Program Reviews

Deciding to come to South Korea was a major decision in my life. Without the help of my recruiter-Reach To Teach, moving overseas would not have been possible.

It takes a special person to leave everything you've ever known, and move across the world, especially when there is a huge language barrier. I chose Reach To Teach, because I feel that they are the most reliable, honest and qualified recruiting company. Their website is not difficult and it explains exactly what you need to know. I enjoyed the pictures they have of past and current teachers. RTT holds monthly events with their staff and teachers, which provides a way for everyone to feel at home. I really enjoyed the blogs of other teachers. I was able to read about people teaching in Korea, Taiwan and China. I had an interview with a former teacher who gave me some great insight. I also like that the people who work for RTT are all former teachers with great advice and experience. The head recruiter 'John Kellenberger' is top notch. I've talked with many people who had issues with their recruiter. He works for you and that is something that should be commended. There was not a time when John did not contact me when I asked. He also sends e-mails just to see how things are going. In my opinion, he was more than just a recruiter helping me get to Korea; he is a friend. I felt as if we were buddies. With a transition this big in your life, that is something that everyone needs.

In Korea, or any Asian country, your life is unpredictable. I think this is what is so exciting here. On a typical day, I work 8:30AM-4:30PM. I usually go home for about 2 hours, and then I head downtown to meet friends for dinner and drinks. We usually stay out and socialize for a few hours and we are back home by 10:00-11:00PM depending. The weekends are packed with eating, drinking and travel. Korea is a social culture and it allows you just relax and smell the roses as they say.

The biggest challenge is the language barrier. They speak Korean, you speak English. For the most part, it is easy to get around town with speaking much Korean. However, when you go to a restaurant and the ENTIRE menu is in Korea and there may or may not be a picture. We simply just point and hope for the best! Another challenge is teaching low-level students. You ask a question and they just stare at you. Motivating students is a challenge as well.

The best thing here for starters is the cost of living. It is very cheap! A 2 Liter bottle of water cost 800 won, which is equal to about $.75 is America. There is hardly any crime! You can just walk around freely at night, and be perfectly fine! Children as young as 5-6 are walking to school alone.

Overall, I highly recommend moving overseas, especially South Korea! It's a decision that you won't regret! There are so many people here with a different perspective on life and it is so enriching!

The staff of RTT is really awesome. They are always an email or phonecall away to answer even the most trivial of questions. Although I didn't like the fact that we did not know WHERE we were being placed (which is EPIK's decision, NOT RTT's), RTT did it's best to ensure us and keep us confident throughout.

The only reason I gave the safety review a six is because of the lack of traffic enforcement laws in South Korea. I honestly feel like I am playing roulette with my life every time I get on a bicycle or attempt to use a crosswalk. Remember the game FROGGER on Atari... probably not; I feel like the frog.

As far as day-to-day life in Korea, it is great. I was blessed with an amazing placement, a great school, awesome co-teachers (7 of them), and a good place to live. I was placed in Sangju; a bit rural, but perfect for me. I am huge into supporting the local economy, so I buy all of my fruits and vegetables at the marvelous farmers market held every five days; only five minutes from my house.

The transit system (train and bus) was fairly easy to figure out, but we did have the help of some other great EPIK veterans.

The most suprising thing so far has been the incredible community of foreigners (waygooks) in Sangju. When I originally started reading reviews and what not while applying through Reach to Teach (amazing recruiting agency. Attention: John Kellenberger ( ; ) I thought maybe there would be 5 to 10 other foreign teachers in the city I would be placed in. I was wrong. Try at least thirty. Great support group. We have set up our own Sangju facebook page which is an amazing resource. It is an invaluable resource for everything from how to understand the washing machine controls to just getting a group dinner together or answering questions about schools or lesson planning.

I have only been in Korea for about two and a half months, but must say it was a great decision. None of this would have been possible without the thorough guidance of Reach to Teach. I have already recommended them to others on blogs who are thinking about teaching English overseas, and will continue to do so.

Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or needs.
Thank you again for your guidance Reach to Teach and Mr. John Kellenberger. Have a great dye.

Jesse cox
2jessecox@gmail.com

The first couple of days in Korea were, admittedly, stressful and confusing, but I imagine that's how it would be for any country a foreigner moved to. It has been a few months now, and I can say with complete honesty that I am happy and having fun. Teaching can be hard, and it does take a significant amount of energy to keep up with the kids, but it is absolutely the most rewarding job I've ever had (this coming from someone who is used to 9-5 salaried jobs). So, while the weeks can be challenging, they fly by.
The hardest part of my experience so far was the Visa process. My recruiter warned me that it might be a "get your Visa one day and get on the plane the next" sort of deal, and I didn't believe him. He was right, though, and actually I had to get my Visa the same day as my flight to Korea! I was confused and frustrated at why the process was so last minute and mysterious, but every teacher who I have met in Korea has had a similar experience. It's not the recruiter, it's just the way the country does things. Regardless, I am happy to be here and wouldn't trade this experience for anything. Plus, my co-teachers (both foreign and Korean) are simply amazing and I love coming to work every day with them.
Also, I am a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian in Korea is like moving to Nashville because you hate country music. There is meat in everything. So, I do a lot of cooking at home. It can be hard at times but being a vegetarian is definitely doable, and I am happy and healthy.
Another note, I am a work-out fanatic, and it was hard for me to find a gym. When I finally did join a gym, I was surprised at the, err, differences in gym quality. Yes, there are treadmills and yes there are bikes and weights, but they are very, very old. A Korean friend told me that working out in gyms is not as big of a deal in Korea as it is in the USA or the UK. I'm grateful to have found a gym at all, even if it isn't the same as back home.

Come to Korea! It will change your life!!

While placements and work experiences vary from individual to individual, I can say that I personally could not be happier with how my situation turned out here in Korea. I have a nice apartment, friendly co-teachers and Korean co-workers, and have found a great group of friends here. Reach to Teach does a great job of preparing their recruits for coming to Korea, as well as keeping in contact with them should they need any sort of assistance. I have no complaints about the organization, nor do I have any complaints about the position I obtained through applying with them.

I found Reach to Teach to be a very professional and honest company staffed with people who really did care about their teachers and their experiences. At the time, most of their focus was on Taiwan, so their information on their website about Korea was very light, but I'm glad to see that has changed over the last couple of years. Likewise, there weren't as many get-togethers, but I didn't mind. Reach to Teach was able to set things up so nicely that it gave me the confidence to branch out and enjoy my Korean experience on my own. What I really loved was that before I came to Korea, I felt like I could really talk to my recruiter if I needed anything. I had a tragedy in my family shortly before I was to leave the United States, and I requested to delay my departure. My recruiter was so understanding, and let me have a couple of months to settle things. "Your job is waiting for you," he said. "Let us know when you are ready." I knew I was involved with truly good people when I got involved with Reach to Teach, and they seem to be growing, which is always a good thing!

Reach to Teach was very professional and gave me a very good idea of what to expect in Taiwan. They had a thorough interview process and even helped me develop a demo for the interview process at the new school. When I had a problem with my contract they were their to help me immediately. Life in Taipei is amazing and offers tons of opportunities to learn Chinese/Taiwanese culture (martial arts, meditation, qi gong, tea ect) but also has a pretty good social scene. Unfortunately, my first year I was stationed in Taoyuan which a smaller but still busy and polluted city outside of Taipei, which didn't offer much in terms social life or groups suitable for foreigners to learn Chinese culture.

My experience in China has been unforgettable. There were times throughout my time here that I wanted to pack my bags and run back home. Then one of my students would speak a perfect sentence to me in English and the world became right again.

What can I say about China. The food was delicious and sometimes questionable. All in all, every bite was an experience waiting to happen. I remember once a month taking a trip to the bank and how a 20 minute transaction always ran for an hour and a half.

Walking out of my apartment, I can hear my neighbor gasping at the sight of me, hauling in a long breath and letting out a piercing scream...after the second time, it wasn't funny anymore. However, she taught me to be aware that I was different, an as an African-American, whenever I stepped out of my apartment, I was a lesson to be learned for some people.

I enjoyed my time here immensely. I made life-long friends and will leave with the satisfaction that I had somehow touched someone's life clear across this vast world.

In the past I never thought of myself as a particularly adventurous spirit, and the thought of moving to another country seemed unfathomably huge. But somehow I got the bug to teach English in Korea, and working with Reach to Teach I always felt like I was well cared for. Everyone there has been or is currently a teacher in a foreign country, and not only do they know what you're going through, but I just had the feeling all along that they really care, and I felt informed and supported and reassured about all my concerns. And complicated paperwork is usually completely overwhelming for me, but they laid out the process and patiently worked with me step by step till it was all done. I just wish they would help me with my taxes. When my friends back home find out that somebody they know is interested in teaching overseas, they pass on my email address, and I consistently recommend Reach to Teach Recruiting because of my 100% positive experience with them.

I used R2T to secure a job in Taiwan. Since I wasn't living in Taipei, I didn't participate in most of the organized activities for teachers. However, I was always invited and when I did go I met lots of great people. R2T was really supportive during my transition to teaching and helpful when I needed something. The job that they helped me get was an honest, fine job. Not the very best possible, but safe, honest and more than just ok. I would definitely recommend using R2T to a friend who wasn't too confident about going without a recruiter.