Teaching English in Korea

Are you interested in teaching English in South Korea? Are you already teaching there? If so, you’ll want to read about important changes coming your way...

The important change...

South Korea’s largest employer of TESOL teachers, the government sponsored EPIK program, has added a new requirement for the upcoming August 2013 intake: applicants seeking positions in Seoul and Busan will need to have completed a TESOL certification course that consists of at least 100 hrs of online study and at least 20 hours of in-class training.

Take note...

ITTT is the preferred TESOL training provider of the EPIK US Liaison Office and other leading recruiters in Korea. Over the past decade, thousands of our online course graduates have found jobs teaching English in Korea. While the vast majority of the positions are located in Seoul and Busan, in all other areas of the country an online 100 or 120-hour TESOL is sufficient to meet EPIK requirements.

ITTT’s Specialized Course

In response to the change ITTT has specially designed a course to meet EPIK’s new requirements. After completing our 120-hour online course with tutor support, course participants attend 20 hours of training at our center in Phuket, Thailand. The 20-hour in-class component consists of face-to-face lessons; personalized lesson planning, plus observed teaching practice which includes critical feedback from experienced TESOL trainers. The course has been designed in consultation with leading recruiters in South Korea and the EPIK US Liaison Office. Once training is complete, graduates will have earned an internationally recognized and accredited 140-hour TESOL certificate.

Thinking about teaching in Korea?

Due to EPIK’s reputation and its status as a government sponsored program, it very much sets the industry standards relating to foreign teacher training and development. We therefore expected that language schools and universities will also initiate the new in-class requirement for TESOL certification. It is advisable for anyone wishing to teach English in South Korea to bear this in mind when choosing their TESOL training course.

What will it cost me?

The cost of the course is US$ 795. The course fee includes:

• an accredited 120-hour online TESOL certificate
• 20 hours of in-class, face-to-face training and teaching practice in Phuket, Thailand
• three nights’ hotel accommodation
• an advanced level, 50-hr course in teaching business English or young learners (taken online)

If you have any questions about this course or you would like to apply for it, please contact us on the form at the bottom of the page.

FAQs (each question in a drop-down expandable thingy)

• What is EPIK?

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  EPIK (English Program in Korea) and is a government sponsored program in charge of improving the English speaking abilities of students and teachers in Korea. EPIK has been placing English teachers in Korean classrooms for more than a decade and is overseen by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED).

• What is the expected salary and benefits?

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  Teachers will earn a monthly salary of up to 2.7 million KRW (2.2 million KRW is average). They will have over 5 weeks’ paid vacation, 1.3 million KRW (US$ 1,160) entrance and exit allowance for flights, plus a free furnished apartment.

• Can I attend the 20 hours in-class component in South Korea?

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  At this time we do not offer the in-class component in South Korea. The good news is that Phuket is a low-cost destination not far from Korea; the flight allowance from EPIK is enough to cover most, if not all of the airfare from North America or Europe, to South Korea via Phuket.

• I already have an online TEFL/TESOL cert so how do I upgrade by taking adding only the in-class component?

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  The cost of Phuket’s in-class component is only US$ 500 and includes the 20 hours of face-to-face training, personalized teaching practice and three nights’ hotel accommodation. To register your interest, please fill in the form below.

If you're interested in taking a course that will allow you to teach English in Korea, please complete the form below.