EPIK Duties & Responsibilities
What you'll actually do as an EPIK teacher in a Korean public school — from co-teaching to English camps.
22 Hrs
Teaching / Week
50 / 50
Teach / Prep Split
1 + 1
Co-Teaching Model
2–4
English Camps / Yr
What You'll Do
What is an EPIK Teacher?
An EPIK Teacher is a native English speaker placed into a Korean public school — elementary, middle, or high school. You work alongside Korean English teachers to provide students with exposure to natural, conversational English.
Co-Teaching
Your primary duty is co-teaching English classes with a Korean English teacher (KET). You lead conversation practice, pronunciation, and listening activities while the KET handles grammar explanations in Korean.
Lesson Planning
Prepare lesson plans and teaching materials for your classes. You'll create engaging, conversation-based activities that complement the national English curriculum.
English Camps
During school vacation periods (winter/summer), you may be asked to plan and run English camps — intensive, fun-focused English immersion programs for students.
School Events & Activities
Your school may have events and activities which require your participation — sports days, cultural festivals, field trips, and school ceremonies. These are opportunities to connect with students and staff beyond the classroom.
Additional Duties
May include running English corners, judging speech contests, creating bulletin boards, and occasionally helping with English translations for the school.
NET + KET: How Korean Co-Teaching Works
EPIK's official Roles of Foreign Teachers model (epik.go.kr) defines a shared-responsibility partnership between the Native English Teacher and the Korean English Teacher.
1. Joint Lesson Planning
The NET drafts conversation-driven warm-ups, role-plays, and listening tasks. The KET aligns them with the national curriculum, textbook page, and upcoming assessments. Weekly 30–60 min planning meetings are standard.
2. Shared In-Class Delivery
NET models pronunciation, runs pair/group speaking activities, and leads cultural context. KET handles grammar rules in Korean, translates vocabulary, and manages classroom discipline. Roles flex — both should be active every period.
3. Joint Assessment
Oral speaking tests, presentation rubrics, and performance-based portfolios are designed and graded together. The KET typically enters final scores into the school system (NEIS). Per epik.go.kr, NETs do not grade solo.
Source: epik.go.kr — Roles of Foreign Teachers page.
A Real EPIK Teacher's Week
Illustrative weekly schedule showing the 22 teaching hours inside the 40-hour workweek (per epik.go.kr standard contract).
| Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:40–9:00 | Morning check-in, staff meeting (Mon only) | ||||
| 9:00–9:40 | Class 3-1 | Class 4-1 | Prep | Class 3-2 | Class 4-2 |
| 9:50–10:30 | Class 3-2 | Class 4-2 | Class 5-1 | Class 3-3 | Class 4-3 |
| 10:40–11:20 | Class 5-1 | Prep | Class 5-2 | Class 5-1 | Co-teacher mtg |
| 11:30–12:10 | Class 5-2 | Class 6-1 | Class 6-1 | Class 5-2 | Class 6-2 |
| 12:10–13:10 | Lunch with staff (school cafeteria) | ||||
| 13:10–13:50 | Prep | Class 6-2 | Prep | Prep | Prep |
| 14:00–14:40 | Prep | After-school club | Prep | After-school club | Prep |
| 14:50–16:40 | Lesson prep, grading, bulletin boards, desk-warming | ||||
Totals: ~20-22 teaching periods + ~18 hours of prep/admin/meetings = 40-hour week. Based on epik.go.kr sample schedules.
Lesson Plans & Admin Work
Lesson Plan Expectations
- One written lesson plan per teaching period, shared with your co-teacher 24-48 hours before class.
- Format: warm-up (5 min), main activity (20-25 min), wrap-up and speaking check (10-15 min).
- Must align with the Ministry of Education national English curriculum and the textbook unit.
- Slide decks (Google Slides / PPT) and worksheets are standard supporting materials.
- Open-class lesson plans (1-2 times/year) require a more detailed, observation-ready format.
Paperwork & Admin Responsibilities
- Weekly or bi-weekly lesson plan submissions to the head English teacher.
- English-zone / English-corner bulletin board updates (monthly).
- Speaking-test rubric design and grading support (2-4 times/year).
- English Camp curriculum write-up (submitted before each camp).
- Occasional translation help — school notices, website copy, event posters.
- End-of-contract handover document for your successor (per EPIK orientation guide).
Source: epik.go.kr Roles of Foreign Teachers & Orientation Handbook.
Duties FAQ
Q.How many hours do I actually teach per week?
The EPIK contract caps teaching at 22 hours per week. In practice, most teachers teach 18-22 hours, leaving the rest of the 40-hour workweek for lesson planning, co-teacher coordination, preparation, and school duties. You are expected to be at school the full workday (Mon-Fri, 8:40 AM - 4:40 PM).
Q.Do I teach alone or with a co-teacher?
You almost always teach with a Korean English Teacher (KET) present. You lead the class in English (conversation, pronunciation, cultural context, listening practice), and your co-teacher supports with grammar explanations, Korean-language translation, and classroom management. In some high schools and rural areas, you may teach independently.
Q.What age group will I teach?
EPIK teachers are placed in elementary, middle, or high schools. Elementary placements are most common (40-min classes); middle school (45-min) and high school (50-min) placements also exist. Grade level is assigned by the province based on school needs and your preferences.
Q.What are English Camps like?
English Camps are 1-2 week intensive programs during summer (August) or winter (January/February) school breaks. They are activity-based — games, projects, field trips, presentations — not traditional classroom teaching. You typically run 2-4 camps per year, each 1-2 weeks long. Camp hours count within your normal workweek.
Q.Do I need to speak Korean to teach EPIK?
No. EPIK is designed around the co-teaching model: your Korean co-teacher handles all Korean-language communication with students and parents. Most EPIK teachers pick up survival Korean during their contract, but speaking Korean is not a requirement for hiring.
Q.Can I do private tutoring on the side?
No. EPIK teachers are prohibited from private tutoring, hagwon teaching, or any paid work outside the EPIK contract. This is a strict E-2 visa condition — violating it can result in contract termination and visa cancellation. Unpaid volunteer teaching (at orphanages, etc.) is generally permitted with school approval.
Q.What does EPIK's official co-teaching framework look like?
Per the 'Roles of Foreign Teachers' guidance on epik.go.kr, the Native English Teacher (NET) and Korean English Teacher (KET) share three core duties: (1) joint lesson planning — the NET drafts speaking and listening activities while the KET aligns them to the national curriculum and textbook; (2) in-class delivery — NET leads modeling, pronunciation, and interactive practice while KET handles grammar explanation, translation, and discipline; (3) joint assessment — oral tests, speaking portfolios, and performance rubrics are designed together. EPIK explicitly defines the NET as a 'supplementary' instructor, not a replacement for the KET.
Q.What does a typical weekly schedule look like?
A typical EPIK week (per epik.go.kr sample schedules): 20-22 teaching periods spread across Monday-Friday; roughly 4-5 classes per day, usually morning through early afternoon. The remaining 18-20 hours of the 40-hour workweek are: ~6-8 hours lesson prep, ~2-3 hours co-teacher meetings, ~2-3 hours grading/materials creation, ~2 hours desk-warming when no classes are scheduled, and ~2 hours miscellaneous (bulletin boards, English zone upkeep, bulletin-board translations). Friday afternoons often have fewer classes — used for the following week's planning.
Q.What extracurricular activities are expected?
Beyond regular classes, the EPIK contract (epik.go.kr) and provincial contracts (e.g. goe.go.kr) typically include: English Speaking Contests (2-4 per year — judging or hosting), English Camps during summer/winter break (1-2 weeks each), after-school English clubs (optional but common), open classes / demonstration lessons for parents or visiting educators (1-2 per year), and sometimes English-broadcast or English-newspaper club advising. All of these are expected to fit within the 40-hour workweek; if they push you over, overtime applies.