Will I be paid in Korean Won or some other currency?

You will be paid in Korean Won.

How long is the contract?

It is for 12 months. If both you and your employer agree, you can renew the contract.

What about the bonus?

Employee will be given an additional one twelfth of their annual salary for completing the contract period. This will be paid at time of completion of the full contract.

Can I renew the contract?

This can be worked out with the institute directly.  If you wish to be placed at a different institute, eze365.com can also help you. Just contact us before your contract expires.

Is the ticket to and from Korea at my expense?

Round trip ticket to Korea is usually paid for by the employer.

How often will I get paid?

You will be paid once a month. Your monthly salary will be paid in Korean won and deposited directly into your bank account.

I have Teaching experience and Masters degree in English.  Will I be offered a higher salary?

In some cases, you can make more money though this is not always the case.          
Often, you may be offered a higher salary based on your credentials.

How long will it take before I am hired?

In most cases, an applicant can be hired within 1 month from receipt of application.

Can I send money back to my home?

Yes. You can open a bank account. Through your bank account in Korea, you will be able to transfer funds to your home.

Can I exchange  Korean Won to U. S/Canada dollars?

Yes. You can exchange Korean won into US, Canadian, Australian, British, and other currencies. However, there will be no need for you to convert Korean won during your stay here. You will only lose on the difference on the exchange rate.

How much money can I bring to Korea?

Bring enough money to survive until your first full month's salary, which is usually 4-6 weeks after your start date. $1000 - $2000 is usually a good amount. Buy some US or Canadian traveller's checks and convert them into Korean won at the bank.

Who takes care of the E-2 (instructor) visa?

The Institute will process all the paper work necessary for you to obtain a work visa. If you need more information, please check "How to get a work Visa" in site

How large are the classes?

The classes in an institute are generally from 8¢¦13 students.

What are the classes like?

All classes use textbooks that are very similar to the second language books used in  school and university. With younger students, more learning activities are incorporated into the class. In adult classes, more free talk time is given to promote conversation.

How long is each class?

The classes are usually 40¢¦50 minutes.

What are the ages of the students?

That will depend on the school that you will be contracted with. The ages can vary from kindergarten to adults. Most of the institutes require you to teach a mixed group.

What are the teaching hours?

Generally, on a daily basis, you will teach around 5¢¦6 hours. The average work hours are between 25¢¦30 hours per week.

If I do not want to work, can I break the contract?
What happens to me if I leave before the one year contract is finished?

If you have a definate reason as to why you cannot complete a twelve month contract, you can give your employer two months' notice of the fact. Afterwards they will give you a letter of release which will enable to you cancel your visa and reapply for another one if that is what you wish to do. Hagwon owners talk to each other quite often and breaking a contract without notice may make it harder to find another job in Korea.

What is a Diploma Confirmation?

Diploma confirmation is necessary to prove that you have in fact earned a 4-year degree. The Korean Consulate has set down a government policy which states that all English teachers entering Korea must have a 4 year college degree. The Korean Consulate requires this step to insure that they must see your original diploma at some point before a Visa can be awarded. Recently, the Korean Consulates have been seeing many manufactured Diplomas submitted by applicants who do not have a 4-year degree. The Korean Consulate has implemented a new regulation that no longer allows submission of photocopied diplomas. You can take your diploma in person to the Korean Consulate, if there is one near you. They can notarize photocopies of the degree for you.

What if I have lost my original diploma or had it permanently framed on the wall and it is too large to mail?

Most Consulates will also accept an official letter from your Alma Mater, stating that you have graduated. This can be used in place of your original diploma. You should contact the Korean Consulate which handles your jurisdiction to confirm they will accept this or they can give you alternate ideas.  The main point being that they just need to confirm that you have in fact graduated from a 4 year college.

What are the accommodations like?

In most cases, the instructor will be living in a private room or shared apartment. All teachers are assured of their own private bedroom.  The director will provide basic furniture. You may have to share the kitchen and bathroom in the apartment. Most likely it will be another English Teacher from the U.S/Canada or may be a Korean Teacher.

What if I do not like my housing conditions?

You can make a request to your employer, who will try his or her best to accomodate you. Don't forget however that in some places in Korea space is at a premium and rent can be high, especially in Seoul.

Will my housing be far from my institute?

Most housing is located within walking distance of the institute, or if not, a short bus or subway ride away. Most institutes already have established teacher housing very near the institutes.

Will I be near other foreigners or English teachers?

There are over 6700 English language institutes throughout Korea. There will be other foreign foreign English teachers nearby.

 I have student loans and other payments I am responsible for here in the U. S/Canada.
How can I take care of these while I am in korea for a year?

Through your bank account , you could send money directly to the schools or you could send the money to your friends, family, who could pay these bills for you.

Can I speak with someone who has completed his/her contract or is teaching in Korea currently?

Yes. As soon as you are offered a position, you can speak directly with a teacher currently teaching in South Korea or someone who has completed the contract.

Does everyone in Korea speak English?

Most Koreans may read and write and understand some English they may not have enough confidence to speak any English to you, although most would like to.

Is it hard to adjust to living in Korea?

This depends entirely on you.  If you are flexible and adaptable, it¡¯s easy. Also, having a sense of humor and patience makes it easier to adjust. Before leaving for Korea you should learn about Korean culture. The Korean culture is very different from US/Canadian culture. The general attitudes towards foreigners are of curiosity and intrigue. Language institutes are open to students of all ages, from elementary school students to working professionals. Teachers are expected to teach all age groups as necessary. Koreans are quite warm and welcoming towards Americans. Although the younger generation has had more exposure to Western cultures, Korea as a society is quite conservative and traditional.

Is Easy English Consulting a licensed recruiter?

Why, yes we are. Our registration number is 214-90-33173.

How long have you been in the business?

We¡¯ve been around for five years.

How come I¡¯ve never heard of Easy English Consulting before?

It¡¯s most likely that in the recruiting business no news is good news.

I want to teach in Korea. What documents do I need to send?

When first applying you should send an email with a short introduction or cover letter. Include information such as: when you want to come to Korea, where you intend to live, what ages you will or won¡¯t teach, what your salary expectations are, and anything else pertinent. Also send your resume and a presentable photo which will enable us to put you on our database. You may also send copies of your transcripts or degree if you want, but these do not technically need to be received until we have confirmed you a position.

Why should I send you my picture?

It¡¯s perfectly within the law in Korea to require an applicant to send their picture, and this happens with Koreans as well.

Doesn¡¯t that mean that I can be discriminated against?

Possibly, though not likely. Most employers care about the teacher¡¯s accent more than anything else. We are the ones that make a recommendation to the employer when we have found a suitable teacher, and in most cases they will go along with our recommendation.

I¡¯m from New Zealand. Do they care about my accent?

Some do. Hagwons that have never had a teacher from anywhere besides North America are often hesitant to hire someone from elsewhere, so when applying please make sure to note whether you have a soft accent or not. Employers specify up front whether they want someone with a North American / British / other accent, so any position we propose will be one that doesn¡¯t have a problem with your accent.

What countries can you hire people from?

We can hire people from the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Why can¡¯t you hire people from other places?

It¡¯s easy to get an E-2 instructor visa if you¡¯re from one of those countries. Those are the ¡®approved¡¯ English-speaking countries that immigration has specified.

You say a school wants me to come asap. What about my visa?

When a school needs a teacher right away they are flown over and begin teaching right away. At the same time the documents are sent to immigration upon arrival. It¡¯s possible to teach while waiting for a visa to be processed as long as the application has already been submitted. Once the visa is ready you will be sent to Osaka, Japan, for a one-day visa run. For more information than you¡¯ve ever wanted to know on the visa run to Osaka, check out this link:
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=19702

How much money will I be making in Korea?

Positions in Korea are on a bit of a bell curve. The vast majority will pay between 1.9 and 2.1 million won. Some pay 2.2 to 2.3, and 2.4 and above is when they begin getting rare. Some company positions will pay around 3.0 million won a month but they require a master¡¯s and quite a bit of experience. If you are looking for a position paying at least 2.3 then you should give yourself some more time to find a job.
As of March 2005, 2.0 million won is worth this much in other currencies:
1976 USD
1490 EUR
1032 GBP
2384 CAD
2495 AUD
2667 NZD
11943 ZAR

Don¡¯t forget that the income tax rate is a mere 3~5% in Korea, that the company provides housing or a housing allowance, as well as the flight here and back plus an extra month¡¯s salary at the end of the contract, so the take-home pay is much more than most people make back home.
To convert currency online, go to: http://www.xe.com/ucc/

I want to talk to a teacher currently working at the place I am thinking of teaching at. Can you get me in contact with him/her?

Most likely. We can phone the school and try to find a teacher who is willing to talk about their experience at the school over the past year. That might take a bit more time but it¡¯s still possible. Another thing you can do is a search on the internet to see if anyone has written about the school before.

Do you stay in contact with teachers even after they¡¯ve signed the contract?

Yes, we¡¯re not going anywhere. Happy teachers never phone us, though if there is a problem they do and we¡¯re here to help out. Our hours are from 10am to 9pm.