Teaching English

Sources Of Information

The Embassy does not keep a comprehensive listing of foreign language institutes nor does it provide assistance in finding employment.  In Korea, English-teaching jobs are filled either through word of mouth or through advertisements in the local English newspapers.  or websites for English teachers. Occasionally, the better institutes will hire through advertisements in the TESOL Newsletter, or at job booths at TESOL conferences.  They also occasionally advertise through college placement offices and newspapers in the United States.

RECRUITING AND PLACEMENT SERVICES 
Most English teachers hired from the United States do not get their jobs directly through the institute where they work.  Instead, they are recruited by a placement service.  These services recruit on campus and in U.S. publications.  The embassy has received complaints about a number of recruiters.  Those considering working in Korea should deal with recruiters carefully . Many of them do not know at which hagwon in which area of Korea the teacher will be placed; very few of them, to our knowledge, will accept responsibility for a placement that is contrary to the original terms of agreement or contract.  Prospective teachers should keep all of the advice in this publication in mind when discussing employment terms with a recruiter.

Once you arrive in Korea it is a good idea to subscribe to one of the local English language newspapers, The Korea Herald or The Korea Times.  Both are published daily except Sundays, and cost 14,000 won per month.  Both are available in Seoul at some street newsstands, but outside of Seoul are generally only available through subscription.  The Herald can be contacted at 727-0404, FAX 727-0677, and The Times at 724-2828, FAX 723-1623.  Overseas subscriptions are available.

KOREAN YELLOW PAGES, OTHER DIRECTORIES 
The Korean Yellow Pages is a very useful English-language phone directory.  It is available at most larger bookstores.  These stores also sell other business directories.  The Korean Yellow Pages are also on line. The U.S. Foreign Commercial Service and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea jointly publish a Korean business directory.  These directories contain a wealth of information, including addresses and phone numbers for universities and Korean government offices.  The Korean Research Foundation publishes a pamphlet on studying in Korea that contains information on all the universities in the country.

KOTESOL 
KOTESOL is an independent, national affiliate of TESOL, an organization of teachers of English to students of other languages.  KOTESOL was founded in 1992 as the union of two separate national organizations.  KOTESOL is a not-for-profit organization established to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among English teachers in Korea.

KOTESOL has active chapters in Seoul, Taejon, Pusan, Taegu, Kyongju and Chongbuk province.  Chapters hold individual monthly meetings, and sponsor educational activities in their areas, as well as participate in an annual conference in October.  The Seoul chapter meets on the third Saturday of every month.  The time, date, place and topic are announced in the local English newspapers about a week prior to the scheduled meeting.  For, more up-to-date information, you can visit their website, www.kotesol.org.