ScottyC

I am 23 years old from the United States and I'm about to venture abroad for 1 year to teach English. I am torn between Beijing or Seoul. Both great cities with much to offer. I am open to new experiences and can't decide which city to live in.

I know I will be happy in either city. I need feedback!

So the question is basically, where would you rather live for 1 year?
All around I am looking for.
Food
Night life
People
Sight seeing
etc, anything you can think of!
I want the best experience!
(I do understand that the language barrier is more difficult in China...Rossetta Stone could help with that)
Also, I will be traveling as well, meaning China is larger and you can see more in china alone than in S Korea. Also, when I fly out of China I think flights would be cheaper since Beijing is more Int'l.

Thanks for your help & guidance!

ekscrunchy

I would choose Beijing. But I base my decision only on about a week in each place, so I am not the best judge! The language barrier will be great in both places. I think it will be a fabulous experience in either place.

Food-Beijing
Nightlife-I don't know
Sightseeing- Beijing

I am not sure that Beijing is more international; not sure what that really means..

DeniseLMA

Hi Scotty,

I can't help with whether Seoul or Beijing being best. I just wanted to tell you that my daughter teaches English in Japan. She's been there for about a year and a half. I know she has friends that have taught in S Korea and really liked it.

Have a great experience!

Kathie

How is your breathing? Beijing is notorious for its air pollution. That wouldn't keep me from a week long visit, but I'd sure think carefully about it if I was going to live there for a year.

Mandilulur

My nephew is teaching English in Korea and loves it!

pat

I was also going to mention the pollution in Beijing. I don`t know about pollution in Seoul, as I haven`t been there, but I would avoid Beijing for that reason.

Mary2Go

My son has been teaching in Gwangju Korea for the last two and a half years. Have you visited Dave's ESL Cafe?
http://www.eslcafe.com/

There is a ton of information there. My son had to make the same decision that you face. One of the things that made him choose Korea over China was that he felt that overall the chances of getting taken advantage of was lower in Korea than in China. I am not sure if that has changed much in the last few years. Make sure you try to check out the employer as thoroughly as possible as there are many instances of the employer not paying promised bonuses and return airfare etc. This is true in Korea too but he felt it was to a lesser extent.

The city that my son lives in is the sixth largest city in So. Korea and there is a downtown area with some nightlife, but nothing compared to Seoul. We visited there and it is a huge cosmopolitan city with everything that you would expect.

The food is good especially if you like spicy food and garlic! Like any large international city you can find pretty much any type cuisine you want. There is a coffee place on every corner just like in the US.

Seoul has lots of nightlife and cultural events. There is a great subway and public transportation system. The countryside is very pretty and there are temples and historic sites but much of the historical buildings have been destroyed by wars through the years. My son has travelled quite a bit within Korea and has made one trip to Shanghai and one trip to Japan. I don't think airfare is cheap in either place.

My son's experiences have been a little different because he is not in Seoul. Even though he is in a huge city, there are very few foreigners there and he had a hard time adjusting to being "on display" all of the time. He is 6' 2" with blond curly hair so he stood out in a crowd. We visited both places and never felt like we were being stared at in Seoul but in Gwangju it was a little odd being openly gawked at. The people are very friendly and my son has made some great friends...also a Korean girlfriend.

My son has been studying Korean language and has become pretty fluent. It is much easier to learn the Korean alphabet and read signs etc than it is to learn Chinese. He has become so interested in the language and the area that he is planning on coming home and going to Grad school for International Studies. I think it is a great opportunity to experience another culture and see the world. With the job market here so crappy it kinda makes sense!

Have you taken the classes to get your certificate? I assume you have a bachelor's degree? I don't think the requirements in some of the Chinese schools are as stringent as the schools in Korea. Good luck with what ever you choose! Try to learn as much of the language as you can wherever you go because you will get more out of your stay and bring another job skill back with you when you return!

hester

My son also teaches English in South Korea. He teaches in a public school in Incheon. This is his second time teaching there. He taught for a year and came home for year and now is back in South Korea.

When he went to Korea the first time he could not speak any Korean and he did just fine. Everyone he worked with was very helpful. He worked at a Hagwon (private school) the first time that was in Masan. He really liked Masan. He had some of the same experiences as Mary’s son. He was like a rock star, everyone would wave at him and say hello whenever they saw him. The Hagwon tried to make him work a lot of extra hours without extra pay and he had some trouble with them in getting all his final pay. But it all worked out in the end.

He likes the public school he works at in Incheon now; he is just not crazy about the Incheon-Seoul area. He is coming home when his contract is over for graduate school but his plans are going back when he gets his graduate degree and this time live in Busan. He also has a long time Korean girlfriend who we just love.

There is a big expatriate community in the Incheon/Seoul area and they meet often. My son has made good friends from all over the world.

He has traveled to Taiwan and Japan and all over the country of South Korea. He loves to surf and goes to Busan to surf. The experience has been wonderful for him and it even got him a TA job when he goes to graduate school that pays his tuition and a small stipend to live on.

We are actually off to Incheon on Wednesday to have a visit with our son. Good luck with your decision!

Mary2Go

Hester,

I thought you might chime in here!

Have a good trip! We were there this time last year and enjoyed the trip. I am sure it will be great to see your son. What will your son be studying in grad school? How do you feel about him returning to Korea after grad school?

Sorry Scotty, ...you know how moms are!

ekscrunchy

Yes, there is terrible air pollution in Seoul as well. When I was there the tv was broadcasting alerts about the Yellow Wind and telling people to stay inside as much as possible. Seoul is not that far from Beijing..

I think both would be great experiences.

carylspall

Our son went to Yanyai(China) to teach English as a volunteer almost 4 years ago and now has a full time paid job. He loves it very much there and we are off to visit him next month. He now speaks Chinese very well and has a wide circle of friends. We are invited to his friend's wedding while we are visiting(can't wait).
He is very happy and loves Yantai which of course is a lot smaller than Beijing but is still a city.!
He actually teaches Korean children.
He is 29 yrs old now.
Good luck!

tower

scotty....my oldest grandson taught at an Auburn University-sponsored college in Central China (Zhengzhou)...enjoyed it, and it motivated him to get his master's degree and a teaching credential when he came back to the states. He now teaches world history and English (coaches basketball) at an International Prep School in Brazil (a petro-dollar school). He'll be home for a long weekend for his sister's wedding in three weeks...can't wait to see him! He credits the year in China for giving him the impetus to forge on with his studies, and stay in teaching. The faculty at the school is primarily Canadian and American as the language of choice is English, followed by Portuguese.

My choice would be Beijing...but if you van get a position in the procinces, so much the better. I've traveled in both rural and urban China....and prefer the smaller towns.

stu t.

amarie977

Hi I am new here I am wondering if I could take my son to Korea for a year (with me)while I teach english...?
What kind of visa would I need? Is it even possible?

Mary2Go

Try this website http://www.eslcafe.com/

It is a great resource for anything ESL. I don't have any personal knowledge of taking a child to Korea but I do remember seeing a tv show where a couple was going to try taking their child and one of the drawbacks that was the cost to send the child to an English school.

My son is on his 3rd one year contract and each time his studio apartment has been included in the deal. They have all been fine for a single person but it wouldn't work with a child.

Good luck!

Vientianeboy

I am surprised no one has asked about qualifications. Certainly not every English speaker can teach English. Do you have a degree? Do you have ESL qualifications.
Without a degree, getting a job in Korea will be nigh on impossible. You might land one in China, but it will be a low paid position, and the really will want a minimum of an ESL.
Korea pays more, but from friends who have taught in China, teaching there can be very rewarding.
Do you already have a position lined up? It is FAR better to secure a position from your home country before you go. Check your contract carefully.

dthanon

I think it's depend on what you like. If you like to see real asia. Beijing has the root of Asian culture somehow. If you like to see modren (like where you come from) Seoul will make you feel like home. Is not I don't like Seoul. I do like both cities.

tlangenbach

WE recently lived in Seoul for two years and I agree with the posters that Seoul is a very modern, clean city with loads of expats. Our family had not trouble getting around, everything is in English and so many people speak English. The airport is excellent and it is quite easy to catch a flight to China, Thailand or Japan (all places we visited while there). Transportation is easy, food is pretty good, and the shopping is very good (though not as good as China). Having also lived in Japan, I found Seoul to be more like a large American city, missing that "exotic" appeal that I felt in Tokyo or Beijing. I also taught English in Japan and Seoul and enjoyed both immensely - If it was my son going to teach for a year I would recommend Seoul because of the support network available. The embassy is excellent, English speakers are everywhere and it is quite safe. You can still visit China, and other asian countries while there. What an exciting time for you - good luck.

deedee4u2

Is anyone familiar with the school KidsCollege in S. Korea? I am an American woman who was offered a job to teach English for one year. I wanted to know if anybodys' heard of this school before and wanted to know if they have, what their experiences are? I've read some previous posts of parents whose children went to teach at some of these schools; only to get slow pay or fired and not be able to get sent a ticket back home to the states.

What is a "fair wage" and what are the daily responsiblities of this job, besides the obvious.

Some of the other basic questions are: Food can I find american? Can I use my cell phone? Would I be able to charge it there? What about prescription meds? Are there any special immunizations before I travel there?

tlangenbach

I lived in Seoul and have not heard of KidsCollege - is it in Seoul? You have to be careful. Remember that you do not have any type of diplomatic immunity and I do know of people who had bad experiences like you mentioned. Try to find someone who is currently teaching there before you go. Often they want you to work 6 or 7 days a week, as Korean kids go to school 6 days. Also, the food will be different. In Seoul, you may have a chance to find some american products ( I did not look as I had the base) but not much. There is a huge black market demand for simple things like hot dogs and spam. As for the cell phone, no you cannot use your american phone as they operate on a different system in other countries. We found even as diplomats the process of buying and registering a cell phone to be hugely difficult. We had to buy used phones and get new sim cards. Many times they broke - not sure why but there is a huge restriction on phones sold/leased to foreigners. The only immunizations recommended by the embassy were for meningitis, which we got, and there is a problem with TB. It is everywhere, so you will have to test often. Seems like you need lots more information before you make a decision. good luck.

hatsukoi

I don't have any personal experiences, but I have several friends that either have or are currently teaching abroad in Asia (Taiwan, Japan, Korea)...

My friends that have taught in Korea have had good experiences overall... they recommend going through EPIK. I'm not sure if you've heard of them, but I can ask for more info if you'd like.