Teach English in South Korea with EPIK

About EPIK

English Program in Korea (EPIK) is the public school program run by South Korea’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. EPIK offers a great gap-year experience for those who want to teach English abroad for one year. Earn a great salary plus amazing benefits such as paid accommodation, airfare, vacation, and health coverage!

700+ Teaching Jobs in Many Locations

  • EPIK Nationwide — Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, Sejong
  • Gangwon province
  • Chungnam & Chungbuk provinces
  • Gyeongsangnam-do — Changwon, Masan, Yangsan, Jinju, Sacheon, Goseong
  • Chungcheongnam-do — Cheonan, Nonsan, Boryeong, Taean
  • Gyeongsangbuk-do province
  • Jeonbuk & Jeonnam provinces
  • Jeju province
  • Seoul Metropolitan City

About the Job

Job Details

Contract
1 full year
Teaching Load
22 classes per week — elementary classes are 40 minutes; middle/high school classes are 50 minutes
Hours
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday. No weekends, no split shifts.
Salary
US$2,000–$2,700/month plus paid accommodation, airfare, vacation, and health coverage

Job Requirements

What You Need

5-Step Recruitment Process

1

Application

Create an account on EPIK’s website and then complete and submit a job application through EPIK’s online application system. You can also apply indirectly through an approved EPIK recruiter. Note: Do not submit more than one job application. You cannot apply with EPIK online and separately through an approved EPIK recruiter.

2

Phone Interview

If the initial application is successful, you will be invited for an online interview via Skype with a recruitment coordinator assigned by EPIK. This interview will be held by EPIK and not by an external recruitment agency supporting EPIK with the initial job application.

3

Documentation

Submit all required documents as instructed by your assigned coordinator. Documents include copies of your university degree(s), letters of recommendation, copy of TESOL certification, and Criminal Background Check.

4

Work Visa

After EPIK receives your documents, they will send your job contract to the closest South Korean embassy, where you will have to sign the contract and pick up your work visa.

5

Go!

You will be given the date to fly to South Korea to attend Orientation Week. Airport pick-up is included.

Recommended Certification for EPIK

Many NETs who take a gap-year job with EPIK continue teaching abroad for a few years or return to teach in their home country. Those who combine the 120-hour Advanced TESOL/TEFL Certificate with the 20-hour TEYL specialist course will learn to create lesson plans for adults and young learners using a wide umbrella of CLT approaches, including PPP, ESA, and TBL.

The TESOL certification from OnTESOL is valid for English teaching jobs with EPIK, international schools, and language schools in South Korea and worldwide. NETs who complete the separate 20-hour Practicum are also eligible for English teaching jobs in Canada and the United States.

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Apply to Teach with EPIK

Ready to start your teaching journey in South Korea? Submit your application directly through EPIK’s official portal.

EPIK Job Application →

FAQ

EPIK FAQs

Still have questions? Contact us

Do I Have to Speak Korean to Teach English with EPIK?

Being proficient in Korean is not required to apply for English teaching jobs with EPIK. The majority of EPIK teachers don’t speak a single word of Korean before their arrival. In the classroom, Native English Speakers (NETs) are hired to communicate solely in the English language. However, OnTESOL graduates with teaching experience in South Korea highly recommend learning the basics of Korean language to improve rapport with students and co-workers and enjoy life in South Korea.

In most urban schools, NETs are assigned a South Korean co-teacher to support with planning and delivering the lesson. In rural regions, it’s more common for NETs to plan lessons and teach English all on their own.

EPIK gives preference to candidates who completed an accredited TESOL certification. Applicants without previous teaching experience should get training in lesson planning and TESOL/TEFL methods to successfully apply for a teaching job with EPIK.

Upon arrival in South Korea, NETs attend orientation week to review lesson planning, classroom management, and the textbook they will use on the job. The orientation week is also a great opportunity to learn the basics of Korean culture and language to help new teachers overcome culture shock and adapt better to life in South Korea.

Cheonjae is the series of ESL textbooks used throughout the EPIK curriculum to teach different levels. The Cheonjae textbook offers EPIK teachers a planned set of lessons and activities to follow week by week. As any other ESL textbook, Cheonjae offers the basics for EPIK teachers to build on and supplement with more meaningful and authentic ESL lessons. The main lesson planning framework used in the Cheonjae textbook is Presentation-Practice-Production (PPP), which is the basic framework used in Communicative Approach lesson plans. With more advanced levels and older students, Task-based Learning (TBL) lessons can also be found in the Cheonjae textbook.

The answer depends a lot on the lesson planning skills you learned during your TESOL/TEFL course. The main benefit of using ESL textbooks is that teachers already have the topics, materials, and activities ready for the class. The drawback is that sometimes textbooks become monotonous and fail to provide authentic and meaningful context for students. This results in lack of student attention, unmet learning objectives, and even indiscipline. EPIK is flexible when it comes to the use of the ESL textbook. English teachers who completed an accredited TESOL/TEFL course are encouraged to supplement the Cheonjae textbook with communicative and task-based activities.

Many NETs who take a gap-year job with EPIK continue teaching abroad for a few years or return to teach in their home country. Those who combine the 120-hour Advanced TESOL/TEFL Certificate course with the 20-hour TEYL specialist course will learn to create lesson plans for adults and young learners using a wide umbrella of CLT approaches, including PPP, ESA, and TBL.

The TESOL certification from OnTESOL is valid for English teaching jobs with EPIK, international schools, and language schools in South Korea and worldwide. NETs who complete the separate 20-hour Practicum are also eligible for English teaching jobs in Canada and the United States.

Free job placement assistance in South Korea.

OnTESOL graduates with a 120-hr certificate and a university degree qualify for free, lifetime job assistance — including EPIK application support, hagwon placement, resume review, and personalized career guidance.

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