By Jon Duckett
Experienced TEFL teacher and director at TEFL Jobs World
Patriotmissile at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
Seoul is one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of over 11 million. The demand for learning English is huge, and the city is awash with public and private language schools. That said, it is not easy finding a position teaching English in Seoul as it’s also a very popular place with teachers. In fact employers usually have the upper hand, especially in central areas. Generally the demand is for teachers under 35 with a North American accent. If you don’t fit this criteria it might be best considering other locations in Korea where the schools are not as picky about the demographic they want.
Salaries in Seoul are similar to the rest of Korea, and teachers can expect between US$1800-US$2500 a month for 120 hours worth of teaching. Many schools will also subsidise or pay for your accommodation. Apartments are usually very small, but tend to be modern and clean. Eating and drinking is fairly cheap in Seoul if you stick to Korean establishments. Meals are about $5-$10 and beers $2-3 each. If you do miss home comforts Seoul has a lot of western shops and restaurants, but you will pay a lot more for the privilege.
Additionally Seoul has a great nightlife, a lot of interesting cultural exhibits and a strong Korean identity. There is great shopping and amazing festivals and events are going on every month. The transport networks are fantastic on a city, national and international level. However if you don’t like pollution, noise and a lack of nature then Seoul might not be for you.
If you want to teach English in Seoul visit our jobs board here.
Don’t forget, it’s competitive so make the most of your resume.
All the best for now!
The Happy Cats team.