Can Korean Speak English

In Korea, English is big business. As the English language is (perhaps) the closest thing to a universal language that is present in the world today, South Korea places a large amount of importance on a student´s ability to effectively communicate to native English speakers. English is part of their curriculum from at least middle school on (in public schools) and many students have access to English education from three years old and up, whether through home schooling or formal English academies.As such, learning English is a large facet of success later in life. Business is extremely big in Korea, and to be a good businessman, you must speak English. Testing well on the state English tests also helps considerably in getting into a good university.The spoken Korean...  [Read more]

South Korea is a small but incredibly beautiful country, and during the 4 week TEFL you will have fantastic opportunities to experience the rich culture and history. Not only will you have the chance for local excursions, but based in Incheon, you will be less than an hour away from the lively city of Seoul on the express train. The first week of your program includes in-depth cultural orientations, ensuring you deeply understand the Korean way of life and culture. This includes a welcome dinner, tour of the local neighbourhood and the “Grand” Palace (Gyeongbok Palace), taekwondo class and learning South Korean cookery and language. Incheon is home to Korea’s only official Chinatown, where you can try jajangmyun (noodles with black bean sauce) at the Gongwachun restaurant and for...  [Read more]

Students of English as a foreign language can possibly face a multitude of problems, many of which will be of the same nature for all nationalities. However, different countries will each throw up their own set of specific problems for learners. Having taught all ages/ class sizes and for all purposes in Korea, I have noticed and begun the process of resolving at least, several country specific problems. In Korea, as indeed with many Asian countries, the primary problem arises with beginner learners, of a different alphabet. Learning English must begin first with letter recognition which is entirely different from that of their own language. Although many sounds are similar, the English alphabet does introduce a number of letters unheard of in the Korean alphabet. As will be...  [Read more]

The topic of teacher accents in the ESL classroom is much debated. I am sure most teachers can relate to a story or experience. In South Korea, like many Asian countries there is a strong focus on the 'American English'. All listening tapes, dialogues, transcripts and texts use American linguistics and accents. Even the international TOEIC and TEFL tests for a long time were using American accents. As a New Zealand citizen being strongly advised to develop an American accent can be hard to comprehend.Kachru 1986 writes 'what actually happens is that language and power go together. American English is accepted for the power and superiority which America as a nation has acquired in the areas of science, technology, commerce, military affairs and politics'. I tend to agree and...  [Read more]

Given the linguistic dissimilarities between the English and Korean languages, there are inevitably a multitude of pitfalls awaiting the Korean-speaker who seeks to learn English. With nearly eight years of experience teaching in South Korean language centers, locally known as hagwon, I have personally witnessed difficulties involved in nearly all aspects English education, ranging from faulty teaching methods to fundamental difficulties with grammar and phonology. In order to evaluate these problems, some basic features should first be explained. Korean, like Japanese, is officially considered by most linguists to be a language of unknown origin. It does, however, share many common features with Ural-Altaic languages, such as Mongolian and Turkish. As such,...  [Read more]

  OgSun from South Korea took the 120-hour online TESOL with tutor support and videos. In this TESOL review video OgSun tells how she had always wanted to take a TESOL course but struggled to be able to fit studying into her already busy schedule. The online course from ITTT solved this problem by allowing her to study where and when she wanted. With a six-month time limit and the ability to study anywhere, ITTT’s online courses are ideal for those who need to fit their study time around their busy schedules. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured...  [Read more]

Are you bored with your current occupation? How would you like to see the world, experience different cultures, and get paid for it? From Spain to Sunny San Diego the EFL market is an occupationally diverse and exciting place to begin or continue your EFL career. Opportunities are ever growing and demand for qualified EFL teachers is steadily rising. The bulk of the positions are usually within the classroom; with a small variety of positions in other sectors such as: recruiting, EFL materials writing, volunteer positions, online teaching positions to even owning and operating your very own EFL School. Employers can also vary from small private schools to large companies like Toyota. One of the highest paying regions is and continues to be North East Asia in...  [Read more]

A TEFL (or TESOL) certificate is the major ESL qualification required to teach English abroad. No previous specialist qualification or teaching experience is necessary to take the course' you just have to be able to speak English! Previously, it was extremely easy for any native English speaker to obtain a job abroad, even without a specific qualification. Today however oversees school administrators are far more particular about their employees and their qualifications. A TEFL certificate shows perspective employers that you possess the professional tools to teach English successfully. The qualification therefore opens a multitude of doors by facilitating sustained travel and work oversees. Living and working in an area allows the teacher to gain an experience of foreign ...  [Read more]

A TEFL (or TESOL) certificate is the major ESL qualification required to teach English abroad. No previous specialist qualification or teaching experience is necessary to take the course? you just have to be able to speak English! Previously, it was extremely easy for any native English speaker to obtain a job abroad, even without a specific qualification. Today however oversees school administrators are far more particular about their employees and their qualifications. A TEFL certificate shows perspective employers that you possess the professional tools to teach English successfully. The qualification therefore opens a multitude of doors by facilitating sustained travel and work oversees. Living and working in an area allows the teacher to gain an experience...  [Read more]

English is the 'trade language' of the world'used in over 135 countries to communicate business transactions and international politics. Around 1 billion people in the world speak English. As of the year 2000, 750 million people, 350 million of whom speak it daily, were said to speak English. Millions of world citizens are now using what has been coined, 'Offshore English', to conduct business with other speakers of English as a second language. It has become evident after many failed business deals that native speakers of English must adapt their language to better suit their overseas colleagues.One example of an unsuccessful business venture due to miscommunication is found on Using English.com, in an article titled, 'What is Offshore English'' The article offers an...  [Read more]

We have good news if you are interested in teaching abroad but are hesitant to settle down in one place: Teaching is one of the best-paying online jobs from home and one of the fastest growing career paths for remote workers. The best part about online teaching jobs is that you can not only get paid to speak English, but you can also find opportunities to teach English online with no prior experience. If you want to travel while earning money for speaking English, check out the best-paying online teaching jobs that you can do from anywhere in the world using your laptop. Preply is an online language learning platform that allows students to work with their preferred tutor at their own pace and on their own time. Preply, in general, invites any enthusiastic individual to join their...  [Read more]

In the modern age where working online has become a common way to make a steady living, the opportunities for qualified English teachers have further branched out into what we call the ?virtual classroom?. There are countless online platforms and providers that offer English lessons online allowing students from all over the world to learn how to speak English from the comfort of their own home. There are two main options for online English teachers. The first option is to set up your own teaching website. This allows teachers to be completely independent and free to set their own hours. However, it can take quite some time to find regular students and setting up a professional-looking website requires a certain budget and time commitment. A much more popular alternative, especially for...  [Read more]

'English' Who needs that' I'm never going to England.'-Homer Simpson from The Simpsons Homer Simpson's brief yet brilliant delve into an analysis of the English language might go unrecognized by some, but I feel it succinctly introduces some of the language's most current, hot- debated questions. The first question sounds like a simple one but has in fact recently proven itself a slippery monster. What is English' The dawn of ultra-globalization begs for the answer to this question as more and more people all around the world attempt to understand each other better using the new lingua franca. As mega conglomerates deal and governments negotiate (this just being the most obvious end of the spectrum) we must also ask can there be any room for misunderstanding' But English is...  [Read more]

As an ESL teacher one of the biggest challenges I have had to face is cultural sensitivity. Not only on my part as a teacher but on the part of my students as well. My first experience on this subject dealt with stereotypes. Not only those held by my students but those that I carried as well. The second issue was how to bridge the gaps between our two cultures. Therefore, the issue becomes how do we increase our level of cultural sensitivity. There have been many studies done on this issue. Most focus on the things the teacher should do to bridge the gap. I believe that it takes effort on the part of both the student and the teacher to resolve this issue. As ESL teachers most of us have left our countries and begun teaching in other countries. In his book The Developmental Model...  [Read more]

Anyone who is thinking about teaching English abroad has most likely received a response along the lines of "Oh, how fun, but what will you do when you get back?" Some people believe that teaching English as a foreign language is not a "real job" but rather something that people do to pay off student debt or simply for fun before settling down into a "normal" job and lifestyle. Many people decide to teach English abroad for these reasons, but there are also many who have made a successful and lucrative career out of it. Yes, you can pursue a long-term career as an EFL teacher. For the vast majority of people who travel abroad to teach English, it all begins with a simple desire to see some of the world while earning some money. After a while, many people realize that they enjoy and are...  [Read more]

It is certainly possible to travel overseas and work as an English language teacher if you have children. However, there are several things to consider before deciding whether it is the right option for you and your family. Wherever you are in the world raising children can be an expensive proposition, so before you head off to teach English abroad you need to be sure that it is financially viable. As pay levels vary greatly from one region to the next, where you plan to teach is one of the most important decisions you will have to make. Europe and Latin America are both very popular destinations for ESL teachers, but it is not easy to earn enough to support more than one person in these regions. In contrast, across Asia there are several countries such as China, South Korea, Taiwan...  [Read more]

As an ESL teacher one of the biggest challenges I have had to face is cultural sensitivity. Not only on my part as a teacher but on the part of my students as well.My first experience on this subject dealt with stereotypes. Not only those held by my students but those that I carried as well. The second issue was how to bridge the gapsbetween our two cultures. Therefore, the issue becomes how do we increase our levelof cultural sensitivity. There have been many studies done on this issue. Most focus on the things the teachershould do to bridge the gap. I believe that it takes effort on the part of both the student and the teacher to resolve this issue. As ESL teachers most of us have left our countries and begun teaching in other countries. In his book The Developmental...  [Read more]

For the purpose of this article I assume that there is absolutely no difference between TEFL and TESOL, they are both a means of teaching English to people who do not have it as their first language. So why do people think to themselves sitting at home, maybe I will train to be a teacher, but not a regular teacher that we all grew up with at school. But someone who teaches the English language to non English speakers in foreign countries. Well the reasons are varied but almost everyone can identify themselves with at least one. Some realize that the jobs they work in are not quite what they thought they would do growing up. So in search of excitement and something more worthwhile they sign up to TEFL. Others like myself are really gypsies and have a great urge to...  [Read more]

Asia and Latin America are two of the most popular regions for teaching English abroad. Both have a strong demand for English language instruction, and there are always plenty of employers ready to take on experienced and newly qualified teachers in a wide variety of countries. If you are undecided on which destination would suit you best, take a look at the following points as they might help you to make an informed choice. In general, most people who head to Latin America will find that they can live comfortably on their earnings, but are unlikely to save much (if anything at all) of their monthly salary. Paying rent and other bills, socializing, and exploring the region should be affordable for most, but if you have debts to pay off or need to save to fund further travel, it may not...  [Read more]

Teaching English abroad is a great way to see the world and get paid while doing it, but what does it actually involve? Before you buy a plane ticket and jet off across the world it is a good idea to research as much as possible about TEFL qualifications, the possible restrictions you might encounter when applying for jobs, and the long term prospects this path might lead to. Here we look at the answers to all these questions and more. These acronyms are used when referring to training courses that English language teachers undertake, as well as the certification they receive upon completion. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. As these terms are essentially the same, they are often used...  [Read more]

ESSAY ORGAN'ZAT'ON: In this essay I want to discuss cultural sensitiivty in the classroom. In order to speak intelligently about the topic we first need to to know what we are talking about. Let us begin by defining our terms, beginning with culture. After doing that we can then apply these terms to classroom experience.WHAT IS CULTURE' Anthropologists most commonly use the term 'culture' to refer tot he universal human capacity to classify, codify and communicate their experiences symbolically. This capacity is long been taken as a defining feature of the genus Homo. However, primatologists such as Jane Goodall have identified aspects of culture among our closest relatives 'n the animal k'ngdom. In order to resolve this we can say that symbolic experiences while not exclusive...  [Read more]

Anyone who has considered teaching English abroad has probably had a reaction from a friend or family member along the lines of “that sounds like fun, but what will you do when you get back?” In some quarters, teaching English as a foreign language has the reputation of not being a ‘real job’, just something that people do to pay off student loans or simply for fun and adventure before settling down into a normal job and lifestyle. There are many people who do choose teaching abroad for these reasons, but there are also plenty who have made a successful and lucrative career out of TEFL. YES, you absolutely can have a long-term career as an EFL teacher. For the majority of people who head overseas to teach English, it all starts with a small idea to see a bit of the world while...  [Read more]

TEFL related teaching jobs are available in almost every country worldwide and due to a huge demand for qualified teachers, jobs are all but guaranteed in some areas. To ensure you have the widest range of positions to choose from and the best chance of landing that dream job, there are several things you can do to put yourself at the head of the queue. If you are looking for a job outside the country you are currently in, then using online searches is a common option. There are many job boards online that post available positions from countries worldwide. The majority of these jobs will be in regions where the demand for teachers is so high that employers are happy to hire teachers without the need for a face-to-face interview. These are most likely to be found in Asia, the Middle...  [Read more]

Almost anyone who has the desire to teach English abroad can make their dream come true. Although you will find some restrictions regarding teaching experience and academic qualifications in some countries, there are plenty of great destinations around the world where a TEFL certificate is all that is required. Whatever your background, work history, or age, there is the perfect teaching job waiting for you somewhere in the world. Yes, you can start a new career teaching English abroad without any form of teaching experience. Due to a huge demand for English language teachers in countries all over the world, tens of thousands of English speakers head overseas every year to work in a variety of different classrooms. Of this number, approximately 90% will have never worked in any kind of...  [Read more]

Whether you are just looking to earn some extra cash during a gap-year or are planning a more serious move into the world of education, teaching English as a foreign language has many benefits. The demand for TEFL qualified teachers is continually growing in many parts of the world and opportunities for making teaching a career are abundant. Also, if you decide that it is time to head back home, there are many directions in which your overseas teaching experience can take you. Although for many TEFL course graduates the aim is to head overseas to experience living and working in a foreign culture, it is not the only option. Plenty of people use their teaching qualification within their home country as increasing levels of immigration have led to a rapid increase in demand for ESL...  [Read more]

These acronyms are used when referring to training courses that English language teachers undertake, as well as the certification they receive upon completion. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and tesol stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. As these terms are essentially the same, they are often used interchangeably, however, TEFL is most commonly used within the UK and tesol is usually preferred in the USA. Although some countries may favor one acronym over the other, it is important to remember that a TEFL certification and a tesol certification are exactly the same thing as the training involved is identical. Although TEFL and tesol training courses are identical and the acronyms are generally used interchangeably, there is a technical...  [Read more]

Home > Articles I never made a mistake in grammar but one in my life and as soon as I done it I seen it... So you've decided you want to teach English as a foreign language... There are many different practices that could be used for good classroom management and as with all techniques these need to be adapted to your own classroom, taking into account the age, culture, and personality of the class as a whole, and of you as a teacher... Classroom management requires a positive relationship between the teacher and the student... I believe that Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting... I?m sure ?Classroom Management? holds many different meanings for many different people... Classroom management is a teacher?s ability to organize and control ...  [Read more]

If you are looking for the widest choice of English language teaching jobs, look no further than Asia. Across the continent you will find countless opportunities in a wide range of fascinating countries, although the requirements do vary from one to the next. Some countries are only open to native English speakers and others will require a university degree, however, there are still plenty of jobs out there for anyone with a TEFL certification. Teaching English in South Korea has become increasingly popular over the last decade and it is no secret that the country offers some of the best salaries for foreign teachers to be found anywhere in the world. English teachers in Korea can expect to earn between $1,500 and $3,000 per month and it is certainly possible to save up to half of this...  [Read more]

As there is a strong demand for TEFL qualified teachers in many countries worldwide, most course graduates should have little trouble finding a suitable position. However, to maximise your chances of securing the best jobs there are a few things you should be aware of. Where you should look for work, how to apply for jobs, and how to prepare for that all important interview are all covered below. Among the many attractions of teaching English abroad is the fact that you are free to choose not only the region where you would like to work, but also the specific country or even city. For some teachers the history and culture of Europe appeals most, while others are drawn to exotic destinations across Asia or Latin America. However, before you book your plane tickets you need to be aware...  [Read more]

What does TEFL mean?    The acronym TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. It is commonly used to refer to training courses that almost anyone can take to learn the skills and knowledge required to teach English to non-native speakers in countries all over the world. What is the difference between TESOL and TEFL?    TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. These descriptions are generally used interchangeably, however, TESOL is more common in the USA and TEFL is more common in the UK. Do I need a TEFL certificate to teach abroad?    Although it is possible to teach abroad without a TEFL certificate, we recommended that you complete a TEFL...  [Read more]