| QUESTION |
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| |
| QUESTION
& ANSWER |
|
| Q.
How much teaching experience do I need for this
job? |
 |
| A
A teacher who has teaching experience
is preferred. The basic requirement is B.Ed or
B.A in English, and basic tranining, all teaching
materials will be provided by the Institutes.
|
| Q.
Do I have to have a teaching visa to teach English
in Korea? |
|
| A
Yes, it is required by law, and
teaching without this visa could lead to heavy
fines and possible deportation. In some cases
instructors with only tourist visas teach English
in institutes, and some employers take advantage
of these instructors by not paying them on time
or hiring them for a much lower salary etc. If
you qualify for a teaching visa ( at least a Bachelor¡¯s
degree), I strongly recommend that you receive
this visa if you are serious about this job. |
| Q.
How long does the whole process take? |
|
| A
The actual preparation process,
which could be summarized as the process of obtaining
the teaching visa (E2), takes about a month. This
is with the assumption that you have been hired
and the contracts have been signed. Thus, you
have to calculate the time it takes to be hired.
On average, this takes less than a month. So from
the day you submit your resume, you can expect
about a 2 month waiting period before the actual
departure. Of course, this time period could fluctuate
significantly depending on how fast you submit
the necessary documents and how closely you work
with us to speed up the process. |
| Q.
Must the contracts be for 1 year? And what happens
if I break the contract for some reason? |
|
| A
A 1 year contract is a standard
contract for the employers in Korea since the
teaching visa is based on a 1 year period. They
prefer at least a year. If you break the contract
for some reason and do not successfully finish
the contract period, most likely you will have
your working visa cancelled and risk your chances
of getting a different job in Korea. Additionally,
the employer will not provide you with the return
flight ticket and you won¡¯t receive the completion
bonus, all of which are agreed to be provided
only upon successful completion of the contract
period. |
| Q.
Why do I need a notarized diploma? |
|
| A
In the past, there have been instances
where forged diplomas have been submitted. Thus,
the Korean Immigration now requires original diplomas
or photocopies that have been notarized by the
Korean Consulate in your country |
| Q.
What if I don't have my original diploma or have
just graduated and have not received the diploma
yet? |
|
| A
If you don't have your diploma
for any reason, contact your university to receive
an official confirmation letter stating that you
are indeed a graduate of that specific university
and that you have earned and received your bachelor¡¯s
degree |
| Q.
What if I am not satisfied with my housing conditions?
|
|
| A
Housing is provided for free to
you and the institutes do their best to make your
stay in Korea as comfortable as possible. If you
are not satisfied for some reason, notify the
director of the institute. He or she will try
to accommodate your requests as much as they can.
|
| Q.
How much money should I bring to Korea? |
|
| A
You won't be paid until you finish
one month¡¯s work. In that time, you will need
money for food, drinks, transportation etc. Approximately
US$400 should be sufficient, but it¡¯s always smart
to have a little extra cash on hand |
| Q.
What is the weather like in Korea, and what kind
of clothes should I bring? |
|
| A
Korea has four seasons, much like
many regions of the United States. Winters are
pretty cold, but you won¡¯t see as much snow as
the mid-western or eastern states. The summers
are hot and humid, with about a month long rainy
season. Thus, you need to prepare your clothes
with all four seasons in mind |
| Q.
Can I have access to PCs and the Internet? |
|
| A
The institute you work for has
PCs and Internet connection, but Korea is one
of the most highly ¡°Connected¡± countries in the
world. PCs and high speed Internet access is very
easy through places called PC Rooms, which are
located everywhere. The hourly rate for using
these facilities is 1,000 Korean Won per hour,
which is equivalent to about US 80 cents. Additionally,
ADSL or cable modem services are very common and
can be subscribed for as low as about 20,000 Korean
Won (US$16) a month. Most regions provide this
service. PCs can be purchased for a very low price,
but you might want to consider bringing the software
you were using back home since most are in Korean,
including the operating systems. You can purchase
the English versions, but it could be easier to
just bring it with you. |
| Q.
The salary level of the teaching jobs seems relatively
low compared to the US. Can I actually make the
ends meet, and won't I have financial difficulties?
|
|
A
The salary indicated on the job
postings is based only on the basic monthly salary
of about US$1,520 - US$1,600 for working 30 hours
a week, 120 hours a month, on an average. Of course,
with overtime payments of at least $12 per hour,
you can earn much more. But even based on the
minimum monthly salary, there's no problem living
in Korea. In the US, for an example, you will
have a huge chunk of your income withheld from
your employer as income tax. In Canada, even more.
Then you have to pay your rent, installments (if
any), insurance premium, utilities, and etc.,
which will make it very difficult to make ends
meet in most places within the US with the above
monthly income.
But in Korea, the income tax is only about 3-5%
of your income, so you'll receive most of what
you earn. Health & medical insurance premium
is also below US$20. You won't need to worry about
rent since it's provided to you, and the utilities
won't exceed US$100. Thus your fixed monthly expenditures
will be about US$200 and the rest of your income
will be yours to spend or save. Many people save
up quite a bit during their stay in Korea. |
| Q.
Do I have to pay income tax in both Korea as well
as in the US? |
|
| A
You will have to file a return
in the US, but as long as your income does not
exceed US$70,000, you won't have to pay additional
income tax. The income tax in Korea, as an English
teacher, will be somewhere between 3-5 % of your
income and will be withheld from your salary every
month. |
| Q.
What is the standard voltage of Korea and how
can I use the electronic products that I bring? |
|
| A
The standard is 220 volts in most
places, but you can purchase voltage regulators
that drop the voltage to 110 volts for less than
US$15 for a 1 kilowatt product, which should be
enough to accomodate whatever products you bring
with you. Using 120 volt products (US standard
voltage) on these 110 volt regulators is ok since
most products are designed to accomodate + - 10
volts. I have many 120 volt products hooked up
to these regulators and they work just fine. |
