Teaching Tips for a New Term at Chungdahm

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

A new term has started here at CDI, and with that comes new classes with new students. Even though this term will round out two years in Korea for me, the first days of new classes still fill me with a little excitement and anxiety. I just want them to like me, you know? In my time teaching at CDI, I have learned a thing or two about how to start your new term off on the right foot. So whether you're fresh outta training or you're a fellow seasoned teacher, here are some tips to implement in the first few weeks of a new term.

Be clear with your expectations.

CDI's set curriculum gives us teachers a solid structure to lean on -- you have set components of each class with clear methodology as well as a timeframe for each class that's (usually) accurate and helpful. As you become more experienced as a teacher, you'll find ways to improve or modify some of those components, which is a great way to keep the class more dynamic.

Since every teacher will be a little different, your students need to understand what you want from them -- this is one of the biggest questions in their minds during your first classes together. You need to outline your expectations for your classroom clearly. Make sure they know your goals, your rules, and your consequences for breaking said rules. If you do this well, you'll set up your classroom for a great term. 

If students could make the class rules, this is what they would look like.

Don't be afraid to be strict.

Every CDI branch will vary when it comes to discipline, and one thing my particular branch chose to implement was a "yellow card" system. It's essentially a referral, given out for rule infractions. Usually, these are given to kids who speak Korean in the classroom, which at Chungdahm, is a huge no-no since we are trying our best to create an English immersion environment. As a student receives a second, third, or fourth yellow card, their punishment escalates accordingly, from a phone call to their mother to detention.

No matter what you or your school's method of discipline may be, the most important part is following through. When a student breaks a rule, you can't give them another chance, followed by another chance, and then another. When you get a new class, the students are typically spending those first classes getting a read on you. They want to see what the parameters will be for your classroom, so they can then gauge reactions to their bad behavior accordingly. As soon as they realize you mean business, they'll fall into line and class will be more enjoyable for everyone.

Always remember this advice: as a teacher, it's easy to move from strict to fun over the course of a term, but it's really difficult to make the switch from fun to strict. 

But, also remember to have some fun.

At my branch, the first class means no homework check or vocabulary test, so we've got some extra time at the beginning to get to know each other. I love this part of the new term because I feel like it's a chance to show my new class that they don't need to be afraid of me, and that I do have a sense of humor.

My go-to icebreaker game lately has been Two Truths and One Lie. After explaining the rules carefully, stressing that they need to be creative and trick all of us, I give the class time to jot down their three things. The fun part of this is getting the rest of the class to guess the lie. Each student reads their three things and then I lead the class in trying to figure out the lie. It's a great way to get everyone laughing and lighten the first-day-of-class nerves for the students. 

For some of my more advanced classes, I've been having a lot of fun with Would You Rather. We all take turns coming up with ridiculous questions and then each student thinks of their answer. Since these students have higher English skills, I typically also ask them to explain why, stipulating that silly questions can definitely have silly answers, so long as they are well-developed. This went over well with my students, and everyone seemed to enjoy the ridiculousness. 

Get to know your students.

In the first few weeks with a new group of students, I ask them questions constantly. Before class, during group work, during break time, during CTP... I just strike up conversations so I can get to know a little bit more about each student. The one-on-one conversations also make them feel more at ease with you as a teacher, meaning they'll feel more comfortable about expressing opinions or asking a question when they don't understand something. These kids are going to have a billion questions for you, and while you patiently field each and every one of them, feel free to fire questions back at them, too. 

Obviously, this shouldn't stop after the first couple of weeks. So many of CDI's lessons have built-in discussion questions that can lead to some really fun conversations with your classes. I learned a lot about my new Bridge class today because our lesson was about fears and phobias. As soon as I shared some of my own, hands were flying into the air to share stories, most of which were quite funny. 

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What advice would you give to a new teacher? Any sage wisdom to pass along from your time in the classroom? Leave it in the comments below! 

How-To: Teach English in Korea

Quite a while back, I wrote an article for Go! Girl Guides all about getting started with teaching in Korea. And then I totally forgot I wrote it for a few months. Recently, I've had a lot of people asking me questions about how to get a job over here, which made me remember that I wrote about it, and also that I'd totally forgotten to repost the info onto my own blog!

You can read the original entry here, and while you're at it, check out their website! Full of really great information for solo lady travelers all over the world. Definitely a great resource. :)

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Making the decision to move abroad is huge, especially when you also have to make decisions about where you want to work. When looking into teaching in Korea, the number of choices is absolutely overwhelming.

Here’s some basic information to help guide you through this intimidating decision-making process:

First, why should I teach in Korea? Is it really that great? 

Excellent question. “Why Korea?” I still get asked that regularly. For most people, when they hear “Korea,” they think of a) M*A*S*H, b) Kim Jong-Un and the bizarre hermit North Korea, or c) absolutely nothing at all. Korea is often dismissed or overlooked, which is a shame, since it’s an amazingly modern, interesting country with a wonderful culture and incredibly kind people. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that Korea is well on its way to surpassing Japan in fancy technology. Plus, it’s super inexpensive to live there, especially when you compare the cost of living to the salary you’ll make as a teacher. I’m in debt from my student loans, a car loan, credit card payments… etc. Each month, I can send over $1000 home to put towards payments and still have the money to eat out for dinner most nights, go shopping, pay my iPhone bill, and take trips around the country.

So, yes, Korea really is that great.

What do I need to get a job teaching English in Korea?

First, you need to speak English fluently. If it’s your first language, you’re golden. Actually, even if it isn’t your first language but you speak it fluently and with little to no accent, you’ve still got a chance at getting hired.

The second thing you need is that fancy piece of paper that says you graduated from a 4-year university/college with a Bachelor’s degree. Some jobs prefer an English-related degree, but for the most part, it doesn’t matter which degree you earned, simply that you did.

Also: have strong verbal skills. Speaking to a group is an important part of this job, so make sure you can see yourself in that role.

What kinds of teaching jobs are out there?

While you’ll find a variety of English teaching jobs out there, I’m going to cover the two most common types: public school and private English academy. (If you’ve got an MA and/or substantial teaching experience, look into university jobs. I don’t know much about those, so I’m not going to cover it, but I hear it’s a pretty sweet gig.)

What to expect from a public school:

• “Normal” school hours, being something like 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday.
• Larger classes, usually at least 20 kids, many of whom you only see once or twice a week, for about an hour at a time.
• Vacation time generally reflects when the students are in school, meaning public school teachers often have more time off than private academy teachers.
• The big hiring times are geared around the start of the school year in February and then the mid-way point in August.
• It’s likely you will be one of a small number of foreign teachers at your school, if not the only one.
• Check out the following links for information about the big government programs that hire for public schools: EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE.

What to expect from a private academy, or hagwon:

• After school hours, typically starting around 3pm and ending around 10pm, Monday through Friday. Some academies have Saturday classes, so keep an eye out for that too.
• Smaller classes, usually no more than 15 kids.
• Depending on the academy, you might have a different class each hour, or you might have one group of kids for two or three hours.
• Vacation time really varies between academies. Mine only offers 5 unpaid vacation days per year, plus two of the biggest holidays, whereas others cancel classes for every national holiday and offer excellent vacation time.
• Academies don’t have specific hiring periods — it’s pretty much a continuous/monthly thing.
• When looking into academy jobs, recruiting agencies are the popular route. Browse the following recruiting company sites for more information: Aclipse Recruiting, Footprints Recruiting, and Pegasus Recruiting. (All three of these are legit — I got my job through Aclipse and I know people who used Footprings and Pegasus — good experiences all around.)

Okay, you keep mentioning recruiters… Should I use a recruiting agency?

Ah, the big debate. Personally, I liked having a recruiter to guide me through the entire process, making sure my paperwork was in order and that I didn’t miss any deadlines. Other people just branch out on their own, contacting schools directly about a job. It’s really up to you. Overall, nearly everyone I know used a recruiter to find their job and they were happy with the process. Using a recruiter won’t cost you anything — the schools hire and pay them to find teachers, so don’t worry about that part.

Do I need to do a TEFL/CELTA certification course?

It depends on where you want to teach. For public school jobs, it is sometimes a requirement, such as with EPIK. SMOE seems to prefer you have it, whereas GEPIK doesn’t seem to care. When it comes to working for an academy, it could be helpful, and might get you a nice little pay bump, but it’s unlikely it will be required.

How exhaustively should I research a potential job?

Research until your brain can’t handle any more information. I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough. I’ve been lucky with my experience in Korea because my academy has been honest and (so far) hasn’t taken advantage. But it does happen. Doing thorough research won’t necessarily give you an immunity to shady behavior, but it should decrease the chances of having a miserable experience with a stingy school director.

The wonderful Internet is a great resource for you, so use it. Type something like “expat Korea blog” into your search engine of choice and see what pops up. Message bloggers — most of them are super nice and happy to answer questions. As you’re looking into specific schools or areas, look it up! Try to get in contact with a current teacher and ask a million questions.

One resource that I was pointed to by a friend, which is very popular, is Dave’s ESL Cafe. Lots of great information, including a page of job postings and a forum. Though be warned, there are a lot of bitter, grumpy people out there, and an internet forum is just the sounding board they need… Find all the information you can, but use your judgment and take some of it with a grain of salt. When in doubt, keep researching and asking questions.

Above all, remember that if one job doesn’t work out, there are tons of others. These schools need you, and with the right amount of digging, you’re sure to find a school that’s a perfect fit. For more information about this process, leave a comment or check out this GGG post from a couple years ago — it covers some of what I wrote and also goes into depth about what happens once you’ve been offered a job!

Do you have any sage advice to add? An experience worth sharing? Leave a comment below! 

Monthly Photo Recap: August 2013.

I really enjoyed putting together July in photos last month, so I think this is definitely going to be a monthly deal. There's just something fun about sorting through my photos, only choosing a handful (I take a lot of pictures...), and then putting them up with explanations/captions. I already have a lot planned for the months of September and October -- just thinking about sorting through those photos for their respective future entries is exciting. (I am, of course, really looking forward to the actual things the photos will be of -- weekend trip to Muuido, Chuseok trip to Ulleungdo, as well as several visitors! Hi, Mom! And Dinah and Marley!)

So, here's August, in photos. And! One video. :)

August kicked off with my cousin's birthday. Tony was in this part of the world for six weeks, two and a half of which were spent in Japan. His bday fell on the day he was headed to Japan, so the night before, we all did dinner at the delicious apple samgyeopsal spot in the neighborhood and got him a Paris Baguette cake! 

Fact: Some of the best Mexican food is probably made in my apartment. 

Not the best quality (something seems to get lost between Instagram and uploading to Blogger?), but still a great video showing the terrible listening tracks for my iBT TOEFL class. My students can't even handle them, usually because of terrible "accents" and "natural speech," so we spend a lot of time in listening class just laughing. This was during an actual important exam, and we all just cracked up.

It seems like June, July, and August = birthdays for everyone in Korea, so here's another bowling birthday party. This was the night that it dawned on me that I really hate bowling. Like, a lot. 

As I mentioned in last month's photo recap, Corey and I upgraded our kitchen by like 200% by picking up a crockpot AND a convection oven from Costco. I was able to successfully make a delicious apple tart! Can't wait for the weather to cool down so I feel like cooking and baking more. 

"Sailer" Moon, given to me because we "look the same!" 

My cute new fan, which is oh-so necessary to survive the summer heat -- especially my walks to work. Except this Summer Panda character isn't very comforting. "Tomorrow will be like today" isn't what I want to hear when I'm dripping sweat in 1000% humidity. I think Summer Panda might be a bit of a condescending ass.

This is what happens when you show little girls a funny photo app on your phone and let them play. I'm actually pretty impressed. And also a little alarmed at how much this kind of resembles Corey... (Who they've never seen a picture of.)

End of term notes from one of my elementary classes (the same group responsible for the above photo). Sweet girls. I'm bummed I don't have any of them in my classes for the fall term.

Korea celebrated its independence day! I always like it when they put the flags up along the streets. It just looks cool.

When I came back from my vacation in the States, I was bummed to see that I wasn't teaching my school's literature class during the summer term. But! I have it back again! I was pretty excited to get the books for the fall term. I really missed teaching lit! 

Sooo many evenings were spend outside of (one of) our neighborhood's 7/11. There aren't any open container laws in Korea, so convenience stores often have folding tables and plastic chairs set up on the sidewalk outside. It's common to see groups just hanging out at these tables, drinking beer and soju. Since the heat during the day was awful, we took advantage of spending time outside late at night. 

I don't understand a lot of things that happen in Korea. Like this group of yodeling Korean children performing in one of the nearby subway stations. They looked pretty adorable though.

Apparently, some of the packages of my markers for class proclaim that the marker won't dry out for 50 days if left uncapped? One of my students decided that she was going to dry out a marker during class (which is three hours). Imagine a tiny little girl, paying attention to class and doing all her work, but simultaneously blowing on a marker that she's holding in front of her face. Needless to say, she didn't succeed, but she did put in serious effort. At first I thought she was just being silly, but as soon as I saw how determined she was, I let her carry on. The rule being that she still needed to get her classwork done, of course. This was how she handed the marker back to me at the end of class. 

Left on my desk after the first day of class with a new group. This isn't actually from Terry, but from a girl who I'm absolutely certain has a major crush on him. They're insane. Clearly, we're off to an awesome start. -_- It's going to be an... interesting term with that bunch.

That victorious moment when you find Dr Pepper in a random convenience store and you get the very last one.

The subway stations amaze me sometimes -- they're all surprisingly pretty. This is part of the ceiling in Bupyeong Station and even though I've walked through that part of the station a billion times, I'd never noticed this before.

Costco shopping success! Got the essentials: turkey, ham, salami, cheeses, pesto, sour cream, and bagels! When we saw that the bagels were Einstein Bros bagels, we went crazy. Corey and I bought 24. No lie. (Most went into the freezer to save for later, though.) I'm going to be in sandwich heaven for the next week. And bagel heaven for a few weeks.

That's all for August! Lots of posts coming soon... I have Wednesdays off this term, so I'm going to use my free time to marathon tv shows actually be productive, and blogging is on the to-do list.

How-to: Survive the Korean Summer Heat

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

Finally, everyone on the Korean peninsula breathes a sigh of relief: rainy season is over. However, the relief is short lived because with the end of the rain comes the real summer heat. Having grown up in Oklahoma and lived in Texas, I'm no stranger to stifling, humid, triple digit (Fahrenheit, of course) temperatures. The heat in Korea is not quite as intense, but it's still a humid heat, which makes staying inside as much as possible very appealing. But you live in Korea! You don't want to waste your weekends away hiding in the air conditioning! So here are some tips on what you can do to enjoy Korea this summer and still stay cool. 

You can't hide. 

Eat and drink ALL the cold things.

This is absolutely the time for everything cold, and luckily, Korea knows what's up. As you may know, Korea has a certain affinity for coffee shops and dessert cafes. Not only do these cafes have a wide assortment of iced to ice-blended coffees and fruity drinks, but there's also bingsu, aka the best summer treat ever. 

The one is from my favorite of the coffee chains: Angel-in-us. 

Bingsu is like an overachieving snow cone. Instead of just shaved ice and syrup/cream, you get any combination of red bean, ice cream, rice cakes, fruit, whipped cream, cereal... I've seen tons of combinations in the various cafes around Korea. They come in huge bowls, so it's definitely easy to share this with a friend or two. They typically cost around ₩9,000. 

If you're looking for a cold meal to take the edge off the heat, try some naengmyeon, or cold noodles. This dish will typically be a pile of buckwheat noodles, half an egg, some veggies, and broth -- with crushed ice. Yes, ice. This makes your noodles chilled and perfect for slurping back on a hot day. I'll admit, I was highly wary of these when I first saw a friend eating it, but after trying it myself, I'm willing to admit that I was wrong to be so skeptical. 

There are tons of varieties of naengmyeon, so if you've tried one kind and decided you don't like it, don't give up completely -- it took me a couple tries to make up my mind. Pro-tip: make sure your noodles are cut up with scissors before you try to eat it, otherwise you'll be slurping impossibly long noodles and it might make your experience less than pleasant. You can find naengmyeon in most Korean restaurants, and it's typically super cheap. 

Also, a summer can't go by without these being a huge part of your life: 

Ice Cup! How I love you.

You'll find these in every mart -- a pouch of liquid for ₩500, and a sealed cup of ice for another ₩500. They come in a wide variety of flavors, including bubble teas that are a tad pricier, and they're wonderful. Cheap, quick, and refreshing. And did I mention cheap? I've come to look forward to the Ice Cups making their way onto the shelves each summer. It just isn't summer in Korea without them. 

Check out indoor activities.

One of the great dilemmas of the summer is the desire to stay indoors vs. the need to go do things. If you're worried about not taking full advantage of your weekends in Korea because the heat is making you slowly melt, look into spending your time doing indoors activities.

Just look at that big, air-conditioned building.

My go-to is always museums. Korea is full of awesome museums, such as the War Memorial of Korea, pictured above, with its free admission. It really is a well-designed museum, and while somewhat depressing, it's also very informative and interesting. There's also the National Museum of Korea, which is huge and also free! I haven't been yet, but I hear it's great and would take at least a full day to completely explore. 

Right now, there are three really cool art exhibits going on in Seoul: Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Alphonse Mucha, and Paul Gaugin. (Click each name for more information about the exhibits.) 

Admission ranges from ₩12,000-15,000. Also, just a heads up: the Ghibli and Mucha exhibits are in the same place, which is super convenient. All three art exhibits run into September.

Then there's another great fallback: themed cafes. They're everywhere in this country, ranging from dogs and cats to Hello Kitty and Mustoy Dolls. Some allow you to dress up in fancy costumes and pose for photos, whereas others have pools of water filled with fish that eat the dead skin off of your feet.

My favorite: the dog cafe. Just look how happy these children are! Best. Place. Ever.

Sometimes, I've planned an entire day around being in a particular area of Seoul so I can check out a new cafe. They're immensely entertaining, and with all the different themes, you'll definitely find at least one that interests you. For most of these cafes, the "admission" cost is that of a coffee or other drink from their menu, which is usually no more than ₩10,000. For others like the Mustoy Dolls or the dress-up cafes, you can expect to pay more due to the activity you'll be experiencing, in which case a drink is included in the price. 

Embrace the use of fans and umbrellas.

You're probably going to feel silly waving around a brightly colored plastic fan in the middle of the subway. Especially because it seems like 99% of the fans here are covered in cute animals or something K-Pop related. Or, you feel ridiculous walking with an umbrella when the skies are clear and blue, because you're used to the idea that umbrellas are for rain, not sun. (The giant beach ones being the notable exception, of course.) But here's my advice: just swallow your embarrassment and follow the lead of the Koreans. 

"Summer panda: Tommorow will be like today!" Gee, thanks, summer panda. Making me feel real good about this summer heat...

Air circulation is key. Summertime in Korea is kind of like living in a sauna, so even if you initially resist buying a fan, you'll eventually understand its usefulness and cave. Fans can be picked up literally anywhere -- from free ones being given out on the street (printed with an advertisement of some sort), to cheap plastic ones being sold near the registers in stores, or nice, fancy ones sold in touristy areas. So don't worry, if you need a fan, you'll find one easily. And I highly recommend finding one. 

When it comes to the use of umbrellas, that all depends on how sensitive you are to the sun. In Korea, having tan skin isn't considered attractive, so it's common to see Koreans walking under umbrellas when the sun is out. However, even if you don't have an aversion to tanning, you have to appreciate having a portable shade-creator. It really does cut a few degrees off of the temperature by walking in the shade of an umbrella. 

Last, and most obvious: get into water. 

Korea has beaches aplenty, as well as countless islands -- one of the perks of being a peninsula. But for quite a lot of us teachers, we aren't always in a position to pop over to the beach for a day. Even living on the coast in Incheon, the best beaches are at least a couple hours away from where I live, which makes for a long commute to and from the water.

Busan, pre-summer beach season, looking so, so inviting. 

Luckily, while beaches are often ideal, they aren't the only spots where you can cool off. For more swimming spots, check out the pools along the Han River in Seoul. Is a pool too ordinary for your taste? Check out the water sports Korea has to offer, in nearly any place that has a river. I saw some interesting ones near Nami Island, and I've seen tons along the Han River. Tubing, peddle boats, something that looks like water Iron Man... Lots of activities that will cool you down.

I bet these people are feeling nice and cool.

Recently, some of my friends and I have been throwing the idea of a water park around, eyeing either Caribbean Bay or Ocean World. Tickets to the two parks are on the pricier end of things, around ₩60,000-70,000, but for a day splashing around and acting like a kid? I'd say it's probably worth it to go at least once. I know it's definitely on my to-do list. 

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This is just a smattering of options for staying cool without sacrificing your enjoyment of summertime in Korea. I've already knocked a few of these off my list, and as we're facing quite a few more hot weekends, I'm trying to plot what I want to do next. 

Have you tried any of these activities? Do you have any brilliant ideas for staying cool this summer that don't involve refusing to leave your apartment? Leave a comment below! 

Dear Korea, please explain, volume one.

Anywhere in the world, you're bound to see things that just baffle you. I'm talking about the small, mundane things that are just a little off or unexpected. I could easily rattle off a list of things like this from the U.S., and I'm from there -- these things should be somewhat normal to me, and yet they still catch my eye. Being on the other side of the world though? Completely different assortment of perplexing and, as my students say, "strange-ee."

To show you what I mean, here's (the first installment of) a photographic journey through some of the more... unique things from Korea that I just really, really need someone to explain.

This is ice cream. You peel it like a banana. It's kind of like mochi on the outside, with ice cream on the inside, and it's entirely banana flavored. A+ for creativity.

Chew this lady gum while you write with your BIC "For Her" pens.

Because who doesn't want a box of chocolates with Korean men printed on them? For the record: these were "service," or free, from a chocolate vendor when I purchased a ton of the cactus chocolate and stuff to send back to family and friends. Also, let the record show that I was highly disappointed to find that the faces were not edible.

Kakao is the most popular free messaging app in this country, and they have some of the strangest emoticons... Most of the time, the peach looks more like a butt. Also, I spy something racist? 

Stay classy, Korea. 

Underwear bomb? On display at the airport? 

"Blood Diamonds." Nice jacket, bro.

In the winter, walking to work is kind of like ice skating, but the super dangerous kind where you don't have any ice skates and it's awful. The sidewalks aren't cleared here, so all the heavy snowfall just gets packed down until it starts to melt and then freezes again overnight into solid ice! Fun times for all.

This was one of those moments where I felt like the kind ajummas at our local gimbap house were trolling us. The banchan, or free side dishes, are often a little different when we go in there, so I always get excited when there's something I've never had before. When this was placed in front of us, I didn't think twice before trying it, not knowing what it was exactly. Can you guess from the picture? Because it was definitely sliced hotdogs in ketchup. Well played, gimbap house ajummas. Well played.

One of the strangest things in Korea for me is this: the soap on a stick that's in most public bathrooms. It both grosses me out and amuses me. It's so logical, and yet so absurd. 

I love this country, but sometimes... what?

Korea + Travel = Cheap!

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

As someone who grew up in a landlocked state nearly smack in the middle of the U.S., traveling to another state was normal. But going to another country? Too far and too expensive. In fact, while I've traveled all over the U.S., moving to Korea was the first time I'd ever left my home country. Now that I'm here, the novelty of being able to easily country-hop is still so amazing to me. I can't even count the hours I've spent planning the trips I'll be taking someday. Lucky for you, in all of my planning, I've amassed a huge amount of resources. Like, a lot. So get ready to bookmark websites, because it's about to get real with a whole lot of information.

  

1. Travel within Korea

First, let's look at the traveling you can do within Korea itself. While a weekend trip to another country is definitely possible (and easy!), more often than not, you'll be sticking to domestic destinations. 

I promise, it's much easier to navigate than it looks...

Subway - Taking the subway is often the easiest way to get around, but it's somewhat limited in that it only serves its respective metropolitan area. The Seoul Metro system, for example, is amazing -- so efficient, cheap, and sprawling. With the number of attractions within the greater Seoul area, you'll definitely want to take advantage of this cheap means of travel. But if you need to travel farther away, you'll have to utilize some other methods of transport.

KTX/ITX - One step up from the subway are the high-speed trains. These require you to actually purchase a ticket for your particular destination, but really help reduce overall travel time and eliminate the possibility of being stuck in traffic. The trade-off, of course, is the price: a Korea Train Express, or KTX, ticket all the way down to Busan from Seoul is significantly more expensive than a bus ticket. In addition to the KTX is the Intercity Train Express, or ITX, which travels between Seoul and Chuncheon Station. [Note: see this post about Nami Island for a really great excuse to take the ITX for a weekend trip to Chuncheon!]

For more information: Korail's website with KTX time tables and ticket info/prices, as well as this site with some timeframes for the KTX and this one for the ITX.

Buses - Most metropolitan areas will have a central bus terminal, and from there, you'll be able to purchase tickets for farther distances than what you would travel on a regular old city bus. The local terminal here in Incheon has ticketing machines in addition to a ticket box, so picking up a ticket is relatively easy. Also, look into overnight buses -- you'll be traveling/arriving late, but it's an ideal way to make the most of your weekend time, especially since you'll likely be working until 10pm on Friday nights.

For more information: Kobus has a good website that focuses on the express bus system, including schedules, time tables, and booking.

Car rentals - Renting a car in Korea is possible for us foreigners, and as I've been researching getting my Korean drivers license, here's what I've learned. Short-term residents can drive in Korea with an International Drivers License, but long-term residents should exchange their existing license from their home country for a Korean license. (Don't worry, you get it back when you leave the country.) For proof of long-term residence, you'll need to show your Alien Registration Card, or ARC. Depending on where your license is from, you'll be able to skip most (or all!) of the tests.

Why rent a car? In my opinion, it's fantastically easy to get around Korea without a car. However, there are a handful of destinations on my Korea Bucket List that would be better visited with the freedom of a car simply because they're in more remote area. A taxi could drive me there, yes, but it would be much more convenient to have a rental car. Besides, who doesn't like roadtrips?!

For more information: Seoul Metropolitan Government's site outlines both types of licenses, as well as a little info on care rentals. This website also has helpful info.

Flying - If Jeju is your destination, you might want to fly. From the Seoul area, the flight is quick (about an hour) and can be very, very cheap! A couple discount airlines are: EAStar Jet and Jeju Air.

Byeeee, Korea! 

  

2. Travel to other countries

You'll get a week of vacation time as a teacher for Chungdahm, as well as some long holiday weekends, which are all perfect for planning a trip to another country that's conveniently nearby. The first thing you'll be looking into is most likely going to be airfare. (You can, for the record, take a ferry to Japan from Korea's southeastern ports, but I'm going to focus on flying.) While the usual travel sites are handy, I've discovered that local, Asian airlines are much, much cheaper. Here's a rundown of the airlines I've either used or bookmarked for future trips:

• EAStar Jet - In addition to cheap flights to Jeju, you can catch a plane to Japan, Thailand, or Malaysia. I flew with them to Japan last year and it was great.
• Jin Air - Flies to places like Japan, Thailand, Guam, and the Philippines.
• Cebu Pacific Air - Flies all over the place -- Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Hong Kong... the list goes on.
• Air Busan - If you're in the south, check out this airline with flights to Japan, China, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
• China Eastern - As the name suggests, flights to China.
• T'way Air - Flights to Japan and China, as well as some to Jeju.
• Eva - Flies out of both Incheon International and Gimpo to a whole slew of spots in Southeast Asia as well as Taiwan and China. 
• Peach - From Korea to Osaka, cheap and nonstop. 
• Air Asia - They'll take you to tons of popular destinations: Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
  

  

3. Cheap accommodations

Sometimes, staying in a fancy schmancy hotel while traveling is wonderful. You're on vacation, you've got the money, so why not treat yourself? But sometimes, you don't care how luxurious your accommodations will be because all you really need is a place to crash each night before another day of exploring. Whatever your preference, check out these links for information that run the full gamut of accommodations in this corner of the world:

• Hostelworld - I've had huge success with booking through this website. I've only used it for hostels in Seoul and Tokyo so far, but I've been pleased with the user ratings and reviews as well as the overall experience at the hostels. The hostels I've stayed in have been safe, clean, and affordable. 
• Airbnb - This has just recently popped on my radar because of an aunt and uncle who used it on a recent vacation in Europe. Basically, Airbnb allows a host to rent out a room, flat, house, or something bigger to guests because they're out of town/don't use it/etc. So, you're renting a spot for rates cheaper or comparable to a hotel, but with the bonus of the amenities of home. I've heard quite a few glowing reviews of this service from family and friends since I first learned of it, and I'm definitely planning to book through them as soon as possible. How nice would it be to have a private apartment while on vacation?
• Agoda - Basically Hotwire/Priceline/whatever, but the Asia edition. Some great prices on here, so it's definitely worth checking out if you want a regular hotel somewhere. 
• Couchsurfing - I haven't gotten into couchsurfing yet myself, but I have a number of friends who do it all the time and they love it. Free place to crash, new friends to meet, and the chance to get insider information about area from someone who's local.
  

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Of course, the Aclipse blog, which I write for, is another great resource, with tons of entries from years of English teachers, blogging about their various vacations spots like: Jeju, Japan, Thailand, Bali, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. I've always loved to travel, and now that my travel options have exponentially multiplied, I have to say it's one of the amazing benefits of living in this corner of the world.

That, I believe, concludes my attempt to give you all the links. Even with my exhaustive searching, I'm certain I've missed some information, so please, please leave it in the comments below! Lets compile all the resources we can! After all, a five day break for Chuseok is coming up next month...

Do you have any links worth adding? Any feedback on the services/airlines/travel destinations mentioned above? Leave a comment below to add your information to this post!