How To Become An English Teacher In South Korea

  Teaching English in South Korea has become increasingly popular over the last decade and it is no secret that the country offers some of the best salaries for foreign teachers to be found anywhere in the world. English teachers in Korea can expect to earn between $1,500 and $3,000 US per month and it is certainly possible to save up to half of this depending on your lifestyle. On top of the basic salary you can also expect other benefits such as paid airfares, free housing and an end of contract bonus. Unsurprisingly, the high salaries and good benefits on offer have led to a high level of competition for the best jobs. If you have any teaching qualifications and experience in the classroom, you will find you have the pick of the available jobs. However, thanks to a continually...  [Read more]

Promotion for May 2026: $300 deposit For May 2026 only, all in-class and combined course deposits are reduced to just $300. Sign up today!   South Korea is a small but incredibly beautiful country, and during the 4 week TEFL you will have fantastic opportunities to experience the rich culture and history. Not only will you have the chance for local excursions, but based in Incheon, you will be less than an hour away from the lively city of Seoul on the express train. The first week of your program includes in-depth cultural orientations, ensuring you deeply understand the Korean way of life and culture. This includes a welcome dinner, tour of the local neighbourhood and the “Grand” Palace (Gyeongbok Palace), taekwondo class and learning South Korean cookery and language....  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations There are many great places to teach English abroad and one place that comes up a lot when researching the topic is South Korea. It's true that thousands of new teachers head to South Korea each year to pursue a career in teaching English as a foreign language for good reasons! Here are 5 reasons why you should teach English in South Korea. South Korea is one of the most prosperous countries in Asia and the world. Due to its booming economy with several Fortune 500 companies, like Samsung, Hyundai, and Kia, English language skills are now more important than ever in the East Asian nation. The English education industry of South Korea is a million dollar business and the importance of English language skills is deeply...  [Read more]

1. Introduction to English Education in South Korea 2. Importance of English Education in South Korea 3. Challenges and Opportunities in English Education in South Korea 4. ITTT's Role in Supporting English Education in South Korea English education in South Korea plays a significant role in the country's educational system and society as a whole. With a strong emphasis on English proficiency, South Korea has become one of the leading countries in Asia for learning the language. From a young age, Korean students are exposed to English lessons in school, and the demand for English teachers and language programs continues to grow. English proficiency is highly valued in South Korea, as it is seen as essential for academic and career success. Many parents invest in private English lessons for...  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This essay examines English education in South Korea and its socio-cultural problems. The discussion draws on my personal beliefs and experiences. First, the history of Korean education is laid out by illustrating the cultural background of Korean society. Following that, it traces the problems of learners of the English language in Korea and tips on how to improve their learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nayoung H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For a long time, Korea has been a country that’s been highly education-obsessed. Entry to a top university has led to prestigious, well-paying, and secure jobs; it has...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Having completed my Bachelor of Arts in Drama, I started my international teaching career straight out of university. What was meant to be a gap year opportunity of traveling and earning money has become a professional career in education spanning over ten years in more than five different countries. What was once a means to an end, has become a passion and a calling. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Desmond K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first time I became aware of the ESL job market was in my third year of university when one of the alumni from the Drama department returned from a year of teaching in South...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences For this task, I have selected Korea as a choice for some students having difficulty learning. Korea is one of the countries investing a lot in the field of English education. Also, results achieved by Korean students on the TOEFL test improved by 10 points over the past six years. However, there still seems to be less proficient skills in writing and speaking in English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Heejeong K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When I taught teenage students in Korea, I watched them being reluctant or struggling to speak and write in English even though they had more than average scores in reading and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Before starting my TEFL course to gain a more professional basis, I worked as an English teacher in South Korea for about one year. In this short essay, I will explain some of the most prominent difficulties South Korean students seem to face when learning English. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laura M. First and foremost, the educational structure in South Korea is quite different from those of Europe or the United States. Korean kids usually start studying English from the age of three. However, the average class size of about 40 students is way too big for such young students, making any interaction between teacher and student impossible. Later on, most Korean students become...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Learning a second language can prove to have a variety of obstacles. Between age, time available for study, access to resources, and more, the desire to master another language must be given a strong priority to succeed. Just as individual learners will face their issues in the learning process, there are often similarities between language learners from a specific country or region. For English language learners from South Korea, where the standard college entrance exam contains sufficient English components (Kim, 2012), the necessity to learn is as high as the obstacles. Based on grammar differences, pronunciation, and a general fear of speaking English, English language learners in South Korea face issues...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information Are you planning on quitting the 9-to-5 and embark on an adventure of traveling the world? The following 10 women have done exactly that. Most of them got their TEFL certificate and are teaching English abroad, while others started out teaching and are now full-time travelers. Here are 10 female travel bloggers you should be following! Jessica from @curiositytrav is from San Diego and has visited 40 countries so far. After studying International Business at San Diego State University, she also studied in Buenos Aires. After her experience in South America, she moved on to teaching English through the EPIK program in South Korea for two years and backpacked around Asia for 5 months...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I decided to write about the subject I’m an expert in, my personal teaching experience. The focus will be on what I’ve gained from the last nine years as an EFL instructor. I’ll begin by telling you about my first teaching position in rural South Korea. Next, I’ll share my experience taking the TEFL course. Finally, I’ll discuss my efforts to become an independent online English instructor. I hope my experience can provide some insight into some of the many options for EFL teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karissa B. After too many hours in an airplane and another two hours in a taxi, I finally arrived at my new home. My co-teacher was there to meet me. He would become...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review, Marli from South Africa tells us she is heading to South Korea to teach English now she has completed her TEFL course online with ITTT. To help her as she starts her teaching career abroad Marli has compiled the materials from the 120-hour TEFL course for use in her lessons in South Korea. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit has given me many examples on how to properly manage a class. It’s very important...  [Read more]

Lulu Johnson Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences The Fulbright program is a great way to travel abroad and work as an English language teacher in an exciting new country. It allows you to experience a new culture, meet lots of new people and discover something new about yourself. This article will go over what Fulbright is, their English teaching program, and how to apply to Fulbright in this blog post. My name is Lulu, and I am currently a Fulbright recipient in South Korea for the next year (2021). A little about me: I was originally born in China but was adopted into a USA family. I grew up knowing I wanted to become a doctor and went to college in the Midwest and majored in Nutritional...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. In high school, I was inspired by my English teachers and the way they were able to make material interesting and motivating. I remember telling myself that I would not be the person who changes the world, but perhaps as a teacher, I would be able to inspire the person who would. From the beginning, my motivation was to help others in a meaningful way. My goal was to improve the lives of others. When I entered university, I found myself studying philosophy to become a professor in the future. However, the reality of being a university professor was a lot of presenting and publishing, with very little teaching. Because teaching was my goal, I decided to leave my Ph.D....  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations Alumni Experiences Welcome to another live session this week and we're on at a different time this week. Usually we're a little bit earlier, but we have a special guest today, and that's because she's based in Germany. So we had to change the time a little bit. I’m Linda from ITT, you've probably seen me before, if you've watched us live and I’m here with Brit today. Hi Brit! Hi, thanks for having me, and painting your time to meet my schedule, and thank you so much for getting up early.I know it's early in Germany right now. just have my coffee and I’m good to go.That's awesome,where in Germany are you exactly? so I’m based near Trier, which is along the border with Luxembourg. So very close...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Hi my name is Linda from ITTT, international TEFL and TESOL Training and I'm back again today for another live session. If you can hear me and see me please let me know as I'm trying out a new mic today so if that is working well it would be good to know. So please leave a quick comment to say hi and where you're watching from. I have been living in South Korea for five and a half years, so for me right now it's 10:00 a.m. Friday morning. Let me know where you are tuning in from and what time it is where you are. We can get started on today's topic which is the best government programs for teaching English abroad. If you're interested in teaching English abroad then you should...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences TEFL Reviews & TESOL Reviews For ITTT, our community of students and alumni is the most important to us. That’s why we’d love to share what our course grads have to say! This will not only have others make a better decision in whether TEFL/TESOL is for them, but it will also help the ITTT community grow bigger and stronger! The below answers were given from real ITTT alumni who have agreed to share their thoughts for our blog section. Zac Robertson I am from Pretoria, South Africa. To become an English Teacher abroad, ITTT was highly recommended to me by a friend. Video Lessons and comprehensiveness of course units. I hope to become an English Teacher in South Korea, to assimilate to their...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Having worked in South Korea for almost 8 years, I have been fortunate enough to experience a rapid influx of new technology in the classroom. As a hub of new technology, Korea promotes the use of new technology by teachers in public schools. These new technologies include the use of touch-screen TVs, Ipads and tablets, as well as VR systems. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Hannah P. Touch screen TVs can really benefit the teacher in the language classroom. It makes creating interactive materials a lot simpler, as well as allowing for students interaction during the class. Interactive games and PPTs can make the materials more fun and help to increase...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information oday’s exciting topic is the top hiring seasons for teaching English abroad. We're going to go over different countries on different continents and what their hiring seasons are, so when's the best time to go job hunting. Also there will be some tips for job hunting in those places as sometimes you need to get hired in advance when you're still in your home country and you can do online interviews, but in some countries you need to apply in person. So we're going to talk about that as well. Thanks so much for tuning in and as always please don't forget to like and subscribe so that you never miss a live session. We go live twice a week, one time with me on Fridays, or Thursday...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When I was a university student, my roommate was from Busan, South Korea. I loved spending time with him. We became incredibly close friends, and I also became close to the other students who came through the same foreign exchange program as he did. I helped them learn English regularly, checking and proofreading essays and explaining phrases to them. They left the United States after one semester, but they had already introduced me to other Korean students who would be there for two more years. I enjoyed learning about their culture and the cultural differences that we had. I also learned a lot about the obstacles that my friends faced in learning English, and worked to help them overcome those obstacles. This...  [Read more]

Seoul is a city with a long and interesting history. It is also a thoroughly modern and technologically advanced city. Ancient neighborhoods sit side-by-side with gleaming skyscrapers in a city that provides some of the fastest internet connections in the world. Such a technologically advanced city is able to offer a high standard of living at a cost of living that is comparatively low to many other cities around the world. This is none of the reasons that Seoul is a popular destination for TEFL teachers from around the globe. There is plenty to see and do in Seoul. If you are looking for home comforts then a visit to the international districts of Itaewon and Hannam would be a good idea. There are also numerous museums and parks around the city and festivals are held throughout the year. ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In all, English has official or special status in at least 75 countries (with a combined population of two billion people). It is estimated that one out of four people worldwide speaks English with some degree of competence. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karen B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Having lived in Asia for over 19 years, I have seen changes in the perception of English as a global language. There have been government interventions to curtail English usage in schools – in Malaysia, India, China, and Hong Kong for example. In 1908 Mahatma Gandhi, when talking of colonialism in India, said: “To give...  [Read more]

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1. Introduction to TEFL Schools in Asia 2. Benefits of Teaching English in Asia 3. Qualifications and Certifications Needed 4. Opportunities and Job Market in Asia Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a popular career choice for many individuals looking to live and work abroad. Asia, in particular, has become a hotspot for TEFL teachers due to the high demand for English language education in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. International TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT) is a leading provider of TEFL and TESOL certification courses, offering training and support for individuals looking to start a career in teaching English abroad. With a wide range of online and in-class courses, ITTT provides the necessary skills and knowledge needed to succeed as a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information The importance of a course such as a TEFL is easy to overlook when you consider the multitude of teaching jobs that are available around the globe that require no teacher training whatsoever. In many countries, the only requirements are that you have some form of degree and are a native speaker. For those looking to travel whilst earning some money, these countries can provide a good balance of income and culture, as well as easy access to other countries in the area. However, whilst this is beneficial to the 'tourist teacher', it can often lead to substandard teaching methods. For an example of this, I need not look any further than myself. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Timothy H....  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Koreans take education very, very seriously, yet there are many problems for learners in South Korea. Society deems those who are not good at studying as lazy, and good for nothing, therefore most students study to death. Literally. They go to school extremely early, finish around noon, and then stay at a cram school until late at night. They repeat the same routine over and over again every single day. They even have to study during vacation. This results in students that do not study because they are motivated or because they want to, but simply because they are forced to, and if they do not, they can’t enter the college they want or land the job they’ve always dreamed of. Studying until 2 or 3 am has...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore TEFL Information Many people around the world dream of moving abroad to teach English. It’s exciting, it’s life-changing and it can seem like a never-ending vacation. I have taught English abroad since 2015 in China and South Korea and together with fellow teachers with years of experience, I’ve compiled this list of 10 pieces of advice that every new EFL teacher needs to know. So many people want to live abroad and a large percentage of these choose the path of teaching English. The demand for teachers is huge around the globe and you can find positions in virtually all corners of the world. While that’s great news, there’s one thing to keep in mind, being a native or fluent English speaker does not make you a great...  [Read more]

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