Before You Go ~ Read Up

A selection of notes / advice for things to look into / check on / do BEFORE you get on the plane.

~Get Informed~

*Research Korea, the area you will be going to go & if possible, even your school. Try to become acquianted with things. The more knowledge you have, the more comfortable you should feel (both before you leave & when you initially arrive).

*Many hagwon (private school / academy) teachers I have asked for information from suggest not taking a chance on a private school as they can be too hit or miss. They also don't have government regulations meaning they can do more of what they wish. (Yet another reason to read your contract!) Then again, everyone's situation is different & I've heard of just as many people working for hagwon's enjoying their time as I've heard public school teachers being shafted.

I honestly think it can all be hit or miss but I wanted to include this as a point to consider.

*If you're coming with a partner you may want to consider working at different schools so that you aren't living together + working together.

~Helpful Reading~

These are listed with the newest publications first for relevance:

*Frommer's South Korea

By: Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee

Published: May 24th, 2010

*Moon: Living Abroad in South Korea

By: Jonathan Hopfner

Published: December 2009

*Moon South Korea

By: Robert Nilsen

Published: June 1, 2009

* Lonely Planet: Seoul City Guide

By: Martin Robinson & Jason Zahorchak

Published: June 1, 2009

*Rough Guides: Korea

Published: August 2008

*Culture Shock! Korea: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette

By: Sonja Vegdahl & Ben Seunghwa Hur

Published: July 2008

*This is Korea: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Korea

By: Choi, Jungwha & Lim, Hyang-Ok

Published: 2007

*Lonely Planet Korea 7th Ed.

Published 2007

*An ESL Teacher's Handbook For South Korea: What the Recruiter Probably Never Told You

By: Professor Paul R. Friesen

Published: July 7, 2006

*Rough Guides: First Time Asia

Published: March 2006

*Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles

By: Simon Winchester

Published: Orig. 1988 / New Preface 2004

*Korea Calling: The Essential Handbook for Teaching English and Living in South Korea

By: Allegra J. Specht & Jay W. Freeborne

Published: November 1996