Updated: Everything You Need to Know About Finding a Teaching Job in Korea

*Since I wrote my original post "The Hunt: Searching for Teaching Jobs in Korea", there have been some changes to the availability of public school jobs and I've learned some new information. Unfortunately it is true that many GEPIK public school jobs are being cut. Here is the updated version (the same corrections have also been made to the original post, but I've re-posted it again here for ease).

Recruiters and Programs

If you're looking for a teaching job in Korea, you'll need to start by applying through a recruiter or program. For recruiters, I recommend Teach ESL Korea, Hands Korea, or Work n' Play. All offer public and private school jobs. For public school only there is Korvia. You can also apply directly to public schools via EPIK and TALK, which are government programs that place teachers throughout Korea (usually not in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do, the province surrounding Seoul). 

Avoiding the negativity and finding the right job

When doing research on English teaching jobs in South Korea, the results can be overwhelming, and sometimes it seems like no one has anything nice to say. Here's some advice on how to avoid the negativity and get accurate information: 

1) Rely on real people, not internet forums- When I started encountering lots of negative feedback on the internet about private and public schools alike, I frantically emailed my recruiter, worried about picking the wrong job. He emailed me back with a piece of logic I  hadn't thought of before: positive experiences appear vastly outnumbered on the internet because foreigners who are having a great time in Korea (which is the majority of them) are too busy having adventures and enjoying their lives to post their complaints on a random internet forum. I'm not saying bad experiences don't happen, they do, but it is often blown out of proportion on the internet. 

Although popular sites like Dave's ESL Cafe, Waygook.org, etc. can be helpful for many things, unless what you read applies directly to your potential employer or particular school, take the negativity with a grain of salt. These internet forums usually don't attract unbiased sources, but they certainly do attract naysayers and those who like to stir the pot. If you want general information about working and living in Korea, check out reputable and well known websites like EatYourKimchi, and do lots of research to find personal blogs from people living in your potential new hometown or city. Every other foreigner has a blog, and most likely you'll be able to find a contact who has worked at your school or in your area, or someone who can point you in the right direction. 

You should also find contacts through people you know from home or through your recruiter. Seriously, if you tell people, even strangers, that you're looking for a teaching job in Korea, you'll quickly find that everyone and their mom knows someone or knows someone who knows someone, that is teaching in Korea.  I can't stress this enough: the best hagwon or private school jobs usually come through word out mouth! 

2) What are you looking for out of this experience? Although issues can occur with your job that are entirely out of your control, sometimes I wonder what percentage of people on those forums are truly unhappy because they didn't consider what they were signing up for? Even though you may not want to teach English as a permanent career, an interest in education, kids, or at least getting to know foreign cultures will make your experience much more pleasant. Remember: the majority of your time here will be spent teaching and in school. If your only interest in coming to South Korea is an apartment and a pay check, then you might be in for a long year. 

Public vs. Private Schools- How to Decide

If you've done any internet research, you've probably noticed by now that hagwons, or private academies, don't always have the best reputation, and that many people prefer public school jobs. The biggest reason is that public schools are held accountable by the government and have standardized contracts, where as hagwons are private business that are unregulated and can pretty much do whatever they want...including going out of business. However, I'd like to be optimistic and say that where you choose to work should depend on your personality. Many people also work at hagwons that they enjoy. 

Public
Pros: standard contract, less teaching hours, more vacation (20-25 days)
Cons: usually only one foreign teacher, can't always choose location, longer application process
Neutral: Lesson planning

Native English teachers (NETs) at public schools are employed by GEPIK or EPIK. GEPIK hires mostly through the private recruiters I listed above, while one must apply directly to EPIK. These are government offices that provide the teaching contracts for public schools. NETs can also contact these offices if they have questions about, or problems with their schools. Among the other pros listed above, people tend to gravitate towards these jobs because the government technically ensures stability.

HOWEVER, these jobs are losing their stability. Already, most public schools in Seoul no longer receive funding for foreign teachers. I currently work for GEPIK and these jobs are also starting to get cut drastically. Unless schools are funded by local city halls, only rural schools will receive funding from GEPIK starting in 2014. While teachers can't be let go mid-contract, hundreds of contracts are not being renewed. 

If you're interested it's still worth applying, but beware these jobs are becoming extremely competitive. You will need to get at least TEFL certified, and online certificate programs cost $300-$400. In the next couple of years, public school job numbers could continue to decline, or go on the rise again. It's hard to tell because it depends on each province, annual budget votes, and of course, politics. Currently however, they are very much on the decline. If you're planning to work in Korea for more than a year or two, be aware that renewal may not be possible. 

You can also apply through EPIK or TALK, which serve all of Korea, but because of increasing competition you can no longer request a specific location...which means you can be placed anywhere...including the middle of nowhere. Generally, if you would like to be surrounded by other foreigners or expats at work, then public schools are definitely not for you. You will more than likely be the only foreigner at your school.

I put lesson planning in a neutral category because I think this definitely depends on the person. If you enjoy devising lesson plans and thinking of creative ways to teach then you will certainly enjoy working at a public school. Some public schools provide textbooks, but many expect you to come up with your own lessons for regular classes. 

*Ask about after school classes and English Camps at public schools!!*

Most public school teachers also run 1-2 week "English Camps" during summer and winter breaks. Expectations for English Camps vary greatly by school (anywhere from 1 to 4 hours a day). Your interview is a good time to ask what kind of special programs are expected of you during breaks and throughout the year! While I get paid overtime and enjoy the challenge, I didn't know until I arrived at my school that I would be expected to teach special Fall and Spring after school courses until 8 p.m. twice a week for 5 weeks, which is highly unusual for public schools!    

Hagwon (Private)
Pros: usually higher pay, more available, many foreign teachers, easier application process, can choose where you want to go!
Cons: non-standard or lack of contract, less vacation (7-10 days), more teaching hours
Neutral: lesson planning, the unusual work schedule

Due to slightly longer hours, overtime, and less vacation, hagwon teachers tend to get paid more than public school NETs. If you're coming to Korea to save money or pay-off student loans or debt, this may be something to seriously consider. In addition, you'll also enjoy the company of other foreign teachers, which certainly makes for a much easier transition! While I like my school, I live in a smaller city and definitely have to make the extra effort to meet people. As for lesson planning, it varies highly, some hagwons will have you strictly follow a textbooks, others will require you to come up with your own material. You should ask in the interview what is expected. 

The best part though is that hagwons are everywhere, so you can choose where you want to go! So here's the tough part: how do you make sure it's a good school? I don't want to undermine those who've had bad experiences at hagwons because there certainly are problems that I've heard from teachers who work at them. Because they are run like businesses, their priorities are a bit different from public schools...namely money and customer retention, which can put additional stress on bosses and employees. There's no 100% fool proof way to ensure your hagwon is great, but here are some tips:

• I'll say it again: the best hagwon jobs often come through word of mouth!  If you talk to someone living in Korea, they might know a friend who is leaving at the end of the month and needs someone to take their place at a job. Many schools use private recruiters but they also take private referrals!  

• If you can't find a friend, or friend of a friend living in Korea to speak with, don't be afraid to ask to speak to a current NET at the school you are interviewing with! The employer should allow you to speak with someone who currently works at the school. If they won't, it's probably not a good sign. 

• Prepare detailed questions to ask during the interview: "Is public transportation easily accessible from the school and my apartment?" "How long have the other foreign teachers been working there?" "How often will I be expected to work over time?" "How much time is given for class preparation?" 

• Go with your gut and be patient. Although it's hard to give up a job that looks great on paper, if you speak with someone who rubs you the wrong way, or there's a clause in the contract that no one seems to able to clarify, then follow your instincts. I'd say this applies to both private and public schools. 

• If you follow the above advice hopefully you won't need this, but there is a hagwon blacklist that you can check on the internet, for schools that are unusually atrocious. I also found this site which compiles hagwon reviews which should offer positive reviews as well.

I listed the unusual schedule as neutral because again I think this is personality based. Most hagwons, unless you're teaching kindergarten, have their hours from 1-9pm or 2-10pm. If you're a night person who likes to stay up late and wake up late, this might be your dream schedule! Even if you haven't historically been a night person, many hagwon teachers who adapt to this schedule don't mind it since their friends and co-workers will be on it too.  I will be honest and warn you though that hagwons are much more likely to ask you to come in on the weekends or stay late, but you should get paid overtime.

While there is certainly less vacation time during the year with private schools, if you're planning to travel after you leave Korea, which most people do anyway, this doesn't have to be a big problem. There is also so much stuff to see locally in Korea! You can easily satisfy your need for a break with day or weekend trips. Having less vacation, or being in a more rural area like myself, really encourages you to get to know Korea and have an authentic living experience.

*The Classroom and Co-Teachers- Public vs. Private *

In hagwons you'll be physically in the classroom teaching about 28-30 hours a week, whereas you're only the classroom 22 hours a week with public schools. It's true that more teaching hours can be tiring, but there are other factors to consider. While public schools leave ample time for "desk warming", the technical term for sitting at your desk, some people get very bored by this and prefer more fast-paced hagwon schedules.  Public school also classes tend to be much larger, 20-35 students, while hagwons usually have 10-15 students (less if it's a small academy). 

Working at a public school also involves co-teaching with a Korean English teacher. Unfortunately there are no standard expectations or training sessions for Korean co-teachers. While some may be helpful, others may not.While in some public schools you'll be fully in charge of the classroom, in others you might be more of a side kick. Many NETs establish beneficial relationships with their co-teachers, but many teachers also prefer the independence that comes with working in a hagwon, where there are usually no co-teachers. 

Your experience will be what you make of it

At the end of the day your experience is going to be what you make of it. People have good and bad experiences at public schools and at private schools, in rural areas and in urban areas. I've met people who've been in Korea for many years and held several different jobs, and although some have been better than others they are all still here because the fun they've had and the friends they've made have been worth it. The happiest teachers are the ones who take the good with the bad, and chalk it all up to experience.

Where to Live in Korea: Big City vs. Small City

My newest post is up on The Arrival Store Blog! You can also check out the original here:

As the capital and cultural hub of South Korea, Seoul is of course the most popular option for prospective teachers. Gyeonggi-do, the province surrounding Seoul, is also a popular place to look for jobs. While your gut instinct may be that you must live in Seoul, and nowhere else, don’t be too quick to judge! There are plenty of great alternatives, such as large Seoul satellite cities (eg. Anyang, Suwon, Seongnam, Yongin, etc.) and smaller cities outlying cities such as Yeoju, where I reside.

 It can be daunting to search through job listings and try to choose a location based on cities which you know little about. For a complete list of the cities in Gyeonggi-do, you can check out the subdivisions section of the Seoul Capital area wiki. Before you get worried about landing in the middle of nowhere, keep in mind that Gyeonggi-do is very densely populated and well connected.  

Large satellite cities and smaller outlying cities are usually connected to Seoul, and to each other, by bus, subway, or KTX high speed trains, all of which are highly efficient. I live about as far out in Gyeonngi-do as you can get, and it usually only takes me an hour and 10 minutes to get to the world famous Gangnam. While some cities may be lacking some of the culture Seoul offers, most will contain all of the same amenities, access to universities, and active expat communities.

It’s important to realize that South Korea is an incredibly homogenous country and that much of these cities, including Seoul, will look the same. As you travel throughout Seoul and Gyeonggi-do you will inevitably encounter the same architecture, same stores, and same atmosphere in cities large and small. The fun part is finding the hidden gems. And there are many! Lately I’ve stopped going to Seoul to see my friends, instead they come to visit me to experience a different side of Korea.  Choosing a smaller city in Gyeonggi-do, where Seoul is still nearby, is a great way to get the best of both worlds!  

A taste of Yeoju and the Korean countryside. 

People often ask me what to look for when deciding where to live. Experiences and preferences vary widely, so the best thing you can do is consider what you want out of your city and make sure it has those things. In addition, I would research:

• Variety of Facebook groups- most cities have Facebook groups, but it’s also good to find cities with groups that cater to diverse interests, such as sports clubs, language exchanges, etc.
• Use Naver or Daum, Korean search engines- if one were to Google my city, there would be few returns, however this is not the case on Korean search engines. While the returns will be in Korean, many sites have English titles. There are lots of Korean bloggers out there, and even if you can’t understand their posts, they’ll provide lots of pictures you won’t find on Google, Yahoo, or Bing. It might give you a better idea of what your city is like!
• Historical and cultural attractions – it’s my opinion that cities and districts with more history are more likely to have more hidden gems and traditions. Try to look at tourist sites to see what kind of attractions are around. If you find that your prospective residence is a very industrial area without many cultural sites that could be a bad sign, as that usually indicates that there will be factories, offices, coffee shops, and not much else.
• Personal blogs- I try to stay away from public forums like Dave’s ESL and Waygook when searching for unbiased opinions about cities, as they seem to attract a lot of naysayers, or those who think there is no life outside of Itaewon. Try to look for personal blogs of teachers living your city; people giving thoughtful day to day accounts about what life is like there.
• Universities – A reputable university usually means there will be some culture, nightlife, and vibrancy that comes with having young people around! There will probably also be Korean language classes, language buddies, and more opportunities for cultural exchange if you’re interested! 

Buam-dong 부암동 and the Best Coffee Shop in Seoul

When looking to have a classy afternoon of coffee and shopping, many Seoulites head to Samcheong-dong (삼청동), an upscale neighbored next to Gyeongbok Palace (경복겅). Filled with boutique clothing stores, independent coffee shops, marvelous little restaurants, and timeless traditional Korean architecture, Samcheong-dong is a great place for a weekend stroll (Anguk Station, exit 3). However, it’s an extremely popular area. On any given weekend afternoon it will be overrun by crowds looking to shop, or tourists hunting for a meal after a walk around the palace.

If you’re looking an equally charming area without the crowds, try heading over to Buam-dong (부암동). Not as developed as Samcheong-dong, Buam-dong is a small neighborhood with a lot of character and a quaint atmosphere not often found in Seoul. It’s located between Inwangsan and Bukhansan, two mountains, offering great views at every turn. It’s also known for an eclectic mix of hidden galleries, classic restaurants, and superb coffee shops, including the famous Sanmootonge (산모퉁이), which is arguably the most beautiful café in Seoul. Buam-dong receives a lot less crowds since you cannot get there directly by subway, but here are simple bus directions!

1. 1.     Go to Gyeongbokgung Station (line 3), get out at exit 3.
2. 2.     Go straight about 100 meters to the second bus stop, take green buses #1020 or #7022 and get off at the Buam-dong Community Service Center 부암동민주센터. It’s only 6 stops away and it will be announced in English.

Places to go: 

To get to the first four places on my list, go to your right when you get off the bus and walk straight up the hill for 2 minutes or so until you hit Espresso Club (pictured below on the left). Known for serving up some of the best cups of coffee in Seoul, Espresso Club is also at the base of the road that takes you to most of major destinations on Buam-dong.

Espresso Club is the brick building on the left. You can stop in there for a taste of some of the best coffee from around the world! If you want great views and coffee however, head up to Sanmootonge.

Sanmootonge (산모퉁이) 

1.    According to the internet, this coffee shop was made famous by its appearance on the Korean drama Coffee Prince. However, even if you are like me and have never seen a Korean drama (it’s true), you’ll still be impressed. Located in a lovely brick house with magnificent views of Seoul and what I’ve deemed the Korean “Hollywood Hills”, Sanmootonge has just the right amounts of style, class, and quirk.

The coffee is a bit pricey at 8,000 won but it’s good quality, and of course you are really paying for the seat. Try to go early (before 1 pm) so you don’t have to fight K-drama fan girls or couples taking selfies for a seat on one of the balconies or in front of a window! The gallery downstairs is also worth checking out.  

Directions: Once you hit Espresso Club, turn left and you’ll see a fork in the road. Stay left and keep walking; soon you’ll hit a small bend where you’ll see a white building with a large brown sign for Santoomonge, pointing you uphill. It’s about 10-15 minute walk uphill, but there are great views and architecture along the way. Additional signs along the hill will keep you on track!

Jaha Sonmandu (자하손만두)
This is a famous mandu (만두) or dumpling restaurant. Known for its fantastic tteok mandu guk (떡만두국), or rice cake and dumpling soup, this restaurant also has a beautiful minimalist interior, perfect for dates, birthdays, treating yourself, and other special occasions. While certainly pricier than every day street mandu, regular dishes only cost about 6,000 to 15,000 won; 12,000 won for the tteok mandu guk. As a huge mandu fan, I think it’s well worth the visit!   

Directions: It’s just a little up the street from Espresso Club. Turn left at Espresso Club, then stay right at the fork, going a little up hill. You will see Jaha Sonmandu almost immediately on your right. 

Gyeyolsa Chicken, 계열사 치킨 (formerly “Cheers Chicken”)

Gyeyolsa is one of the most famous chicken restaurants in Seoul and is known for its traditional Korean fried chicken. Traditional Korean fried chicken is distinguished by a very thin crisp shell. The chicken is served on platters with large home fries. There is no English menu, but it’s just the first item on the menu, 후라이드 (which is Hangeul for “fried”). If you’re feeling more adventurous, another popular dish you’ll see many people ordering is the second item on the menu, 골뱅이 국수or snails with noodles! Get here by noon if you want to avoid the lunch rush!  

 Directions: It’s also just a little bit up the street from Espresso Club. Stay to the left at the fork. It’s located down on the lowered sidewalk to your left. 

Changuimun Gate and Seoul Fortress

if after all that eating you’re in need of some exercise, make a right behind Espresso Club and walk straight for just a minute and you will come to the Changumin Gate (the oldest of the fortress gates) Through the gate you’ll find one of the entrances for the Seoul Fortress which you can hike (yes that large fortress you can see from Sanmootonge).

Ivy and Shortcake

If you want to explore another part of the Buam-dong area, make a right at the base of Buam-dong (when you are facing these shops). A few minutes down are some other neighborhood favorites.

One of the first places you’ll see walking down the street is Ivy, a small yellow café with only 3 seats. Apparently it can be rented out at night to small groups for 50,000 won. After Ivy you’ll see Shortcake, which is a popular cupcake shop. While probably more sought out for its cute décor than the cupcakes (I agree with the assessments I’ve read that the cakes are a little dry) Shortcake is still pretty good! In a city with a lack of cupcakes, I don’t get too choosey! The frosting on my Oreo cupcake was quite good. 

Left- Ivy, Right- Shortcake interior and Oreo cupcake!

Keep walking past Shortcake and you’ll come to a rotary intersection. You have to cross the street to get down to the pedestrian intersection. If you go to the right you can get great views of the mountains and visit some other interesting shops.  I didn’t get a chance to go left, but it looked like there were a few interesting things there as well. Really you could spend an afternoon exploring, which I would encourage you to do if you have the time.

August

With limited time, my friend and I decided just to check out nearby August (to the right of the rotary), which is an interesting vintage shop filled with clothes, house ware, and other knick-knacks. The owner was very friendly; she used to live in L.A. and speaks English very well! 

 Pro tips for Buam-dong (and in general):

1.  Wander down small streets, take long walks, and let yourself get lost. The neighborhoods surrounding Gyeongbok Palace, particularly Samcheong-dong and Buam-dong, are filled with hidden coffee shops and galleries. There are tons of great places and little treasures to discover.
2. Taxis are cheaper than you’d think. If you start the day checking out Gyeongbok Palace or Samcheong-dong, which I would recommend, a taxi to Buam-dong from there will only cost about 6,000 won. In general, travel between major destinations in central Seoul isn’t too pricey, especially if you are splitting it with friends. Even going all the way from Hongdae to Gangnam is only about 15,000-20,000 won depending on where you are.
3. Coffee shops are empty before noon. For most Koreans, coffee shops aren’t for morning pick-me-ups, but places to be seen in the afternoon. If you want to avoid crowded coffee shops in Samcheong-dong or Buam-dong, you don’t have to get there too early. Coffee shops start to get really crowded around 3 or 4 o’clock. 

Buam-dong and Blogging for The Arrival Store!

I have been very busy since I started blogging for The Arrival Store, a great expat business which ships hard-to-find household items, and provides cell phones services, for fellow expats moving to and currently living in Korea. I'll provide links to my TAS posts on my personal blog, but I encourage you to also check out The Arrival Store Blog! The blog provides lots of great resources and advice for newcomers, as well as those who have been living in Korea for a while! You can check out my post on Buam-dong, one of the lesser known, but most beautiful neighborhoods in Seoul! I'll be doing a short series on lesser known areas in Seoul.

Here's an introductory interview I did with TAS a few weeks ago about my time in Korea! 

A glimpse of one of my favorite coffee shops in Buam-dong!

ESL Lesson Plan Ideas and Resources

Creating lessons plans every week that will keep you and your students entertained can be a stressful ordeal for any teacher. I myself am still waiting for Pixar to put out an entire school year’s supply of animated shorts, preferable tied to textbook lessons. Until then, whether you’re just in a creative rut, have exhausted all possibilities on Waygook and Busy Teacher, or need a small hoard of lesson materials for a Winter Camp or after school class, here is my ultimate list of places to look for lesson plans, material, inspiration, and time killers.

Lesson Plans

Here are some sites where you can find free lesson plans and materials:

• Waygook.org- you can find lesson plans and material shared by English teachers from all over South Korea.

• Busy Teacher- this site has tons of lessons and material divided by topics and age level. Be sure to check out their articles, as well as their lesson plans for great ideas!

• Genki English- good for the younger set, this English teacher from Japan provides lots of lesson ideas and actually has some pretty good videos on teaching techniques, as well as  lesson and activity demos.

• http://first-school.ws/- also for the younger set, this site is dedicated to lessons for preschool and kindergarten students

• ESL Clarissa- you’ll have to dig through the blog a bit to find lesson plans and activities, but I’m always impressed by her creativity. For examples: using Baby Shower games as speaking and listening practice.

• Barry Fun English- you have to pay a small fee for his materials, but I know plenty of teachers who think his games and materials are worth it. 

• Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals- just as the title describes, this blog lets you search for movie clips according to specific grammar points.

• Film English- similar to the above site, these lessons are a bit more theme based than grammatically based.

• K12reader.com- these aren’t full lessons but if you need to teach grammar this site has tons of worksheets for drilling basic and intermediate grammar topics, and provides related activity ideas.

• Iteslj. org- provides good conversation and discussion based lessons, including a lot for advanced or adult learners. I thought they had a unique approach to comparing and contrasting cultures. 

Openers, Closers, and Games

• Improv Games. A great way to get your students to warm up and speak spontaneously. You can find common improv games here and here. A quick Google search for “improv games” will yield tons of results.

• Conversation Starters. I love Jennifer Teacher’s 26 Fresh ESL Conversation Starters. I’ve based entire lessons on of some of them. Her blog also provides a good list of other ESL sites and resources. If you want to try a conversation starter at the beginning of every class, my students were really into teslj.org’s extensive list of conditional questions.

• Summer Camp Games. Traditional camp style games and activities are always good for filling time. They can involve speaking or just be a good way to get kids moving.

• ESL Games. ESL Gamesbox provides tons of ESL game ideas and free printables for games that require them. It will also point you to some great resources, like this Taboo app for your phone. 

• Konglish Jokes. If you understand Korean, or can at least get the delivery right, these jokes might get a few chuckles from your students (though not always…)

Technology

• Google World Wonders and the Google Art Project. You can give students a tour of your hometown or check out major cities with Google Street View.  Having your students help you navigate is a great way to practice giving directions. If you really want to impress however, Google Maps now allows you to go inside thousands of famous landmarks! You can check out a map of all available tours. The Google World Wonders site will give students an even more detailed view of dozens of famous places, like this tour of Versailles for instance. If your students are interested in art, the Google Art Project also gives you access to high quality images of thousands of works. 

• Sounds. While images are a great way to stir conversation and jog students’ memories, you can also try using sounds effects. You can have your students identify sounds in English or use them to tell a story. You could also use this site to play recordings of different English speaker accents from around the world. There is also the International Dialects of English Archive, which provides an interactive map of the world and samples of non-native English speakers, including South Koreans. Hopefully your students will gain some more confidence when they realize that a perfect “Hollywood accent” isn’t everything, and that English is as adaptable as it is global.

• Phone apps. Korean students are addicted to their smart phones, literally. Try to use it to your advantage and take screen shots of English games and apps. You can talk about different games, technology vocabulary, and how to use phone applications in English.

• Educational Channels. English education channels, such as the Discovery Network, National Geographic, and PBS are guaranteed to have games, activities, and lesson plans for students. For listening, National Geographic even has short podcasts for kids.

Videos

• Quality videos. When you’ve had enough of low resolution fail and cat videos, YouTube rival Vimeo has a vast selection of quality short films and animations to choose from. You can browse by category or look through the Staff Picks for the best videos. The most superficial of searches on Vimeo led me to this gem, great for a “what happens next?” lesson. I also really like to show tilt shift videos (those films where everything looks super tiny). Vimeo user Keith Loutit has a great series of them called Bathtub.

• Animation. Most teachers already seem to have a list of go to animations, but if you need more, try sifting through a list of Oscar nominated animated shorts. They tend to cover a range of lesson related themes, but don’t have dialogue so they can be easily adapted to different activities. My favorite find is French Roast, a “don’t judge a book by its cover” story with a poignant twist ending. There is also Short of the Week which posts up and coming shorts and allows you to select films by country, genre, or medium.  

• Subtitles! If you need subtitles for recent TV shows or movies, you can search for them here. It’s in Korean but you can search for the titles in English. You use the subtitles together with the video file in GOM Player (it’s like the Korean Windows Media Player).

• TED. TED talks provide great short video lectures on a number of topics, but can be too difficult for students to understand. There a Korean TED site with translations, including a popular lecture from Hyeonseo Lee, who escaped from North Korea. 

Games and Puzzles

• Online kids magazines. If you’re from America you might remember reading Highlights magazine while sitting around and waiting at the doctor’s office. My elementary school teacher friends tell me this site is an endless source of entertainment for their students. It’s a great kids magazine and their website contains animated stories, games, crafts, science experiments, and a number of other activities to keep young kids occupied.

• Game Makers. If you need to drill vocabulary with your students, you can create all kinds of word puzzles using the Armored Penguin generator. If you want to review with a Jeopardy board, you can create your own Jeopardy game template easily here!

• Sporcle. In college I was addicted to Sporcle. It’s a website filled with timed quizzes covering everything from history to television. If you can bring it up on a projector screen, you can try to complete quizzes together as a class. There are lots of word and spelling related quizzes. I myself am a big fan of the geography quizzes. Can your students name all the countries in Asia in English? You can now create your own timed quizzes as well!

• No prep. The best teachers can always change pace quickly when things don’t go according to plan. In case your computer breaks down or you have extra time, always have a list of no prep games handy! Busy Teacher always has lots of them! 

Reading

• News. I know some people who use Breaking English News, which provides news stories at different reading levels, for reading material.  If your students read at middle school level, many reputable news outlets also have news sections especially for kids and teens. I like the ones provided by TIME magazine and the New York Times. The NYtimes also has a great “what’s going on in this picture” section.

• Comics. Many Korean students, from elementary to high school, love reading online comics and graphic novels. If you can get the title of their favorite series, perhaps you can get them to read it in English!

• Stories. Eslfast has links to hundreds of short stories and conversation ideas.

Grammar Instruction

• Tense timelines. English has many complicated tenses, so I like showing students these visual tense timelines from Englishpage.com to help them understand sentences. My own Italian professor used similar timelines and I found them extremely helpful in college. In addition to other grammar topics, the site has timelines for all the English tenses, along with great explanations, examples, and related practice.

Best Time Killers

Sometimes you just need to be able to pop open YouTube and hit play for a few minutes…or a whole class. It’s probably no secret to you by now that Koreans love slap stick humor. I have had success with all of these:

• Tom and Jerry or the Road Runner. Your students will love anything with a cat and mouse style chase.

• The minimalist Italian cartoon series La Linea has also given my students a few laughs, and there are dozens of episodes.

• If you want live action there is always Mr. Bean.

• If your students are more sophisticated perhaps you could turn to the antics of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, who was well known for his death-defying stunts.

• One of my favorite blogs, This is Colossal, has videos of all kinds of amazing artworks, installations, and animations. You can blow some minds with videos like ScreenGrab.

• You’ve probably already noticed that Koreans also love all things cute. Animal Planet has a Too Cute web series. Your students might not be able to follow the English but I’m sure they will love watching adorable animals. Bath Time for Baby Sloths is a favorite of mine.

• Kids of all ages are usually dazzled by the visuals in the cartoon Adventure Time (the link has all episodes with Korean subtitles; the occasional mild adult humor will probably go over their heads, and they will love the Korean speaking unicorn). Episodes are only 10 minutes each, but there are tons of them.

• After a lesson on amusement parks I discovered that my students loved watching front seat videos on rides and roller coasters. ThemeParkReview gets you a front seat on rides and roller coasters around the world. I've honestly spent almost an entire class on this!

• Music videos are always a great option. You’re probably already familiar with Eat Your Kimchi, but if you’re like me and are totally oblivious to what K-Pop your students are listening to these days, you can have students select videos from their K-Pop Music Mondays chart or have students give their Korean Indie Music Playlist a go. My students loved the layout of the site (though I had to avoid explaining DICKS, Discussing Interesting Contemporary Slang, and WTF, Wonderful Treasure Find, etc).

"Why does Korean beer taste bad?"

Occasionally at the end of a long day, I like to have a nice beer with my dinner. I wouldn't call myself a beer snob by any measure, but nothing makes my taste buds cringe more than those last few sips of warm beer at the bottom of the glass. I've considered the obvious solution- to drink faster- but I find that it undermines my desire to just have a relaxing drink.

Luckily a friend showed me this treasure at the Garten Hof in Yeoju (my current city of residence in South Korea). Rather than letting your beer get cold while you sip, the Garten Hof serves draft beers in special glasses designed to fit the custom made refrigerated beer holders at your table. Whether you’re a gulper or a sipper, the liquid in your glass stays cold. No more of that tepid, stomach churning backwash going to waste at the bottom of your glass.

While enjoying our refreshing cold beers, my friend and I couldn't help but note the irony that South Korea makes notoriously terrible beer. Korea’s top sellers, Hite, Cass, OB, etc., would be right at home on a shelf with Natty Light and Milwaukee's Best. Usually light and flavorless, no amount of chill will rescue them from mediocrity. One evening I stumbled upon a Korean news segment with the headline “Why does Korean beer taste bad”?

Lately there has been a lot of stir from Korean beer companies about an article in the Economist, which in addition to discussing the legal and economic hurdles of brewing in South Korea, claimed that North Korea makes better beer. North Korea, despite its lack of general economic prosperity and basic human rights, actually seems to have something of an emerging microbrewing industry.THe 

While the international community balks at South Korea's beers, it's my understanding (and experience) that Koreans prefer these feather light lagers. Some international brands such as Budweiser and Hoegaarden are produced locally in Korea, and have a slightly different, i.e. lighter, taste. While foreigners are accustomed to heavier ales and more complex flavors, these qualities don't always mix well with spicy Korean cuisine, which is important since Koreans always have at least a snack with their drinks. But more importantly, these qualities aren't necessary for enjoying Korea's drink of choice: soju.

Soju not only creates stiff competition for foreign liquors and wines attempting to enter the Korean market, but also shapes the consumption of beer and drinking culture, as beer is usually consumed with soju. Made from rice and other starches, soju, has long been a cheap and effective staple. And I mean really cheap. The most popular brand sells for about $1.50 a bottle, and that's a lot for your money with its 20% alcohol content. Higher end, though still  inexpensive soju brands go as high as 45% alcohol content. Another option is makkeoli, an inexpensive Korean rice wine, but it's not readily available at most bars and hofs.

However, considering Korea has a rich economy where $6 coffees have become norm, one has to wonder if more sophisticated tastes will ever overtake the domestic liquor and beer market. Cheap prices can't always make up for unhappy taste buds and digestive agony. At best, soju's taste can be described as cheap watered down vodka. Drinkers often mix it with beer in a cocktail called "so-maek" (maekju is Korean for beer).  Truthfully, I'm not always sure which one people are attempting to mask, the beer or the soju?  Korean beer does little to stimulate the palate, while soju is known to induce severe, regret filled, life questioning hangovers.

So why continue to drink soju? Well if there are two things Koreans hold dear it's national pride and tradition. Dating back to the 13th century, soju has a long history and is practically a part of the national identity. There are many customs for drinking soju that are tied to Korea's hierarchical culture. 10mag.com offers a great concise history of soju, noting that it was once viewed as medicine (a Korean friend actually tried to convince me recently that a little soju is still in fact "good for you"...I just smiled and nodded my head in a vaguely agreeable direction).

The cheap soju we're familiar with today, often made with potatoes or other starches instead of rice, hit the market in the aftermath of the Korean War. No doubt it was good medicine for the hardships Koreans had to over come.  And even as Korea's economy has grown and strengthened rapidly in the past few decades, the price is still hard to beat.

Not only a symbol of cheap and efficient drinking, soju also encompasses the collective values that are a large part of Korean society and culture. Soju is affordable and accessible to all, and in a normally status obsessed country, I actually don't think Koreans would say it's just a poor man's drink. It's a part of Korea's identity as an efficient and highly adaptable country. Koreans are also quick to note that, due to its affordability, it is the one of the top selling diluted liquors in the world. This fact is shocking to many westerners, but we also tend to forget that Asia is a huge market , with many great products unknown to us unenlightened folk.

Korea also is a society that thrives on heavy drinking. It’s common for friends and co-workers, particularly males, to go out and drink as much as possible. Expensive liquor doesn't bode well with a culture of drinking to get drunk quickly. If Koreans do order  foreign liquors such as vodka, rum, etc., they often buy them as part of bottle sets served with food, rather than individual cocktails. There is a tumblr account called Blackout Korea dedicated to the common sight of Korean males passed out on the street after a night of drinking.

As a disclaimer: I think Blackout Korea demonstrates how common of an occurrence it is, but I don’t condone the site's tone of condescension and public shaming.  I believe Americans are far worse when it comes to inappropriate public displays of drunkenness, and I think it’s a huge credit to Korean society that these over-imbibed patrons are mostly left unharmed to sleep it off (though I do hope there are people who make sure these sleeping beauties  have a pulse before leaving them).

But in short: when beer is a just a vessel or complement to a staple of cheap diluted liquor, and the point is to drink as much of it as possible, there isn't much of a need to perfect your hop to water ratio. While a sprinkling of foreign run craft beer houses and imported wine stores in Seoul show an emerging market for fine drinking, I don’t think the status derived from these beverages will ever over take tradition. While the international community's distaste for Korean beer may make headlines, there don't seem to be enough domestic incentives to try and over come the hurdles to brewing in South Korea. Even as bar and hof menus slowly fill up with cocktail lists and wider foreign beer selections, those green soju bottles still crowd tables, hallmarks of a night out with friends and coworkers.

Helpful cultural details: A hof in Korea is a type of drinking establishment. I wouldn't call it a bar since hofs usually only serve beer and soju. (though  hofs with larger selections of liquor and beer are becoming more common). Hofs also offer large anju menus. Anju is best described as a "meal with your drink". Koreans find it shocking that foreigners will often drink without simultaneously eating food.  Korean patrons are usually required to order anju if they wish to order beer/liquor. This is regardless of any meal consumed prior to drinking. I've stopped trying to explain to waiters that I'm not hungry because I just consumed a cow's entire hind quarters at the barbecue restaurant down the street for dinner. Luckily, after years of dealing with waygookin (that's Korean for foreigners), I think waiters all over Korea have given up on trying to get us to order food.

The Jindo Island Sea Parting Festival (not the Red Sea, but it will do)

Back in late April I was able to join the Jindo Island Sea Parting Festival with the WINK travel group (WINK is short for When in Korea; I highly recommend their trips)! If you are living in Korea, visiting Korea, or are passing through and get the chance to go to this festival don't miss it! It was one of the best/ most interesting things I've done in Korea so far. It happened to coincide with Passover which I was unable to properly celebrate (sorry Mom!), but witnessing a real live sea parting has to count for something right?

One word of warning about WINK trips: unless you have a serious knack for sleeping on buses, don't plan to catch up on sleep. Our all night bus from Seoul took a 4:45 AM pit stop at the Wolchusan Cloud Bridge. Sleep deprived and disoriented, the group trekked two kilometers up the rocky mountainside to catch the sunrise. The first 30 minutes of bumbling up the path in the dark felt like a bad Blair Witch Project reenactment but the payoff was worth it. Thankfully my couple weeks of regularly hitting the gym proved useful, I was proud to be one of the first to make it to the bridge! This is definitely the most I've ever accomplished before 6 AM (given that I hadn't already been up all night).

Warning: Not for those afraid of heights!

Conquered.

By 9 AM we were off again to the next destination. Jindo Island is also famous for Jindo dogs, which I see everywhere in Korea, including Yeoju. Between hiking and the festival we stopped a bizarre but adorable Jindo Dog Show. In addition to being cute, loyal, and intelligent, Jindo dogs apparently can also jump through hoops, raise Korean flags, and retrieve beer cans from refrigerators.

By the time we made it to the festival around 1 pm it already felt like we'd had a full day. We boarded a boat and danced our way to the smaller island where the sea would begin to part. The festival celebrates the one weekend a year when the sea levels drop low enough so you can walk between Jindo Island and a smaller island called Modo.

Unfortunately the sea does not dramatically burst apart as much as it trickles to opposite sides of a sand bar (though it's still cool to watch). So we did what any people waiting a few hours for the sea to part would do... we sat and drank some beer. There were performers playing drums and dancing, but I admit it got a little old after the first hour. We also chatted with the soldiers (all Korean men have mandatory military service) who were stationed near the island and participating in the day's events. They were undoubtedly excited to talk to pretty foreign girls.

For a while I was puzzled by how few people there were on the island. I had heard a lot about the festival and assumed it would be a much bigger affair. Finally I squinted and looked across at the main island, where I realized there were indeed hundreds, if not a few thousand, people waiting for the parade to start so they could walk to the smaller island. It turns out WINK had gotten us some exclusive tickets to be on this side of the event!

Being on the smaller island meant we got to be a part of the official parade with the soldiers. Though perhaps this is what the soldiers wanted...to rope some foreigners into helping them carry twenty-foot bamboo flag poles for three slippery kilometers across the sea. The poles were hollow and not very heavy, but I found it a little hard to balance and I spent most of the parade hoping I wouldn't slip on some seaweed and impale an innocent bystander.

We marched toward the main island with thousands of people walking towards us. The path is about 40 to 60 meters across so there was room for all. Many people waded into the water to dig for clams and/or other sea life. The soldier walking behind me handed me a live starfish which I held for a few minutes before tossing it back into the ocean. He seemed a little sad that I discarded his token of affection. Unfortunately I don't know the Korean for "I prefer flowers."

View from the main island.

Since I was in the parade I didn't get many great photos, these certainly don't do the event justice. Luckily Google has my back, if you're planning to go to the event or are interested in seeing more just image search the event! There are tons of great photos online.

The next day we went to another "Cloud Bridge" in Daedunsan. Luckily this time there was a cable car to take us most of the way up. After going across the bridge you could also hike up this staircase:

What I enjoyed more than the stairs was the warning sign before it: "Please do not pass the weak, elderly, and drunken." I'm just going to hope it's a mistranslation. If you are weak, elderly, or drunken, please maybe don't climb these stairs....

...unless you want to fall a couple hundred feet down onto these rocks...

Here's me at the top! (And the long blonde hair I had for about 5 minutes, RIP). Stay tuned for more adventures. It's been quite hot and rainy in Korea the last few weeks but I've been taking the time to explore Yeoju more and have some very very interesting things to share. TTFN!