Xplore South Korea TEFL Program with Guaranteed Placement

Every school is different and most have specific programmes to follow. For my second year in Korea, I found a job by recommendation from a friend. The guidance from the Xplore team was useful at times when I was missing home. I was able to find and start my first job quickly with Xplore.

About three years ago I began my journey with Xplore Asia. I worked with a recruiter for about 6 months before i left to go to South Korea and all throughout the process I was given a lot of help and was basically walked through the process - any necessary documents, things I might have needed among other things while anviating a difficult process. In the end, I was able to spend an amazing year living and working in South Korea where I met a lot of amazing people and experience a lot of new things. It was really my first time living away from home, experinecing real independence... by being thrown in the deep end of living on the other side of the world. One of the best expeirences while there was going Skiining for the first time in Pyeongchang for Christmas. I have also documented my whole experience living there in a small travel sketchbook.

Teaching in South Korea had been my dream for 4 years before coming. My expectations were high, and that made me nervous that it would disappoint me in reality. However, I was not disappointed at all and rather found myself coming to experience things I never expected. I was placed in a small city called Jecheon in Chungcheongbuk-do. I found myself falling in love with the people in the city and the nature that surrounded it, and I ended up staying for the last 3 years. While teaching in Korea has had its ups and downs, I have never regretted coming and have contemplated staying here forever. I have made amazing friends, I have great coworkers and a great boss, and I have found a church that has been willing to go above and beyond for me by translating the service into English so that I may understand. I believe that to have a good experience in Korea, you have to put yourself out there and find people to connect with. This can be difficult for many, but it will help you combat loneliness. Being so far from everything you know, loneliness can creep up on you and tug you into despair, and therefore, creating relationships with people in your city is so important. I had a health scare earlier this year, and going to the hospital felt daunting as I knew very little Korean and the hospital staff knew little English. Thankfully, I had a community of friends who were eager to support and help me during that difficult time. I think it's very important to stay open-minded to new experiences. Korea is filled with culture shocks for foreigners, but it's important you learn to live with them and potentially embrace them. One culture shock I experienced was that many Korean homes do not have ovens, which is a staple appliance in my home country. I had to learn how to make meals only using a stove or an air fryer. Most of cooking knowledge relied on ovens, so it was a slightly difficult process learning how to make healthy meals only using a stove. Another culture shock for me was 'sweet tomatoes'. In Korea, you must be very careful when buying tomatoes because you may accidentally buy tomatoes that taste like they have sugar infused in them, and they do not taste good when you are making a salty tomato dish. Overall, it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows, but I loved it here, and I tried to make the most of every moment. I took walks, travelled to new cities, made friends, appreciated every season, tried new foods, and went to concerts. I tried my best to embrace this incredible culture, and I hope for the same happiness for everyone who comes here in the future.