Sogang Language Program - Teaching Opportunities in Korea

While the school staff and teachers are very helpful and positive people, the principal and the overall organization is beyond belief. To say it's poor, it's an understatement.
Be ready to work all day, non-stop classes, no time whatsoever to prepare anything. Most kids will have near zero English skills and you'll have to deal with 10 or so per class by yourself.
If the working conditions weren't poor enough for a teacher, then they change and add teaching material at will (the workload for kids is already a bit much btw). Sometimes you're told to do or prepare something with 5 minutes to start your class.
Events pop up in their calendar at all times and you end up working evenings and some Saturdays without any extra payment. Then when your 5-days vacation approaches, they come up with silly excuses to give you 4 days or less; it's a constant battle to get only what you're supposed to have.
It's a horrible experience for newcomers and a job that nobody in their right state of mind should take. I don't know any teacher already in Korea that would accept this job. There are other hagwons in town with better conditions, look out there. And if you don't want to take my word, try to speak to the teacher you're going to replace before you sign the contract (I doubt you'd be able to and that's a sign).
PS1: On a positive note, just to be fair, there were never any problems regarding my salary.
PS2: Surprisingly, there aren't many recent reviews about SLP. But trust the old ones, things haven't changed much since whenever they were written.

While I have heard that some branches of SLP are better than others, avoid SLP in Namdong-gu! Management is horrible and unsupportive. I was told I was not allowed to speak to my fellow teachers at work, even during break times. They also took away my breaks, leaving me zero prep time. Then I was told to come in early or stay late if I didn't have prep time. They always add projects and requirements, making you stay up to 10 hours a day (unpaid of course). If you don't like to be taken advantage of, this place is not for you.

I have encountered nothing but problems at SLP. From the administration trying to with hold pay at the beginning of the year to taking away our Holidays and not telling us when or if we will get them. They are constantly changing what we should do in the classroom and our hours are outrageous--we start at 9am and often do not leave until 8pm everyday. Our apartments are very old--I have 3 types of old wallpaper and many black stains on the wallpaper. Please do yourself a favor and work for a public school or university--you will not be valued as an employee and will be told "but teacher you are in Korea." I'm sorry thats no reason to show disrespect and treat foreign teachers like we are beneath them which is exactly how they treat us. Run, run as fast as you can from SLP.

I have lived in Korea for two and a half years, one of the greatest countries in the world. Of course I’m a little biased, but why not love the country that helped me grow and experience most dream of?

It all started with a long plane ride from Texas. I was so nervous walking off the plane hoping I’d made the right decision to look abroad for a job after University. I was soon met by an older Korean man holding a sign with my name on it. That moment was the turning point. I grabbed him for a good ‘ol Texas hello and we were off to my new teaching job at SLP.

My new friend turned out to be a bus driver for my school and he was just excited to see me as I was him. We talked about everything from spicy Korean food to Barrack Obama on the way to my new apartment. When we arrived, he insisted on carrying all eight of my overstuffed bags up three floors and opened the door to my quaint studio apartment. It was perfect, not too small and I even had my own balcony.

We dropped the bags off and headed straight for SLP. I walked out of the elevator and was greeted by the entire administration that welcomed me. They were all so kind. I didn’t know it at the time but I would grow to know each one of them and now I miss them terribly.

The next day started with learning the schedule and getting used to the books I’d be teaching. I was probably more scared than my students that first da, but we soon got to know each other. The administration was more than happy to answer all of my thousands of questions. They helped with everything from my apartment to what class I was supposed to teach next.

My co-workers soon walked me through the phases of getting to know the area and of course, the food. They shared easy ways to plan my classes and helped me with understanding the basics of the Korean language. We quickly formed a bond that all started with us doing the things we do because we love to travel and experience the adventure.

Korea has been one experience I’ll be able to share within my family for generations to come. I’ve become an inspiration to my nine year old nieces that you can do anything to put your mind to. I was literally living on the other side of the globe. It’s the country where Ranch Dressing is unheard of and people wave from moving cars just to say hello.

I’m now back in Texas and my only regret is not staying longer. I’ve already started to process to return to SLP and continue living what I call, “The Dream.” For all who read this and are considering making the move, do it. Never feel like you’re stuck. There are plenty of opportunities in this wonderful world and Korea is one of them.

I loved my time in Korea. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every hagwon (private school) in Korea has its issues and obviously there will be cultural differences since, chances are, you're a round-eyed westerner that dropped yourself in South Korea. This school, SLP (the wangsimni branch) was really good. I've heard some horror stories about evil head teachers or no exact pay day or basement apartments with roaches as roommates. But SLP took good care of me. The apartment was nice, tiny, but it was just me living there. Made cleaning day super easy. It's in a middle class area of the city so it was safer than most American cities. Far enough from the drunken bar fights scene, but close enough to a main line of Seoul's amazing subway so that if the bar/club scene is your thing, you're just a few stops away. If you're a sight seeing, shopping nerd like me, you're just a few stops away from some serious markets and malls. And book stores, with English sections, too. There was also an amazing Korean language school nearby too, should you feel the need to learn some of the Korean language so it doesn't all sound like gibberish to you anymore.

SLP's Korean teachers were pretty helpful too when it came to making appointments or giving us foreign teachers directions or advice on where to go for whatever it is you may need. Not to mention, the head teacher takes you out for lunch after you arrive for a welcome/get-to-know-you meal. Also, in the building that the preschool is (at this SLP, it's preschool classes in the morning and elementary in the afternoon and then the USA equivalent of middle school in the evening if you're an afternoon teacher) there is a supermarket on the first floor and a doctor's office on the third floor (an English speaking doctor who doesn't charge SLP teachers for visits) and a pharmacy on the first floor. Convenient when, in that first month, you get weird colds while adjusting to the new environment.

Seoul is a relatively open and worldly city, but you will still find some people who are wary of the wei-gooks (foreigners) who are roaming the streets. But you'll meet good and bad people everywhere in the world. For the most part, if you appear to be open and show a desire to 'fit/blend in' (if that's possible) and don't yell at the locals in English, the natives will be as helpful as they can to you. Even if it means doing a little miming or just dragging you by the arm to show you what it is you were asking about.

Vacations are nice. Ten days in the summer and ten days in the winter. Perfect travel time (I went to China for summer vacation) and just enough time in the winter to go home to have Christmas with the family if you want to (I did).

You will have no trouble - with a little leg work - finding anything you could get at home in Seoul. Here's a couple of tips though. Deodorant is nonexistent in Seoul. Unless it's just hidden or only on the black market, but when I was there, I couldn't find it anywhere. Fill the front pouches of your checked suitcases with it, trust me. The other thing is, rumor has it, Korean toothpaste has no fluoride in it so you'll want to bring an extra tube or seven from home. Your teeth will thank you. Don't drink tap water, a gallon (or so) jug of water is about 80 cents, so it's all good.

PS, E-Mart is the Korean Walmart. Remember the name, they're everywhere, and visit them often. They have everything you want and need.

My last piece of advice that I can offer is just put yourself out there. Meet people, take classes, join things, try to adapt. If you go into this thinking it's just going to be a paid vacation in a city 'just like back home,' you will be sadly mistaken and in for a shocking surprise. Seoul is not like your home town, but it can feel like a home away from home if you're willing to let it :)

Enjoy yourself and take care of yourself. And be prepared, you're about to go on the adventure of a lifetime.