Hi Jessica. Great to hear from you. Are you on facebook or have an email address? My email address is rlmackie06@hotmail.com. I am happy to answer any questions you have. When are you coming out here? Where are you from? Geochang is a small town but it's definitely not rural so don't worry! There is a good community of foreign teachers here too. Daegu is an hour a way by bus but it's not a bad journey :)

Hi my name is jessica and i will be going to geochang soon. i have so many questions. Is it real rural and is there things to do there? How far is it to the nearest city? Is the teaching real demanding? im going to be teaching middle school. Im excited but everyone was like its so far from the city, but i was in the same position as you. Im just thankful i get to get the teaching experience :)

I hear stories how the first few weeks are stressful, I guess that's any 'new' job and getting settled. It sounds like S.A. is more competitive, it has it's more vacation like existance, and combine that with a 'relatively' smaller number of positions compared to Asia may be why they can ask for more experience? Mind you that is me just generalizing... it seems that there is more money to be made in Asia, especially if you stay a few years (ie. get some seniority/experience)  ...and the money thing... I will have to convert that, send me a private message how much you make! (haha) I know Cdn which = US these days, but I will have to go to oxfordseminars to connvert that now!  not that I plan to make anything in the first year, it's all about experience, practice, building the resume, contacts, etc...  but it would be nice if one landed a good gig...  and something tells me there is a lot more 'flexibility' as you mention if one knows where to look and what to ask for, as far as negotiating goes...

I also want to go to South America but I chose South Korea because you didn't need any experience and the school pays for the accommodation. I had also heard a lot of good things about South East Asia. Originally I wanted to go to Vietnam but I didn't feel like their English programme was as well structured as South Korea. I am hoping to go to South America after I finish here. As for the language it is pretty intimidating but I'm already picking up words. If you are determined to learn it you will be able to. 

Haha that's what I'm aiming for! Nearly 1 month down.

I have to pay around 2,200 each time at my other school Unyang so I worked out it was the same as paying 30,000 at Arim. They didn't actually make me pay at Arim so it's all good. 

good question, I am torn between South America or going to Asia... one is just south of me, and I would like to learn the language, so I think Spanish would be easier, but then I think the long term advantage would be in Asia, as I see the economies and the market growing out there in the coming years and I plan on doing this for a few years out...  but how to learn the Asian language... just the thought of it... (yikes!) then again maybe I am thinkin' too far out...  just to get ANY position and survive the first 6 months should be a worthy goal!  btw - did you figure out if you were paying too much for your lunches? 

Hi Sigma. Thanks for your comments! I still don't have a clue what I'm doing 4 weeks in so I wouldn't worry about trying to learn it all. Are you doing the online course? Where are you hoping to teach? Rebecca

great stories Mackie, so many things to learn ... I think I need to learn more games and lesson planning stuff... which all my upcoming mods will be focusing on...  here goes...   keep up these excellent posts... thanks

Your posts make for excellent reading! I'm near finished the 140 hour course myself and find it a bit daunting to just apply for somewhere...go there...and start teaching even though I have no experience haha!

I would advise you to get on as man trips as you can when you get here. I met some great people by going on trips - adventurekorea.com is the one I went with, and even if you don't live near each other you can always meet up again in Seoul.

On my last trip I met a woman called Angela Hur, great lady and she is the program co-ordinator for the TALK program which places teachers in Korea. Their website is www.talk.go.kr. It might be worth looking at that. 

I came here with ASK-Now.com. They were great at taking me through step by step to get here and have a job though a little lacking in support with the issues I've had with my Hagwon. As far as I know you shouldn't have to send your documents until you've been offered a job and then it goes through visa applications with your signed contract so I'm not sure why they want you to send your documents now.

Talking to people here most of the agencies are alike so I'm not sure it matters which one you choose as long as you feel like they're working for you rather than for the schools. 

On a side note beware the hagwon. Make sure you speak to an Foreign teacher who is working there and ask what the director is like, whether they get paid on time, whether they are gaining students or losing students, how many foreign teachers are working at the school etc. There are good and bad hagwons, just ask lots of questions.

Hope that helps and I haven't scared you. I actually do like living here and am really glad I came. Message me if you have any more questions.

Nicola