Thanks for your question about teaching English in Korea, Paul. Chances are good that you and your wife could find employment in the same city, and perhaps even with the same employer. As native English speakers with bachelor degrees, you will easily find jobs. There are literally a billion people in the world who want to learn English, so the jobs are plentiful in the field. This also means that it's not so competitive within companies for specific jobs, so you and your wife should also be able to apply to the same company and may perhaps be hired as a couple, and/or find a job in the same city so that you can share accommodations. I recommend that you both get TEFL certification before your departure; this is often a prerequisite, and it will ensure that you earn a better salary. You don’t need to pay thousands of dollars or go back to school full-time to be certified, a simple one week online course will do. Consider upgrading your online TEFL certification to teach business English if you want to earn more money.
- Check out the Teach Abroad job boards listed on our site.
- I also recommend reading some of the other pertinent articles on the site, such as What Expat Teachers Say: The International Experience or Landing a Job: The Road to Teaching Abroad (these links for registered users).
All the best,
Jean-Marc
Hi Jean-Marc,
My wife and I want to teach English in Korea. We're both born and raised in the USA and are native English speakers. We have our bachelor degrees, and we're looking into getting TEFL certification (if it will help). Are there any programs that will allow us to be in the same proximity/city? It'll save the school money on housing because we'd only need one room. Thank you.
-Paul, 32, Raleigh, NC