While interviewing for teaching jobs in Korea, I found that Chungdahm Institute offered the most competitive compensation. They also provide airfare reimbursement and a housing stipend. This financial support helped make the transition smoother and allowed me to start paying off my student loans. I was even able to enjoy traveling across South East Asia during my time off! This is something I had never been able to afford while living in Canada.

I’m currently on a mission to decorate my new apartment. While there are plenty of home decor stores like Muji and Homeplus, I’m trying to find items on the cheaper end.  Living in Gangnam-gu can be expensive, so I am trying to pinch pennies wherever I can. When I asked my friend where other good, cheap shopping areas were, the first place she mentioned was GOTO Mall. I knew that Korea had underground shopping malls, but I had never heard of GOTO Mall before. If you’re heading to Korea to teach English, you will want to check this out if you can!

As a vegetarian in Korea, I can definitely relate to how stressful it can be to find dietary accommodations, regardless of the country you’re in. The good news is Korean food uses a lot of meat, rice, and vegetables, so being gluten-free is totally doable in South Korea. Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate being gluten-free here in South Korea!

When I first moved to Korea, I had so many questions about what my new life was going to look like. One thing that I was eager to find out more about was the fitness culture of South Korea. Back in Canada, I was a regular member at my yoga studio and gym so I wanted to ensure that during my transition abroad I would be able to maintain my physical health. Whether you’re a new resident or a long-term expat, you will be happy to learn that Korea is wild about staying fit, so there won’t anything you can’t do. You might even find a new fitness hobby!

One of the most exciting parts of working abroad as an ESL teacher is that the career possibilities feel endless. While some have a life-long passion for teaching, others might be curious about how to take their teaching experience and turn it into something new. Here are some of the top career paths that are perfect to branch off from ESL teaching.

Air quality in Korea has become a hot topic of discussion in recent years. While living in Seoul, I began to notice people wearing masks outdoors during the spring months and digital signs across the city giving live updates on the amount of fine dust in the air. Naturally, I wanted to learn more about how the fine dust would affect my day life and understand the true state of Korea’s air quality. In this blog post, I will outline some of the factors influencing air quality in Korea and practical measures that you can take to protect yourself and stay informed!

The job market is a grueling place. I had been job hunting for 3 months until one day, I found a job posting on Indeed about teaching English in Korea. The company was called “Aclipse” and I was immediately intrigued by the post. While teaching was one of my original career goals in high school and college, I began to give up on that dream once I joined the workforce. Stability in corporate America started to sound much more appealing than uprooting my life to South Korea to teach English.

I try to live by the 50/30/20 rule: 50% of my income going towards essential living costs, 30% going towards wants, and the last 20% going into savings. Do I manage this each month? Before I answer that question, let me give you a glimpse at my lifestyle here in Korea.

One aspect of Korean culture that I knew about from all the dramas I watched was the emphasis on respect and cultural hierarchies. In Korea, two different forms of the language are used depending on if you are speaking to someone older or younger. Polite language, (존댓말, jondaetmal) must be used when speaking to strangers and elders as a way to show respect. In addition, it’s customary to bow when you greet someone older and the depth of your bow should reflect the other person’s age and status compared to your own. These small nuances can go a long way in showing your respect and appreciation of Korean culture and will help you integrate into daily life. I have adapted so much to bowing that I can’t stop myself from bowing even when I travel back home to Canada which is a cute new quirk of my international life!

It’s super helpful when you need to plug your devices onto their 220 volt system. I recommend getting a universal adapter so you can use it when you travel to other parts of Asia that don’t use 220 as well! Here’s a great post on the details of how the voltage system differs, and what kind of adapter you may want to get.