How to choose a language school in Korea?
I am an American High School graduate who is interested in Korean language schools in Seoul. There are so many schools and universities to choose from. Can you guide me on how to choose which korean language school is right for me?Asked by: Matthew, 185 days, 22 hours, and 50 minutes ago
Answer:
Thanks for your question! I can’t speak for all language schools but I can tell you more about language schools in Seoul and Korea in general and the schools we are in touch with in particular.
Korean courses at private language schools vs universities
In Korea, you can either study Korean at private language schools such as LTL and Lexis or at Korean universities, e.g. Konkuk University. There are pros and cons to both types of school. Put simply, universities are the best option for long term courses (20+ weeks), while private Korean language schools are better for shorter language courses.
When you study Korean at a Korean university, you can get a student visa for courses that are 20 weeks or longer. With a student visa, you can stay in Korea for the duration of your studies and after six months you have the right to work part-time with your school's consent. If you study at private language schools, you have to come on visa waiver or a tourist visa. Then you can usually stay for a maximum of 90 days, then you have to travel out of the country and come back again. Alternatively students of some nationalities can apply for a Working Holiday visa to Korea which is valid for one year and can be obtained once in a lifetime.
Another advantage of studying Korean at university is that the cost per study week is lower than at private language schools. The downside to universities is that they only have start dates four times a year and courses are given in 10-week terms, so their dates may not suit you. Private language schools are much more flexible, you can often start every Monday and choose how many weeks you want to study.
Private language schools usually have smaller classes than universities, classes are more fun, and you can get more support. The private schools also arrange more extracurricular activities than the universities, but on the other hand, their campuses are significantly smaller. Private Korean language schools also often offer more housing options than the universities.
Our partner language schools in Korea
Konkuk University is the university that we currently collaborate with in Seoul. Like all Korean universities, their language courses have 4 lessons per day on weekdays (20 lessons a week). Their teaching includes a good balance between spoken and written language, in contrast to some big name universities who focus almost exclusively only on grammar and writing. We have worked with Konkuk for many years and have helped many students to study there with good reviews. Konkuk has a good location with its own subway station on the green circle line. The university is located in Seongdong-gu, an Instagram-friendly area that has become very popular in recent years.
Lexis Korea was the first "real" language school to open in Korea. They were also the first private Korean language school to be approved by CSN in Sweden. The school is located in the heart of Gangnam, close to the subway station of the same name. They also have a campus in Busan so you can combine both destinations. Choose between 15 or 25 lessons a week. Lexis har run language schools in Australia for many years and are a respected name in the language travel industry. Their schools in Korea organize many fun activities every week.
LTL Korean School Seoul probably has the best location of all the language schools in Seoul. They are located in trendy Hongdae with great nightlife, close to Hongik University. LTL has smaller classes than most other language schools, the maximum number is 10 students per class but on average it is less than 6 students per class. Choose between 20 or 30 lessons a week. The school works a lot with immersion where they want to integrate the students into society. LTL has many language schools in East Asia including China, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. The school in Korea opened a couple of years ago and has now recently been approved by the quality organization IALC.
What to consider when choosing a Korean language school
There is no one-size-fits-all school, so consider what is most important for you:
- What do you want to experience when you study in Korea?
- Which area of Seoul are you most interested in?
- How long do you want to study and when do you want to start?
- Where do you want to live, can the school help you with this accommodation?
- What is your budget? Compare the prices between several different schools and courses and don't let anyone pressure you into a rushed decision.
Fill out our information request form if you want help to choose and apply to language schools in Korea.
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Answered by: Johan at DreamStudies, 2024-05-30 13:40:40 
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