In another thread several people talked about doing this, mainly in South Korea.
So who all has done this, how long was your contract, and which countries did you do it in? How do the cultures and requirements vary between countries or organizations?
I have thought of this, but my understanding of South Korean culture makes me wary. I like to work, but I like to be productive, get things done and then go have a life. I worry southeast asian countries like South Korea, China or Taiwan will expect 70+ hours a week.
I have heard that there are countries like S. Korea that are offering short contracts in summer or winter of only a month or two. That might be fun as a trial run. Does anyone know about this, or are the contracts generally a year long?
I believe Taiwan is quite a bit more flexible than South Korea in terms of contracts, culture – heck, every possible respect.
As for working in Taiwan for a month or two, AFAIK it’s not that hard to do if you’re willing to put up with the small risk of being caught working illegally. Contracts? You don’t need no steenkin’ contracts!
Worked in Cameroon and western China as a Peace Corps volunteer. A different gig from your average teach English job, but with it’s own rewards and challenges.
Outside of the biggest East Coast cities, you certainly won’t be looking at 70 hour weeks in China. Around here, most foreign teachers work 12-16 hours a week. Of course, you won’t be making the big money and living conditions won’t be as cushy as they are in South Korea. You wouldn’t be making enough money to save, but you’d make enough to live well, go out often, and travel around Asia as long as you keep it cheap.
There are semester long gigs available, but you have to be careful. Some of the agencies can be very shady. Better to hook up directly with a school. Requirements vary, but generally a BA will be fine.
Personally I find often myself often at odds with Chinese culture, but it’s a LOT easier for men. Plenty of people are having a great time.
I taught and trained local teachers in Colombia. My next stop is S. Korea, and I’m learning Korean for it. (I have an MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics.)
It seems a lot of desperate college graduates are looking into Asia (for the money, apparently). I wouldn’t trade it, though, for the fun I had in Colombia.
Short contracts would probably only be available to people with certain types of visas, and they mostly favor people who are already working in Korea, I think.
ESL teachers in Korea have a fairly easy lifestyle. The company I work for has the reputation of being the most anal and demanding of the academies in Seoul, and even here you’ll be working around 24 hours a week. You can work more than that if you want, but I doubt you’ll be forced. My boyfriend has a university job here and he works 17 hours a week.
All that being said, dealing with Korean people can be frustrating at times, since cultural expectations differ greatly from the US.
I can answer any specific questions you might have - I think Linty Fresh also is currently working Seoul as an ESL teacher.
I did this in Taiwan in 1982, so things have definately changed since then. No one works all that many hours and generally you don’t have a contract. The hours are a bit tough because generally English teaching is done outside of work hours, eg the evening and weekends.
even more regular corporate and/or private university gigs are not a heavy hour workload. something like 4 hours a day is usually a lot. Again, generally no contract and you’re basically working illegally on a tourist visa.
There’s a very strict hierarchy and people are expected to do what they’re told by their superiors. Obviously not every Korean is going to be like this, but chances are that if you are working for a middle-aged Korean man (and if you work for a smaller academy, then most likely you will be) he’ll have such expectations. The culture is very group oriented - strong individualism is usually frowned upon. And people here can be just plain rude by Western standards. They ask personal questions, they have little concept of personal space. It’s not malicious, but it takes some getting used to.
I taught English in a public elementary school in rural Bulgaria for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. It was pretty different from what the OP is thinking about, and it would probably be impossible to get this sort of job as a foreigner unless you were, like me, part of an organization that had an agreement with the host country’s government. It was extremely difficult and made me crazy a lot, but it was a good experience and I hope that I made a difference in at least a few of my kids’ lives.
Indeed I am in Korea. Sitting in a PC room surfing the Dope while chatting with Mrs. Fresh.
Actually, however, I’m in Iksan, which is a small city about three hours south of Seoul by train. I purposely chose it over Seoul for some of the reasons you mentioned and others of my own. People here are a little more laid back (Outside the city proper, it’s all farm country), and they respect your space a little more. It’s less polluted than Seoul, and runs at a slower pace. My hakwon also allows me a little more wiggle room to improvise my own lessons as long as I don’t fall behind on what needs to be taught. It’s true that the Koreans aren’t big on individualism, but in Iksan, at least, they don’t make a huge deal of it. I think it helps greatly that I speak a little of the language.
The work schedule isn’t anything to worry about. I’m working about 30-35 hours a week, but that’s because I wanted longer hours since I’m doing this for the teaching experience as well as the money. Also, the more I’m working, the less I’m thinking about how my wife is on the other end of the globe. Personally, I’ve loved Korea ever since I was stationed here for a year in the mid-90’s. It’s the only place I’ve ever travelled overseas, and I think it’s a beautiful country, not to mention a great place to work. It reminds me quite a bit of the Pennsylvania towns I grew up in.
Oh, and to answer the OP’s questions, my contract is a year long, and I’ve never heard of any normal contract being offered for any less time. The requirements are a bachelor’s degree, valid passport, E-2 visa, and a shitload of paperwork–including your criminal record, transcripts, and diploma, most of which have to be stamped and apostilled. If you have a masters in education or similar coursework toward some sort of teacher certification, you might be able to find work at a university. And see above for the differences in culture.
If you’re planning on making a go of it here, may I suggest learning the hangul alphabet before you come over? It’s one of the easiest alphabets to learn, although Korean itself is one of the harder languages out there–quite a bit like Japanese. Learn about a few of the customs and the popular dishes (I’m a huge bibimbap fan myself). And unless you’re married to the idea of a big city like Seoul–which I honestly love and plan on visiting the weekend after I get my first paycheck–consider the smaller farm towns, too.
Please feel free to PM me with any questions or worries. I’m happy to answer any questions as best I can. Good luck!
When I was studying abroad in Japan, I worked part-time a few hours a week as a private tutor at a small English language school, getting paid cash under the table. To get there in the first place without a student visa would require something like the JET Program, which would be a one-year commitment.
JET can be great depending on your school district. The people I know who did JET thought that you really got taken care of outside of the real major cities. One guy really got into his gig in Aomori. They gave him a car, a big apartment, and he spent 2 years teaching and exploring the entire Tohoku region.
I taught ESL for a year in London. I started as a substitute, which was strange, because all materials were in standard British. Later, I was hired to teach American English, because many of the students were planning to attend U.S. colleges. Culturally, my students were diverse. One class included French, Spanish, Italian, and Punjab speakers. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions about living in specific areas of the U.S. (“What’s it like to live in Seattle…Dallas…Tampa…?”), and you will be expected to know things like, “Why is New York called The Big Apple?”). Also, you will find that some students will want to continue the lessons after class, and will hang out with you whenever they can.
I found that regulations are less strict if you start as a substitute, and especially if you work for a private school. But, that was over 20 years ago.
