Program Reviews

So glad to have done this! (No really! you should probably do this!)

The school I'm working at is a great fit for me in several ways: friends, freedom, I'm a social person and really appreciate that I was placed at a school with over a dozen foreign teachers, most of whom were brand new like myself and thus looking to get out and explore the area together. The support staff and Korean co-teachers are helpful and considerate. My supervisor calls my cell phone company to get answers to my questions and came with me to an electronics store when I was in want of a solution to my poor internet connection problem. I have a lot of freedom and autonomy as far as how I run my classes and design my lesson plans. More structure and forewarning would be great though. I wish I'd brought more functional work attire as opposed to business-casual wear. I serve my students lunch, do arts and crafts projects and get sneezed on. Besides, the school's dress code in practice is that you look presentable, not like you're running a board meeting for a major company or something.

On the whole my students are rambunctious and not well behaved. I'm hoping I will find a way to promote positive change in the months to come. There was a training day, rather an orientation at the school's main branch, which was nice however a training day about the particulars of our branch would have been much more effective. As far as supplies there's plenty of everything, if you ask for it. If they've run out, they'll order more and you'll get it in a week or two. Overall I'm enjoying teaching. I'm also enjoying the experience of working and living in South Korea: people are friendly, the food is fantastic, and each day holds something new- be it stumbling upon an evening open air market within my neighborhood for the first time, venturing into a jimjilbang (spa/sauna), or relaxing in a cat cafe. And Ah! So many different cafes here, all with a different ambiance and variety of coffee options. I do wish I'd been told that the cost of living here is not much different than it is at home. In fact some things are more expensive: a latte is about $5.00 and a gym membership is about $100.00 a month. Groceries on the whole are inexpensive, apart form foreign imports of course.

I needn't have worried about finding cosmetics or shampoo seeing as they have a plethora of such products at Homeplus or Emart or if you're desperate there's Costco. OH! AND they have Forever21 here! That was a pleasant surprise.

This program is likely going to have an effect on my professional goals. It's giving me a better idea of what sort of teacher I am capable of being and if teaching will be the career for me.

Adventure Teaching was helpful and supportive through out the process of finding a position for me and guiding me through all that goes into having gotten me here. I appreciate that I was pushed to do the interview even though I was sure kindergarten would not be for me. Actually, kindergarten is still not for me. However, the working environment, my coworkers and the location balance it out.

Thanks Adventure Teaching!

The last year has been an extremely memorable year teaching English in South Korea with Adventure Teaching. I'll try to be honest in explaining a couple of the real successes and struggles that I've experienced.
While you are still in your home country, Adventure Teaching really helps the school application/getting a visa process to go smoothly. They are really friendly people with ample experience with Korean school. There is plenty of support and advice by email and phone to coach you through each step of a rather complicated process. Also you should definitely use The Arrival Store, especially for a phone, because it will be ready when you arrive and this makes it a lot easier to start maintaining contacts, and meeting up with anyone you know in Korea. I actually really found my smart phone useful for navigation by bus, subway, walking, everything.
Also AT will give you different options for schools, and so you can choose between a couple different schools after you have done your interviews. In my case, I was ready to choose after two interviews, but in retrospect I wish I would have been more patient in waiting for a really unique offer.
At the end of the day, AT will assist you with each step, and give you advice and tips when you need them, but you have to be prepared for living in a different culture and working in a different culture. The hagwon (private academy system) in Korea is really competitive and demanding so don't expect to be on a year long holiday. I imagined that my previous experience and training as an English teacher would make this job easy, but it was very challenging and Korean bosses are tough. So all I'm saying is be deferential and agreeable and cheerful with your boss if you want to succeed. I learned the hard way. The Korean education system is different and its based on 1000's of years of history and culture. You are not going to walk in and be the exception (unless your academy is very unique). But maybe if you prove that you are willing to follow directions cheerfully first, and you learn to frame your suggestions or criticisms as questions, you can make some improvements.
Anyways, I could go on, but every teacher will have their own unique experience. Adventure Teaching will do everything they can to help you, but at the end of the day, make sure you take your teaching responsibilities seriously, get to know all your co-workers, and there will still be time to experience Korea as well.

The staff is helpful with all info pertaining to teaching in Korea - everything from preparing for your year to Visa applications to culture shock once you arrive. AT's website is very helpful and easy to navigate, as well.

I came to Korea straight after university. For many universities, the job hunt is an exhausting and anxiety ridden task, and the fear of the unknown that Korea could hold amplifies that anxiety. The process is very lengthy and takes many months. However, Adventure Teaching has eased my anxiety as they helped me get situated with a job in Korea. I went through interview after interview, and felt hopeless. However, Adventure Teaching kept assuring me that if I was willing to keep moving forward, I would find a job. And find a job I did. I now work at a hagwon that has an unbelievably high salary for an inexperienced TOEFL teacher. We have all Googled horror stories about peoples times in Korea, but me and all my friends who went through Adventure Teacher have never experienced anything horrifying while we have been here. After coming to Korea, I noticed that the schools that I interviewed with via Adventure Teaching were among the top-rated hagwons in Korea.

Initially, I never imagined myself traveling through South Korea, let alone teaching and living here. However, while I was looking into teaching abroad, I found AdventureTeaching to be the most comprehensive, organized, and legitimate organization to go through in finding a job overseas, which is why I chose to apply for a job through them, and I sure am glad I did! In fact, I love it here so much, have felt so welcomed, met the most generous people, and made relationships that will last a lifetime, which all have influenced me in actually deciding to return for another year.

After having been placed in South Korea through AT, teaching at a Hagwon for 6 months, and learning more about the culture and the experiences of other teachers over here, I can whole-heartedly say that AT is a very supportive recruitinng agency that has had my trust since the very beginning and continues to do so. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in working abroad.

They were professional, answered all my inquiries immediately, spelled out the visa/application process entirely step-by-step making it very easy to follow and and be placed in a school right away. (I have met many teachers over here who had a lot of difficulty understanding how to apply for a visa and the lack of support and communication with their recruiters resulted in their arrival being delayed).

I also was well prepared before arriving through the informational e-mails they send out. These included being informed on what to pack, what to expect upon arrival, cultural customs and manners to observe and respect within the country, key Korean phrases to learn, and how to handle home-sickness, among much more valuable advice. Plus their website is loaded with lots of useul and helpful information and reviews.

Even while I've been teaching here, they have offered to assist in communicating with my directors regarding payment issues. Although I opted to just handle it on my own, I am pleased to know that AT still has my back.

I definitely encourage you to get a temporary/rental phone from the ArrivalStore.com - It is one thing I wish I would have gotten, looking back. They are an affordable way to stay connected and meet up with co-workers and new friends until you get the real deal, which can take a while, depending on when you are able to get a bank account and an Alien Resident Card. I went over two months without a phone, and it was very challenging.

Another piece of advice I can provide, is to recognize that it is alright to pass on the first offer that comes along if it is not a position that matches your desires. I was not picky in where I was placed or what type of school I would teach in, but after reviewing other contracts since arriving in Korea, I have realized there were other opportunities that aligned betterh with my interests than the school I signed on with.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend AdventureTeaching to others, and with the experiences I've had, if I could go back to when I was first applying to teach abroad, I would still choose AdventureTeaching to guide me through the process!

Your experience is ultimately what you make of it, but it never hurts to have Adventure Teaching there to help you along the way.

Adventure Teaching made the entire process of working in Korea a breeze. They laid out the steps for me to begin the process in a clear, precise way.

Once I arrived, everything went just as they described it. If I encountered something I was not expecting they were merely a quick phone call away.

I feel comfortable recommending the Adventure Teaching service to anyone looking to teach in Korea - especially to all of those coming to work in Korea for the first time.

Having had a great experience studying abroad while in university, I came to Korea in search of similar experiences. Teaching English in Korea has some similarities and major differences to studying abroad.

Broadly speaking, Korea offers many new experiences and opportunities for personal growth. In this way, it is very similar to studying abroad. Some highlights include learning a new language, learning new eating and drinking customs and generally learning about where and how you fit into the world.

During my time living in Korea, I learned a lot about what kinds of things I value as a person and what makes my culture different from others. My favorite experiences in Korea were hiking all the beautiful mountains, visiting lesser known towns and villages on the coast and in the mountains, and learning all about Korean cuisine, including how to cook many dishes.

One thing that makes teaching English in Korea so much different from studying abroad is that you are here to work. It's easy to forget that you will still be working 40 hour weeks when you think about the opportunity to live in such a different culture. Though the job isn't terribly stressful, it can take some patience and getting used to the Korean work environment. For example, when you need something done, you might feel that things are moving along very slowly. It took my school about 3 months to reimburse me for my flight money. You may also feel that your Korean coworkers will throw things on you last minute.

In America, where I am from, we learn to be direct and open with our thoughts and opinions. In Korea, it is more important to respect those superior to you in position. Sometimes this means staying quiet when you really want to speak your mind. It is important to be patients and remember that you are in another culture.

Overall, this has been a great experience for me. If you are thinking about doing it, I do not think you will regret it. If you are unsure about starting a career back home, come to Korea for a stable, fairly stress-free job where you can enjoy a new culture. Every time you finish your day or week's work, you have a rich culture to explore right at your fingertips.

This being my second contract in Korea I decided to go with a recruiter. I was previously working in a school I didn't enjoy nearly as much in a pretty dull area on the outskirts of Seoul.

I gave adventure teaching what I wanted and they were able to set me up with a job I really enjoy in a very timely fashion.

The service worked great for me. It was easy and I felt that they were on hand throughout the entire process, which made me feel a lot safer with trusting them with the next few years of my life.

Adventure Teaching made my life so much easier. They helped me through the entire process of becoming a teacher in Korea. Not only did they help me with the process, they also helped my to prepare myself emotionally for the journey. I would never have made it to Korea without the help of AT. They helped find a good position that I love. They have our best interest and want to make sure we are comfortable. Thank you for all your help.
Kayla
Gunpo, Korea

Not only was Adventure Teaching supportive and helpful through (what can be) the confusing and bureaucratic system of international visas, they helped my sister and I get placed together in the same school! Most importantly they helped us make a quick fix when we missed our flight in the middle of the night. I would have lost my head ten times over if Adventure Teaching wasn't there every step of the way to make finding and securing a job in Korea so easy and pragmatic