Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

For those who enjoy visiting scenic spots, enjoy nature and like a light workout, then making a stop at Haneul Park should be on your to do list. Haneul translates to sky. It truly fits this park, because one truly has to put the work to rise into the sky in order to get to this location. The park is located in the top of a small mountain. There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain - ride a golf cart, walk the hike or take the stairs. I opted for the hike. While I would of prefered the golf cart ride, I didn’t want to miss out on the chance to enjoy the nature on the way up. Also, there was a long line in order to wait for a golf cart to take me up. I choose the hike over the stairs, because while the stairs look very cool, they look challenging. 

Packing a suitcase and relocating your whole life to Korea can be daunting. More so when you don’t know a lick of Korean. I often get asked if was hard to adjust to living in Korea without knowing how to communicate in or read the native language. My answer is no.

I initially chose Chungdahm Learning, because I could foresee a future where I could professionally and personally grow. Now, looking back on my 4-year journey with the company, I can say that they met all my expectations and offered opportunities beyond what I thought I could experience. 

A lot of foreigners worry about their job prospects post-ESL teaching and how being an ESL teacher for 2-3 years would look on their resume. This is why, I always say it is important to choose a company in Korea that you can grow with so, that you have strong references and are constantly being challenged to grow in different ways. It is important, no matter what you do, to never be stagnant while living abroad and take every opportunity to mold your resume with new skills and insight.

Contrary to getting wisdom teeth taken out in the U.S., things are done a little differently in Korea. For example, I only have one wisdom tooth left in my mouth because I’ve had three previously removed over the course of several months. I have never had to be put under for any of the procedures. Each only took between 5 - 10 minutes, and I only needed to have stitches one time. My situation sounds odd, doesn’t it? Usually, we are used to having them out in one go, but I think that the process I went through is much better than conventional procedures in America.

If staying fit and active is one your goals and priorities while enjoying your life in Korea then there are many options to meet your personal needs. From lifting weights and yoga classes at a local gym to cycling along the Han River, Korea has great ways to have fun and socialize while breaking a sweat. I will go into some more detail about some of your options to remain active, healthy, and looking your best while still enjoying the exciting nightlife, delicious food, and relaxing drinks.

It’s finally that time of year again - spring! The weather is nice out, the sky is clear, and the sun is shining. What marks the beginning of the season the most in Korea is the long awaited and short lived cherry blossoms blooming. I live next to a main street lined with these amazingly beautiful trees. Walking to work these days has been very peaceful and relaxing due to the sight and smell of cherry blossoms.

The cherry blossom forecast date predictions occur about a month before its time for them to bloom. Depending upon which area you are living in, the time frame to enjoy the cherry blossoms is slightly different. Unusually, the time to see cherry blossoms when they are the most enchanting is in early April. Being informed about when the expected cherry blossom season occurs in advance is a must, so that one can plan accordingly considering the experience only last about two weeks. Only two weeks. Sad. I know. Still, these two weeks are when traveling around Korea on fun weekend adventures will result in the best photos that you can show off with.

The following are five locations around Korea that offer the best cherry blossom festival experiences. Enjoy!

Traveling to a new country can be challenging and hard. Now imagine navigating with language barriers and a culture different from your own. Living and teaching in Korea is a unique experience that requires the right mindset and an understanding that things can go often not the way you expected. 

From experience, any person living in Korea will tell you to prepare yourself mentally and do research. Reading blogs and tourism sites about what are must-have apps and must-see things to do will help prepare you for life in the Korea. However, having lived in Korea for a few years now, I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog about five essential tools, that you may not find during your research, that will make your life a lot easier during your time abroad.

ESL teachers are motivated to teach in Korea, because of the large amount of savings they can accumulate.  One such example of how you can save money while teaching in Korea is that the country is known for having cost-effecting housing utilities such as electricity, gas and water.  All year round Korean utilities are low, ranging between 70,000W-130,000W. However, Korean Winters’ are the exception. If you are not careful you could be surprised with a 200,000W-400,000W bill!

Korean Winters can be super chilly, often hitting temperatures of -18C in the January months. Icicles hanging from the trees, slippery roads and the ruthless Siberian wind that will cut through your clothes.  You will find yourself willingly turn up the heat in your apartment and repeatedly leave it on for the entire day. Over the years, I have figured out how to lower my Winter utility bill and often save more money during the Winter months than in the Summer months.  Now that the Fall season is starting to transition to Winter, I wanted to use this blog I to offer three tips which will help lower your utility bills in the Winter months and not force you to break the bank. 

Teaching abroad is all about engaging with the people and experiencing a new culture. Koreans are notorious for treating foreigners excellently, especially when they can see that a person shows an interest in Korean etiquette and is trying to learn a few basic Korean words. It is well worth trying to get to know Korea and Korean people, while living and teaching in Korea. It will go a long way with your time spent in the country, and you will encounter more unique experiences and make some friends outside of your comfort zone. Getting to know the Korean people, will help you grow as a person and also allow you to feel less frustrated with language barriers or small misunderstandings. In this blog I will focus particularly on building a relationship with the Korean staff at ChungDahm. 

Korean is a unique language that plays a big part in Korean culture. While knowing Korean isn't required to teach for ChungDahm, as all the classes are taught in English, any current teacher would tell you to learn the Korean alphabet and some of the key Korean phrases prior to your arrival.  Knowing how to read the language and say key phrases will help you immensely with things like directions or reading a menu.  In this blog I will introduce you to 10 Korean phrases that you should try to learn prior to arriving to Korea to help you during your first days abroad.