Location
  • South Korea
    • Seoul
Length
52 to 16 weeks
Language
Korean

Program Details

Housing
Apartment Host Family Hostel
Age Min.
16

Pricing

Starting Price
14490
Price Details
Accommodations with a screened local host family and a meal plan are included in the course price. Upgrades to the EF Residence are available. Contact the US Based Admissions Team for a personalized price quote.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Classes Meals Wifi
What's Not Included
Some Activities Airfare Some Meals Transportation Travel Insurance
Oct 31, 2023
Mar 02, 2023
42 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The bright lights and buzzing streets of South Korea's capital city make it a must-see destination and the perfect place to learn a new language. Art, music, and fashion have skyrocketed this city into a trend-setting hotspot of innovation. Learn Korean at our newest school!
Join students from around the world on the ultimate study abroad experience. Achieve fluency, see the world, expand your international network - and launch your global future. Study for 6 months and start in January, April, June, or September.

At EF, you decide when you want to study and what you'd like to focus on. You can personalize your course with Special Interest Classes like Korean Calligraphy, Jaeum and Moeum, Public Speaking, Art & Culture, and Exam Preparation. Internship opportunities ensure you're always adding to your resume during the adventure of a lifetime.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Study for a semester or join a multi language year and study 2+ languages (like Japanese & Korean!)
  • Amazing location in the famous Gangnam district, Seoul's trendiest neighborhood.
  • Top activities include a cruise of the Han River, KPop dance lessons, cooking classes, tour of MBC World, and weekend trips to Jeju Island.
  • Choose to reside with a local host family or in the EF Residence, an international dorm.
  • EF students hail from over 100 countries around the world.

Program Reviews

4.50 Rating
based on 2 reviews
  • 5 rating 50%
  • 4 rating 50%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.5
  • Support 4
  • Fun 4.5
  • Housing 4.5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Default avatar
Lucia
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Ideal

La atención desde el primer momento fue muy buena y la experiencia sin duda fue lo mejor también, he aprendido mucho gracias a ellos durante tan solo 2 semanas sin embargo conseguí mucha fluidez y confianza en cuanto a todas las cosas (hablar, leer, escuchar...) ya que aprender un idioma en el lugar en el que se habla creo que es lo mejor para aprender tanto este como la cultura y todo lo que lo engloba.
No tengas dudas si te lo estás pensando o llevas tiempo posponiendolo, créeme que no te arrepentirás

English:
The attention from the first moment was very good and the experience was undoubtedly the best too, I have learned a lot thanks to them during only 2 weeks, however I became very fluent and confident in all things (speaking, reading, listening. ..) Since learning a language in the place where it is spoken, I think it is the best way to learn both the language and the culture and everything that encompasses it.
Do not have doubts if you are thinking about it or have been postponing it for a long time, believe me you will not regret it

Pros
  • Aprendizaje en el lugar del idioma
  • Vuelo seguro
  • Actividades que se realizan
48 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Franco
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wow

I can't stop milking the fact that I have a moderate amount of ADHD and the teachers were able to captivate my attention without even trying. Everybody at EF is so friendly and fun to be around that I wish I stayed longer than two weeks. Now I'll be a little more organized so you can skip through all the info you don't care about and get straight to what you want to know. This is based on my experience.

HOST FAMILY or EF RESIDENCE?

Host family (is what I chose) is basically like getting adopted and having to live in a new home. It's very cool because you get the full immersion into the Korean culture. My host family didn't speak much English, which I was thankful for, because this meant that I'd have to try harder to learn Korean so I can actually speak to them. We used the Papago (translator) app to speak to each other whenever we couldn't act out what we were trying to say (acting out what you're trying to say is probably like the funniest thing ever. We kept on laughing at each other from our expressions). I had to take the subway every morning to get to class which was about forty minutes so buy a sim card so you can watch Youtube videos and stuff while you're on your way to school. I didn't have a sim card because my network was locked so I just spent the ride listening to music offline and time flew by pretty fast. Transportation is pretty easy in Korea so if you've never gone in a subway before, don't worry. It's very easy and if you miss your stop, it's not the end of the world. One downside to host families is that they probably won't have air conditioning (mine didn't), but they will have fans. I honestly didn't mind the heat, but if you're a wimp, then don't pick host family. The best part about host families is that they feed you so you don't have to waste money on food unlike the residence where you're in charge of feeding yourself. Living in a host family is a plus for your education because you won't have distractions from practicing your homework or classwork. In my opinion, the host family was the best choice for me.

EF residence (what most of my friends chose) is living in a hotel full of other teenagers. You can probably predict how that's going to be. The good things about this is that you're going to have a very fun time messing around in each other's dorms, maybe watch a movie with a couple friends, have a sleep-over or something, whatever you want to do. You're basically taking care of yourself and living like an adult. Now if you live in a host family and want to sleep over at a friend's dorm at the EF residence for a night, you must have your parent(s) email the EF staff saying that it's okay for you to do that. Pretty simple. The residence is also very close to the school (short metro bus ride) and right smack in one of the wealthy areas of Seoul. There's also air conditioning. The only downside to the residence depends on you. If you're someone who'll easily get distracted (like me) and won't be able to reject peer pressure to hang out and etc, then you probably won't learn as much Korean as you would've wanted to. To people like me: if you want to attend EF for more of a fun time, pick the residence. If you want to attend EF for an equalized balance of having the time of your life and being productive while doing it, choose the host family.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU STAY

I stayed for two weeks. Definitely not long enough. I learned a pretty good amount of Korean for that short period of time, but I feel like I could've learned more if I was more responsible and didn't go out so much.

EDUCATION

I took the intensive course. I only had two tests and I thought they were pretty easy in my opinion. The homework is a pretty reasonable amount as some classes won't even give you homework because the teachers know that the best way to learn the language is to practice what you learned in class on your own. If you want to get the most out of this education, you must do beyond the homework you're given. Korean is pretty easy. It's just a matter of how much you practice.

THE STAFF

I love them. Every single one of them. They're the best people bestowed on planet earth. Director Yohan is so friendly and easy to talk to as well as everyone else. I actually commented on most of the teachers and how they're like on EF Seoul's instagram highlights: @efseoul. So if you're curious as to how the teachers are like, go read what I put out.

PREPARING FOR THE TRIP

- If you have a credit card or debit card, tell your bank you'll be making transactions outside of your country.
- Search up Youtube videos on the customs here. There are manners you need to learn so you won't end up being rude.
- Learn the Korean alphabet. This is easy. There are lots of apps for this. I used Memrise (it's free, but you have to pay for the full version. However, you can learn the whole alphabet and more with just the free version).
- Practice reading Korean even if you don't know what it means. The faster you are at reading the characters, the easier classes will be for you.
- If you want to go to 1Million Dance Studio, search up how to do it PRIOR to going there and how much it will cost aside from other expenses. Also, ask a bunch of people that have gone there already (your fellow classmates that have been at EF already should know). Don't ask one person. Ask several. Remember that people's experiences are different so it's best to get it from many people. Which is why I encourage you to read another review after this one.

I am 100% sure about what I've said and I'm also 100% sure that I missed some crucial things so if you want some clarification, or have a question, or think I'm cute, my instagram is @franco.afs and I'll be happy to answer whatever you need to know lol.

Thanks for reading this long review and I hope you'll consider going to EF Seoul. It's a wonderful experience and it's worth every cent.

If you end up going because of this review, tell Director Yohan so I can get him to hire me. I'm broke.

What would you improve about this program?
Nothing. They did a perfect job creating this program.
85 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Lisa! Absolutely, our program is open to students of all ages. We have a range of different course lengths including a semester or a year. You can choose to stay with a screened local host family or in our residence, like a dorm. I would suggest setting up a Study Abroad Consultation with our team to learn more. You can grab an appointment at https://calendly.com/livethelanguage/consultation

Hi Kerwin! EF offers 2 program options: -EF Language Year Abroad which is a semester or year and has start dates in January, April, June, and September -EF Languages Abroad which is a flexible length program that starts every Monday! We can absolutely create a August-December course for you. Feel free to email us at ILS@ef.com and we will connect you with a study abroad advisor. Thanks for your...

Hi Laura! Our program is open to students of all ages and school stages. We have many students who are recent high school grads! If you have any more question, feel free to get in touch at ILS@ef.com!

Hello! EF offer language courses abroad for students of all ages, including high schoolers. This program is not a replacement for a year of high school and students attend our international language school in Seoul. Keep in mind that to attend a Korean high school you must be fluent. Our program is a great way to live in Seoul, learn the language, and launch your international future. You can join...