Category: TEFL

Which TEFL Course Should I Take to Teach in Korea for EPIK?

Unless you have a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Education OR a teaching license you will need to become TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certified to qualify for the Teach in Korea program. On the EPIK (English Program in Korea) application you will be asked about your TEFL certification, and as you will find out, not all certifications are created equal. Below is what the TEFL part of the EPIK application looks like, and as you can see they will ask you how many of your hours are “in-class” and how many are “online.”

EPIK requires that you take a course of at least 100 hours total, but they HIGHLY prefer that you have some “in-class” hours to list on the application. They are looking for those who have at least 20 hours of “in-class” hours listed on their application. Positions in Seoul and Gyeognam require at least 20 hours and positions in Busan require at least 50 hours.

Those with in-class hours are considered to have stronger applications and are likely to have better chances at acceptance to the program.

This past round, 90% of applicants were asked to make major revisions on their lesson plans which immensely slowed down their application. Many applicants were told that they should wait to make a new lesson plan until after they had completed their TEFL certification to ensure a fun, interactive and well-organized lesson. The reason that EPIK has now put the lesson plans under a microscope is because the local Ministry of Education offices around the country are mostly concentrating on how well a teacher can make a lesson plan when deciding if they want to hire a teacher or not.

It is highly encouraged that you start a TEFL course now if you are even thinking about teaching in Korea so that you have the skills and knowledge to put together an amazing lesson plan! Enter your information here for a guideline of what EPIK is now expecting of lesson plans.

What should you be looking for when signing up for a course? Here are the best options, in order:

1. In-person TEFL course

If you can take a course in-person and not online, this is considered the best kind of TEFL certification by EPIK (and around the world), for many reasons. You will be learning in an actual classroom, instead of behind a computer and you will have actual teaching experience as part of your course. These certifications are typically the strongest and prepare teachers the most for teaching ESL.

You can check out all of Greenheart Travel’s in-country TEFL program destinations here.

These courses are full time, usually for 1 full month abroad, so if you have a full-time job they can be impossible to complete before you go. If that’s the case, your next best option is…

2. Online course with “practicum” or “in-class” hours included

Many online courses have begun to include practicum hours in their certifications, to give their students experience in the classroom or tutoring ESL in person. The majority of your study hours will be online, but you will also tutor or teach for 20 hours during your course. These hours can be done in your hometown (or wherever you live) but must be done as a part of your online course. You will have a supervisor sign off on your hours, and your course will certify you for them.

Greenheart Travel offers an online TEFL course that will certify you for a total of 170 hours, 150 online and 20 in-person. This online course takes 11 weeks and will meet all of the requirements to teach with EPIK and give you the best shot at being accepted if you do a course online.

3. Completely online course

An online course would be considered the least attractive choice when it comes to TEFL courses and will not set you apart from other applicants. More and more provinces are now requiring applicants to have at least 20 in-class hours included in their certification, so not having any hours drastically reduces your marketability and narrows your options for placement preferences. Currently, 20 practicum/in-class hours are needed for Seoul and Gyeongnam and 50 hours are needed for Busan but it’s possible that more provinces will decide to require this as well for this round.

A completely online course also does not prepare you as well as the courses mentioned above, which is something EPIK realizes. We really recommend taking a course with at least some in-person hours, and for this reason, we don’t offer any fully online TEFL certifications.

What are my next steps?

If you want to teach in South Korea, Greenheart Travel will need your proof of a TEFL certification by your assigned application deadline. Please keep in mind that hiring Offices of Education highly prefer applicants with completed TEFL certifications and well-organized lesson plans over those who are still taking the course. Our advice would be to aim to finish your course as soon as possible. Our online course runs 11 weeks, so get started now if you can.

Here are the upcoming dates to qualify you for the program on our 170 hour online + 20 hour practicum course:



July 22, 2024	Open
August 5, 2024	Open
August 16, 2024	Open
September 2, 2024	Open
September 16, 2024	Open
September 30, 2024	Open
October 14, 2024	Open
October 28, 2024	Open
November 11, 2024	Open
November 25, 2024	Open
December 9, 2024	Open
December 23, 2024	Open
January 6, 2025	Open
January 20, 2025	Open
February 3, 2025	Open
February 17, 2025	Open

The best thing you can do to increase your chances of being accepted for this very competitive teaching opportunity in South Korea is to apply early. By focusing on each stage of the application and getting TEFL certified by a reputable program you are on your way to living and working in South Korea!

Photo provided by Jennifer Meunier who taught in Daegu.

August 14, 2024

Eating (and teaching) your way through Prague!

You’re going to Prague for 4 weeks (and possibly staying longer on a job placement with the help of Greenheart Travel) and you’re excited to see the sights! You’ve figured out where you’re staying, gotten all your course books and materials and have paid all the fees. What’s left?

Navigating the culinary culture of course!

With your days full of TEFL training, the last thing you want to think about is what you’re going to go eat and where to get it. Prague is known for its distinct neighborhoods, all filled to the brim with bars and restaurants and to help, we’ve compiled a list of the most common dishes that you should try while living abroad!

Goulash

This traditional dish is for the meat lovers out there! The Czech style of this dish is a thick, stew like dish served with dumplings. This will easily be on any menu you encounter and will fill you up!

Grilled Sausages

Grilled Sausages or grilovane klobasy is just what you’d expect, a grilled sausage on a bread roll. This fast dish can be found in food stalls and restaurants alike. Think of it as the on-the-go food! Be sure to try all the sauces available too!

Dumplings

Dumplings can be found in a number of Czech dishes (please refer back to goulash). It’s the carb of the dish and is perfect for any dipping necessities! You can also find sweet dumplings paired with jams in some eateries! Either way, anything it’s paired with is delicious.

Trdelnik

No meal is complete without dessert and for that, look no further than trdelnik! You can find these fried dough cakes served with ice cream and other various toppings in restaurants or in food stalls on the street.

So now you know, in those off hours when you’re not earning your TEFL certification, you can wander down the street and indulge just like the locals do!

Happy Traveling!

July 17, 2023
Japan TEFL Certification Program in Tokyo: Curious About the Curriculum?
As a Greenheart Traveler getting TEFL certified in Tokyo, you’ll spend 4 weeks in the world-class cultural hub of the city. With some of the best food in the world and a unique balance of modern and ancient traditions, Tokyo is truly a city unlike any other. You may be wondering though, “what will I learn during my 4-week TEFL course?”

Here’s our TEFL Tokyo curriculum at a glance:
- Education Theory
- Language Forms
- Communicative Language Teaching
- Hands-On Experience
We’ll take the student through the history of various TESOL methodologies while comparing each method’s strengths and weaknesses. Fundamental principles of language teaching and learning will be a solid part of this program.
- Grammar Resized
We’ll be solidifying our students’ understanding of grammar (word classes, sentences elements, modals, and conditionals, etc). Students will have a good deal of practice with the International Phonetic Alphabet and suprasegmentals. Nearing the end of the course we’ll have a Language Awareness Test to evaluate our students’ English language performance.
- Students Resized
Our teaching principles emphasize active speaking and listening through communication in the target language. Communicative Language Teaching is a modern and widely practiced form of language teaching that brings personal meaning to its students through learning a new language. We focus on teaching functional English to foreign learners for them to communicate efficiently with native English speakers.
- CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) Resized
Our students will have hands-on experience in teaching adult learners of the English language in a professional tutoring classroom. We will also have on-site teaching practice in kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools, and universities. We aid our students with classroom management, lesson planning, and adapting to different learning styles.

Have questions for a program manager? Email us at travelapplications@greenheart.org!

Read more about the TEFL Japan Program and apply today!
April 18, 2023
6 Reasons Why Traveling Abroad is Important for Young People

In high school and college it is likely that you will receive some kind of encouragement to travel, study or work abroad. It may seem like you have a lot going on so you don’t seriously consider these opportunities or maybe you write them off since you plan on traveling later in life. I would encourage traveling at any age, but the earlier you can learn the lessons travel teaches the better.

When you are young, you are still finding yourself and preparing for your school and career. The skills and experience you gain from traveling abroad can give you life-long personal benefits as well as a leg up in the professional world.

In high school and college you have the luxury of having flexibility since you can study anywhere in the world and have relatively long study breaks. It is a prime time to take advantage of your freedom and youth.

Top 6 reasons to travel abroad while you are young:

1. You’ll Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

As young people most of us have a pretty established comfort zone. At home with mom and dad, in a community that has known you for probably a good part of your life. You have your established, friends, activities, hangouts and possibly jobs. We become comfortable in these daily roles and the idea of breaking out them can be scary and uncomfortable.

The problem is, you learn the most in uncomfortable, unfamiliar situations. In our daily routines, you know how to act and respond to people and your surroundings. Being in a new place, with different people, who hold different values and go about life differently (or not so differently you may find) strips all that familiarity away.

It can be scary, but once you figure out that you can connect with people despite differences, and you can navigate foreign environments, you become a smarter, more competent individual. Embrace the discomfort. Search for it, because it is helping you grow.

Greenheart Travel participant, Danny Scott, with host family in Costa Rica.

2. Traveling Builds Confidence

As you conquer the obstacles of figuring out how to use public transit in a foreign country, or asking for simple things in a grocery store, you are building a confidence and ability to adapt in foreign situations. I remember moving to a country where I spoke little to none of the language.

When I returned home, I moved across the country to a state where I had no family, friends or connections. The prospect of that move may have intimidated me before living abroad, but then I thought to myself, ‘Well, if I can do it abroad in a completely foreign system, I will be just fine in a place where I at least share the language.’

You realize that you CAN do things, despite the obstacles and suddenly the obstacles seem less obstructive and more like welcomed challenges.

Greenheart Travel TEFL student taking in the city of Leon, Nicaragua.

3. You Will Develop Cultural Sensitivity

Being culturally sensitive is key in our globalizing world. It is not enough to say “people from X country are like this.” It is important to look for underlying values that may explain a certain behavior in order to practice cultural sensitivity. A good example is when I was in Spain (especially in the south), where they take a 2-3 hour siesta and lunch in the middle of their work day.

Many people view this cultural norm as the people just being lazy when it really has a lot more to do with the fact that historically Spaniards value family face time. Eating together as a family is more important to them than maximizing work time by scarfing a sandwich down at their desks.

Being aware of cultural values and norms is not only fascinating, but can help us understand international issues and conflicts, or even relate to the cultural norms of a foreign business partner. It is an important skill to be able to shift perspectives and see where someone else is coming from.

Cultural sensitivity will help you with your communication on both business and personal levels.

Greenheart Travel high school student in Spain.

4. You Can Adapt to Globalization

Whether you like it or not, with the internet and social media, we are globalizing quickly. It is not unlikely that you would end up with a job that has you travel for business or take part in conference calls with international business partners. In our globalizing world it is important to be culturally sensitive and it can’t hurt to know a foreign language.

In the business world, having lived abroad can give you a competitive edge. Use the confidence and cultural sensitivity that traveling helps you develop and help it make you successful.

Get work experience teaching English or completing an internship in Thailand.

5. Be Immersed in a Second (or Third) Language

Before I lived abroad I never truly understood the beauty of becoming fluent or even proficient in another language. In the United States we don’t need to know another language, or many would argue that. Once you travel abroad you realize that especially in Europe, almost everyone you meet speaks at least two languages somewhat proficiently.

We in the States have a bit of a disadvantage since geographically we cannot country-hop as easily as Europeans can. This is why traveling, especially for us, is even more important. I would argue that in the globalizing world it really can only benefit you to speak another language. Not to mention, it opens up a whole new world of people you can now connect with and understand that you would never have gotten the chance to get to know had you never learned their language.

Living abroad is really the best way to learn a new language since you are forced to challenge and practice your skills on a daily basis.

Greenheart Travel students perfect their French language schools at our language camp in France.

6. Infinite Opportunities to Network

I have studied and worked abroad and made some incredibly valuable connections. If you are interested in working internationally or even just having a couch to stay on in a country that you love, never underestimate the value of networking wherever you go.

One thing I have learned in my time abroad is that people are generally very friendly and love to talk about their home and culture. This is not always the case, but more than often it is. Making friendships abroad can make this big world seem a little smaller and help you feel more connected wherever you go.

The best advice I can give is to meet as many people on your travels as you can. It will definitely make your time abroad more enjoyable since the locals know best! Plus you never know when these connections will come in handy in the future whether visiting each other for fun or otherwise.

Do you agree or have you traveled abroad as a young person? Share your experience in the comments below!

March 20, 2023
Greenheart Travel Alumni Opportunities
Congratulations, you’re a Greenheart Travel alumni!

Your adventure doesn’t stop here! We can’t wait for you to continue your journey with Greenheart Travel. Now that you’re a part of our alumni family, you have many opportunities to continue your personal and professional development.

The Greenheart Club

The Greenheart Club is our exclusive online community where civic innovators and volunteers can network, gain access to professional development tools, and measure their community impact. Customize your profile, share stories, receive badges and learn from others around the globe, all while logging your volunteer hours. You are required to have a Greenheart Club account to apply for the Odyssey Programs and Greenheart Grants.

Apply for a Greenheart Global Impact Grant (GIG) or Teach-Pair-Share Grant

A Greenheart Global Impact Grant (GIG) is a financial award of up to $1000 given to exemplary members of the Greenheart Club. It provides alumni with the opportunity to create, improve, or maintain a community-focused project abroad or at home. Find more information on the Greenheart Club.

Greenheart’s Teach-Pair-Share grant provides up to $1000 for Greenheart English Teachers to partner with a teacher from their host community on a project that benefits their students and school. For example, the grant can be used to fund a language-immersion event, launch an afterschool program, or build an educational garden. Apply here.

Become a Greenheart Travel Ambassador

The Greenheart Travel Ambassador role is a unique volunteer opportunity for alumni who want to share their international experience, encourage others to travel abroad on a cultural exchange program, and grow their personal network.

By participating as a Greenheart Travel Ambassador, you will:
- Earn internship-like experience customizable to your interests
- Develop advanced marketing, mentoring, and leadership skills
- Expand your personal and professional networks
- Connect with other highly accomplished alumni
- Make connections and work directly with Greenheart Travel staff
- Gain access to professional development resources and special events
What does a Greenheart Travel Ambassador do?

Well, that depends on you! Are you a writer? Get published on our blog! An education major? Present with us in schools! Into marketing? Contribute to our social media and recruiting efforts!

These are just a few of the ways our Ambassadors are involved:
- Mentor new Greenheart Travel participants
- Host a Greenheart Travel meetup in your area
- Give a stellar presentation and inspire your peers
- Join us at a fair or conference to promote travel for a change
We’re happy to answer your questions! Learn more or apply today by emailing travelalumni@greenheart.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

Apply for a Greenheart Odyssey Scholarship Program

At the heart of our mission is the Greenheart Odyssey, a series of five leadership programs providing full-ride scholarships (flights included!) to chosen alumni. All alumni can apply through their Greenheart Club portal following completion of their program abroad.

Junior Greenheart Global Leader’s Conference (Under 18)

Jr. Leaders spend five days in Chicago exploring global leadership. They engage in service, public speaking workshops, cultural exchange, and one-on-one engagement with innovative leaders.

Greenheart Global Leader’s Conference (18+)

Adult Global Leaders spend a week in Washington, D.C. learning how to be advocates for cultural exchange and community development. Business, social justice, and sustainability workshops culminate in a Department of State visit and panelist opportunity.

Greenheart Global Alumni Council

Six all-star alumni are chosen to be Greenheart board members for the year. Council members are empowered by the unique opportunity to come together in-person at the Purpose Summit in Berlin, Germany and in online spaces. They develop initiatives that have an international impact.

Become a Local Coordinator in the USA

Join our team of local coordinators throughout the USA, placing and supporting our high school exchange students and their host families. This is a part-time contract position that is open to alumni 26 years or older, with the opportunity for domestic and international travel to annual conferences.

Fill out an inquiry form here: https://greenheartexchange.org/partner/become-a-local-coordinator/apply/

Host a High School Exchange Student in the USA

Located in the United States? You and your family can open your home to a high school exchange student from another country. You can host a student anywhere from a few weeks to an entire academic year. Volunteer host families provide our young ambassadors a wide range of landscapes, climates, activities, and lifestyles.

Fill out an inquiry form here: https://greenheartexchange.org/host/host-an-exchange-student/apply/
June 30, 2021
5 Reasons You Should Get TEFL Certified This Spring
Teaching English overseas allows travelers to get paid to explore the world. Knowing how to speak English as a second language can provide that extra bump in university applications, lead to future job opportunities, or it might just be a goal to become bilingual. No matter the reason, the awesome thing is that as an English teacher, you have the ability to help them gain this valuable skill!

Why You Should get TEFL Certified

While it is relatively straight-forward, with minimal eligibility requirements to apply for many English teaching positions, it shouldn’t downplay the fact that you are preparing for a paying teaching job that takes at least 4 years of university study to be an educator in a classroom the United States.

Not all teach abroad programs will require a TEFL certification, even if you don’t have a teaching license. Don’t use this as an excuse not to be prepared. Even if you are not required to obtain a TEFL certification, you should, and here’s why.

Although part of your motivation for going abroad should be for fun and personal growth (and there’s nothing wrong with that), you will still be stepping foot into a classroom, with 30-40 pairs of eyes gleaming up at you, and that can be intimidating.

What’s not going to be featured on those inspiring Instagram photos or travel blogs you are following are the additional challenges of:
- misbehaving students
- low-to-no language abilities
- 50 whole minutes to fill of classroom instruction and lesson planning
If you have zero hours of training for this job, it will become glaringly apparent very fast.

To get you motivated to take the important step in preparing for your teaching position, we’ve listed a few more reasons why you should consider getting your TEFL certification.

Students taking a TEFL certification course in Prague.

1. Respect for Your Future Students

When you get wrapped up in the excitement of moving abroad, it’s easy to forget the reason there is such a huge demand for native English teachers worldwide. As an educator in your school, you will have the ability to have a real impact on your students’ lives. You’re being given the amazing opportunity to support yourself while living abroad. Pay back the favor by making sure you’re properly qualified and prepared to improve your students’ English level.

2. Set Yourself Up for Success

Just like you wouldn’t apply for a job you don’t feel prepared to step into, you shouldn’t apply for a teaching job without the proper training.

3. Eliminate Unnecessary Stress

Moving abroad and getting acclimated to a new culture is stressful enough. Don’t create even more stress for yourself by frantically scrambling to learn how to create lessons every Sunday. Teaching is HARD. You earned that day off!

4. You’ll be prepared when your classroom turns into chaos.

Getting a TEFL certification isn’t just about learning how to plan lessons and teach English, it is also a chance to learn tips for classroom management.

5. Make the most of your travels and get TEFL Certified while abroad.

Taking a TEFL course while traveling is a chance to live and experience life in a new country. It’s also a great way to learn about the culture where you plan to teach English and help you bridge the cultural gap in the classroom. You’ll not only be learning how to teach English, you’ll also learn how your students will learn and how you should behave as a foreigner at your school.

The extra training that a quality TEFL certification provides you is paramount to your success in the classroom, but it also opens up a world of opportunities, literally. Having a TEFL certification allows you access to teaching jobs in most countries around the globe, especially if your course offers alumni lifetime job placement services, (like Greenheart Travel’s programs), to help you find a job independent of a structured program.

Most first-time English teachers will stay abroad for a couple years, even if they had only planned for one semester. A TEFL certification will give you the freedom to stay abroad, teach in different countries and be able to give all your students the quality teacher that they deserve.

Have a few questions about how you can get started or which program might be the best fit for your travel goals?
January 6, 2020