Do You Need to Learn Korean to Teach English In Korea

A common question you might have for your company or recruiter before you take a job abroad is do I need to speak the language and the answer is YES, but most companies and recruiters will tell you NO! They are lying just to recruit you and bring you over.

They will tell you the language is not important. 

They will tell you that you are an English teacher and everyone on staff will speak English and many people in the country can speak English. They will tell you the language is not necessary for your life. 

Because you are eager to take work you will accept this answer to be factual and logical and get on a plane to a new a country not knowing the language and this is a deeply unwise decision. 

I think not knowing a countries language can be downright depressing and traumatizing for prolonged periods of time. You are essentially setting yourself up for social isolation, which is not good because humans need friends and a support system especially when they move abroad. 

I do not recommend taking work without a working knowledge of the language, because though you may not need the language for your job, you will need it for every aspect of your life. You will need to speak the local language to go to the hospital, the grocery store, to make friends. 

You might think translators apps can help, but not really. They slow down communication and translation is just not accurate. Translator apps can even make communication issues worse so life abroad is not as simple as downloading a translator app.

You will find that without a working knowledge of the language ordinary life becomes hard. You will become disassociated with the people after prolong periods of not being able to communicate. 

You will find taking taxis to be a downright frustrating and even a scary experience. 

People get easily agitated by foreigners who they cannot communicate with and you will become frustrated by your own inability to communicate with the world around you. 

I think you will be surprised how threatened and lonely you feel when you cannot communicate adequately with the people around you. 

My advice is if you do not know the language think twice before you get on a plane.