What to expect for prospective teachers of ESL in South Korea

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Last update: July 2011

An ESL instructor is a teacher of English as a Second Language. Some specialists disagree with this term and use English Language Learners (ELL) or other acronyms, but for simplicity I will use ESL. As well, I'm using the term to cover anything from a private or public school teacher to university professors who teach English composition, although this site is directed primarily at foreigners who have come from English-speaking countries.

At this time of writing I have lived in Korea for seven years, on and off since 2003. I have compiled this informal guide for friends, or friends of friends, or anyone who is interested in coming to South Korea to teach English. The information here is directed at potential teachers and not tourists, so it may seem dry to a non-ESL audience. Some of the information has been gleaned from discussion forums on Dave's ESL Cafe, and no doubt there will be people who have been here longer or had different experiences who disagree with my opinions. The site is only my two cents, and if you want to come here it's a good idea to consult more than one source anyway. Caveat emptor...

Sometimes I complain about Korea in this guide and on my website. Take it with a grain of salt. There are legitimate things that irritate me here. But overall it's a nice country, there are great people and beautiful things to see, and life can be good; much of my griping is done with affection. Teaching here is not a prison sentence, and if you feel that it is, the same airplane that took you here can take you home. I was very unhappy in my first half year or so in Korea and it helped to keep reminding myself of that until I began to enjoy life here.