Teaching English in Korea
Let’s start from the beginning; when I was still in Canada.
Ever since I was young I’ve always wanted to travel abroad, it’s a very common life goal/dream for everyone. Of course being a student and in debt from student loans, I didn’t have the money to travel leisurely; so I thought why not travel and make money at the same time. I searched up jobs that involved traveling and thought being an English teacher was most suitable for me.
I did research on what the requirements are to become an English teacher abroad and set goals from there. I graduated from the University of Waterloo in October 2016 and received my TESL certificate around the same time, calculated✔️. I spent the rest of the year working a part-time and preparing my cover letter, resume, and application. When 2017 rolled around I was ready to carry out the phrase “new year new me”.
January 2017: I sent out my cover letter, resume, and application to my job advisor. I applied to Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. I heard back from all recruiters and played email tag trying to set up interviews.
February 2017: I go through 3 interviews; 2 with Japan and 1 with Korea. I look through each contract and decide to go with Korea. Then I had to get a ton of paperwork done:
-Criminal background check ($25)
-Fingerprints to RCMP and notarized ($40 & $10)
-University transcripts ($10)
-My degree and a notarized copy ($67)
-Passport and extra passport photos ($10)
-Visa document ($78)
-Pictures of myself
-Health statement
-Consul checklist
I sent most of the documents to Korea through FedEx which costed $140. So after going back and forth to Toronto for the Korean Embassy; all the paperwork is done, and I basically spent ~$400 to get this job.
March 2017: I handed in my 2 week notice to my part-time job I’ve been working at for the past 5 years. The first half of the month I spend most of my time with friends and family, the second half of the month I spend buying and packing things I need for Korea.
Why Teach English?
– Teaching itself is a rewarding job. Through TNTT, tutoring, and working as a teacher assistant, I was able to gain experience. I worked with children – teenagers and no matter the age it was always worth seeing them engage and achieve.
– Being a native English speaker, and graduating with a minor in English Language and Literature, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to teach English as a second language.
Why Korea?
I was immersed in the Korean culture since elementary. It all started in 2004 when I got into Korean music, then dramas and TV shows, then the food and language, etc. My family thought it was just a phase; but my interest expanded as I went into high school and university. I learn and appreciate other countries and cultures as well, however Korea always piqued my interest. So I decided to experience it myself firsthand.
Dona Tran 