Teach English in South Korea - EPIK Public Schools

I have been very lucky in my placement here. I live in a smaller city that provides me with the best of city and rural life. I only teach at one school and have wonderful co-teachers and lack nothing that I require to do my job. My home is within walking distance of my school and is very comfortable. I have loved every minute of my time here! For those thinking about this program I have a few pieces of advice... First, this is a teaching program, I am a certified teacher in the US so my transition has been fairly easy. I do know some however that have zero teaching experience or relevent course work that a struggling in their positions. Please keep in mind that this is a full time job, not just an extended vacation...Second, everyones experience is different. There will be bad co-teachers and apartments and you may live somewhere you werent expecting. You must be flexible and able to roll with the tide so to speak. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience a new culture. Eat the food! Speak the language! Meet the people...this is how you will get the most out of your experience here.

I have taught in a few countries now and the program in South Korea was the best for overall teaching experience. I was fortunate to have great co-teachers who really took care of me, the pay is great and I got valuable teaching experience. The EPIK program was the second time I used Greenheart Travel to help me. The entire staff at Greenheart is amazing. They have a lot of materials with information to help you prepare before you leave (like important cultural tips and packing lists) as well as information for your time in-country. They also encourage communication among candidates prior to your start date so you can ask questions, share information and get to know each other before you arrive. It doesn't cost anything.....why wouldn't you use Greenheart??

I gave my overall experience a 9 because I don't have another program to compare it to, but overall it's been a really positive experience.

I went through EPIK (English Program in Korea) and it was definitely a time consuming application process. But with the help of my adviser, Kara, she helped alleviate the stress and guided me every step of the way. EPIK's application process is very long and specific. Your application will be delayed if something isn't filled out correctly, so accuracy is important. That's why I wanted to go through a recruiter. But what really stressed me out was gathering up the necessary documents needed for the application (passport photos, FBI background check, notarized/apostille diploma etc...). I couldn't imagine doing this by myself. There were so many questions I had. I emailed Kara back and forth about how to go about some things and she definitely clarified things for me--she made the process as easy as possible. What I really appreciated were the live seminars she held. These seminars went over how to fill out the application, how to gather your personal documents and anything else you wanted to go over. Also, if you couldn't make it, they were recorded so you'd be emailed the seminar. I thought this was great because I could go back whenever I needed to.

Fast forwarding to my acceptance:
Once I was accepted into the program Kara updated me as much as possible. She held another seminar before leaving the country which again, was helpful. Overall, I'm happy I went through Greenheart Travel. They definitely ensure that you are taken care of throughout the entire process!

*Note: There is a fee to go through this recruiter, but if you get TEFL certified through International TEFL Academy your fee will be waived (as of 2018).

I used Greenheart Travel to go to South Korea through the EPIK program. Kara was so helpful and was available to help me every step of the way! She answered/returned every call and email very promptly. She also updated me as often as she could with any new information she had about my particular application. The information Greenheart provided about what my life may be like in South Korea was also very helpful and the webinars were full of information. I would highly recommend this program!

At the beginning of last summer, I made the decision to change my life around a bit and decided that I wanted to move to South Korea to teach English. I have a degree in Theatre and while I love the field, I wanted to be able to do something that would combine my love of teaching with my love of travelling and cultures. I did some research online and found many different programs that would help me get to South Korea. I got in touch with a few of them, but it wasn't until I came upon Greenheart and Kara that I found the program I was the most comfortable with. Most people decide that they want to go abroad and give themselves plenty of time, but I was determined to be hired by EPIK and leave the US for the Spring 2018 intake in February. This meant that everything needed to happen very quickly for my goals to be met.

I was able to schedule my first interview with Greenheart the next day. I was working at a summer camp and was not off of work yet, so I was anxious because I was in summer clothing chilling in the storage cupboard at work during my interview. Kara was so wonderful and easy to talk to however, and I felt very comfortable from the very beginning. Kara helped me decide which route would be the easiest for me to take and talked to me about getting my TEFL from the International TEFL Academy. I was signed up for the August in-person TEFL class in Chicago by the very next week!

When it came time for the EPIK application process it was very comforting to know that I had Kara to look over my application and help me make it as strong as possible. I have never done anything like this before and that support was very appreciated. She looked over my application and letters of recommendation and walked me through each step of the process. After our third chat, I felt much more comfortable with the application process and knew exactly what I needed to complete to have a winning application.

EPIK is a wonderful program, but applying to EPIK was the most stressful 6 months of my life. I was constantly wondering whether I would get an interview, would I would be prepared when I did get an interview, had I passed my interview, did my documents arrive in Korea safely, WHERE will I be placed, when can I buy my airplane ticket, and when exactly will I need to be in Korea. The materials that Greenheart provides really helped calm me down during these months of waiting (and to be honest I read some of the packets WAY to many times). It was also comforting to know that I could turn to Kara with any concerns and she would respond in a timely manner. Now that I am in Korea, she still keeps in touch and follows my adventures on Facebook, and I can feel that she is genuinely interested in what happens to the people that she helps place abroad.

Overall, my experience with Greenheart was wonderful. Kara dealt with all of my panicked e-mails and helped me every step of the way. I would work with them again in a heartbeat. They truly made the stress of changing your entire life and moving halfway around the world much more bearable!

Thank you, Kara and Greenheart for everything.

I have been teaching English in South Korea for almost 2 months now. The experience so far with the program has been great. I started by applying to EPIK through Kara at Greenheart Travel. She made the process easy and smooth, and always kept me in the loop. I would highly recommend working with Kara if applying to go to South Korea! Once I got to Korea, it was nice to have someone take me to the orientation sight as I was overwhelmed as soon as I landed. The EPIK orientation was a week of very long days, most of what I learned was very insightful. However, a lot did not actually apply to me once starting this job. I did however, make friends with other English teachers in Daegu, this was the most important aspect I took away from orientation. My experience is unique because I experienced culture shock in a much different way than the "norm". When I arrived I immediately regretted my decision, when I moved to my city I wished that I had chosen somewhere else, or a different country all together. Since then, I am starting to see the beauty of the culture, people, and country of Korea. I enjoy exploring and being here. What I would want future EPIK teachers to know is the reality of Korea. There is a lot of pollution, trash, and fine dust. I had this very romantic view of Korea and although its great here, it's not what I expected. That in mind, I'm glad I have the opportunity to be here and have already made lifelong friends and memories.

Kara Menini at Greenheart Travel helped me through the entire application process for teaching English in South Korea. There was an enormous amount of paperwork, so I'm glad I had the help. She was available to answer any of my questions (I had lots) and did so in a timely manner. I am so happy I came to Korea and hope to spend more than one year here. I'm finally settled in my new home, it took a couple of months to truly adjust. Don't be afraid. You can do it! My biggest tip is to learn as much Korean as you possibly can.

I have only been here two months but teaching in Korea has already been an amazing experience. I am developing my teaching skills, experiencing an entire new culture, and making amazing connections with Korean co-workers and other teachers in the area.

I found the program through Greenheart travel and they were extremely positive and supportive through the process. The staff clearly care about their applicants and work hard to help them be successful getting into the program.