Expectations

Smoking
Teachers are strictly abstained from smoking within the school premises. Respectable females in Korean society do not indulge in smoking and the act also creates a negative impression of the individual, especially for a teaching professional who is a lady. This might also have an adverse effect on the prospective teacher’s career in South Korea. However, it is not a taboo to smoke in public, if the smoker is ready to face the consequences.

Alcohol
Intake of alcohol has to be beyond school hours; exceptions being parties or activities sponsored by school on school grounds. Teachers are subject to dismissal if found untimely intoxicated/ under the influence of alcohol within the periphery of the school. However, outside school, consumption of alcohol is allowed. The same stigma is attached to females who drink excessively as is for smoking.

Drugs
Narcotics and use of illegal drugs not only promises to damage the career of an ESL teacher in South Korea, but also is a prosecutable activity under Korean law. The laws are strict and penalties are crushing for use and trafficking of illegal drugs in the country. The ESL teacher certified by ATI and teaching in South Korea by choice is expected to be responsible and sensible enough to comprehend and accordingly respect South Korean laws and regulations.

Sexual Harassment and maltreatment
Making sexual advances towards or entering into relationships with the students or co-teachers at school is strictly prohibited and offenders may even have to face fine and detention.

Korean Culture
Korea is a land of strict Confucian hierarchy and etiquette. Buddhism has greatly influenced Korean society, culture, and the arts. South Korean cultural etiquettes may sometimes appear unusual to visitors. However, a handful of tips could acquaint visitors with these otherwise strange practices. Korea has always proved to be a foreigner friendly place where all the tourists are taken into its arms and adopted like they are family. There is no dearth of intimacy and affection in South Korea. Koreans are quite passionate about their cultural heritage and expect similar conduct from the foreign teachers. Therefore, absorbing and adapting to Korean culture and customs, respecting rites and beliefs, at least superficially is considered to be a healthy effort that can augment one’s teaching career in South Korea.

Korean society places a high value on the multi-generational family, respect for elders, and education. Located between two Asian super powers, the land is as generous as its people, whose zest for life is reflected in their culture and traditions. In some ways Korean culture is a pleasant blend between Japanese simplicity and Chinese ornate ness .As a mark of respect Koreans usually take off their shoes before entering someone's home, temple. Public displays of affection between man and woman are not permissible. Almost all South Korean Villages have a headman who is considered as the guardian of that village, holds the most respectable position in the society. Koreans place a high value on formality. This is reflected in the different levels of speech used to address people of a different age or rank. Individuals of a higher rank or older age are treated with more reverence than individuals of a lower rank or younger age.
When first meeting a Korean, he or she may ask you questions that you may find to be very personal such as your age, family background, etc. This is not considered to be an invasion of privacy or an act of disrespect. The purpose of these questions is to establish your age and rank in order to determine how to address you with the correct level of formality. It is also done to get to know you better. Koreans want to know your family background because they believe it reveals a lot about a person’s character. Knowing the family background of an individual can give them clues about how the individual was raised and what kind of values he or she holds.

Public expression of anger or agitation and indulgence in violence and confrontation is bound to earn aversion for a foreigner in South Korea. Aggressive and abrasive mode of communication is detested in South Korea. It is thoroughly recommended for all native English speakers to temporarily mould one’s conduct towards politeness, till the time they chose to live in South Korea. It is always wise to discuss individual problems and dissatisfactions with ATI, rather than exploding in public. A calm, friendly, understanding, patient and smiling person will achieve far greater things in Korea than someone who is hot-headed or quick-tempered. Expressing anger will only be aggravating the worse.

Health / Illness
Adapting to a new climate, culture, food habit and way of life is always strenuous for a visitor to a new country. Thus, it is not unusual to bear the brunt by falling ill, initially. Understandably, travelers/health insurance for at least 1 month is a must-buy for those teachers traveling to Thailand to do the TESOL program. However, health care is cheap and of high standard in Thailand. Medication and doctor visits are amazingly inexpensive. Providers of Health Insurance in Thailand are companies like BUPA or AIA.

Our ESL teachers in South Korea are eligible for paid sick leave if an illness or injury prevents him/her from performing the duties under this contract, provided, however, that he/she obtains Employer’s prior consent. When Employee takes a sick leave for more than seven consecutive days (inclusive of a National Holiday, Saturday and Sunday), teachers are required to submit a medical doctor’s report to Employer.
Teacher’s paid sick leave during the Term of Employment shall not exceed fifteen calendar days. If teacher requires a sick leave for more than fifteen calendar days, Employee may take a longer sick leave without pay. Employee’s sick leave is limited to thirty calendar days in total including paid and unpaid leave.

Teachers may sometimes need to adjust their free periods in compensating the absence of an individual teacher. A foreign ESL teacher might as well need to substitute in their free periods. Certain contracts often hold the clause of paying for overtime. This system of substitution is applicable for all teachers in time of emergency.

Extra Curricular Activities
Regular school hours and schedules or beyond often accommodate extra curricular activities/ parties/ special days and celebrations which are good opportunities to mingle with the students and the teaching and non-teaching staffs of the school. Such activities would also present a foreign teacher to the community as they attend staff parties, field trips, weddings, dinner invitations etc. It is definitely an affirmative move from the side of the foreign ESL teacher if they participate in some of these activities.

Discrepancies
If any discrepancies arise between what the school asks the TESOL-trained teacher to do and the contract the ESL teacher have with ATI should be reported to the ATI Coordinator. Often times these discrepancies result from a communication error. By allowing the school and ATI to discuss the matter, it is hoped, and been proven, that most of these issues can be resolved much easier, faster and with less cultural tensions than if the teacher attempt to resolve them alone. Often these schools want their ESL teacher to do many extra little things because they want to take advantage of the fact that they finally have a foreigner working at their school. If you don’t mind doing a few extra little things… great, AND this is the best way to get involved and score extra PAID work after school hours. The more involved you are, the more liked you will be and the more people you will meet, thus more opportunities will arise. However, we all need our own time and you will need to know when to say “Sorry, I can’t do that”.