Program Reviews

I have been in Korea for about 2 months now and so far I am really enjoying my time here. I met a lot of great people at orientation and so far we have gone to Busan and Muuido, been hiking, gone to clubs, seen temples, and so much more. It's really been a great learning experience and an excellent chance to submerge myself into a new culture. I love my students, they are totally sweet and I haven't had many discipline problems. My co-teachers help me out a lot with everything from setting up a bank account and getting a cell phone, to helping me pay my bills online and order furniture. My apartment was kind of dirty and I had little furniture when I first arrived, but after a good cleaning and some minor purchases the place looks and feels like home now. Although I have had a great experience, it is important to note that everyone will be in a different situation. I have heard people venting their frustrations about having difficult co teachers and about having issues with their apartments. This is the honest reality of coming to a new country and I would be setting people up for disappointment if I said things were wonderful all the time or that it isn't a bit lonely now and then. The good news is that after orientation, you meet a lot of great people and you build a strong support system with one another. People always seem willing to help each other and so far I haven't heard of anyone encountering any issues that couldn't be dealt with. If you are adventurous or just wanting to try something new, I highly suggest taking a gamble and coming to Korea. It will change your life.

ive been in South Korea for about 2 months now and would definitely say Im in what they call the honeymoon phase. I love the food, the social scene, the people. I love the convenience of the public transport (Im from South Africa. We have no public transport worth mentioning). I love having the fastest internet in the world and that everything I could want for is easily available (well. Besides biltong).

Most of all, I love my job. Id never taught before arriving in Korea so I was very nervous about whether Id enjoy it or be any good at it. But I felt that EPIK really catered to that during orientation. Their lectures, apart from being a great place to make all my friends in this strange new - massive- city, were also really helpful education-wise. Furthermore, my coteachers have been very understanding of the fact that Im an inexperienced teacher and appreciate it when I work hard to improve.

As for enjoying it... I can have the worst day, struggling to get my students to stop talking and pay attention, and all they have to do is say "Hiiiyeeee, Teacher!" when they see me in the corridors to make my day. Korean kids are indisputably the cutest in the world.

The EPIK program has been both wonderful and professional in helping native English teachers make a transition to Korea. The program itself is well run. This was quite evident during orientation where pick-up services, class training, and activities were fun, engaging, and interesting. After orientation, EPIK was also kind and gracious enough to send us to our respected cities and help us settle in. The school, co-teachers, and teaching environment have exceeded my expectations. Not only are teachers professional, but they also are helpful in making sure native English teachers are adjusting to K orean life. I can honestly it has been three weeks since I have arrived in Korea and I am still enjoying my Korean life and teaching position..

Agents in the ESL world don't have the best reputation, and for the most part for good reason. They connect teachers with jobs and take a cut, whether directly from the teacher or from the school. A lot of agencies also get involved in other shady practices. If you use an agency, you're going to get paid less than if you find a good job on your own. There's no way around this.
So, why use an agency? It's actually very hard to sift the good schools from the bad. Working conditions can get pretty terrible on the bad side of things. If you're applying from your home country, it's virtually impossible to know what you're getting into. If you're already there and you do a great deal of research, you still won't really know until you get there. Reach to teach has been around for a while and they have longstanding relationships with a variety of schools.
As far as Agencies go, Reach to Teach is hands down the most responsible I have come across. They are very straightforward and they put a great deal of effort into finding the right job for each candidate. Reach also offers a strong social network and ongoing support to teachers once they arrive and throughout their year long contract. Whether or not you chose to use an agent or not is really up to you. If you use an agent, I strongly suggest you chose Reach to Teach.

I had a great experience with Reach to Teach. They set me, and my girlfriend us in Taipei. We were set up in different schools, by they were nearby.

All for the better that we went to different schools, as we broke up about 3 weeks after arriving in Taipei. Remember that song, 'It wasn't me,' yea...well...

Reach to teach put me in a quality school, with pay that was better than average for Taipei. Good social events, and I met some great people through those.

Though Reach to Teahc didnt offer much to help me find housing, I would certainly recommend them strongly.

It has been my good fortune to know the founder of Reach to Teach (RTR) for over a decade both as a friend and as a recruiter. The school I work for has had a long and close relationship with this recruiting agency and it has sent many foreign teachers to us. I am actually a little envious of RTR teachers. My first six months in Taiwan was a rocky experience. Comparatively speaking, RTR rolls out the red carpet for it's teachers that leads straight to the school they are going to work for. As a former manager of 12 foreign teachers, they would liaise with us concerning the teachers they had. After a choice was made we were informed of the teacher's arrival date. RTR arranged for a limousine service to take them to their initial accommodation. Sweet! In a number of cases, new foreign teachers stayed at my home initially. Even after they arrived at our school RTR would check in with them to see if everything was alright and if they were settling in properly. Sometimes a representative would accompany a new teacher to our school or simply come by to touch base with their teachers and with management. There was even a situation I recall where someone from RTR came in to mediate on behalf of one of their teachers who had some concerns long after they had started working for us. I have found Reach to Teach to be professional, dependable and trustworthy. Whether you are a school in need of foreign teachers or a teacher looking for a job I can recommend Reach to Teach to you.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Burgon
Senior Foreign Teacher
Kid Castle American Language School
Ing Chuen Branch

I couldn't have been happier with the service provided by Reach to Teach. After having dealt with a number of questionable recruiting agencies while looking for a teaching job from Canada, it was such a relief to connect with Reach to Teach. Once completing a phone interview (where my Grandma said I couldn't come to the phone as I was in the bathroom), Reach to Teach helped to find me a great job.
Their service didn't just end at finding me a job. Upon arriving to the new and exciting, yet extremely overwhelming country of Taiwan, members of the Reach to Teach staff helped me to adjust to my new home and meet new friends. They regurlarly plan really fun social events that give you the opportunity to meet teachers that have been there for years, as well as those that are just arriving. The events also gave the opportunity to experience different activities or parts of the city. It ALWAYS included amazing, local food, and usually some refreshing beverages. I met some of my closest friends through these events. The staff at Reach to Teach were also useful in helping if any questions or issues arose, or if you just wanted someone to chat with.
Since returning to Canada, I have recommended Reach to Teach to any of my friends that show interest in teaching overseas!

Reach to Teach was a perfect fit. I met a great group of fellow teachers from all over the world, worked in a supportive school close to my place and could not of enjoy Taiwan anymore.

Reach to Teach is the first and only recruiting company that assisted in helping me get my teaching position in New Taipei City, Taiwan. I came to Taiwan independently and decided to apply/interview for positions in country. After a week of many teaching positions, unsuccessful interviews and a lot of frustration, I came across RTT's ad looking for teachers to fill positions, and sent my resume immediately. A recruiter got back to me on the same day and I was already impressed with the person I spoke to - with their questions and information. Unlike other recruiting agencies, and after 4 months of being hired, RTT has managed to do their best to be a support and help. I receive monthly emails and invites to social events for the foreign teachers. This is why I rated RTT a good agency to contact for finding a teaching position overseas! Whenever anyone asks me about teaching overseas, I will definitely refer them to check out RTT.

I am satisfied with the school I work at. The things I enjoy about being there are the overall atmosphere and the kids I teach. I incorporate a lot of creativity in my lessons - playing a lot of BINGO, competitive word and sentence games, and use a reward system for good behavior and hard work during the week. The thing that has been challenging for me is to keep up with all the information I have to remember - but I best organize by keeping a schedule/planner I look at daily. As for adapting to Taiwan, the culture and other things, it's a great place to teach and live. I try to keep an open mind and a positive attitude, and I think that's what's helped me get through the challenges and unexpected things that I've encountered.

Reach to Teach got me my first TEFL job ever in Taiwan. At first glance, it almost seemed too good to be true, but it really exceeded my expectations.

After being waitlisted for the JET program, which was an extremely long process, I was very eager to find another way to get to Asia. I applied to RTT, and was surprised by how quickly they got back to me. I had an interview with Mitch within a few days, and got a decision almost immediately. Even though it was already May and I wanted to be there by the end of June, RTT managed to match me with a school and help me get my papers in order so quickly, that I got there before July.

Throughout my time in Taiwan, RTT was a great resource for socializing and getting to know Taipei. They regularly organized weekend activities, and I made some lifelong friends during my time there. Really, I couldn't be more pleased with how much they helped me. Taiwan was a life-changing year for me, and I couldn't have experienced it without RTT. I strongly recommend them if you're considering teaching in Taiwan.