FAQs

If your question isn't answered here, let us know via the Contact page and we'll answer you as soon as possible.

• Questions about the Web site

  Q. What is Hagwons.com? Collapse

  A. Hagwons.com is a listing of hagwons in South Korea, as well as other information an English teacher living in Korea would find useful.

  Q. Who is Hagwons.com for? Collapse

  A. Hagwons.com is intended for teachers looking for a teaching job in South Korea, as well as teachers wanting to share their opinion of their current or former hagwons.

  Q. How does Hagwons.com get this information? Collapse

  A. All information comes from teachers or staff who are living or have lived and worked in hagwons in South Korea.

  Q. How do I know the information on Hagwons.com is honest? Collapse

  A. We have our methods of checking the information. Also, few people will go through the whole process of registering and answering all the questions just to lead others down the wrong path. And even if someone does, we hope it will be obvious. In the foreign teacher community, we help each other. We think that will carry over here.

  Q. Can Hagwons.com vouche for complete accuracy for the information that is submitted for each hagwon? Collapse

  A. The information is only as accurate as what is submitted. If you have any question about a particular school, contact that school directly.
  
  Bear in mind, the information submitted runs the risk of not being accurate for very long. Some things change over night. Some things change over years. But things always change. Be sure to check the date of the submission, as well as to contact the submitter to verify the most up-to-date information.

  Q. Why should I use Hagwons.com when I can get information other places on the Internet? Collapse

  A. Hagwons.com compiles all the information into one easy to navigate site. It's a place where you can quickly and easily compare hagwons that will best match you with a hagwon that will suit both of you best. If you are interested in a particular school, you can contact them. If not, you can continue searching until you find something else. Hagwons.com saves you the trouble of contacting many hagwons, pages and pages of Internet message boards and hours of research time.

  Q. Why should I use Hagwons.com when a recruiter can do all that for me? Collapse

  A. There are two simple reasons:
  1) Hagwons.com is free.
  2) We have no agenda or personal relationships with any hagwon, so the information you get on Hagwons.com will not be biased.

  Q. Why should I submit my hagwon's information to Hagwons.com? Collapse

  A. Think back to when you were a teacher looking for work in South Korea. Do you remember how much research you had to do to find a school? You probably wished there was an easier more efficient way to find work. This is it. Help the new teachers by taking a few minutes to submit your school's information and making their search easier.

  Q. For me, finding a school was fast and easy, so why else should I submit my school's information? Collapse

  A. You're one of the lucky people. If you need other reasons to submit information, consider the following:
  1) It's fast and easy. Everything you need, aside from uploading a few pictures, is just a few dropdown menus and clicks.
  2) You can tell the world how great your school is. You can also post anonymously if you want to warn potential teachers if you're in a situation that's not so good.

  Q. What if I find errors or omissions on Hagwons.com? Like my village or town isn't listed or something is spelled incorrectly? Collapse

  A. Please contact us immediately via the Contact page. Please tell us the nature of the problem and a solution if you have one (spelling correction, town left out, etc), along with any information needed to fix the error (which county your town is in, etc). There are literally thousands of hagwons in South Korea, so we can't get everything right all the time. But we'll try.

  Q. How quickly will the information be visible once it is submitted? Collapse

  A. We will try our best to post information withing 24 hours of upload, if not sooner. This depends on how quickly we review the information.

  Q. During this time, are you checking for errors? Collapse

  A. We are checking to make sure everything looks good and the submission complies with Hagwons.com standards.

  Q. Can anyone submit information about a hagwon, or just present and former teachers? Collapse

  A. Theoretically, anyone can submit information; a present or former teacher or a present or former member of the school's administration. However, we would like to keep the communication on a teacher to teacher basis.

  Q. How does a brand new school one that is about to open its doors and needs teaching staff let potential teachers know about the Collapse

  A. While all schools will be responsible for handling their own promotions and marketing, feel free to post information about a new school in the New Hagwon section of our message boards.
  
  NOTE: New hagwons can submit their information on the submit page, but should not rate or rank it.

  Q. I found an English institution in Korea that is not a Hagwon. Can I submit that information to Hagwons.com? If so, how? Collapse

  A. There are places to learn English in South Korea that are not hagwons. If you have worked for one and want to submit information, please select the appropriate drop down on the Submit page.

  Q. I know of some people who are looking for English teachers to come and teach private lessons. Can I post their contact informat Collapse

  A. Because teaching private lessons in Korea is largely illegal, we will not post or link to people looking for private tutors. We don't want to (and won't) be responsible for someone else breaking the law.

  Q. How do I know if a teaching position is still available? Collapse

  A. 1) Check the "Next teaching job available" date on the Stat Sheet.
  If that date has passed or approaching, that position may be filled.
  
  2) Contact the hagwon directly.
  One quick E-mail will let you know their teaching situation. All you need to write is, "Hello, I'm interested in teaching at your hagwon. What is your teaching situation?"

  Q. Do I have to register as a user to search the database? Collapse

  A. No, but you do have to register to submit a hagwon, post on the message boards and be more interactive within the community.

• Submitting information

  Q. Whay isn't my submission showing up on Hagwons.com? Collapse

  A. There may be a system error, or we may not have gotten around to checking the information yet. If you have questions, E-mail us.

  Q. Oops! I made an error with my submission! How can I change it? Collapse

  A. You'll have TWO WEEKS after you submit a hagwon to edit your submission. If you want to make any changes after that, please contact us.
  
  To contact us, either E-mail us at Contact@hagwons.com, or contact us via the Contact page.
  
  Through both methods of contact, please include the following:
  
  - Your User Name
  - The E-mail address you used when you joined Hagwons.com
  - The name of the hagwon we need to edit
  - Any and all information we need to edit your submission
  
  We will return your E-mail for verification purposes. You will then need to reply to the E-mail before we will make any changes.
  
  NOTE: We may not be able to make all edits using this method, depending on how old the submission is.
  
  For example, if you submitted a month ago and saw an error, we'll probably be able to correct it. If you submitted two years ago, it may just be best for another teacher at that hagwon to make a new submission.

  Q. I have less than stellar things to say about my hagwon and I know my boss will be checking the site. Can I post anonymously? Collapse

  A. Because you need to register at Hagwons.com to post, be sure your Username is anonymous or does not describe you, your interests or your home city, town or country.
  
  For example, if you're a guy who is a photographer from New York, NYCPhotoDude would probably not be a good name if you're trying to remain anonymous.
  
  If you're a girl from Canada who likes to ski, the username CanuckSkiChick just might give you away.
  
  So be smart about your username if you want to leave a not-so-great review of your hagwon.

  Q. Why were my comments in the Teacher's Opinion section edited or deleted?/Why do you edit or delete comments? Collapse

  A. Due to slander and libel laws in South Korea, we have to keep a close eye on what is posted on our site. If something is overly negative, we could be sued or held accountable for the postings of our users. Therefore, it make more sense to edit or delete certain posts or comments than to risk legal trouble.

  Q. Is Hagwons.com an Korean company? Collapse

  A. No, but we still want to avoid problems and the opportunity for legal issues.

  Q. My hagwon was really bad and I want to warn other teachers. If I can't comment negatively, other people might work here. Collapse

  A. The following is the best course of action:
  1) Read the note about preparing what you need before you begin the submitting process. Be sure to have all necessary information.
  2) Submit all information honestly, but please be objective. For the questions "Did you get paid on time?", "Was the staff cooperative?" and other similar queries you can select "No."
  3) Give the lowest rating.
  4) Do not leave your name, home town or country information.
  5) Do not leave specific information about when you worked for this hagwon.
  6) In the comment section, leave only this note:
  
  "You may want to consider seeking employment at another hagwon."
  
  Hopefully someone will see the low rating and the note and figure out for themselves that they don't want to work at that hagwon.
  
  7) Let it go.
  
  For more information, please read, "Leaving a bad review? Read this first."

  Q. Can I suggest a question to be added to the Submit page? Collapse

  A. Sure! Visit the Contact page and tell us your idea.

  Q. Why are there so many questions on the Submit page? Collapse

  A. We want to give potential teachers as much information as possible in order to create as smooth a transition as possible from their home country to becoming an English teacher in South Korea. The more they know before they leave home, the better they can prepare and the less anxious they will be when they arrive. The less anxious they are upon arrival in South Korea, the more eager they will be to start teaching and enjoying themselves and their time in the Land of the Morning Calm.

  Q. Do I need to fill out all the forms and answer all the questions? Collapse

  A. To help new teachers, we appreciate if you would answer all the questions.

  Q. What do I need to have before I submit information? Collapse

  A. We have assembled a list of information to gather here. There's a Printer-Friendly option so you can print up the list and check off things as you go.