if your boss is female then a nice perfume might suffice. These canusually be picked up at duty-free in the airport before you depart for Korea.

Dealing with students

Any new teacher will not be expected to have mastered the various intricateness and

finer points of the ESL profession in general. However there are some points which

it would be good for you to consider before stepping into the classroom.

Teaching is about 95% personal relationship and 5% methodologies in my opinion.

Teachers working in a hogwon environment often won't be able to 'discipline' their

kids in the strictest sense. The reality of the working environment casts you in the role of half-teacher,

half-troupe leader. Think of motivating your kids in terms of "Wouldn't it be cool if we did ... " as

opposed to "You're going to do this ... or else".

For the most part Korean kids are extremely well behaved. And they nearly always respect their teacher

... as their culture dictates they should. Try to maintain eye contact with your kids when possible.


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Respect your kids, and they'll respect you in return. It may take a while for you to be comfortable

assuming the role of class leader. But once you grow used to it, you'll have the respect of both the kids

and the management.

Korean kids, like kids everywhere, need lots of encouragement. There are no bad kids, just ones that

learn a little slower or respond better to different teaching styles. Try to befriend your less attentive and

high performing students. Often they are attention starved at home because both their parents work.

Make an effort to learn about your kid's role models and culture. Kids everywhere are into the same

things. Often your teenage girls will be devoted followers of whatever boy band happens to be in the

charts at the time. Boys are often into basketball, soccer or baseball. All Koreans love soccer and are

extremely proud of their national team.

Older students in general, love to talk about North Korea, or the war. Koreans in general are very proud

of their country and often see their way of doing things to be inherently better than other peoples. There

is still quite a lot of resentment in the country towards Japan because of the Japanese invasion at the

start of the last century. Although when asked as to why Korean troops invaded Iraq, they usually brush

it off. These are the topics that can make the time pass quickly in a class of advanced students. As well

as being an entertaining and eyeopening exercise.

Free time

There are lots of thing for you to do and see in Korea in your spare time. Koreans

love to enjoy themselves and are a very social people. Dining and drinking

together are seen as intrinsic aspects of keeping and maintaining the bonds in

Korean society.

Should you be asked to go for a drink with your boss or coworkers then it's

probably a good idea to accept. Korea has all the amenities that you would find in a well developed

Western city. Such as bars, movie theaters, bowling alleys, nightclubs, stadiums, restaurants etc ... .

Alcohol is available in Korea 24hrs so if you finish up late in the evening and you want to enjoy a few

drinks with your friends and colleagues ... the bars never shut.

If you are into more relaxing pastimes, there are some wonderful hiking and mountain trails all over

Korea. The country is nearly 80% mountainous, so the chances are high that there'll be a trail near to

your house, if you want to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city. There are some great 'temple

hikes' as well. These are hikes you can take that will bring you up to some remote Buddhist temple in

the hills. It's a great way to unwind and relax.

The restaurants and food in Korea are really tasty. Foreigners rarely have any trouble adapting to the

food. The Koreans also have all the major western food franchises, from McDonalds and Pizza Hut to

Outback and TGI Fridays.

Many teachers take up a hobby in their spare time. Hapkido (the art of sword fighting),

learning Korean, or joining a gym are all popular ones. If you do join a martial art, the


23/24

training is usually fairly intense 5 days a week. But it's normal for you to achieve a black belt in your

first year.

Anything computer related is also possible in Korea. Whether you are into on-line games, or you just

want to email your family. Internet access in Korea is fast, cheap and readily available.

Contract

A teacher should be intimately familiar with their contract before signing.

As this is the document that is going to set the parameters of your

employment over the next 12 months. The larger franchise schools such as Ding Ding

Dang, ECC, Wonderland etc... usually have their own contracts. All branches and

schools however will include details pertinent to them in their contract.

Your contract should be in English, if your boss presents you with a Korean version only. Then it's best

not to sign it.

Your contract should cover all the basic points of your employment while in Korea. Including your pay,

tax and medical arrangements, your expected working hours and times, your accommodation

arrangements and various other aspects of what will be expected of you at the school.

There are some questions that you might like to ask before signing a contract. Just to clear up some of

the often misunderstood issues.

What are the standard non teaching hours expected of teachers ?

When, where and how often will you call teachers workshops ?

Can I choose when to take my holidays or will my holiday dates be assigned to me ?

If I choose to change the destination or date on my return flight, will that be ok ?

How does my school compare to other schools in the area ?

You will be expected to pay into the Korean national pension scheme. The tax rate for this is about 5%.

Canadians and Americans can claim this back at the end of their 12 months as both of these countries

have tax arrangements with Korea. Unfortunately New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, UK and SouthAfrica don't though as of this this time.

Your boss should also pay half of your medical insurance costs. This usually comes to about 2.5% of

your salary. This is nonrefundable. The medical services in Korea are excellent though so it's worth

paying in the long run, just in case something does go wrong.


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Further Info

I've compiled a list of websites and books here that you might find useful. They are all related to the

teaching and ESL field. If you get the chance, they are recommended reading.

Teacher stuff:

www.eslcity.com is quite good for classroom worksheets and handouts for

your kids

www.expatinkorea.com is an expat forum for foreigners in Korea

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/is a great place to make puzzle sheets, word searches...

http://wiki.galbijim.com has some good info on Korea in general

http://english.tour2korea.com/is the Korean national tourism site

Some good books that you might consider looking at ...

Teaching By Principles by Douglas Brown ISBN 0130282839

Lonely Plant guide to Korea

The Koreans, Who they are, What they want, Where their future lies by Michel BreenISBN 0312326092

Let's Learn About Korea ISBN 1565910001

Teach Yourself Korean: Complete Audio Cd Program (Teach Yourself Language Complete

Courses (Audio)) by Mark Vincent
http://www.eslcity.com/http://www.expatinkorea.com/http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/http://wiki.galbijim.com/http://english.tour2korea.com/http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/http://www.eslcity.com/http://www.expatinkorea.com/http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/http://wiki.galbijim.com/http://english.tour2korea.com/http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/http://www.englishteachingkorea.com/

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