ESL Jobs Forum

[edamron]

Hi--

My husband will be teaching in Korea for 3 years as a prof of political science starting this Fall. I will have a visa to come with but I am not quite sure if it will be a tourist or a work visa.

Also, I am a native French but also have an American citizenship. I have been living in the states for 12 years and have "0" French accent when speaking American.

Question #1: I only have a 2 year degree but I am thinking of getting a TESOL/TESL/TEFL certificate. Would this be enough to teach English in Korea? (Daegu Area)

Question #2: What visa is required to teach English?

Question #3: Is there a high demand for English teachers in Daegu? I would hate to spend $1,000+ for the certification if there was no need for teachers.

Thank you in advance,
-Edwige

[ICAL_Pete]

If you are already in Korea, there's a good chance you can get work even though officially the qualifications you will need are a degree and a TEFL certificate. By the way, it's well worth getting the latter not just for the sake of having the right qualifications, but also so that you will know the best approach in the classroom once you have a job.

Once there, simply get a list of local schools and contact them directly with your resume and sooner or later you should be able to pick something up. Would you classify yourself as bilingual? That would help also!

[unionjack]

Hello Edwige

Welcome to the Forum.

There is AN UNOFFICIAL GUIDE COMPILED BY AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES, U.S. EMBASSY, SEOUL regarding the teaching of English in Korea, which may be of use to you. Click on the following link:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/teaching/teaching_1240.html

We have nine ESL schools for Daegu listed in our ESL School Finder guide here:

http://www.esl-school-finder.com/

UJ

[Shakespearean]

Hi edamron, I believe the answer to one of your questions is this:

As long as you have TOEFL certification, you're already allowed to teach in Korea provided you meet their education's standard for teaching as well as English speaking. They have a pretty laid-out policy when it comes to foreigners who want to teach in the country. Another thing, Korea has basically one of the most expensive English schools in the world too, that's why most Koreans would fly out of the country to just learn English.

Jane Phillis

[canadianbacon]

Edamron
With or without a certificate, you should improve your English before you think about teaching it. When speaking hypothetically, we use the subjunctive case, not the simple past. "If there WERE no need...." Question 3

[sarah1davidson]

canadianbacon - I'd like to point out that it is acceptable to use "if there WAS .... " in informal English. I wouldn't expect people to use formal English when speaking on a forum. Sarah

[canadianbacon]

By definition, written language is formal. Therefore, I am reasonable to correct the OP. Personally, I think it's also reasonable to expect that language teachers demonstrate the knowledge and skills they claim to be able to teach, whether they post on an internet forum or on a laundromat notice board.

[sarah1davidson]

canadianbacon, I think you'll find that written English can be both formal and informal. I don't really want to get into a big debate about this but you seem to be making assumptions about a person you've never even met.

[canuckophile]

You might check out jobs teaching French also - especially if you are near Seoul. Every once in a while they are looking for teachers of other languages, especially at universities. You might be able to work at your husband's uni. It would likely be just 'conversational' French so they may overlook the lack of a uni diploma (as long as it is noncredit class - I suspect to have a credit class you would have to have the diploma)

I am actually surprised that some are saying you don't need a diploma to teach English in Korea. I have never heard of this, but good luck. For an E2 teaching visa, you have to produce your uni diploma, so I don't see how it could be an 'official' job.

[zylan]

I wonder if it is easier for an American teacher to get a job in Korea teaching English vs. an American who isn't a teacher. In other words, I know of some American teachers who wouldn't mind teaching English in Korea for a few years.