Teach English in South Korea

As long as you meet the eligibility requirements (see our program pages for these), CIEE has a high acceptance rate. We want to help as many people teach abroad as possible!

Public school positions are competitive, and the EPIK program’s acceptance rate changes from season to season based on their needs, so it’s hard to predict. For private schools, it’s easier to get a job, and we have a strong track record of successful placement outcomes.

Yes! If you haven’t graduated yet (or haven’t received your degree), please submit a letter from either your Academic Advisor or Registrar to confirm your anticipated graduation date and degree type. You can upload this to your Educational Documents section in place of your diploma and transcripts. You should also check with your university to see when you will receive the actual diploma, since you’ll need this eventually for the visa.

If you choose public schools, CIEE will give you guidance, tips, and reminders to help you prepare visa documents and make your application for EPIK as strong as it can be. If you pass EPIK’s video interview, you’ll mail them your visa documents. Once those are received, EPIK will assign you to a specific province or metro area. EPIK candidates don’t have much influence over where they get placed.

If you apply to private schools, you will discuss your preferences with our in-country team, who will then arrange video interviews with potential employers. Before the interview, you’ll get a summary of the position and the location. If you get a job offer that’s not to your liking, you can let us know and we will work to find a different opportunity that feels like a better fit.

Wherever you are placed, expect to have the role of a full-time, lead English teacher. Working hours will vary slightly from school to school, but a typical assignment for public schools is 20-25 classroom hours per week, with the rest of your schedule available for planning. The typical workload in a private school is 30-34 classroom hours per week, plus other duties like greeting students, lunch supervision, staff meetings, and special events.

In the beginning, as you are still getting comfortable with the curriculum and the students’ levels, you will spend more hours planning lessons outside of working hours. You’ll get faster as you go!

At a public school you will often have a Korean co-teacher to help with classroom management, as those classes are usually around 30 students. Private schools have smaller classes, usually around 5-12 students, but no co-teacher.

In addition to the monthly salary, all public and private schools will arrange safe, comfortable housing for teachers, rent-free! It is generally a studio or a one-bedroom apartment with a simple kitchen and basic furnishings.