Coming to Korea as a Chungdahm teacher is a tremendous opportunity and experience and I want to reveal what items will be needed and useful on your overseas life. On a daily basis and for travelling, here is my top ten list to make your adventure in Korea the best it can be. Let’s go!
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Tags: preparing to teach in Korea, what to bring, teaching at CDL
It is such a whirlwind running around preparing for your contract teaching, especially with transitioning to life in South Korea. Oftentimes, you start training bright and early the Monday after you get in, with minimal time for time zone adjustment or sightseeing. It can feel chaotic, so here are a few words from someone who’s gone through two separate training sessions and contracts, one with April and one with CDI.
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, teaching kids, teaching at CDL, teaching tips, teaching programs
Embarking on a journey as a first-year teacher can feel daunting and chaotic. Each person is different and has varying knowledge and strengths to bring. A piece of advice that may help one teacher may be useless to another, so I only want to speak from my position and say that these are some tips and tricks that would’ve helped me as I began my experience here, with this post more oriented towards moving and transitioning, and I’ll soon release tips for the classroom. All in all, this time will be full of growth and learning, and an experience you will never forget!
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, cellphones in Korea, things to bring, traveling, Banking in Korea, what to bring
This winter is set to break records and be one of the coldest winters in a long while. Last year, when I first arrived to Seoul in November the air was icy. It was fall, but it was soon to be winter. I was born and raised in Southern California. I thought I was ready for winter, but I was wrong. While there are a lot of things that one obtains for a cheap price in South Korea, clothes is not one of them. Well, maybe if you are shopping for thick summer clothes in a college town, then clothes are cheap. However, the clothing and material needed to endure a real winter is far from cheap. Considering the first snow has already fallen in Seoul now (and it is only November!), I found it fitting to inform you of what I wish I had bought in the United States before coming to Korea.
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, winter in Korea, things to bring
I remember the day I left for Korea like it was yesterday. My stomach was flying with nerves as I began unpacking my bags at the airport. I recall my luggage weighing too much and I was frantically throwing things in and out of my suitcase. At that time, I hadn't traveled much and I knew nothing about teaching and had very little knowledge about Korea and Korean people. Even though I tried to do as much research as possible, no travel book could have prepared me for the journey ahead. Below I offer three tips about things you should do prior to departing to teach in Korea.
Read MoreTags: Blogs, Best blogs, preparing to teach in Korea, packing, bags, learning Korean, shopping in Korea, teach in Korea, what to buy in Korea, Teaching skills, what to bring, hangul
In 2016, Korea is still one of the most popular destinations to teach English. Teachers can save while travelling and enjoy an excellent standard of living while meeting foreigners from all over the world. Over the past 5 years, Korea’s expat community has almost doubled, and plenty of job seekers from Eastern Europe and the USA are finding more and more opportunities for career growth on the Asian continent. With the release of Gangnam-Style and K-drama/ K- pop becoming increasingly popular, more and more foreigners haven been drawn to Korea.
Read MoreTags: teach, preparing to teach in Korea, Jeju Island, life in Korea, cities in Korea, Gangwondo, teach in Korea, busan, Daegu, chungdahm learning, live in city, Korean city, live in countyside, chungcheongnam-do
As a bank manager in the U.S., I was in complete shock with how convenient banking in Korea is. In the U.S., it seems that there was so much paperwork and red tape that you needed to do just to get tasks accomplished. Shortly after you arrive to teach in in Korea you will quickly realize how convenient and efficient banking is compared to back home.
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, English teacher in Korea, banks in korea, Banking in Korea, paycheck, credit card, sending money, remittance account
As the late Freddie Mercury said, “Another one bites the dust…” Of course in this classic tune the legendary Queen singer was referring to the start of a new term at Chungdahm. So we come again to that tri-monthly ritual of welcoming yet another crop of new students to our classrooms. While I have had a few problem children during my time teaching, at the same time it is quite difficult to lose your favorite students, both those that were naturally gifted from the start, or those that had to scratch and claw their way just to be able to proudly exclaim those magical four words, “Teacher, I leveled up!”
Tags: preparing to teach in Korea, teaching in Korea, teaching at Chungdahm
A new job is always simultaneously exciting and scary, but especially so when your job is on the other side of the world. After working at Chungdahm for the past ten months, I’ve picked up one or two things that you can expect to encounter while teaching English in Korea that I wish I’d known before. So, allow me to be your Chungdahm spirit guide. Here’s what you should know:
Tags: preparing to teach in Korea, teaching in Korea, English teacher in Korea, Korea, life in Korea, female ex-pats in Korea, teaching at Chungdahm, aesthetics in korea, motivating students
One of the great things about teaching English in Korea for Chungdahm is that instructors have the opportunity to make extra money during the students’ summer and winter breaks. During this time, Chungdahm offers Winter/Summer Workshops which are three hour classes in the morning usually from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Depending on your branch, class schedule may be a bit different. The class subjects range from basic reading, listening, and comprehension to TOEFL test preparations.
It’s a great way to make use of the extra time Instructors have in the morning. Instructors performing these workshops will have the option to work as little as 2 days a week, and if you’re ambitious up to 6 days a week. Currently I am doing 6 days a week. I admit, it does get intense and tiring, but the good thing is it’s only for a month. The good chunk of money I’ll be making is worth suffering for only a month.
Tags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach English in Korea, teaching in Korea, Teach English overseas, Teach English abroad, saving money in Korea