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Teach English online to Korean students

South Korea is a major market for ESL teaching, with vast numbers of teaching companies and online platforms. What’s the best route to teaching Korean students online, we hear you ask? Wonder no more!

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When you think of major emerging economies, popular destinations for tourists and countries with pop culture that transcends its own borders, South Korea ticks all the boxes. An immensely interesting country, with a fascinating modern and ancient history, South Korea has seen decade after decade of monumental growth across different fronts.

Millions of people worldwide use Samsung or LG electronics, drive Hyundai or Kia cars and listen to K-Pop. While their TEFL industry isn’t quite at the level of these business and cultural powerhouses, it’s still formidable. Koreans, it’s safe to say, have a particular interest in learning English.

It stands to reason, then, that South Korea’s online teaching scene is big business. Online English teachers can find teaching jobs with relative ease, especially if they have excellent English communication skills, experience teaching students, a bachelor’s degree and TEFL certification - though not all online ESL jobs with Korean companies have these requirements, as we’ll explore.

So what does it take to start teaching English to Korean students online? Do online ESL companies from South Korea offer gainful employment on lucrative platforms? Do they only hire native English speakers? What kind of Korean language skills does an online ESL teacher need?

Let’s explore the world of online ESL teaching in South Korea.

Teaching English to Korean students online: an overview

Many online platforms connect online English teachers with Korean students. These platforms — such as English Hunt, Carrot Global, and Skybel — are the easiest way to start teaching English to Korean students. Many of them don't even require you to have prior education or experience.

Though not every platform or English teaching company listed in this article is based in Korea, they’ll certainly have their share of prospective English speakers based in The Land of Morning Calm. Any ESL teacher, when they start teaching English online, will notice that the interest in English learning from East Asia, particularly China and South Korea, is enormous.

With emigration to South Korea at its highest, over recent years, we’re seeing more people complete TEFL courses in order to move. However, whether you’re teaching English online to build experience, you see it as a career or it’s a part-time gig, several great online teaching options are coming out of the Republic of Korea.

Requirements to teach English online to Korean students

So what are the online English teaching requirements for ESL teachers hoping to work with Korean students? Let’s go into more detail but remember: online ESL companies and every online learning platform will have its own requirements.

Bachelor's degree

In most cases, online English teaching companies who work with Korean students willwant you to hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Ideally, from an employer’s point of view, that degree will be in English, education or a related field.

Online teaching platforms, on the other hand, do not demand a college degree. Bear in mind, however, you are likely to attract more clients if you have impressive credentials, including a bachelor's degree or above in a related topic. Though all Korean students are different, suffice it to say that students will feel more confident opting for a teacher with a degree than one without.

In short: yes, you can teach English online without a degree to Korean learners in some instances. Generally, you can do this on platforms.

TEFL certification

Sure, you can start teaching English online to Korean students without a TEFL certificate. Would we ever recommend you do it, though? Of course not.

A TEFL certificate from a reliable, reputable and accredited TEFL course provider is immensely valuable. The industry standard for a TEFL qualification is 120 hours of study. This will provide you with a fantastic foundational knowledge of English teaching methodology, expertise in designing teaching materials, and a lot more. If you’re looking to get a job teaching English, then a TEFL certificate goes a very long way.

While 120 hours is the standard, a Level 5 Diploma is a fantastic option. These courses give you a more detailed theoretical understanding of English teaching methodologies.

Advanced TEFL qualifications are also a great advantage in finding online English teaching jobs. Specifically for teaching English online to Korean students, Business English, Teaching Young Learners and Teaching English Online are all very worthwhile courses.

Native/non-native

What about the requirements for non-native English speakers? Well, you’ll be glad to know there are opportunities.

There is no standard rule here, it’s ultimately the choice of an individual remote teaching company or online language learning platform whether they take on non-native English speakers to teach online. If you can demonstrate fluent English through a language test like the IELTS or TOEFL, you ought to not encounter too many issues. So, you don't have to be a native English speaker to teach Korean students, depending on the employer or platform.

Download our teaching English online guide

Technical requirements for online teaching

Every single online ESL job, whether it’s based in South Korea or South America, will require you to have technology that’s reliable.

Whether you’re employed with a company or you’re fighting for students on an online platform, being attractive to clients is a major consideration. Korean students spend good money to learn English online, so they need to know they’re getting quality. If you’re wondering whether new teaching tech is worth buying: it is.

Reliability is perhaps the most meaningful trait in online ESL teaching. Ideally, you’ll have a lot of students, and your set-up needs to be 100% effective, efficient and user-friendly. Crucially, it also makes it easier to teach English online when you’ve got equipment that works when you need it to. If you have to cancel lessons then you’ll be losing money, time and face - something that’s particularly important to Korean audiences.

So, what do you need to teach English online to Korean learners?

Computer
Reliable Internet Connection
Webcam
Microphone
Headphones

Computer

Tell us we’re stating the obvious, but a computer that works is pretty important. Some platforms and companies use smartphone or tablet apps, but you’ll need a computer.

Your computer needs to:

Have the latest software (or as close as possible)
Have anti-virus protection
Zoom, Skype or any other relevant video conferencing platforms
Considerable memory space

Some online language schools and platforms will have specific technological requirements in terms of either hardware or software.

Reliable internet connection

We can’t stress this enough: if you want to teach English online, you need a reliable internet connection. Online teaching jobs will normally require a speed test as part of the recruitment process.

AGoogle search for “test internet speed” will give you an immediate option. There’s also Fast.com or Speedtest.net. The minimum speed requirement that most online language schools will have is 2Mbps download and upload.

Webcam

You don’t need to pay more than, at most, £50/$40 for a webcam that works to carry out online ESL lessons - they’re very decent nowadays.

Microphone

Nowadays, decent microphones are built into computers, earbuds and phones, which is great - but if you’re teaching students to speak fluent English, you’re going to need to be extremely clear.

We’d suggest buying a microphone. Having all the right equipment is fundamental in teaching English online, and that very much includes having a microphone.

Headphones

A simple rule: better sound quality results in better lessons. You should be wearing headphones when you perform lessons. Why? Obviously, you can hear your students better, and they won’t be heard by anyone else.

A note here: headsets with good headphones and a microphone attached are a great option.

Companies to teach English online to Korean students

So, where are all the online teaching jobs? Where can TEFL teachers build teaching experience with Korean students? Let’s explore!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I teach English to Koreans online?

Yes, you can teach English to Koreans online. The market for English teachers who want to start teaching Korean students is huge, and you don’t always need a degree or experience to do it.

Q. How much can you get paid to teach English in Korea?

In South Korea, your English teacher salary depends on where you teach, your qualifications and your experience. Public schools like EPIK tend to pay around 1.8 - 2.7 million KRW ($1,450 - $2,180 or £1,189 - £1,786), while hagwons pay slightly less (1.6 million KRW or $1,600 - $2,000 / £1,312 - £1,640). Hagwons do, however, often provide benefits like free housing and flight reimbursements.

Q. Which online platform is best for teaching English?

All Korean online ESL companies - in fact, most online teaching jobs - are very different from each other. It very much depends on how much teaching material you want to be responsible for, the types of lessons you prefer, and what your salary expectations are.