Canadian Connection - English Teaching Jobs in Korea

After finishing University, I wanted to take a year to work overseas before jumping into the
mundane career world in my native Country. I wanted to travel and experience living in another country, absorbing as much of the culture as I could. I chose to get my TEFL certificate through ITTT for it was cost efficient, I could work at my own pace, and the program had great reviews so I knew it was something I could trust.
After completion of the TEFL course I chose to apply to Canadian Connection, a program that sets you up with housing and an overseas school to work at, while guiding you every step of the way. Canadian connection also provided a 'get to know you' session and taught the basics of Korean culture before living there. Once in South Korea I had a 1 week training session with fellow certified teachers from all over the globe.
I was placed at a school about 1 hour outside of Seoul (Gyeyang, Incheon) and from there began to put my TEFL training into practice.
Living and working in South Korea was an experience of a life time! Although challenging in the beginning, once I allowed myself to get comfortable and fully embraced the culture and way of living in a foreign Country I truly began to enjoy myself and take in all South Korea had to offer. I met many foreign teachers life myself (called, waygooks) at the orientation the first week in Korea and we bonded instantly, I spent a good amount of time exploring Korea and South East Asian Countries with many of these people. Travelling is something we all had in common, and a great contributor to why we chose to work in a foreign Country in the first place.
Korea has an extensive history, amazing food, 24/7 night life, endless noreabang rooms (karaoke), the biggest christian church in the world (a must go to), numerous mountains for hiking, a plethora of beaches, weekly festivals in different towns, an amazing subway transportation system that will get you anywhere you need to go within an hour and did I mention how kind the people were?
It is safe, very clean (Korean people are meticulous with clean streets), and very welcoming to English speaking people!
Choosing only to stay a year was not an easy decision, it is very easy to be swept away by Korean culture, and I have many friends who stayed for 2 + years teaching ESL. I went over with a few goals; teach, learn as much as I could about the culture, make life-long friends, travel as much as I could (in and out of Korea), eat as much Korean food as I could (you won't get anything like it when you move back home) and ultimately grow as an individual. I was able to check off all these things on my list plus some! My time working and living overseas in Korea allowed to me gain a new understanding and confidence of where I wanted to go later in life and new things I wanted to achieve. Korea challenged me to be more independent, allowed me to tap into my adventurous and extroverted side and opened my eyes to the world of traveling and experiencing new and exciting cultures.
Living and teaching ESL overseas, if only for 1 year can deepen ones understanding of how others live as well as gives a new admiration of how unique and special each Country is.
I highly recommend teaching ESL and living overseas, it is an experience that is unforgettable!

Hello,

I would like to share my experience with Canadian Connection. I applied with C.C. but I didn't arrive in Korea through the agency. The initial communication with the agency was quick and helpful. I sent my application (plus documents) and just needed to wait to hear back about the teaching position. However, I didn't hear back even a month before the departure. I wrote several emails, made phone calls, and left messages with the secretary (not sure if she's still there - very sweet lady). I did find out that I wasn't selected for the Jeolla position. The coordinator mentioned a different program to apply to. So, I applied again with C.C. for the EPIK program. The communication and results were the same as before.

Sidenote: When I applied through the agency, EPIK requested that all questions be sent to the agency instead of them.

I decided to apply to the teaching program in Korea directly without an agency. The application process, email responses, interview, and position update, took less than a month.

Yes, I know C.C. needed time to send the documents to the program. I just wish the the agency could have been more prompted/transparent with my updates... even if I wasn't selected from the beginning.

C.C. was very helpful with the organization of the application. Their booklet of how to apply was well put together and easy to follow. However, if you have all of your materials then applying directly to the teaching program might be a quicker option.

All the best!
Fighting 화이팅!

I only applied with Canadian Connection so I can't make any comparisons between companies, but they were great during the application process. They emailed me promptly, set up interviews within the times that were given to me, and organized all my documents and sent them to Korea. There is no way I would have survived that documentation experience on my own. I had a little bit of a surprise when I applied to Seoul and ended up in Gangwon-do province (which apparently is pretty common, seeing as all my friends applied to other places, too). BUT, I think it's a blessing in disguise that I was placed here because, although I'm in the middle of nowhere (LITERALLY), I live in a building with two other foreigners, my school is amazing, my co teacher is EPIC and the students are brilliant and adorable. My apartment looks onto the mountain and fields and if I want, I could be in Seoul within 2 hours of a bus ride. Overall, the experience has been wonderful and I would highly recommend Canadian Connection to start off this amazing journey.

I used Canadian Connection when I applied for the EPIK program almost 4 years ago. They were very helpful and helped me navigate the application process with ease. I didn't feel so stressed once I was accepted either because they told me everything I needed. I'd use them again if I go back overseas.

Company seemed great at first. Responded promptly to emails and so on. Had the screening interview and I was told I had scored really well and that I would be sent a lost of schools with Jobs matching my criteria in maximum 4 days. It's been over 2 months now. I sent them an email when I had an apostil on my criminal check about a week after my interview. .. no reply. After two months of nothing I sent another email asking if they were still assisting me at all. No reply (as expected). I would not recommend this company. Gp with adventure teaching instead who have been a million times better.

I am a qualified English teacher, who is currently completing my 4th and final year. Canadian Connection caters to jobs in Jeollanamdo, which is in the far south of South Korea. Jeollanamdo is known for its friendly people and its beautiful scenery. It is very clean, very safe and it is relatively cheap to live here, as compared to North America.

Your will be responsible for assisting Korean English teachers with the curriculum. It is definitely not necessary to be a 'qualified teacher.' In fact, many of the best ESL teachers are not; they are, however innovative, passionate and creative! You are not responsible for marking or report cards. Your soul responsibility is 'conversational English' and getting the students more comfortable with the language via games, activities, worksheets, role-plays, etc.

I HIGHLY recommend living and working in South Korea and I HIGHLY recommend Canadian Connection! It is a great recruitment company that offers its teachers a lot of support and educational workshops.

I would highly recommend Canadian Connection as a recruiting agency to go to Korea. They have been in the business for years so they know the ins and outs of legal paperwork, culture and have the experience to back it up! They are incredibly professional, willing to offer advice and treat each person like an individual. Every step of the process, they updated me, gave me advice and helped me make sure that every detail was taken care of. They helped me figure out what city to go to, gave me a guide to life in Korea and even booked my plane ticket. Plus, they were there to meet me at the airport when I arrived in Incheon. I am so happy that I worked with them, because I was truly prepared to come to Korea. I couldn't have asked for a better experience, and have been living happily in Korea for over 19 months now! I have recommended and will continue to recommend Canadian Connection to anyone interested in teaching in Korea!

From the very beginning (at the start of my application and interview process) Canadian Connection was always there to bridge my way between South Korea and Canada. The staff of Canadian Connection were well organized and easily approachable. They provided me with personal guidance along the way and always kept me promptly informed. Upon arriving in Korea, a staff member picked me up and drove me to the orientation.
I have now been working in South Korea for nearly 2 years and even during these times, Canadian Connection will from time to time check in via email.
Before the board of education changed the rules, Canadian Connection was the dominant recruiter for foreign teachers. I can see why and they really held up their reputation.

I've already told many friends about Canadian Connection. Amazing program, nice staff, great benefits! I am never bored. I have enough left over at the end of the month to travel and to send money home. I am going to renew my contract on if I can go through this program.

I have had previous experience of Korea, teaching in private schools, but this year was my first year teaching in a public school and I wasn't disappointed. Any worries I had about making new friends were quickly dispelled as the orientation period quickly got underway upon arrival. All of the teachers introduced themselves and after two weeks of training and advice, before our teaching posts actually started, strong bonds and friendships were already forged. During the orientation period there was a gradual introduction towards the food, culture and traditions of Korea. I already found the food delicious, and was used to some of the cultural differences that can be experienced, but it was fun to see the newbies reactions to all that was going on. Generally, this was one of the great strengths of the program, immediately you could form a network of friends, some new to Korea and some with prior experience and everyone helped each other. The staff in Canada and Korea are very helpful, and they did as much as they could to make us all feel right at home, and avoid any major culture shocks, which is all too possible in a land very different from our own.

I had suggested to Canadian Connection that I would be a bit more comfortable with older students and they duly obliged by setting me up in an all boys high school. Let me make at least one thing perfectly clear to anyone who reads this review, I love teaching the students here. I am now ten months into my contract and I have developed a real rapport with them. This doesn't mean to say that teaching here is easy; in fact, one of the really rewarding things is that it is challenging. The student’s level is probably not what I expected it to be when I arrived, and I had up to 40, sleep deprived 16-18 year old boys in every class. Motivating them was not a simple matter. The school, however, gave me a free reign to use any ideas I had at my disposal to encourage them to participate and learn English. Planning an interesting lesson and good behavioral management were essential, as the students could have easily made my life very difficult indeed.

In my case, with previous experience of Korea and my general personality, the very hands-off approach of my school suited me very well. It may not have been everybody's cup of tea, though, as there was a general lack of support by the school and I was quite often left in the dark about upcoming events. Although all my co-workers at the school were very friendly, not much interest was taken in my role at the school and I was left to just get on with it. I thrived with this independence, however, and they really did appreciate that I didn't ask for too much help from them.

The schools supplies and equipment were perfectly adequate, and they pretty much had whatever I needed for the lessons. Each classroom was equipped with a computer linked to a widescreen television and the internet, which I used for PowerPoint presentations, videos, and music in my lessons. The only thing that frustrated me was that because of their lack of input and support they often forgot to tell me when computers or TVs in certain rooms were not working or if the internet was offline and this ruined a few classes every now and then.

Working in the school was such a wonderful way of experiencing the culture. Co-workers and students were always genuinely interested in me and wanted to show me their culture. Being at the school gave me plenty of opportunities to interact with Korean people, and experience a side of Korea that a tourist never could. The staff at the school were so friendly and willing to talk to me and make me feel part of the school, despite not really having a clue what was going on in my classes. All they knew was that the students enjoyed my classes, and that was good enough for them.

Korea, generally is a great place to teach English. It is a modern, convenient, and a rich nation very much like where we have all come from, so it is possible to relax and feel at home and have most of the usual creature comforts. It is also one of the safest places I have ever traveled to and I have not once felt uncomfortable or threatened. In fact quite the opposite, as often Koreans can feel a little threatened by Western foreigners and can be a little stand-offish sometimes as a result. There is a genuine and rather large cultural difference between us, though, and the behaviors and practices that result from this can sometimes be amusing, strange, and maybe even a little frustrating, but they are never dull. Living here in Korea has been a life changing experience for me and has truly broadened my horizons in life. I plan to spend one more year teaching in the same school in Korea by extending my contract and then to train to teach science when I go back home to England in August 2013. Teaching in Korea has really given me the confidence and drive to be a teacher in my own country. I feel proud of what I have achieved on this program so far and there is more to come.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this program to anyone, especially those that have recently left university, as it is real life experience. And in the current economic climate, where jobs are hard to come by, this is an excellent way to earn good money whilst travelling and learning all about a culture very different to our own. I think it gives a fantastically different perspective on life, living in Korea, without being overly uncomfortable or harsh regarding the standard of living. Any time spent living and working in Korea will be time well spent.

Working with Canadian Connection was amazing. Everything is set up for you and when the bumps in the road come they are there to help you work through them. Then getting here everything was laid out so making the transition was effortless.
The working conditions are awesome. Being able to talk with people that worked with other recruiters and the problems that they are running into is something that I never have to think about.
Great experience, and a great company to come through.

I absolutely have loved working with Canadian Connections. They were incredible from the get-go.From even before we accepted our positions they were helpful in placing us ( my fiance and I)in the same city. They provided guidance throughout the paperwork process.
They provided us with an excellent orientation where we were able to meet with other to be foreign English teachers in our area who are a vital asset in living abroad.

The biggest challenge is not the culture itself, that is a beautiful thing, but realizing how to work in a different culture and let down your guard and be open to new ideas and thought processes.As with any job you are going to have co workers you love and some that you don't.
I definitively encourage reading up on the Confusion culture as it will help to be aware of some of the culture norms that come with that.
The teaching itself is the best part of living here! The kids are so wonderful and so fun. They are lively and for the most part adore having a foreign teacher.
I have highly recommended Canadian Connections to multiple friends and I will continue to do so. Awesome company who helps ease the transition and equips you well for teaching.

I highly recommend using Canadian Connection to begin your journey abroad. My year in Korea has been great, and I can thank Canadian Connection for that. They are helpful throughout the whole process, prepare you, and aid you in document collection.

Go abroad with Canadian Connection --you won't regret it!

Loved everything about CanConx. They were beyond helpful with everything. People in my orientation who applied through other recruiters were shocked at how much information CanConx had provided us before taking off for Korea. Highly recommended!

I would recommend Canadian Connection to anyone wanting to teach English in Korea. They placed me with the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education (Public School system) in Incheon - right next to Seoul.

They were very supportive and helpful. I had no problem getting my papers ready (visa, passport, etc.); their instructions are quite detailed. I applied for a job through them at the end of December and was in Incheon by the end of February. The Canadian Connection team is very friendly and prompt - they are always there to lend a hand.

They also provided us with an Orientation before leaving the country, so we knew what to expect; at Orientation I met a few people traveling with me to Incheon so I didn't feel lost on the way over (a couple of these have become my best friends). The orientation book we were given also had very detailed information on what to expect in terms of housing, bills, food, travel, how to use a washing machine (the instructions here are in Korean!), etc. VERY HELPFUL!

Overall - a great experience.