Teach English in Korea with the EPIK programme – Tyler’s story

Want to teach English in Korea?

Meet Tyler. She wanted to teach English in Korea, and now, as a new EBC Trinity CertTESOL graduate she has been accepted into the EPIK programme to teach English in Korea. EPIK places are highly competitive.

Read about her success story and how taking the EBC Trinity CertTESOL course, which is accepted and recognised by the British Council, helped her turn her dreams into reality. We wish you all the best, Tyler as you start your new job teaching English in Korea!

What made you decide to take the Trinity CertTESOL course?

I decided to take the Trinity CertTESOL course because I always wanted to teach abroad. And I really never knew how to do that until I found out that teaching English is one of the best ways to do it. So, that’s why I decided to get certified. I wanted to get my certification from EBC because it was compatible with my schedule in the USA. It’s also a very well-recommended course. That’s why I chose to do it–so I can be able to do what I truly want to do. 

So many people have dreams that they keep on the shelf. What made you decide to actually take action and teach English in Korea?

Tyler let’s us know what motivated her to travel and chose to teach English in Korea.

For me, I always knew my whole entire life that I wanted to teach in another country. So I feel like maybe it’s different for most people where they’re like “I just wanna go be in Paris…I love France.” You know, something like that. For me, I was like…this is what I feel like I was made for…so I knew my whole life I was going to go do it. So, when I found out the correct route to go, I took that step.

I had many failures. I would try this one thing to go, and it didn’t work out. I would try another thing, and it didn’t work out. Then when I found–like, okay–teach English. Trinity’s a good course. I’m going to take that. And I made it through that. (Then), I applied for the next thing I was going to do and I got that. And now, I’m going. So like, it’s something I always knew that I wanted to do my whole life. And honestly, if I wasn’t doing it, I don’t know what I’d be doing…so that’s why I chose to do it. 

What advice would you give to someone who is about to take the CertTESOL course?

I think the advice I could give to someone who is about to take the course would be to just remember why you’re doing it. Remember that it’s really beneficial. And I think that that’s proven throughout the course. Because as you’re taking it, you’re just like “Wow, this is–you learn so much. And so, it feels like it’s been very beneficial already towards what you’re doing. So I think if you’re about to apply, do it. Try it. 

How would you say the Trinity CertTESOL course changed your perspective on being a TEFL teacher?

Because it is an intensive course, it allowed me to really see that being a TEFL teacher…is deeper and more important than I think most people give it credit. I think people just think, “Oh you go teach English, you go have fun.” But it depends on the job, of course. With the Trinity CertTESOL, I feel like you’re like…prepared to be able to give a really great English class that’s effective and also very in-tune with your students and their needs. 

What programme are you under now?

I’m going to be in the EPIK programme, which is the English programme in Korea, so I’ll be at a public school there teaching English. I’m excited. 

Why teach English in Korea?

I went to Taiwan when I was younger and I loved working in the schools…I loved being with the kids. And then, I went to Japan and I absolutely loved it and I was like, “Yeah, this is where I want to be.” For some reason, I just loved East Asia. So, I chose to teach English in Korea – because it’s a new place. I was looking at going to Singapore (and) the Philippines… cause I thought that’d be really fun too…but so far, South Korea is where I really felt like was the right place for me.

How was the application process for EPIK to teach English in Korea?

Tyler let’s us know about the EPIK application process for getting a job to teach English in Korea.

It’s pretty long, you write a few essays, and you have to fill out a whole lesson plan, which is a lot. If you don’t know what’s expected of you when you go in there and you really don’t…like you just have to make the whole lesson plan…I went all the way overboard. The EBC programme that we did made me really well-equipped, and I was honestly more equipped than EPIK even expected me to be, so they were like…can you go back a little bit? And I was like “Okay, yeah.” 

It was a lot, but it all worked well, so it was fine. 

For EPIK, I already had two professors write me letters, but I, of course, had the backing of EBC and the Trinity CertTESOL as my certification, which is really important. 

Tyler, on purpose, stereotypes…what’s something that’s helped you really embrace what you know you were born for?

I think we’re all like that because…historically, we’re in one spot and that’s where we stay. And my dad was telling me, “Do I wish that you just stayed here and married some guy and had kids here in the city? Yes. But I’m excited for you too…”

And I was like, “Okay.” So I think we feel a lot of pressure from everybody in the society around us cause most people around us don’t really have that drive to be like, ”Yep, I’m going to go out and do something different.”  So for myself…like I said, I always wanted to do this thing–even when I was little. I had a binder, from when I was like maybe in the fifth grade, talking about how I was going to go to school in Ireland.

For me, I just kind of didn’t really let what other people were doing get to me. And a lot of people were scared of what I was doing. They would even tell me “You’re not going to do that.” And I was just kind of like, “Yeah, I really want to do that.” So I think it really just takes you being like, “Yeah that’s what I’m going to do.”

It’s different. It’s challenging. And a lot of people around me probably don’t understand it, but it’s well worth it. It’s just a different path in life…

What are you looking forward to when you teach English in Korea?

Something I’m looking forward to…living alone–for a while. I know I’ll regret saying that when I get there, but yeah. I think I’ll like living alone and having all that time to just be able to get to know all the people. I really love that the workforce there is pretty collective–like they like to go do stuff together. So, I’m looking forward to that–to being able to meet my co-workers and things. But of course also to be around the kids and to have fun with the kids–I think that’s going to be a lot of fun. So I think those are the biggest things I’m looking forward to.

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