TaLK - Internships in South Korea!

The work was fulfilling, being able to help children learn English, while doing it in a fun way. Help is available when you need it, and as long as you put an effort, in school and out, you'll have a great experience.

I loved being part of this program. First of all, they provided a whole month of training, cultural experiences/introduction to Korea, Korean classes based on your level, and time to connect with a great group of friends who from all around the world and who are placed all throughout the country. The awesome thing about that was that when you visit different regions of Korea, you almost always have a place to stay, or someone to meet you there to stay with at a jjimjilbang (best alternative)! Plus, now that I've been out of the program for 2 years, I have friends all over the US and the world, and much more reason to visit those places!

Everyone's experience was different, so I'll just list my experience. I lived in a homestay with the family of one of my students. This was a great way to be involved in the community, to learn Korean and experience the culture on a day-to-day basis, and because I loved coming home to them every day. Also, I saved a ton of money this way since I didn't have to worry about electricity, heating, internet, or other living costs. I was able to take a large chunk of money home after my year! Some of the drawbacks were that I had a fairly small space of my own, I like I should come home at a decent hour (which is sometimes hard on the weekends, so then I just stayed at a jjimjilbang), and because of my limited Korean, we couldn't always communicate everything we wanted to each other. Still, I wouldn't have changed my experience living with them.

I lived in a ship building town in Jeollanamdo near Mokpo. It was a small town packed with people in high-rise apartments. My class sizes were about 30 per class and I only saw each class once per week. Also, I only saw 4th-5th grades. Most other people in the program had smaller school sizes, taught all grade levels, and saw their classes every day. Like I said earlier, every experience is different. Sometimes I wish that I had that small-school-experience, but I enjoyed where I was. It wasn't always easy to communicate with the staff and teachers of the school since I was not fluent in Korean. It was helpful that I had college students "Korean scholars", who were able to communicate in both languages, come and help with behavior management and getting messages across to the other teachers and staff. These Korean scholars were awesome, and became some of my closest friends!

I would say that the pay is pretty good for the work that we do. We basically work 15 hours per week aside from lesson planning and material preparation. Some programs pay more, but those jobs are full-time. If you are looking specifically to make money, then maybe this isn't the program for you, but if you are looking to experience Korea, gain a great community, and have an enjoyable time teaching, and then I would suggest that you consider TaLK! : )

Nowhere else will you find this good of a program, with these ample benefits, in this awesome of a country. Everything is paid for, if you're considering TaLK, you'd be insane to turn it down. ^^

This program was fantastic! It was my first time living in a foreign country and TaLK really made it easy to adjust to the culture change with their in-depth orientation which thoroughly prepares you for your adventures ahead. I spent 12 months teaching and I liked living in Korea so much that i am returning next month.

The program is great... IF you get a school that is co-operative. Since there are over 300 participants chances are you or an acquaintance will be at "THAT" school. But since nothing is perfect and chances are that at least once in your life you'll hate your job. Why not ease your suffering by being in a new country, experiencing new things, hopefully learning and trying to do something meaningful by giving rural area children a chance to be exposed to native English/differing cultures.

i simply loved it. referred my friends and they are having their time of their lives! i met some life long friends and still keep in touch in southern California! get way to network, learn the language and culture, amazing culture trips, taught some wonderful kids, and had a blast!

I'm a second generation TaLK scholar (that's Jan 2009 - Feb 2010 for those of you playing at home), and I guess it speaks volumes about the experience I had that it's now almost the end of 2011 and I'm still here in Korea. The monthly stipend provided is more than enough to cover your needs- with the cost of living in Korea, you will want for nothing. In addition to the excellent work experience gained from the program, the TaLK office often organizes cultural excursions such as weekend stays in working temples, cooking classes and boat cruises along the Han River, all at no cost to you. The wonderful staff of the TaLK program are quick to provide any assistance they can and as such any difficulties encountered are quick to be overcome.

Possibly the best part of the entire program is not just the experience, or the opportunity to learn a foreign language but the friends for life that you will make with people from all over the world. I would not hesitate for a second to recommend this program to anyone who cares to listen. You will absolutely not regret it.

I am a 6th generation TaLK Scholar and even though I initially came over on a 6-mo contract I decided to stay an additional 6 months because I enjoy teaching, and I enjoy being able to learn about different cultures (coming from someone who has been to 12 other countries besides Korea).
While the pay rates are less than what an EPIK teacher would normally receive, as an internship it pays well, and usually you are given some extra time to explore Korea--more than what would be allotted to an EPIK teacher. And the pay is more than substantial for living inside of Korea and saving some money for going back home if you spend sensibly.
The 4-week long orientation, while long, is very helpful for giving you time to adapt to the different climate in Korea as well as the food if you're not used to eating it. It also gives you time to bond with the other members of the programme and set up a support system where you can learn to be independent and dependent on each other when you really need help or just need someone to console you. Remember you are not the only one away from home--you're all in it together even if your individual experiences are different.
This programme definitely is for a good cause. You (the participant) are helping the next generation of children to have a chance at a better future by helping them to become bilingual (or even multilingual) and exposing them to life outside of their usual comfort zone and at the same time you are earning about them and the way they live in Korea.