What Teaching English in Korea is REALLY like...

[@CaramelGundrop]

I really appreciate the guy who said “you'll spend more than you make." I WISH someone would have said that to me before I decided to go and teach there. Teaching English in Korea is cool if you just graduated from college, not as a 30 year old adult who has to send money back home for bills.

[@ryanasksaround]

Yea it used to be about the same salary 15-20 years ago and Gimbap was only 1,000-1,500 won. Now food and everything is much harder, mind of impossible to save.

[@tayajaycam]

Hi! Do you have any advice about teaching in Asia as a 30 something year old? I’ve been really contemplating doing it since I don’t really have anything tying me down but most people I see doing this are fresh college grads/people in their 20s🥲

[@ryanasksaround]

My friend at school started teaching English at 35, so no prob. I think as long as you are under 40 its pretty easy

[@CaramelGundrop]

@@tayajaycam I think teaching in Asia can be lucrative; I just wouldn’t choose Korea because you won’t make enough money. I’m moving to China in August to teach literature, and the salary/benefits package is amazing. As an almost 30 year old woman with bills and as someone who also wants to enjoy life, I need to be making real money.

[@tayajaycam]

@@ryanasksaround thank you!

[@henri3672]

great video, lots of insight. I teach in Vietnam and Korea was always a dream, however I'm hesitant about giving up my 15 hour work week for something more demanding. Please keep more interviews coming asking foreigners what its like living there, their experiences etc. Great work!

[@ryanasksaround]

Thank you! I will say that the pay is likely much higher here also. And in terms of the lifestyle, if you like to party, Seoul has a lot of fun things to do! But yea the 40 hours with limited prep time and break takes a toll for sure.

[@DoyinVoice]

do you have any direct links to job for someone in UK with a degree in Education?

[@cnt2495]

When I taught in South Korea at a hagwon, I was reprimanded when I saw my students go above and beyond. The students asked me if they could go ahead in class because they really wanted to learn English, so I told them that they could. Then their parents got mad, and then my director got mad at me. Sorry, I'm just trying to let them learn as much as they can.

[@ryanasksaround]

Yea, very frustrating to experience as a teacher

[@leebeeleaves]

Great video! I am realizing now that I talk with my hands SO MUCH 🤣

[@ryanasksaround]

Haha I think everyone kind of has that habit

[@abigailalcaraz6654]

Okay the lady that had the barking student, parents in the US are exactly the same. I had a second grade mom cuss me out and accuse me of hating her kid because he didn’t win a students council position (that was vote based). Mind you I was 5 months pregnant with complications and she clearly didn’t care. Parents are the same when it comes to their kids. Crazy

[@lifewithzandihalley6512]

Very informative!

[@ryanasksaround]

Thank you!!

[@Sarah-gz4no]

I worked at a hagwon and it was wonderful...until they decided to expand. Suddenly the students and teachers were no longer the priority, it was all about money and funding and building onto the school. It was a hell like no other. Completely ruined my love of teaching and I left the moment my contract was up, heartbroken and burnt out.

[@SandraWhylly-Lykes-e9e]

It's so true what the teachers are saying.

[@juneanar]

So what we watch in K-drama is all real.

[@ryanasksaround]

Somewhat 😅

[@chrisbunka]

Based on what the woman in the pink sweater said, it sounds as if some hagwon directors have the gnomes’ underpants problem that has been described in South Park.

[@user-hg6so7fi8h]

Detailed truths yes

[@vladimirdosen6677]

That's why being an ESL and a private tutor rules.

[@jerrycho9869]

plus they hire people that say things like 'we are learned'. i knew a guy. we got along. he admitted to me that he was in prison for some gang activity. i didn't hold it against him but still...

[@bloodshed2203]

Hello...that was a very informative video thanks for sharing with us. If someone is seeking for teaching eng job in Korea how can they get it??? Plz share it.

[@ryanasksaround]

You need a TESL certificate, Bachelor degree of any kind, and be from an English speaking country

[@bloodshed2203]

@@ryanasksaround thank you so much for responding...is it compulsory to be from an English speaking country ?

[@peterdeneke8401]

You get abused and fired for nothing.. The teachers spy on you and gaslight you..

[@inblackandwhite336]

Preach!!!

[@rtrrr7215]

Does Epik even conduct an interview before they hire these unqualified teachers from the states? I’m going to change this one day and hire only teachers with a degree in teaching

[@happycook6737]

You likely won't find a US certified teacher willing to work for the extremely low EPIK salary. Most US teachers earn $50k and up, not the $23k often paid in Korea

[@True-yj3ur]

Why are they only interviewing westerners with North American accents? This this show only catered to North Americans?

[@tvjunkie05]

Only native speakers are hired I heard. As a non native speaker you cant get the english teaching visa

[@happycook6737]

Malaysia, Brunei, etc. prefer non- Canadian Commonwealth accents. Korea tends to be more North American accents.

[@mempto]

Ugh here we go again. Making hate videos about Korea is getting so old. Obviously it's click bait and gets the KZbin personality a lot of views, but it's a crappy thing to do.

[@ryanasksaround]

I have a strong sense you didn’t watch the entire video 😂. I asked many questions about the positives of Korea and the difference in culture. Please watch the video to the end, thanks!

[@ryanasksaround]

The teachers and people like myself, don’t hate Korea. It’s hagwons and the education system that we dislike.

[@rewghob]

Lots of people from the West want to spend some time teaching abroad and it's good to be informed about it. Hagwons are known to be crappy so it's also interesting to know what to avoid. Only thing I found is that the school comments are the same as in the West. All the things they moan about are things you'd encounter with parents and kids in Western schools. The Western school system is even more strict in what input teachers and assistants can have and discipline is out of the window. Also Hagwans prioritise profit? Western schools prioritise league tables and being the school with the highest results in the area.

[@ryanasksaround]

Yea definitely similarities as they are both part of an education system. The biggest difference is prioritization of profit, but it’s also the parent’s fault. I noticed in Korea the parents care more about the prestige of their child’s level. The hagwon cares about profits, but the parents are the customers. As a teacher, sometimes you can feel hopeless. I had a students who was consistently in a level too high for her, and she learned nothing. I tried to help her get up to speed, but the gap of her level was too big.

[@rewghob]

​@ryanasksaround it's all swings and roundabouts. I worked in UK schools where parents and kids are king and the my little prince/princess attitude also applies. I'm sure there are marked differences though. However, you may find children in a higher level class than they can manage, but that also happens in the West with severely neurodivergent children thrown into mainstream classes they cannot cope with and parents insisting on the child staying in an unsuitable school.

Are you sure? there are people who have terrible and awful experiences in Korea with children who should have psychological evaluation and some terrible rich parents who felt they are God's gift, who have made teachers kneel and bow down to them and their children. I also saw where they said some females have been sexually assaulted and there are no punishment. I think you all are sugar coating what the actually life experiences in the schools are like. Heck don't forced people to drink ETOH, because not everyone drink alcohol, I. understand that you have to sugar coat your experiences. Not telling the truth because you are still there.