How-to-Teach-English-Overseas_2016.pdf

HOW TO

TEACH ENGLISH

OVERSEAS BY MATTHEW KEPNES

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION3 TEACHER REQUIREMENTS6 TEACHING CERTIFICATES11 TYPES OF TEACHER JOBS

20

SETTING UP YOUR COVER LETTER AND TEACHING CV

28

SIGNING CONTRACTS

38

HOW NOT TO NAIL YOUR INTERVIEW

44

HOW TO AVOID SCAMS AND BAD SCHOOLS

48

COUNTRY INFORMATION

50

Argentina51 Belgium55 China58 Czech Republic 78 Dubai81 Ecuador85 France92 Germany95 Guatemala103 Hong Kong 111 Italy116

Japan119 Mexico130 Poland133 Russia139 Saudi Arabia 146 South Korea 150 Spain174 Taiwan185 Thailand190 Ukraine193 Vietnam199

CONCLUSION209

2 Copyright 2016 Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION


Every year thousands of people head overseas to teach English. They go in search of adventure, well-paying jobs, new friends, and more. Many are young college graduates looking to fill a few years before returning home and settling down. Some are also people on career breaks, or older retirees looking to do something different and change their lives a bit. Many are travelers looking to fund future trips. Then there are those who just love to teach and want to do it somewhere besides their home country. In short, you’ll find people from all walks of life teaching overseas. It’s field that welcomes all people. Teachers just aren’t one type. No matter the category, people tend to choose this profession for one underlying reason: it is a great and easy way to work and live in a foreign country while earning a decent wage. Yet the process for getting a teaching job is often confusing to many people. What requirements do you need? Should you get a TEFL certificate? What the heck is a TEFL? Are there other degrees you should get? How do you find a job? What are the visa processes? Do you need to have a college English degree? The list of questions goes on and on. When I looked for my first ESL job in 2006 in Thailand, I had more questions than answers, and spent a lot of time looking through job boards, searching Google, and reading forums to find out everything I could ever know about the subject. It was a time-consuming process and I always walked away feeling confused. When I was thinking about moving to Korea or Japan to teach, I spent even longer looking up information. Good information — especially on salaries, working conditions, and the cost of living in each country — was scarce. And even when I did find something, it was hard to know what was accurate, what was out of date, and what was there just to try to sell me something, not help me. Finding the information took up time that could have been spent on what was even more important: looking for an actual job. A lot has changed over the years, but even more hasn’t — the Internet is still awash in scammy websites, fake job boards, and little information. Even the best websites are becoming slightly dated.


And because teaching overseas isn’t common and widespread, people don’t think it can be done easily. They think, “Working overseas? Must be tough!” But getting a teaching job overseas isn’t hard. It’s not confusing. It’s actually simple and easy. You’ll be surprised at how easy! You can boil the process down to three parts, really: get a degree, apply online for a job, get a job. (I’ve found all my jobs online, and though not all the interviews panned out, there were still plenty of offers.) I wrote this book to disprove the myth that it’s hard to land a job teaching overseas. I’ve taught throughout Asia, and I’m here to share my personal experience with you. I’ve also asked teacher friends throughout the world to share their tips and information. I will walk you step by step through the process of getting qualified for a teaching job, what to look for in a good teaching job, and where to apply for one. This book is meant to demystify all that. This book is also here to provide resources from actual teachers and job recruiters. I’ve included everything you could ever want to know about picking the right TEFL, CELTA, or TESOL course; various jobs you can get and their requirements; and salaries. Most importantly, this book contains detailed country information for each major and minor destination for potential ESL teachers, including the cost of living, salary ranges, job boards, and basic country facts. This information is all based on first-hand experience, not only from me but from other ESL teachers and professionals in the ESL industry. The purpose of this book is to help you make sense of the whole process of becoming an English teacher, as well as put all the information in one place and save you time. This book was written by English teachers to help future English teachers. You won’t find that anywhere else. Here, you won’t find any of the bullshit you find elsewhere. We get right down to it and cover it all — the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sincerely, “Nomadic” Matt Kepnes


CHAPTER 2

TEACHER REQUIREMENTS


Let’s start with the question people want to know right away: what are the requirements to be a teacher? The short answer: not many. The long answer: requirements vary greatly from country to country and region to region. Depending on where you go and what type of job you want, what skills and degrees you need can be very different. Generally speaking, you’ll need to meet the following minimum requirements in order to teach English overseas: • • • •

Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Have a bachelor’s degree Have a TEFL, CELTA, or TESOL certificate Have some teaching experience (optional)

See? It’s not really that much! Unless you plan to teach at an international school or do corporate training (more on both later), most schools will take you if you are a native English speaker and college graduate. Your teaching experience level is irrelevant for most jobs. Most countries require you to be a native English speaker from one of the following countries: the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, or South Africa. While some countries might hire people from other countries where English is fluently spoken, schools and educational organizations typically prefer teachers from the seven countries listed above. Western employees are viewed as a sign of “authenticity” (sort of racist, I know, but that’s how it goes). This is especially true in Asia, where being young, white, or female is often the most important thing. They simply have a strong preference for these three attributes. (Note: There are always exceptions so if you aren’t one of those three, don’t think you can’t find a job. I have plenty of Asian friends teaching in Asia but there is a stereotype and I would be lying to you if I said it didn’t exist.) You will also need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. By accredited, I mean that the university you graduated from must be on a government list of approved universities; you can check with the regional accrediting agency that covers the state or country in which the school is located. (In particular, if you are from South Africa, you’ll want to ensure that your university is internationally accredited and


recognized, as South Africa has a high number of universities that aren’t recognized elsewhere in the world and many schools are weary of this.) While some places might overlook this requirement and will hire you under the table, for more reputable schools in countries like South Korea, the UAE, or Japan, you will need to have a university degree in order to get a job, as well as a working visa. As for your degree, it doesn’t matter what it is in. Whether you have a degree in English, biochemistry, or yoga, the schools and countries just want to see that you have a full university degree. While teaching experience is often not required, it certainly helps when applying for higher-paying jobs at international schools and corporate training programs. They prefer people who know what they are doing and can be effective teachers. It is also why these jobs pay the most money — they don’t take just anyone. However, since there is a lack of qualified teachers in many parts of the world, just having a teaching license or some experience will pretty much guarantee you a job somewhere. My teaching license got me any job I wanted anywhere in the world. And I’ve known people with few official qualifications but lots of experience to land very great jobs. Depending on how much time you have between now and your departure date, there are lots of ways to gain experience and add to your résumé: • Visit your local English as a Second Language (ESL) center to see if you can pick up some intern teaching classes to hone your skills. • Tutor one-on-one after school. • Drop by your university student center to find out if any international students at the center would benefit from some additional English language time. • Consider offering classes or tutorials on your own YouTube channel. • Volunteer at a local public school as a student intern. Your work in the classroom would be supervised by a teacher, but I bet you’d be surprised by how many


• • • • • • • • •

schools out there are looking for an extra set of eyes and hands in their classrooms. Visit your local church to see if they need help with any of their Sunday school classes. Volunteer at a local YMCA or YWCA. Assist at a local after-school program. Schools tend to have lots of after-school clubs, sports, and youth programs to get involved in. Take a camp counselor position for a few months if you have the time. If you can teach art or sports, think of where you could go in your hometown that might benefit from some classes. Visit senior centers. Not only would your presence be welcome but it can be a very rewarding and satisfying experience to work with this age group. Volunteer at your local library for children’s hour. Contact your local Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop to see if you can lead an upcoming badge-winning activity. Volunteer your time at local museums and parks to gain additional experience interacting with young students.

If you don’t have any experience, don’t fear. Tons of places around the world hire firstyear teachers. In many rural parts of the world, where it is much harder to find teachers, they are happy to take anyone. If you only have a degree or a 120-hour TEFL teaching certificate (more on getting one in the next chapter), you can still easily find an entrylevel job, especially in Central America and Southeast Asia — jobs that also pay well! TEFL is a certificate you can get from a vast array of companies (like there are many universities, there are many TEFL schools) that teach you the “skills” to being an English teacher. It will negate any experience deficiencies you might have, as employers view this degree as a sort of training course, and most jobs will take having this degree in lieu of a university degree. A TEFL certificate will dramatically increase your chances of getting hired. Now there are always exceptions, especially when generalizing about the world. Can you get a job without any degree, TEFL certificate, or experience? Definitely, especially in very rural and underserved parts of the world. I’ve known plenty of people who have.


Once I was on a visa run in Thailand with an English teacher who was 18 and had no university degree or teaching experience but who taught at a government school! But will you get one in a well-paying and good school? Not a chance. Qualifications tend to be a bit looser in most developing countries or rural areas, but as a general rule, teaching English abroad requires a BA and/or a TEFL, as well as some experience these days, while higher-paying positions (such as corporate employers or international schools) will most certainly require a BA, a TEFL certificate, and a valid teaching certification from your home country. Visa rules also determine the teaching requirements for each country. (That said, many schools will hire you under the table if you do not have the right requirements for a visa. Proceed with caution in this case. The school will have you at its mercy if you are not teaching on a legal visa.) But overall, if you want to teach English in most places in the world, you should have a college degree, be a native English speaker, and be TEFL qualified. Check the Country Information section of this book to determine which requirements are needed.


CHAPTER 3

TEACHING CERTIFICATES


Now that we know what the requirements are, let’s talk more about teaching certificates and if you need one or not.

TEFL Certificates A lot of people wonder about TEFL certificates, if they are required, how much they are, and how hard they are to get. TEFL stands for “Teaching English as a Foreign Language.” It’s a certificate program that teaches you how to teach English as a foreign language. The program is offered around the world, and prices vary depending on where you enroll. Just like there are thousands of universities, there are thousands of people that offer a certificate called “TEFL,” and the quality of instruction can vary a lot. Before you sign up for any program, it is important that you make sure the certificate they give out will be accepted around the world, as some schools don’t recognize certain training programs. (That being said, the vast majority of schools accept all certificates — it’s only the really top-tier schools and government programs that tend to be picky. The program matters less than the paper.) Make sure you also find out if the position you want requires part of your TEFL certification to be conducted in class. Some schools and government programs require classroom-based TEFL hours as a mandatory requirement, while others will take an online TEFL certification without question. Although there may be some general linguistic theory included, the focus of a TEFL course is to give you practical knowledge about teaching. Any theory provided is there to provide a backdrop for the practical skills being learned. They aren’t trying to give you a college-level English degree; they simply teach you how to teach, as well as some basic grammar rules. Their goal isn’t to make you a great teacher, but simply good enough to answer simple questions about grammar from students. (And trust me, you will get a lot of grammar questions from students!) The typical TEFL certificate program will focus on a variety of aspects of language teaching — from very practical skills, such as learning how to teach vocabulary and grammar, to using games effectively and keeping the kids involved — as well as practical teacher skills such as classroom management.


Besides knowing what to teach, it’s important you know how to manage a classroom to make sure the subject is being taught effectively. You’ll find most programs offer classroom hours with their course, so they can give you practical experience engaging and controlling a bunch of screaming kids. Most TELF courses run from a few weeks to a few months. For the more established and respected programs, you can expect at least a hundred hours of class time, as well as some practice teaching in a classroom. Courses offered in “Western” countries, i.e., the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, as compared to places like Thailand, are often much more intensive and more expensive, especially if they are in-person classes. (Prices for TEFL courses range between $300 and $2,000 USD.) The smart approach would be to learn what kind of certification is required for the jobs you want and choose that TEFL course accordingly. You don’t want to sign up for an extensive course when you don’t need it — you’ll simply be wasting money. Personally, I would take a combined online/in-class course if you plan to teach longterm. The industry standard in Asia is 120 hours, 20 hours of which you should spend in class. However, if you are just looking for something temporary or at one of the many worldwide language schools, an online certificate would suffice. For online programs, i-to-i is the best. It offers the most comprehensive online certificate and is widely accepted at most language schools around the world. If you’re looking for a TEFL course that features in-classroom training, the International TEFL Academy is probably the best. This is the most thorough and interactive course that you can get without physically being in a classroom for four weeks. The 170-hour online course is a fully interactive, collegiate-level course, taught by a university-level professor. It comes with 150 hours of coursework and 20 hours of student teaching. The course takes about 11 weeks, and you can expect to spend 8-12 hours a week on your coursework. While it’s interactive, it’s not taught in real time, so you can log in at any time to take your classes and do your coursework. Complete it on your own schedule and at your own pace, but just make sure you meet your weekly deadlines for your assignments.


All these courses equip teachers with everything they need to know for the ESL classroom, including grammar instruction, correction techniques, classroom management techniques, and the use of games and activities. They have made impressive strides to create the very best learning platform and also offer excellent course guidance, support, and direction. There are also additional support materials and course modules for those that want to further develop their skills. There are other teacher certification programs besides TEFL, though there’s really no difference between any of them, and all are accepted worldwide:

Cambridge ELT Certificate (CELTA) This certificate course is often considered to be the most similar to TEFL and is widely respected internationally. The full name is the Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. It is one of the most popular certificates to get, especially among UK residents. The course is quite rigorous. CELTA courses are usually intensive four-week, full-time programs, although it is sometimes possible to take the course on a part-time basis. In all CELTA courses, observed teaching practice is important, and the courses spend more time having you teaching in a classroom than learning theory. Entry requirements for CELTA courses vary from place to place around the world. Although the course is open to native and non-native English speakers, all candidates are interviewed and have to take a language awareness test. Some places require candidates to be a college graduate, while others accept candidates with a good general education and command of English. There are more than 200 centers offering CELTA courses around the world, and like TEFL courses, getting a CELTA certificate outside of a Western country will be a lot cheaper.

Trinity Certificate in TESOL The third certification many teachers get is the Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, or TESOL certificate. This course is the most work, and all trainees are expected to experience learning a foreign language


(don’t worry — you don’t need to become fluent in one!). The Trinity certificate is the most intensive of the teaching courses. The course is usually full-time, following a 4–6-week intensive program with 130 classroom hours, or part-time over a number of months. Entry requirements vary (between a good educational background and a university degree), with a good command of English obviously being a prime requirement. No distinction is made between native and non-native speakers. Most Trinity Centers are in the UK, although there are now a growing number overseas. In summation, no matter which certification you choose, you should be able to find work somewhere in the world, though different places might have a preference for one certificate or the other.

Should You Get One of These Certificates? The question most potential teachers have is whether or not they should even get a TEFL/CELTA/TESOL certificate. The answer to that question depends on a number of factors. Different types of job require different sets of skills. Depending on where you go, the previous experience you have, and the type of job you want, you may or may not need a TEFL, but in this day and age, with competition for jobs becoming fiercer by the minute, it’s in your best interest to get one if you don’t have any experience. It gives you a leg up! A good start would be to find out if the country you are going to work in requires a TEFL certificate for a work visa. Then find out what kind you need. For example, the public school program in South Korea will accept 120-hour combined courses as a bare minimum, while most provincial governments in China just want anything! Be sure to think down the road as well. If teaching abroad is something that you can see yourself doing for a while, don’t invest in a cheap, online course. That said, if you only plan on being abroad for a year, an online course just might be the right answer for you.


Remember that every country has different rules, and that the rules can change quickly. As a good rule of thumb, if you have no teaching experience or teaching degree, it is worth getting your TEFL certification. A certificate helps give you credibility when applying for jobs. So the real answer is: it is better to have a degree than not have one if you have no teaching experience, if the country you are going to requires it. It might give you a leg up against the competition.

Advice for Teachers Without University Degrees Any English speaker — even English speakers without a college degree — can find a teaching position abroad, but finding the right position will likely be a challenge. If you do not hold a university degree, it’s important that you understand that there will be some limitations to finding a teaching position. Many governments these days require teachers to have a university degree in exchange for a work permit and visa, and in some countries, teachers are legally required to hold a four-year degree (and show proof ). (Those nations include the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Japan, and South Korea, to name a few.) Developing East Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, where teaching requirements were somewhat lax in the past, have now upped their requirements and require teachers to be university educated. Standards also vary from school to school. China used to be a great option for teachers without a degree, but in recent years the Chinese government has really cracked down on schools that hire teachers without proper qualifications. In the early 2000s, teachers with a high school diploma could easily find work anywhere in China. These days, a university degree and a TEFL certification are firm requirements for the big cities and many of the provinces. That said, teaching internships in China for those without degrees are still available if you’re willing to get involved with a TEFL internship program instead. The catch here, of course, is that you need to conduct your TEFL training in China with a TEFL provider from the Chinese government. These courses tend to be expensive for the training


that you get, but you’re promised a job somewhere in China afterward. If this is the route you choose to take, make sure you do your research and ask questions. I would personally recommend getting in touch with i-to-i to inquire about their TEFL teaching internships in China. Eastern Europe, Russia, Cambodia, Laos, and most of Latin America are still the best options for teachers that do not have a full university degree, although a TEFL certification and prior teaching experience are likely necessary. • Be aware that if you have been hired without a degree in an area that typically requires teachers to have a degree, you do so at your own risk. You won’t have a course of action to take if things go belly up, so make doubly sure you do your research: • Before deciding where you want to go, take the time to carefully review your capabilities and qualifications as a teacher first. Some schools or training centers might be willing to hire you because you have a specific skill set that is valued by employers. This is especially important if you are interested in teaching in vocational training positions, also known as skill-focused programs; these schools are looking for teachers that can teach a technical skill. • Get some experience. Some schools will consider your teaching experience or relevant experience in lieu of having a university degree. Join a volunteer teaching program or take a teaching internship. • Build your experience by taking a well-recognized TEFL course to develop your teaching skills. • Consider looking for a job locally. Sometimes jobs can be found when you’re there in person. • Be prepared for rejection. Some schools and agencies simply won’t be able to consider your application if you don’t meet their teaching requirements.

Advice for Non-Native English Speakers Everyone knows there are countless teaching options out there for native English speakers, but it’s a different world for non-native English speakers. Traditionally, native English speakers are citizens of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland,


New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the United States. Asian job markets, including China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam (but not Cambodia or Laos), are typically very strict on this issue. The reasons given for schools wanting only native English speakers from the seven countries mentioned above are that students (and parents) prefer native English speakers, that only native English speakers can teach English well, and that native English speakers are better for public relations. This reality needs to change. The idea that nativeness is equal to teaching ability is ridiculous. English is an official language in more than 60 sovereign states. Rather than basing hiring strategies on someone being a native speaker, schools and governments should be focused on basing their hiring strategies on qualifications, experience, and language proficiency. But if you’re not a native English speaker, where can you teach, and what can you do to make the hiring process more manageable? • Be proactive in your job hunt. Whenever possible, call employers so they can hear how fluent you are. If you can’t call, include a voice clip of you reading a passage from a book. • Take a well-recognized, classroom-based TEFL course. • Consider teaching English in your home country. Labor laws vary from country to country, but most European Union (EU) citizens can work legally in other EU nations, provided they have excellent English skills. EU citizens might also be able to gain ESL employment in Eastern Europe, Central America, and South America. If you are a citizen of Central or South America, consider looking in Latin America, Cambodia, and Turkey. African citizens might consider looking in Cambodia and in Central and South America, while citizens of Asian countries might consider looking in Central and South American nations.


Resource List • http://www.goabroad.com/volunteer-abroad/search/teaching/volunteerabroad-1 • http://www.goabroad.com/intern-abroad/search/education/internshipsabroad-1 • http://www.gooverseas.com/blog/teach-english-abroad-without-degree • http://www.i-to-i.com/teaching-internships • http://www.internationalteflacademy.com/blog/bid/74176/No-Degree-NoProblem-The-6-Best-Countries-to-Teach-English-Without-a-College-Degree


CHAPTER 4

TYPES OF TEACHER JOBS


Potential English teachers can choose from a variety of jobs. There’s really no shortage of how you can use your skills to land a job and make money. All jobs have the same basic requirements that are listed in the previous section, but as you move up the pay scale, there are some additional requirements relating to experience and qualifications. Keep in mind that these are general rules too — you can always find exceptions in relation to specific job requirements. The types of jobs a potential English teacher can get usually falls into one of the categories below.

Government Schools/Programs Teachers should pick and choose wisely when looking at teaching positions with government programs, as some offer terrific teaching packages, while others, such as those in China and Thailand, don’t pay as well. The upside to teaching at a government school is that you can count on the school being reliable: you know it won’t suddenly close, you will get your paycheck on time, you’ll have professional support, they will fulfill their contract obligations, and they won’t terminate you without cause. The Middle East offers some of the best teaching packages in the world through their government school programs. The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) in the UAE is probably the best known, but you can find incredible and generous teaching packages almost anywhere in the Middle East, provided you have the right qualifications. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan also offer excellent government school programs, with perks like flights, housing, generous paid vacation time, health care, and more. Moreover, in most countries, you will have a local teacher who will deal with problems and serve as your language assistant to help you understand the students when English fails. Teaching at a government school is just like teaching at a school where you live. The expectations they have for you are the same, and your salary is for your whole job, not just classroom time. These schools will require you to do all the other things teachers in your home country do: grade papers, make up exams, set the curriculum, and keep


office hours. Most of those extra responsibilities are unpaid. The trade-off is that you have a stable job for as long as you want it. The Ministry of Education in each country sets up and runs the program, including the application process, hiring, and placement. Many of these programs use partner recruiting agencies to maximize their search for teachers, as competition for these jobs tends to be pretty competitive. (We’ll go over how and when to apply later in this book.) Note that government programs typically send you where they need you to go, and not where you want to go so you always end up in that small little town in the middle of nowhere, not the glitzy big (or even medium sized) city.

Language Schools The next step up the food chain are the private language schools, such as Berlitz, Hess, ECC, English First, Inlingua, or any one of the millions of language schools around the world. These schools are private companies that offer after-school, evening, and weekend English language classes to students. Just like you would go to a school to learn another language, so too do these schools operate to teach kids and adults English. These schools typically offer more flexibility in your schedule and curriculum than you would have at a government school. Your salary depends on where you go. Some schools pay between $25 and $35 USD per hour, while others might pay under $20, depending on where you choose to live. Teachers are paid by the teaching hour or a set monthly salary. If you are paid by the hour, you are still expected to prep for your classes during your own time. Some schools offer set lesson plans, which means that your class preparation should be minimal once you understand how you are expected to teach. Grading and assisting students outside of your classroom hours is still expected though. Teaching by the hour can be a really rewarding and satisfying experience, especially for experienced teachers. Rather than sticking with a regular schedule with block teaching hours and breaks, you can use the time to teach elsewhere.


New teachers might find this type of schedule overwhelming at first, as it can take time to hone your prep work for these types of classes. The downside to being paid by the hour is that you will almost certainly have unpaid grading to do outside of your class schedule. These types of schedules typically aren’t as stable as salaried positions. Schools are free to open and close classes as they choose, and your schedule will fluctuate throughout the year as students enter and leave classes. If you are paid a monthly salary, your employer will expect you to be at school during your set monthly hours, regardless of whether or not you have classes. The nice thing about working on a monthly salary is that you get paid for all national holidays and days off, a sick policy is generally built into these packages, and you always have time to do your prep work and grading at school, which means no “take home” work. Some schools also require teachers to attend field trips and parent meetings, but if you are paid by the hour, you will likely be paid well for these extras. The downside to these companies is that your job is less secure, and the guarantees they promise don’t always appear. Some go bankrupt without any notice, or they might not deliver on bonuses and perks that were initially offered during the contract signing. (When a language school went bust in Japan, thousands of teachers suddenly found themselves without pay, a job, or even a home.) You may find yourself fighting with your company for promised return airfare, work hours, or more. You’ll have fewer problems with larger, more established companies, but always check out a company’s reputation before you sign a contract. Bear in mind that private language schools, especially large ones, will almost certainly have bad reviews. Don’t believe everything you read online or base your decision on what you’ve found. Happy teachers might blog about their experience, but they rarely take the time to review, while unhappy teachers seem to have no qualms with littering the Internet with bad reviews. If you take the time to contact teachers at schools that you are considering, you’re unlikely to be steered in the wrong direction.


Additionally, many parents also use these schools as a form of babysitting. They just drop their kids off and hope they learn something. Since many of these schools are motivated by money, they rarely discipline the students for fear they will stop coming. This is especially true in Asia and one reason I stopped working at these types of places. So while the pay is better, the jobs abundant (you’ll find tons of language schools in countries around the world), and the hours more flexible, you will find the work environment sometimes more difficult and less stable. That being said I taught in many language schools where the kids wanted to be there, the bosses were supportive, and I had flexibility with the students. It’s not all bad — plus you can get great coworkers! Overall, teaching at a private language school can be just as rewarding as teaching at a government school. It really depends on what kind of teaching lifestyle you are looking for.

Private Schools You know those private schools parents send their kids to go in your own country when they don’t like public school? Yup, those are the exact schools I’m talking about here. Private schools are exactly like government public schools in terms of job expectations. You’ll be expected to perform all the functions of a normal teacher, and your salary is based on total work time, not just class hours. The difference is that private schools offer better pay, a lot more benefits, and more support than government schools. Plus, depending on the private school, English may or may not be the main language taught. If English isn’t the school’s primary language, there is usually a special curriculum of allEnglish courses. Since parents are paying a lot of money for these schools, the kids are generally expected to produce results, and thus there is more of an emphasis on making sure the students walk away knowing English, so sometimes these positions require more work. To get a job at one of these schools, experience and a TEFL degree are usually required,


and there is more competition than at language schools or regular public schools, since the pay can be sometimes double.

International Schools Many destinations in the world have an American, British, Australian, Canadian, etc., international school. International schools are the best schools to teach English at and are the most sought-after jobs in the ESL world. The kids are children of international expats, diplomats, or very rich locals. There are usually a lot of expectations for them and pressure to do well. Most are looking to go to school in America or England and thus focus hard on their studies and are normally very well behaved. That usually means that you get a much more enjoyable and relaxing teaching experience. Plus, the curriculum is usually the same as your country of origin: it’s just like teaching at home. International schools pay the most out of any teaching job. You’ll get a salary equivalent to or more than what you would back home, but without the same cost of living. When you are making $3,000+ USD per month in a country that costs $500 USD monthly to live in, you can live very well and save a lot. Moreover, the better the school, the higher the pay. I know teachers who make close to $5,000 USD per month in some international schools (though in big private schools and in the Middle East, you can get this pay or more at a variety of schools). I mean imagine making $60,000 a year in a country it cost $10,000 to live in! Wow! However, competition for these jobs is very stiff, and typically, applicants need a lot of experience and must be a certified teacher in their home country. Only qualified teachers should apply for these jobs. You are usually required to sign a one- to two-year contract.

Corporate Training Corporate training jobs typically pay very well, the schedules are flexible, the students are adults who want to learn (though many are forced to take classes by their boss, but most see the value in learning English), and the work is usually on a contract basis — though if you work for a company they will keep handing you new contracts. Classes are usually before or after business hours or during lunch.


When I lived in Thailand, I worked as a corporate trainer and had multiple contracts going at once. The most fun I ever had was teaching corporate classes. You could joke around with the students in a way you couldn’t with kids. The downside to corporate training is that like language schools, the work can sometimes be feast or famine, and it’s sometimes good to work for multiple companies to ensure a steady supply of work. Generally, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, some experience, and a TEFL certificate. If you have a business degree, you are almost guaranteed one of these jobs, but you don’t need one as a prerequisite. Classes will revolve around teaching people grammar and communication skills, as well as email writing and formal business practices. You won’t be teaching any business theory, just how business is conducted in English. However, in some classes, you might need to teach sales and customer interactions.

Tutoring No matter where you go, you’ll find people wanting private English lessons. This is a great source of extra income. If you can get a lot of private students, you’ll earn more money than a regular teaching job, since you can charge whatever you want for your time and have much more flexibility in your schedule. The best place to find private students is via word of mouth or through local teaching boards. The hours are much more flexible and the work environment is usually a lot better. Moreover, during the summer, you can find extra work teaching at camps. The kids are on break, and it’s a great way for parents to kill two birds with one stone. Keep in mind that while it’s possible to just come into a country and do freelance work, you won’t be able to get a working visa as a tutor, so since you aren’t hired by a school and thus are “not employed.” You’ll be working illegally if you do this as your sole job and if caught, you’ll probably be kicked out of the country.


Volunteering Volunteer teaching positions are becoming more and more popular these days. There are many aid organizations out there looking for people to teach English. This includes government programs, such as those being offered in Chile and in Bhutan. Orphanages, refugee camps, homeless shelters, and aid organizations also offer English volunteer programs. For example, the US Peace Corps offers English language teaching positions as part of its volunteer program. If you simply want to give back to people and help overseas, you’ll find a lot of organizations in the world willing to “hire” you for a short period of time (usually a minimum of one month) in exchange for helping.


CHAPTER 5

SETTING UP YOUR COVER LETTER AND TEACHING CV


So now that you’ve decided to teach abroad and you’re working on your TEFL certification, it’s time to get your CV and cover letter organized and ready to send out.

Writing Your Cover Letter I am often asked what a cover letter should include for a teaching position overseas. Most hiring teachers only glance at a cover letter, because most of the cover letters they receive are from teachers who highlight accomplishments or work that is already outlined in their CV. Instead, use your cover letter as an opportunity to talk about something that isn’t mentioned in your CV, such as maintaining student retention rates, receiving an award for being the most valuable employee, or the creation of a special workshop. Don’t offer too much information, though. You’ll want to save something for your interview! Your cover letter should be 3–4 paragraphs long. After properly addressing your cover letter with the correct salutation, the first paragraph should note your interest in a specific position and reinforce your qualifications for the position. The second and third paragraphs should explain your reasons for applying and highlight something in your employment history that your CV doesn’t. The last paragraph is your closing: reiterate your interest in the position and express your availability for an interview. After you’ve finished your cover letter, make sure you have someone else read it, or read it out loud to yourself. Keep in mind that that there is no need to use big words or long, descriptive sentences, and be sure to pay attention to spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Your cover letter is an opportunity to sell yourself, so use it to your advantage!

Setting Up Your CV First off, understanding the difference between a CV and a résumé can save you a lot of time. The three major differences between CVs and résumés are the length of the document, the purpose, and the layout. A CV, which stands for curriculum vitae (“course of life” in Latin), contains a high level of detail about your past employment, education, and achievements. It is typically


organized chronologically and it remains static, which means that you don’t need to change anything in it if you apply for different positions. A résumé is a concise, one-page document that is tailored for a specific position. Because of this, you should highlight your skills and past employment that are relevant to the position. You do not need to list your experience in chronological order or cover your whole career. So what are recruiters and employers looking for? A CV or a résumé? The truth is that they’re looking for a little of both. I’m sure you’ve heard that submitting an employment document that is over one page in length is a big no-no, but when you’re being considered for a teaching position overseas, the opposite is true. It’s actually a bad idea to submit a one-page CV, and this is because your future employer or recruiter will want to see everything: your teaching experience and employment history, volunteer work, job gaps, etc. The ideal document length for a teaching position abroad is around 1–2 pages, so it doesn’t really matter what you call it. You need something in between a résumé and a CV. (For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to refer to your employment document as a CV from hereon in.) Anything less than ¾ of a page is too little, by the way.

Here’s an example of a BAD CV: Andrew Shuberger Asset Protection Specialist at Kmart Corporation [email protected] --------------------------------------Experience --------------------------------------Loss Prevention Specialist at Kmart Corporation 10/2015 to Present --------------------------------------cook/dish washer at Village Catering 9/2007 to 9/2008 ---------------------------------------


Education --------------------------------------California University of Pennsylvania Bachelor of Science (BS) 2008 to 2014 --------------------------------------Skills --------------------------------------Microsoft Office, Management, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Research, PowerPoint, Leadership, Criminal Justice, Teamwork, Strategic Planning, English, Team Leadership, Teaching, Legal Research, Legal Issues, Criminal Law, Federal Government, Security, Loss Prevention, Investigation

Think about it this way. You’ve only got one opportunity to sell yourself when you’re applying for a teaching position overseas, so why would you cram it all into one page? A prospective employer will want to see specific information on your CV, but they will also want you to take a little more time than to just list information in chronological order.

Here is another excellent example of a good CV: David Alrighte Date of Birth: 17/04/1921 Gender: Male Marital Status: Single ________________________________________________________________ EMPLOYMENT HISTORY School Based Volunteering and Work Experience Various, 2004 - 2008 Middleton School Walnut Tree Walk Ware Lincolnshire


Store Supervisor (Included supervision of colleague’s children) 09/2014 - 06/2015 Martine’s Market Place Saxmund Suffolk QUALIFICATIONS BA (Hons) in Media Arts from Plymouth University (2010-2013) PERSONAL PROFILE Energetic Good with children Great communicator Quick Learner OTHER INFORMATION Interests include filmmaking, writing, reading, cycling and walking Recruiters use a scientific technique called eye tracking to find specific information about job requirements, so most CVs should be set up in a similar format, such as listing your education first, followed by relevant teaching experience, and then followed by employment experience. Moreover, studies show that recruiters only spend 6–10 seconds looking at a CV before deciding if the candidate is worth calling for an interview. Six to ten seconds isn’t much time, so this is why it’s especially important that you use a clear and easy-to-understand CV format when you are applying for positions. So use a clean layout that employers and recruiters can scan easily to locate the information that matters most to them. Avoid dense blocks of text, and use bullet points to highlight your most relevant accomplishments. And pay attention to spelling and grammar!


If you tailor your CV to highlight your skills and experience properly, getting through the first step of the hiring process should be a breeze! Note: Some schools might require you to use a preset CV template of their choice. Some provinces in China already require teachers to revise their CV in a template approved by the Chinese government before continuing with the application process, so be aware that you might need to adapt your CV or cover letter at any given time.

Make Your CV Stand Out Don’t you hate it when you apply for a position and never hear back from anyone about it? This happens all the time in the world of ESL, simply because of the sheer number of teachers that are interested in moving abroad. It’s tough to make your CV stand out during the job application process, but careless emails, poor grammar, lack of professionalism, and poor judgment are all surefire ways to have your application sent right to the trash bin. It’s also important that you only apply for teaching positions within your reach. When you apply for a teaching position that you’re not qualified for, it’s likely that you’ll be rejected. But what most people don’t realize is that employers might think you’re not serious about the position you’re applying for or that you didn’t take the time to read the position’s requirements. Either way, it can leave a bad impression. If you want to be taken seriously for the job you’re applying for, make sure you meet all the position’s requirements. If you’re thinking about teaching abroad, here are some key steps that you can take to ensure a potential employer takes a serious look at your CV: List your education and teaching qualifications at the top of your CV. Many countries require teachers to have a full university degree to get a proper work visa, but there are schools out there that will take teachers without it. TEFL certifications are second in importance to education, but more and more schools around the world are making a TEFL certificate a firm requirement. Some governments will not issue a work permit or visa without a TEFL certification.


List your TEFL qualifications after your education. Courses with observed teaching practice are excellent. Be sure to list how many hours you have on your certification and how many hours were classroom based, if applicable. Add an image to your CV. While this practice is generally frowned upon in North America, bear in mind that you are applying for a position overseas, and your employer will want to know what you look like. Besides, it’s a proven fact that CVs with a personal photo attached get three times the number of views. Include your birthdate at the top of the page. It’s relevant and required by many schools. Use keywords on your CV. Many employers and agents search CVs by keywords, such as curriculum development, phonics, team teaching, etc. Add some keywords to your Additional Skills section to round out your CV. Make sure you use a clear title and summary on your CV that is relevant to your experience and to the position that you are applying for. In other words, don’t send your accounting CV in for a teaching position. Keep your experience current. Most employers aren’t interested in seeing every job you’ve ever had listed on your CV. Jobs that you’ve held for less than six months are best left off, for example. But if something significant occurs, especially if it’s in regards to teaching, make sure it’s listed on your CV. Build on your experience. If you don’t have formal experience, you can include other things, like one-on-one tutoring, coaching experience, volunteer teaching, or summer camp experience. If you’ve lived or studied abroad, make sure you include this information in your skills section. Experience abroad shows that you are adaptable and independent. Many applicants mention overseas experience in their cover letters, but the details are nowhere to be found on the CV. Avoid using common buzzwords, such as experienced, team player, and excellent


communication skills. Think of a way to show your experience in a careful and thought-out approach. School directors want to know what your skills, qualifications, and experience entail, so don’t be afraid to sell yourself. So there you have it. Follow all these tips, and you should have yourself a pretty nice ESL CV.

Common Mistakes in CVs Here are some common mistakes to avoid when you’re applying for a teaching position abroad: 1. Sending an inappropriate or unprofessional photo This is the number one mistake seen on job applications. The general rule of thumb when you are applying for a teaching position overseas is to include a photo. I know it’s discriminatory, but the fact of the matter is that your future employer will not hire you sight unseen. Thus, this is your chance to make your application shine. Make sure that your photo portrays you as being professional and personable. Look directly at the camera, dress nicely, smile — and use your judgment. Photos with students are acceptable to a certain point, but don’t send something that could be construed as creepy. Don’t send a photo that includes costumes, alcohol, animals, your significant other, you with a bunch of friends, you dressed in a swimsuit or anything else that can be construed as inappropriate attire, like tank tops, ripped jeans, dark sunglasses, or a hat. Just because you would use it as a Facebook profile photo doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for a teaching position. 2. Using a silly email address for correspondence Some email addresses stand out for the wrong reasons. Would you hire someone that had an email address like partyman@ or maneater@? If you wouldn’t, no one else will either. Do everyone a favor and retire that silly email address as fast as you can. 3. Sending all of your documents in a blank email to a school or agency There are two points to consider here. Every recruiting agency and school has a different application process. If the organization that you’re interested in applying with has an application form, complete it. Moreover, take the time to write some sort


of an email to whomever you’re sending your documents. Blank emails are about as unprofessional as you can get. A blank email can also be construed as fishing for a job. 4. Sending a graphic design CV with lots of color and artwork Those 6–10 seconds I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter just got a lot shorter. Nothing is more distracting than an improperly formatted CV with colors and artwork. Unless you’re applying for a position in graphic design, no one cares if you can use Photoshop. This type of CV would be more acceptable if you were dropping off an application in person. 5. Sending a video CV or a brochure about yourself Terrible idea. I guarantee a video CV or a personal brochure will go straight to the trash. There’s nothing wrong, however, with supplementing your CV with a link to an introductory video or teaching video. 6. Sending informal emails, a cover letter, or a CV riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes The content of your email and job application package is the first impression your employer or recruiter will have of you. Correspondence matters. There is no excuse for sending in an application package that is riddled with mistakes. Use a spell-checker and have someone read over your application package. You’re applying for a position teaching English after all. Would you want your students to do this to you? 7. Sending an informal email with no greeting or closing This is beyond rude. If you don’t care who you’re addressing, why should the school or recruiting agency care about your email? 8. Writing a one-sentence cover letter Cover letters are a necessary and expected part of the job application process. This is your chance to introduce yourself and explain why you’d be a good fit for a potential employer. Take the time to sell yourself. (See the earlier section, Writing Your Cover Letter.) 9. Attaching documents and information that aren’t requested There is nothing more annoying that receiving a job application with ten attached


documents, (unless you’re attaching it to an email that doesn’t have a greeting or closing!). Unless you are specifically asked for something, you shouldn’t send it. Following the application instructions is the first step in impressing potential employers. It might be hard to believe, but employers actually do think about what they need in advance, so there is no need to send information that isn’t required. 10. Listing irrelevant skills, hobbies, and interests There isn’t really anything wrong with having a hobby and interest section on your CV, but if what you’ve listed there isn’t relevant to what you’re applying for, why would you waste the space? For example, listing hobbies like reading or hiking aren’t going to win you any points for your application. If you feel that you must include a hobbies and interests section, try to make it relevant to a teaching position. 11. Listing inspirational quotes in your emails or on your CV Your uniqueness should come out on your list of accomplishments and in your cover letter. Don’t use your personal insights on life in your CV unless you’re trying to be a motivational coach. 12. Contacting every single person at one company Contacting multiple people at an organization is sure to be seen as spam. It is also a sure way to annoy everyone in the office. If a position lists a particular person at the office to contact, then contact only that person. 13. Sending your CV out to multiple employers in the same email I automatically delete emails from people who do this. If you are trying to save time by blanketing your search for a teaching position with one email, it’s unlikely you’ll receive an answer. Employers might expect you to be working with other employers, but they also want to know that you’re taking your job search seriously and not fishing for information.


CHAPTER 6

SIGNING CONTRACTS


Signing contracts is pretty straightforward. You sign. They sign. You get the job and your benefits. Life is good. But there are a few things you want to think about before you sign the contract so you don’t enter into a bad one. They say that contracts are only as good as the paper they are printed on, which in the teaching world is often not that good. I’ve known a lot of schools to break contracts and have had friends left trying to get them honored. It’s a giant pain in the butt. Also I’ve broken contracts before; I’ve just left teaching jobs. People break contracts all the time, especially at language schools around Asia — it’s common practice. People get sick of a job, decide that said country isn’t good for them, and go home. That said, you should try to follow the terms outlined in your contract for breaking the contract. If you agree to give 30 days’ notice, then give it. The school would then have no course of action to take against you for your final paycheck and you shouldn’t run into any final issues with your visa and work permit. I’m not encouraging you to break any contracts, mind you, but I want to let you know that you don’t have to be tied to it if you suddenly decide that you hate living in that country and want to go home. That’s why the best perks are usually tied to the completion of your contract. That way if you want that free airfare or bonus, you have to stay. If you leave, you won’t see any of those benefits that enticed you to teach in the first place. Before you sign any contract, remember to do the following:

Read it over Make sure you know exactly what is in the contract. After you finish reading it over, read it over again. Often, teacher contracts are simple one-page statements, but it’s always important to know exactly what you are getting yourself into, so the school doesn’t turn around and say, “Well, it was in the contract” and you have no idea what they are referring to.


Include everything If the company promised you a return flight, make sure it is in the contract. Anything not in the contract will make it easy for them to avoid giving it to you. It will also make any arguments go more smoothly, because you can always say, “You put it in the contract.” If companies don’t honor that, you can complain to authorities and the local job boards. As they say, always get it in writing.

Do your research If you are just a traveler looking to make extra money, then where you work probably doesn’t matter. You won’t be sticking around long anyway. However, if you plan on staying awhile, you should check out the school before you go. Talk to other teachers, ask questions on teacher forums, or Google the school name to see what comes up. Don’t walk into a place blind. Knowing what the school is like will help you avoid any problems and management issues that might clash with your own teaching style. It will also help you determine if the school has a history of not honoring contracts. If that is the case, you don’t want to teach there.

Warnings on Contracts Contracts are important if you plan on being in a destination for the long term and want to have any recourse in case something goes wrong. North Americans, in particular, put a lot of weight on contracts, and when something doesn’t go according to plan, the first thing they do is whip out their contract to determine who is at fault. The rest of the world doesn’t work like this, though. Most contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. Most schools do not even use a legal contract. There really isn’t much you can do about contract issues, other than to read your contract carefully, ask for clarification if needed, and be aware that most schools will not offer you a new contract just because you might not like the way parts of it are worded. At this point, you have two choices: you can choose not to accept the position and find another school, or you can work with what you have. Here is something else to keep in mind: recruiting agencies shouldn’t be the signing


partner on your contract. This is because your ESL recruiter isn’t your employer. Your school is your employer and they are responsible for you during your year abroad. Why would you sign a contract with anyone else? Recruiters are the middleman. It is their job to talk to you about your new position and help to walk you through signing your contract with the employer. Your recruiter should be able to answer any questions you have about your contract offer. The only time a recruiting agency is your employer is if you agree to be paid by your recruiter, and honestly, if you have chosen to do this, you deserve to be scammed. This is essentially tantamount to telling your recruiter to take whatever they want from your paycheck each month. A number of scam recruiting agencies in China and the Middle East operate by telling the teacher that the contract must be binding between the agency and the teacher. In short, this means that they are accepting a far bigger payout from your school for your position than you can dream of, and they are likely skimming off the top of your paycheck each month as well. Never sign a contract with a recruiter or an agency. To protect yourself, be sure to check the party information at the top of your contract. Look for a school name and a school representative’s name (generally the person you interviewed with at your school). If you are dealing with schools in the Middle East, be especially careful of the signing name on your contract. Ask for the school address and school business number to be written into the contract. If you’re not sure, ask your recruiter who is listed as the hiring party on your contract. Anyone other than your school principal or HR manager or English department head is not acceptable. Your recruiter should be able to walk you through your contract on all points, so put them to the test. A reputable recruiter won’t be able to solve every problem for you, but they should be able to tell you what to keep an eye out for and how to handle things. Here are some other contractual points that you might want to keep in mind while


you’re looking over your school contract: 1. Penalty clauses In some countries, penalty clauses are illegal, but you’ll find these pesky little clauses in most contracts. They’re meant to discourage the teacher from breaking the contract and encouraging proper notice if he or she plans on leaving the position. In Taiwan, for example, you’ll find a penalty clause in every contract you see, even though it’s completely illegal to dock a teacher for hours worked. You won’t be able to avoid contracts with these sorts of clauses in them, but you can protect yourself by understanding how the law works in the country you’re planning on calling home for the next year. Schools impose hefty fines and charges on teachers who decide to break a contract. That said, if you give the proper notice as laid out in your contract, there is no way for them to keep your hard-won dollars. Some schools do not include a “notice” period for breaking contract. If this is the case, the government standard is 10 days, unless you have been at your school for more than a year. 2. Minimum hours If you are offered a contract that pays you by the hour, pay close attention to the minimum number of hours guaranteed to you. This means that your school must give you these hours each month. This also means that you can calculate the minimum that you will earn each month to help with budgeting. Something to note here is that this is the minimum number of hours, so you should expect to have more than this. It also means that there is room in your contract to take on more hours, and more hours means more money. 3. Maximum hours Make sure you know exactly how many hours you can potentially be contracted to work in one week. Only you can decide how much you want to teach, but anything over 25–30 teaching hours per week is a lot, especially for new teachers. 4. Vacation time It is always good to know how many vacation days you are granted. The best way to see


this is by checking your contract. Each school will have an allotted amount of time that is paid in addition to national holidays, although hourly contracts do not typically offer any kind of paid vacation. Every school is different. Some schools will only offer paid national holidays during a teacher’s first year abroad, while others may have more vacation time built in. Still other schools don’t offer vacation time at all. Honestly, with any position that you take (whether teaching or otherwise), you shouldn’t really expect to be able to take a holiday in your first year. That said, working hard and having a good relationship with your manager will greatly help if you do want to work out a way to take additional vacation time. 5. Days off China private cram schools have a schedule that is quite different to what we are used to in the West. The weekend will be your busiest days, and your days off will always be during the week. What you should pay attention to here is whether or not the days off will be consecutive. Most contracts will offer two consecutive days off, but not all of them do. Again, read your contract so that you are as informed as possible. 6. Benefits Benefits can vary greatly from position to position, so it is worth taking a look at them. Contracts can include some or all of the following: flights, accommodation, language classes, bonuses, airport pickup, paid training, health insurance, and a number of other things. If your school mentions benefits during a phone call, but you don’t see the benefits listed in your contract, be sure to ask them to add all of your job benefits to your contract.


CHAPTER 7

HOW NOT TO NAIL YOUR INTERVIEW


Your interview is your first hurdle to jump on the road to becoming an ESL teacher, so this is something you want to take seriously and not get wrong. Here are a few tips on what not to do during your interview. If you consider these tips as representing a certain percentage of your interview marks, then you’ll clearly understand that they can make or break the interview for you.

Show Up Late to Your Interview Related scenarios: • • • •

You haven’t turned your computer on. You haven’t turned Skype on. Your microphone or headset don’t work. You haven’t added your interviewer to your Skype contacts or worse< you haven’t accepted your interviewer’s Skype contact request. • You aren’t in an area that has good Wi-Fi. Outcome: Not your interviewer’s problem. Instant fail. Keeping your future employers waiting to interview you is a guaranteed way to annoy them and likely squander what chances you had at a position at their school. While your interviewer is waiting for you to get your act together, they’re going to be wondering if you’re the type of person who will show up late for class. Even if the interview goes well, I guarantee that this will be in your interview notes and that your interviewer won’t forget it. Remember that this person has allotted time from their schedule to speak to you; respect that and be logged in to Skype 5–10 minutes before the interview. You should already have made sure well in advance that your connection is good and that your Skype works by running a Skype test call. Showing that you are capable of adding a Skype contact ahead of time and being ready to go when your interviewer logs in counts for more than you think! This also sets the tone for future correspondence with your school or interviewer, so be ready.


Poor Appearance I know schools that have instantly cut short the interview for teachers that showed up to the Skype interview looking like a slob. Appearances really are everything. What makes an instant bad impression for an interviewer is when the applicant switches on the camera and they look like they have just woken up. This instantly screams, “I am not professional,” which is the exact opposite to what you should be saying. Another good example is someone who is still in swimwear and fresh off the beach. This shouts, “I’m a backpacker, and I’m not really serious about this interview.” Recruiters and school administrators have seen just about every scenario, and they’ve heard every excuse. Government programs fail teachers for this sort of thing, no matter how good the teacher is. Always err on the side of caution — dress appropriately for an interview.

Not prepping the Room Pay attention to your surroundings. If you live like a pig, that’s fine, but don’t show a potential employer that you do. Sit squarely in front of the camera. If the room is so dark that the interviewer can barely see you, I can guarantee that this is going to work against you. Alternatively, if you are seated in front of your screen with a giant light right behind you, your interviewer will not be able to see your face. Make sure that you minimize any disturbances. Tell all of your family members that you have an interview and you need SILENCE. And don’t leave things near your computer to play with during your interview — nothing is more annoying than listening to someone clicking the top of their pen nervously or playing with things at their desk.

Lack of Knowledge You will be surprised at how many people interview for a teaching position and have nothing prepared when asked a teaching question. It is not unreasonable for an employer to ask you to tell them how you would teach gerunds, verb tenses, and the alphabet, or to teach them something they don’t already know.


Questions you will likely always be asked are ones that relate to classroom management, the key responsibilities of being a teacher, and teaching mixed-ability classes. Be ready to relate a real-world situation that you’ve been in to some of these questions. If you’ve never been in a classroom, for example, think of a situation where you had to teach someone. It’s certainly better than saying nothing at all.

You Show You’re a Poor Fit You’ve been granted an interview because your application demonstrates that you meet the job description. The problem is that people can and do submit false information on applications, and it will be found out during the interview phase. Be ready to answer questions about the teaching requirements that the school requested. Employers rarely, if ever, make an exception to the rule; the job descriptions were written for a reason, and they are what the school is looking for.


CHAPTER 8

HOW TO AVOID SCAMS AND BAD SCHOOLS


How do you know a school is legit? How do you avoid scams? Where can you find information on schools to make sure they are aboveboard? The best way for you to avoid a scam recruiter or a bad school is to do your research. In this day and age, everything is online. Some of it is true, some of it isn’t. Most of it is really out of date. You know what isn’t out of date, though? LinkedIn and Facebook. And most government programs, schools, and recruiters know that these two sites are the quickest and easiest ways to prove that they are what they say they are. You are right to be suspicious about a recruiter or a school that doesn’t have some sort of a Facebook presence. Facebook reviews are a really easy way to see if a school or recruiting agency is well liked. Look at the number of likes the page has, look how often the school or agent posts, check out the photo albums, and be sure to read the Facebook reviews; it’s next to impossible to fake Facebook reviews. Now, if an organization or a school doesn’t post anything on its Facebook page, proceed at your own risk. And if that organization or school doesn’t even have a Facebook or LinkedIn page, proceed with extreme caution. Online review sites these days aren’t what they once were, and there is so much information out there that it’s hard to know what to believe. Keep in mind, too, that ESL review sites are always looking for advertising money, so take what you read with a grain of salt. Keep digging. If your recruiter or school is straightforward, they shouldn’t have any issues providing you with an email address or two for the school. I suggest using these to contact a past and a current employee at the school you are considering. Finally, consider the reference lists in this book. After all, isn’t this why you bought it, right!


CHAPTER 9

COUNTRY INFORMATION


The following section contains country-specific information about teaching in English overseas. It is arranged alphabetically. Prices are the local currency. Check the latest exchange rate to see what it translates into your own currency as rates change often.

Argentina At a Glance • Nationality: No nationality requirements • Degree: You do not need a bachelor’s degree to teach at private language schools in Argentina. You do need a degree if you want to teach in a state-run school or bilingual school. • Certification: TEFL or CELTA certificate • Experience: Have some experience (optional) • Age: No age restrictions • Average salary per month: 3,650–5,475 Argentine pesos (ARS) • Salary perks: Health care and paid holidays. Schools in Argentina don’t typically offer housing and airfare, although some international schools have been known to do so if teachers commit to a two-year contract. While there are not a lot of ESL jobs outside of the capital, Buenos Aires, those who want to teach in Argentina will find ESL jobs somewhat plentiful in the capital city. With just a little legwork, you can find placement in classrooms in a matter of weeks or even days. There is a high demand for private tutors, and though the start-up time can be quite slow, once you get going, jobs can be quite abundant.

Working Conditions Working conditions in the country are not that great if you are employed at a language school. Many schools only offer a few hours in the beginning as a way to “test” you out. You may also be required to cover for sick colleagues or take on small classes. This is quite normal in Argentina; schools there like to check a teacher’s reliability and classroom performance before giving them a full-time schedule.


Moreover, often you will teach in multiple locations, so make sure to factor travel time into your day. It is possible to work a 12-hour day, but only actually teach (and get paid) for a few hours — the rest of the time is spent traveling between destinations, and employers generally do not compensate you for travel time and expenses.

Teacher Salary Information Pay is quite low in Argentina, and you won’t make a lot of money there. The average monthly salary is 3,650–5,475 ARS. University teaching jobs pay on the higher end per month, while public schools pay on the lower end. Teachers may only receive 10–15 hours of classes each week initially. Teachers are generally paid by the hour. A teacher in Argentina usually makes 100–150 ARS per hour. Though the pay is hourly, salaries are paid on a monthly basis and are not always paid on time (sometimes they can be a few days late). Most “full-time” teachers average about four or five classes per day, which would work out to be around 2,400 ARS per week. For private lessons, you can be paid 130–200 ARS per hour, depending on how qualified you are, how much experience you have, and how good your Spanish is.

Benefits Teachers typically get health care and paid holidays. Unlike other parts of the world, you don’t get paid accommodation (with some exceptions) or airfare. Argentina provides a structured Social Health Care Plan for its government teachers. Most international schools offer a two-year contract, with the benefits including housing, health insurance, and a moving allowance. Language schools don’t offer any benefits beyond health care and paid holidays.

Working Visas Usually, your expected employer will act on your behalf and submit all the necessary paperwork for you to get a work permit. If you are already in Argentina, it should take around one month to receive your work visa.


However, if you are still home and submitting paperwork through a consulate in your own country, it can take up to four months to receive your visa. While your visa is being processed, you should receive your employment contract, which should provide all the details of your employment, as well as a statement confirming that the contract is in compliance with the labor laws of Argentina. This contract is only binding once you have been fully authorized to work by the Argentine Immigration Authority, however. Your employer’s signature on this contract must be certified by a public notary in Argentina as well as authenticated by the “Colegio de Escribanos.” Your signature must be witnessed by either the Argentine Immigration Authority or a consul in your own country. After you’ve received your entry permit, you can then apply for a work visa. For this, you will need the following documents: • • • • • • • • • •

Passport: valid for a minimum of 1 year A completed visa application form Four recent passport-sized photos Entry permit (Permiso de Ingreso) Contract of employment Birth certificate Marriage certificate (if applicable) Police records Affidavit that there are no national/international criminal records Fees (paid in money orders)

The work visa is valid for nine months and is renewable. It should be noted that your work visa is only valid with the employer for which the visa was issued. If you decide to change jobs, you will need to apply for an entirely new work visa.

Cost of Living Rental fees generally start around 400 ARS per month for a room in a shared apartment. You can sometimes find a suitable apartment for about 2,000 ARS, but they often cost more like 3,000 ARS. These costs may seem a bit expensive, but apartments in Buenos Aires come fully furnished, have their own kitchen and bathroom, and offer air


conditioning and (most of the time) an Internet connection. Electricity, using the heat and air modestly, will cost you 162–430 ARS per month. Food is reasonably priced in Argentina and costs between 500–1,500 ARS a month for groceries. You can find most café meals with a drink around 100 ARS, with lunch specials closer to 80 ARS. Wine begins at 30 ARS. (And it’s good too!) Higher end meals like steak will begin at 200 ARS and go up from there. Most sit-down table service restaurants will cost you around 150 ARS with a drink for dinner. Expect prices to be double in Patagonia and southern Argentina. Public transportation is very inexpensive in Argentina, with a subway ride costing only 5 ARS and a bus ride 2-3 ARS to the suburbs. Public transportation to other parts of the country runs about 250-1000 ARS. It should be noted that inflation is very high in Argentina (up to 20% annually), and prices change very frequently.

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ • http://www.eslbase.com/advice/argentina • http://buenosaires.en.craigslist.org/edu/


Belgium At a Glance

• Nationality: EU citizens. Citizens from non-EU English-speaking countries are often accepted. • Degree: Bachelor’s degree. Masters degree preferred • Certification: Basic TEFL certifications don’t hold much value in Belgium. CELTA are certificates are better. • Experience: Have some teaching experience • Age: Up to 60 years of age • Average salary per month: 1,400–1,920 EUR (euros) • Salary perks: Health care, paid vacation time, holiday and contract completion bonuses, travel stipend for to and from work, extra compensation for teachers that have additional certifications and/or degrees.

Belgium offers a lot of opportunity for teaching English due to the large number of foreigners living in the country (it is home to the head of the European Union!). Many of the jobs are in college or international schools. Belgium is a great country to live in and close to many of the biggest cities in the Europe.

Working Conditions Working conditions in Belgium are very good. You’ll receive a livable salary and decent benefits. You’ll find employers to be friendly, and you’ll get sick leave and generous paid vacations. Teaching jobs are hard to come by in Belgium, especially for teachers with little or no experience. Because of EU visa rules (see below), if you are a non-EU citizen, your best chance at a job is to work in an international school that teaches your country’s curriculum. There are good networks, including the Belgian English Teachers and Trainers Association (BETTA), that can help you find leads and offer contact information. Language schools, such as CLL and Foundation 9, continually search for English teachers throughout the year.


Teacher Salary Information You’ll earn a higher-than-average salary in Belgium. As an English teacher, you can expect to earn about 18–37 EUR per hour, with the higher pay going to those with more qualifications and experience. Most salaried teachers usually have a master’s degree, as having a TEFL degree doesn’t mean much in this country. You may also have to speak Dutch and/or French as well. If you are getting a job at a school, expect to earn around 1,400–1,920 EUR per month.

Benefits Belgium has better benefits for teachers than most other countries in Europe. While you get health care and vacation time like most jobs in Europe, depending on the type of school you are working for, benefits can include: • • • • • •

Holiday bonus End-of-year bonus Costs for travel between work and home Childcare benefits Union bonus Extra fee or compensation for special certificates or degrees

When you are working in Belgium, you are entitled to a vacation bonus of 85% of one month’s salary.

Working Visas All EU residents and non-EU citizens will need to obtain a residence card from the local town hall in Belgium in order to live in the country. Citizens of the EU, Norway, and Iceland are allowed to work in Belgium without obtaining a work permit. Non-EU citizens must apply for a work permit in order to legally work in the country, which your prospective employer should help you with. The employer, not the individual, files the work permit application, and before a permit is granted, the employer must prove that no Belgian or European Union resident is able to do the job.


Keep in mind that the EU wants to discourage finding employees outside the European Union. EU visa rules give preference to people within the Union first, so if you aren’t an EU resident, it will be harder to get a job. While it’s not impossible to find jobs in Belgium, it is difficult.

Cost of Living Living in the capital Brussels has a higher cost of living than anywhere else in the country. It costs about 1,500 EUR to rent a place in the center, which is usually most of a teacher’s salary (even if salaries are slightly higher there). If you live on the outskirts, you can find apartments for about 550 EUR. Electric, water and gas typically cost 155 EUR per month, and Internet costs 25–50 EUR per month. Cooking all your food usually costs about 160–325 EUR monthly. For an average-priced meal in a nice restaurant with a good reputation, expect to spend 15–57 EUR. Fast food will cost you 6–11 EUR a meal, although some street food vendors will only cost 1.5–3 EUR. You’ll have to make sure to budget when you consider your transportation costs. Although it isn’t expensive to travel in Belgium, it does add up when you’re taking the bus on a daily basis. A one-way ticket is 2 EUR and a onemonth pass is roughly 45 EUR.

Job Links • • • •

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ http://jobs.goabroad.com/search/belgium/jobs-abroad-1 http://www.jobsinbrussels.com/ http://www.beltabelgium.com/the-belta-guide-to-teaching-english-inbelgium-2/


China At a Glance • Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country • Degree: Usually you need a full BA, but it’s possible to find work without a degree if you are willing to teach with an internship program. You can also find work if you are willing to teach illegally on an L visa (Tourist Visa) or an F visa (Business Visa). • Certification: A 120-hour TEFL/CELTA certificate • Experience: Varies with school location. Most provinces in China now require teachers to have at least two years of post-graduate work experience. • Age: 24–55 years of age (some teachers past the age of 55 have had luck finding a teaching position while they were in China). • Average salary per month: 6,000–15,000 RMB (Chinese renminbi; sometimes indicated by CNY instead) for first-year teachers • Salary perks: Flights, housing, and paid vacation, among others China is a booming market for ESL teachers, much like Japan was in the 1980s. China is a popular destination for teachers, especially in major cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing (so you can expect a lot more competition for a job there). Teaching packages are quite good in China, and you can expect a competitive rate of pay, with salary perks that include housing, flights, and paid vacation. You can expect to find expat communities all over China, and there is always plenty to see and do. The Chinese government has become very strict about teaching regulations, and each province and city has its own requirements for English teachers. The Chinese government generally only offers a Z visa and Foreign Expert Certificate (FEC) to teachers from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the United States, but exceptions can be made. Since the Chinese government has started refining the Z visa law, it has become increasingly difficult to arrive in China on an L visa (Tourist Visa) and do a visa run to a nearby country to get a Z visa. The government prefers that teachers apply for a Z visa in their home country, but in some


cases, it’s still possible to get your Z visa while you’re in China. You cannot work in China on anything other than a Z visa, and you cannot go to China on an L visa and teach with no intention of changing to a Z visa. Teachers who work on an L visa are usually at unlicensed schools. Exceptions can be made in third-tier cities (see below for more about the tiers), but over the past five years, the Chinese government has been moving in favor of all teachers having a TEFL certificate. In recent years, the Chinese government has been luring inexperienced teachers by promising a job in return for taking a TEFL course in China, regardless of how little post-graduate teaching experience they might have. But be wary of these courses. Additionally, some cities in China will not accept online TEFL certifications, especially if “online” is stamped across the front of it. Depending on where you decide to teach in China, you may also be asked to undergo a national background check.

Working Conditions The key to a successful English teaching experience in China is to be employed by a reputable school that offers a Z visa and FEC, and to negotiate a well-written contract before leaving your home country. Your school will want you to wait for your paperwork to be approved before you can visit the Chinese consulate in your hometown to apply for your visa. The average wait time is 1–4 months, depending on whether you need to do a health check in your home country, how quickly you can gather your documents, and whether or not a criminal background check is needed. Every province and major city also has its own application process. Private English language schools employ the most teachers, but they are known for having the highest rate of exploitation, so be careful. Teachers are often required to work 20 hours per week on split shifts and expected to hold office hours during their free time. Also, many schools do not allow their teachers to work part-time outside of the school, although many teachers choose to do so at their own risk. If you do decide to work for one of these schools, do some investigating to ensure that the one you choose is in held in high regard by other teachers who have worked there.


Universities typically offer standardized working conditions, but you definitely need a bachelor’s degree to teach at a university. Universities and public schools typically offer less pay than private language schools, but they might offer more free time and paid vacation time. On average, you can expect to teach 18-25 hours per week, with and additional 10 hours built in for prep time. Teaching positions in China can be found in what are known as first-, second-, and third-tier cities, with first-tier cities being the largest and third-tier cities the smallest. China’s first-tier cities are known as “The Big Four”: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Teaching positions in these cities are highly sought after, and the local governments have higher requirements for ESL teachers. To teach in Beijing, you need a minimum of two years of post-graduate teaching experience, while in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, teachers are expected to have at least one year of formal teaching experience. (Some exceptions can be made depending on the type of business license your school has.) Schools in first-tier cities do not typically provide free housing. Some schools will build a housing stipend into your monthly salary and put you in touch with a rental agent. Second-tier cities include the capital city of each province and coastal cities; examples are Tianjin, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Xiamen. Life in a second-tier city in China can often be better than life in first-tier city: the cost of living is much lower, and the rate of pay is typically excellent. Teacher requirements vary from city to city, but you will need a bachelor’s degree, a 120-hour TEFL certification, and at least two years of post-graduate work experience. You will also be expected to have some formal teaching experience, but typically one year is enough. Third-tier cities are usually the medium-sized cities of each province. If you’re worried about a third-tier city as being too small, don’t stress. Even third-tier cities have populations in the millions, and you’ll find expat communities in every city. You’ll have access to Western food and shops in almost every city across China. Your monthly salary will go a long way in a third-tier city, as schools there typically provide large, furnished


apartments, flights, and other cool job perks. Schools in third-tier cities can sometimes overlook certain teaching requirements, but it’s best to have at least a college degree and a 120-hour TEFL certification.

Teacher Salary Information A beginner teacher with a bachelor’s degree can expect to make about 6,000–8,000 RMB per month teaching young learners in a third-tier city and 9,000–13,000 RMB per month in second- and first-tier cities. Teachers with two or more years of formal teaching experience can expect to earn a minimum of 8,000 RMB in a third-tier city and up to 20,000 RMB monthly in a first tier city like Beijing. Experienced teachers might also be able to negotiate salary and contract terms, depending on which school they apply with. Salaries are directly related to your location, so it’s important to factor in your cost of living in each city. To give you an example, a teacher that is earning 8,000 or 9,000 RMB per month can save just as much as a teacher earning 16,000 RMB in Beijing, and this is directly related to the cost of living in each area and to job packages. One thing to remember is that working conditions and salaries vary greatly in China. Salaries in first-tier cities are immensely higher than those in third-tier cities. Rural ESL jobs pay the least amount of money, but the upside is that there’s virtually nothing to do there and cost of living is cheap, so you’ll save a lot of money.

Benefits Most employers offer their teachers reimbursement for round-trip airfare to China along with free accommodation. Recently there has been more competition among employers. Competition is so great that schools have begun to offer even more benefits to ensure they get the best-quality teachers. You can usually get the following: • • • • •

Health insurance Paid national holidays Paid vacation Basic housing Round-trip airfare from your home country


• A contract completion bonus of one month’s salary • In many public schools and universities, they will even give you free lunch.

How to Apply You can take your chances finding a teaching position in China on your own, or you can apply through an ESL placement agency. The advantage to applying with an agency is that they will walk you through what to expect in a desired location and on the job.

Tips for Choosing an Agency Keep in mind that there are hundreds of ESL placement agencies that recruit teachers for teaching positions in China. Not all agencies are created equal, though. Here are some tips: Do not use a Chinese agency. If your recruiter doesn’t speak English well, choose another agency to work with. Choose a recruiter that has a comprehensive website with clear and easy-tounderstand information. Do not accept a position with a school that offers anything other than a Z visa and a Foreign Expert Certificate, unless you want to risk teaching illegally. Expect a waiting period of 2-4 months for your work permit and visa documents to be processed. Generally, the larger the city, the longer the waiting period. Ask your recruiter to give you an idea of what to expect.

Working Visas Currently, over 50% of teachers in China are teaching illegally, but teaching in China has become very strictly regulated, and everyone is required to have a work visa, i.e., a Z visa, from the Chinese embassy to legally work there. The Chinese government has really cracked down on illegal teaching in the past two years. If you are found to be teaching on anything other than a Z visa, you can expect immediate deportation, and you can be blacklisted from returning for a set amount of time. You might also be fined


or possibly imprisoned. Being deported might not seem like the end of the world to you, but having a deportation stamp in your passport when you’re trying to apply for a visa to another country doesn’t look nice. Strictly speaking, a Z visa can only be acquired from outside China, and sometimes it’s only possible to do this from your home country. The sponsoring school must mail out Chinese government-approved documents that support the teacher’s Z visa application. These need to be processed at the teacher’s local Chinese consular office. Almost every city in China now requires teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and a 120-hour TEFL certification to obtain a Z visa — no exceptions. Most cities, due to local government requirements, also require teachers to have post-graduate work experience. Additionally, you are required to have a year of formal teaching experience for Shanghai (among other cities) and at least two years of formal teaching experience for Beijing. To apply for the Z visa, you or someone you trust (a personal contact, travel agency, visa handling agency, etc.) must submit the appropriate paperwork to your local Chinese embassy or consulate. But you can only do this after your school has applied for your documents in China. The school will send you a letter of invitation to apply for your Z visa. You then visit your local Chinese embassy or consulate to submit the proper paperwork for your Z visa. You must submit the following: • A valid passport as well as a copy of its information page • One completed Visa Application Form (Q1) • One recent 2 x 2-inch photo (black & white or color is acceptable) glued or stapled on the application form • A visa notification issued by the authorized Chinese unit • An original and a photocopy of the Work Permit for Aliens issued by the Chinese Labor Ministry, or the original of the Foreign Expert’s License issued by the Chinese Foreign Expert Bureau • A visa notification issued by the authorized Chinese unit or proof of kinship, e.g.,


marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc., for any accompanying family members You must apply for your visa in the same city that was used to secure your work permit. Let your school know where you are located when you begin the documentation process and then make sure that you stay in that location until you visit the local Chinese embassy or consulate to pick up your visa. If you are already in China when you get your teaching job, you will have to leave the country in order to obtain the visa, as it is only given outside the country. Most people go to Hong Kong to do this. Some schools have no choice but to send teachers back to their home country to receive their Z visa, especially if a criminal background check or police record is needed, so do your research if you are considering a teaching position in China. This is not a country that you want to just show up in to start looking for a job.

Cost of Living The cost of living in China is generally very low, especially if you live like a local. Since your accommodation and most meals are paid for, most of your basic needs will be covered. Local food and products will always be cheaper than imports or western meals. Eating in local markets or restaurants can cost about 8–43 RMB for three Chinese dishes plus rice for two people. Western restaurants, which are more expensive, typically cost 67–210 RMB for a meal. China has excellent yet inexpensive public transport, and even taxi rides are quite reasonably priced, if sometimes harrowing. Chinese people often commute by bicycle, but this mode of transport is only for the bravest of foreigners. Most of China’s cities have a good public transportation system, with trips usually costing about 2 RMB and a monthly pass 115 RMB,

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/china/ • http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/teach-english-in-china.html • http://jobs.echinacities.com/


What It’s Like To Teach In China: Part I Sally is a writer, teacher, traveler, performer and all-around scaredy cat. She has been working, living and traveling in Asia since 2007. She currently lives in China, where she teaches English and blogs about cookies, pants and her fear of pretty much everything at www.unbravegirl.com

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I first started teaching ESL about thirteen years ago right after I graduated from college. I had spent my summers during college working in the UK and Ireland on student work visas and had really fallen in love with living and working abroad. For me this was the best way to see a country – I got to experience the culture and meet lots of local people while making money and not having to live out of a backpack. When I graduated, I wasn’t ready to settle down and get a “real job,” plus I still wanted to travel and live overseas some more. A professor of mine in college had suggested I apply for the JET Program in Japan, which sets up native speakers with jobs teaching English in public schools across the country. I ended up teaching in a high school in this tiny little fishing village on the coast of the Japan Sea for a year. After a couple years of working in the States off and on and teaching overseas off and on, I finally decided to make teaching English my “real job” and have been teaching ESL continuously for the past five years.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? Besides my year of teaching with the JET Program in Japan, I taught for a year at a private language school in Manaus, Brazil and for three years at a university in Kobe, Japan. I’m now currently teaching at a university in Wuxi, China, where I’ve been for almost a year. Additionally, I’ve done some volunteer teaching in Nepal and Thailand, and have taught both professionally and as a volunteer in the States.


Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? Prior to my first year of teaching, I didn’t have any experience at all. I had a degree in English, but all of my coursework had been in creative writing and literature. Like most native speakers of English, I had no idea what the grammar rules for English were (orthat we even had any!) until I had to start teaching them. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot of things the hard way – basically by having lots of students tell me I’m wrong. When I decided to make teaching my “real job,” I went back to school and got my Master’s degree in TESOL. A lot of jobs out there don’t require that you have a degree or certification in TESOL, but I do think having my degree has opened a lot of doors for me and made me a much better teacher. Regardless, I still have plenty of students tell me I’m wrong. (And, unfortunately, they’re usually right!)

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? This really depends – both on the school you’re working for and the city you work in. From what I understand, in China, it is a government law that all native speaker English teachers must have at least two years of experience prior to getting a job here. The university that I work for does abide by this law when hiring teachers, but, honestly, I’ve met plenty of people who’ve gotten jobs in China without the required two years of experience. It can be pretty competitive in the big cities, like Shanghai or Beijing, but in the smaller cities, like Wuxi, or more rural areas, they tend to be a bit more flexible.

What was your experience like? Each of my experiences teaching ESL has been drastically different. My first teaching experience in Japan was pretty easy. I usually only taught for an hour or two each day, and I was team- teaching with a Japanese teacher, so if I had any problems in the classroom or needed help translating, they were always there to help me out. My current job in China is definitely not such a cakewalk. I teach about four hours a day for four days a week, and I’m totally on my own.


The school hands me a syllabus and my books at the beginning of the semester and expects me to hand in my grades at the end of the semester, and that’s about it. This means I have a lot of autonomy in the classroom, which I like, but it also means I have to work a lot.

Was it easy to find work? Finding work in China was pretty easy. I knew I wanted to teach at the university level, and I knew I wanted to find a job that would allow me to sign up for a one-semester contract. I found a couple job listings online that fit these criteria and I applied. After sending in all my application materials, I did a phone interview with my current employer and got the job. Probably the hardest thing was all the visa paperwork, which required a full physical and copies of my original diploma and all kinds of other stuff. In fact, I was in Asia when I first applied for the job, but ended up going back to the States before moving to China as it was proving really hard to take care of the visa paperwork while overseas.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I probably wouldn’t have left Japan so quickly the first time I was there. At the time, I just saw teaching English as a kind of “gap year” thing. I was really determined to spend only a year in Japan and then come home and get started with my “real life.” It wasn’t until I had moved back to the States to live in Washington, DC, that I really regretted my decision. In Japan, I had had a well-paid job, subsidized housing, lots of amazing coworkers and a really great social life. Meanwhile, in DC, I had to work two jobs just to be able to make my rent. After only two years of that, I was ready to ditch my “real life” and go back overseas – that’s why I ended up in Brazil. I probably also would have gotten my TEFL certification or gone back to get my degree a little bit earlier. Of course, when I first started teaching, I thought I was an awesome teacher – mostly because I had no clue that everything I was doing was wrong. It wasn’t until I got my degree that I was like, “Oh, so that’s how you teach this stuff.”


Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Life in China is surprisingly easy. I had heard a lot of horror stories about China from people who had traveled here, so I was preparing myself for the worst. But I think living here is much different from traveling here. I live in school-provided accommodation, which is pretty cushy. The city I live in has pretty much anything you could possibly want – from super cheap street food to huge, fancy, schmancy Westernstyle shopping malls. Plus, I only live about an hour away from Shanghai, so if I can’t find whatever I’m looking for here, I can always go to Shanghai for a weekend and get it there.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? I’d say the hardest part about living here is meeting people to hang out with, aside from my coworkers. In Japan, I lived in a big international city where there were tons of other foreigners and plenty of Japanese people who were interested in making foreign friends. There were also tons of international groups and organizations and classes you could take, where you could meet people. I did everything from take belly dance classes to perform in an improvisational comedy group. Wuxi, on the other hand, is not so cosmopolitan. I’ve ended up mostly hanging out with my coworkers, as it’s hard to meet other people here. Most of the foreigners I meet are only here for short-term on business, and most Chinese people my age are married and have families and can’t really hang out. Plus, the language barrier is a problem as I don’t speak much Chinese.

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. First of all, I’d definitely recommend all new teachers get some kind of TEFL training or certification before they start teaching. Not only will this help them get a job, but also this will make them more confident in the classroom. I really wish I had done this before I started teaching. 2. Secondly, I’d suggest doing some research about the schools you’re applying to work with. Check out the online ESL teaching forums for anything negative written about the schools, and see if the school will let you get in touch with people who are currently teaching with their program. Most schools are legit, but there are some dodgy programs out there, so it’s best to do a little research before committing yourself.


3. And, finally, be flexible and open to staying longer than you originally intended. I applied for my current job because it allowed me to sign up for a one-semester contract because I didn’t think I’d want to stay here longer than six months. I ended up liking my job and the area I’m living in a lot more than I expected, so I signed up for two more semesters. I’m actually kind of surprised I’ve stayed as long as I have, but I’m glad I have. I think I’ve been able to learn a lot more about the country and have a lot more experiences by staying longer. Who knows, I may even start learning Chinese one of these days!


What It’s Like To Teach In China: Part II At the tender age of 21 with incurably itchy feet Sasha left her tourism studies and life back home in Canberra, Australia to make life as an English teacher in China. So far she has taught Middle Eastern Students in an international primary school in a small rural Chinese city and taught Chinese students in Primary Schools, Middle Schools and language schools throughout Shanghai. She is currently teaching Korean Kindergarten Students in Shanghai. You can find out more about Sasha on her website shanghainovice.com or on Twitter at @shanghainovice.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I was in my first year of tourism studies after taking two gap years saving money and traveling. I thought when I got back from my travels that I was ready to settle into study, ready to settle into a career. How wrong I was! I soon found myself yearning to get away from the pile of books I was studying, away from the computer and away from my small home city Canberra, Australia to experience life somewhere else in the world. Having just drained all my savings on my trip to Europe the year before it was clear that there was no way I could afford to backpack like I wanted to, at least not with the little the money I had. Not content with staying at home working and saving, I decided to work overseas. It seemed the best option for a culture enthusiast, loud, and talkative person like me was to teach English. By the time re-enrollments for the next year of study came around I was done with my boring stagnant life and walking down the path towards an even more boring stagnant career. Within a week of making the decision not to continue my studies I enrolled in a TEFL course that just so happened to include a China teaching placement service. 4 months later I arrived in the middle kingdom for what would so far be the biggest adventure in my life!


Where did you teach exactly and for how long? When I decided to teach English in China, it never occurred to me that I would live here for 2 years. And it certainly never occurred to me that at the tender age of 21 I would be stuck living on a school campus with a 10pm curfew in a damp apartment with squat toilet in a small Chinese city, where as far as I knew I was the only ‘white’ foreigner. But that is exactly how I spent my first 5 months in China. Although I loved the small city life I felt alone and out of place and when I could stand it no longer I packed up my backpack and headed to Shanghai for a life of Eastern, Western fusion and haven’t left since!

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? When I headed off to China to teach English I hadn’t completed my studies in tourism, I didn’t have a degree, I didn’t have any teaching experience and only had a 120hr online TEFL course certificate. In most countries they wouldn’t even consider me but in China being a native English speaker with TEFL qualifications was more then enough to get a job in a rural city. It was that experience in the rural city that set me up to get a job in Shanghai.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? In China most schools require that you at least have a university degree and TEFL certification while many are not so worried by a lack of teaching experience. In many respects I was thankful for not having any prior teaching experience coming to China as I was able to quickly adapt to the unique and frustrating Chinese education system whereas many teachers with experience in other countries found the transition a long and difficult one.

What was your experience like? In China by far the best thing about teaching is the students, they are so well behaved and keen to learn. Never have I seen students have such admiration and respect for their teachers. It doesn’t hurt that being a foreigner you are a novelty and treated like a rock star by the students. English class with the foreign teacher is often the most exciting part of the school day for the students and they don’t shield their excitement.


Never have I had such an enthusiastic, warm and loud welcome reception than every time I walk into a classroom! But with the joys of the students comes the challenges of working within a Chinese education system. Besides the big international school and language schools many schools do not have much experience dealing with foreign teachers hence there is often conflicting opinions on how things should be taught. An added frustration is that in many cases these requirements and expectations are never made clear or even shared with the foreign teaching staff. It’s only when you do something ‘wrong’ that you’ll hear about these ‘requirements’ leaving you to ask both yourself and them ‘Why is it I’m only hearing about these expectations and requirements now!’

Was it easy to find work? China with its large population has a huge demand for English teachers. If you have a university degree and TEFL certificate it is easy to find work in all corners of the country, particularly high paying jobs in the larger cities. If you don’t have a university degree but have a TEFL and teaching experience you will also find finding a job quite easy particularly in the smaller cities although the pay will often be lower. If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? One of the biggest problems I’ve experienced teaching in China is having less then honest employers that don’t abide by the contract or worse don’t give you a contract at all. Going back I would have been more selective with my employers, looked for companies that had many reputable reviews online as well as those that would allow me to speak to some staff members about their experiences beforehand. If I could do it all over again I certainly wouldn’t work full time without a contract!

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? When I first moved to China, living on a school campus with a 10pm curfew, no foreign friends and next to no Chinese speaking ability I found it a huge challenge. I felt isolated, alone and bored. Once I moved to Shanghai life picked up. I have a nice apartment downtown. I have lots of friends both Chinese and expats. I love my life in Shanghai with my Chinese roommate and best friend. I love living in my very Chinese


neighbourhood, where I know who to buy the best tomatoes from at the local market, where my nosey neighbors want to know what I’m cooking for dinner, where the 3 year old upstairs always wants to knock on my door to say hi. But when I’m tired of my Chinese life I can just as easily escape into expat life with western restaurants, bars and clubs just 20 minutes walk away. It is the best of both worlds, local culture with the comforts of home not too far away. What’s not to love! It is this East meets West fusion that has made my life in Shanghai so fantastic and even more difficult for me to ever leave!

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? China is an incredibly frustrating country for a westerner as the Chinese way is often at loggerheads with how we do things in the West. Nothing is simple in China, things are often made unnecessarily difficult to do and the bureaucracy you have to deal with as a foreigner is both frustrating and downright confusing. On top of that China has a culture that discourages open communication and this often ripples into both your work and personal life. Often it feels like it’s impossible to ever get straight answers and to ever find the information you’re looking for. Despite having lived in China for nearly 2 years the communication issues is something I’ve never gotten used to and still often struggle with in everyday life.

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Read up on Chinese culture. It’s so different from western culture and if you land in China armed with an understanding it will be that much easier to adjust to all the frustrating differences. 2. Research your future employer. Workers’ rights are pretty much nonexistent in China and contracts are almost worthless. To avoid getting stuck in a job with a bad employer do your research. Look at online forums, ask to speak to current teachers and make sure you have a comprehensive contract. 3. Give China time! It takes time to get used to all of China’s idiosyncrasy’s but if you give it time and do everything you can to integrate into the local culture then maybe you will discover the China I love so much and the China you could call home for a least a small part of your life!


What It’s Like To Teach In China: Part III Michael Tieso has been traveling around the world writing, photographing,and filming his adventures for the last 3 years. He is the Editor-in-chief of the Art of Adventuring-- a website that provides stories, tips, and advice about all things backpacking. He writes about being a male teaching in China.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I wanted to immerse myself in the culture and learn Chinese. It was a great opportunity and I learned quite a lot from doing it.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught in Xi’an, China at a university for almost one year. It went from end of August till end of December. Then I had January and February off for the holidays. During that time I went traveling around Thailand and Vietnam. I had to go back at the end of February and teach till the beginning of July.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I don’t have a TEFL certification nor do I have a bachelors degree.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? China is desperate for teachers and many of the schools outside of Shanghai and Beijing will probably take just about anyone from an English speaking country. I walked into the classroom with zero teaching experience. I learned and adapted quickly to the environment. It may have helped if I had been a qualified teacher but I think most importantly, the teacher needs to be able to adapt. Teaching and learning methods in China are different than the USA so I had to adapt to the culture while still implementing some of my own methods. I think that there’s a certain personality which is needed to be a good teacher that you don’t automatically get from qualifications. Patience is certainly one of them but also


being social, talkative, funny and yet serious. It’s easy to be a teacher but harder to have the personality for it.

What was your experience like? I had my ups and downs. Overall though, it was easy work. During my first semester, I worked 26 hours a week. Taught in class rooms from 20 to 40 students. The second semester I taught only 10 hours a week but since my contract required a minimum of 16 hours, I was getting paid for 16 instead of 10. They didn’t have enough classes to assign me.I was provided material to teach with but the books ended up being useless and unhelpful. The books were written by the school and had an incredible amount of errors. I quickly realized that and had to throw away any lesson plans I had with the book and do my own thing. From there, I researched lessons and games and planned things one week at a time. I was teaching English majors at the university oral english. Some classes did not care whatsoever if I even came to class and showed absolutely no interest. Those classes were always difficult to motivate but I always reminded myself that it was beyond my control because they were notorious for being the bad class. The good classes were beyond good. They always listened and showed the highest respect for me as a teacher. The majority of the classes I had were like this. It was nice and definitely made teaching much easier. At the end of the year, I received dozens of small gifts from those students.

Was it easy to find work? It was extremely easy. I knew I wanted to teach in China. All I did was search on Google for teaching position and basically had a dozen or so cities to choose from. I sent out as many emails as I could with my resume.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would have planned better and more interactive lesson plans. As the year went on, I started to get better at connecting with the students and finding out which lesson plans they liked. Since it was my first year ever teaching, I had no idea what to look for. Eventually I figured out that they loved to be more involved. Although they wanted to participate, the Chinese are typically very shy so I had to figure out a way to break that barrier and make them feel more comfortable. One of the many cultural lessons I


learned and what I mean by adapting to the environment while teaching.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? It was never boring. I lived on the University campus with seven other foreign teachers and about thirty minutes from downtown. We were the only foreigners in the area. The town was as local as it could possibly get. No English at all at any of the stores or restaurants. The people were extremely friendly and helpful. I was never an inconvenience for not knowing enough of the language. It was definitely an experience that was totally different from when I had backpacked around China the year prior. I was forced to eat the local food (Chinese food is delicious) and entertain myself the ways the Chinese did like going to KTV’s (Karaoke). If I wanted pizza or to meet other foreigners, it was simple enough to take a taxi or bus downtown but since it was thirty minutes away, I generally stayed within the neighborhood.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? I’ve never been so popular in my life. I was asked out on a date by a student on the first day of class, which was all women (40 of them). At first, it was an overwhelming amount of attention. I could not walk anywhere without someone saying “hello” to me. That was probably the only word they knew. It was more like being a celebrity. Another major thing is the lack of organization and corruption. The cultural differences were sometimes frustrating. Once they tried to get rid of of my days off by making me work on Sundays. My contract specifically said that I was to have weekends off. I knew this but they seemed to have forgotten this. They were baffled why I would ever complain and battle to have my day off when I’m given the opportunity to work and earn more money. Typically, the Chinese teachers would be grateful and willing to work as many hours as possible while I wanted to work less and just chill out. Chinese schools work by quantity and not by quality. They want as many students as possible to enter their school and graduate. No matter how hard I tried, I could never fail a student. Even if I had failed a student, the student would be passed anyway by their Chinese teachers. It was impossible for a foreigner to fail a student. Grades meant


almost nothing. The only thing it actually meant was the student being disappointed but they moved onto the next grade anyway. It was these cultural differences that sometimes made things difficult.

What are your tops three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. DO IT! Stop thinking about it. It was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. You’ll learn more things about yourself than this book could ever describe to you. There’s really no risk in doing it. If you don’t like it and it’s not for you, just go home. Don’t worry about the contract. It’s not prison. Worst case scenario is that you pay for your plane ticket. That’s it. 2. Memorize the contract.Look through it as much as possible. Make sure you fully understand what’s expected of you and them. Overtime, pay, vacation, flights – look through it all. 3. Learn as much as you can of the local language before you leave. It goes a long way. It’s difficult to study without someone being around to help you but something is better than nothing. Take language courses during your first month in China or wherever you are. Whether you choose to further study the language or not is up to you but it will definitely help you teach better. You don’t need to know a single word but it just makes life easier.


Czech Republic At a Glance • • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: No age restrictions Average salary per month: 13,125–20,200 CZK (Czech korunas) Salary perks: Paid holidays, sick days, and health insurance

Considered the corporate hub of the old “Eastern Block,” the Czech Republic has experienced increased tourism and business, and with it the need for English teachers has grown. Teachers flock to the largest cities (Prague, Plzeň, Brno) because jobs are abundant there, and they have a laid-back culture of young people.

Working Conditions Competition for English teaching jobs in Prague is intense, and there are many teachers looking for employment at any one time. However, demand does outstrip supply, and so teaching English in the Czech Republic is still a teachers’ market. Having been offered a job, do expect your class schedule to be small initially, as schools like to evaluate teachers before giving them a full-time schedule. A native English speaker with a bachelor’s degree and a few months of tutoring experience has a better chance at getting a job in the major cities. Most teachers live in Prague, and with so few elsewhere, you’ll find that you have a better job market outside the city, as they try to retain teachers there. In east or north Bohemia and in northern Moravia, the students will knock down your door, even if you haven’t graduated from college. The easiest places to look for jobs are the numerous private language schools, some of which will even pay health insurance and get foreigners a “green card,” the little green book that awards foreigners the right to live and work in the Czech Republic. A few


established language schools are the Caledonian School, Languages at Work, and Elvis. Czech language skills will be a major asset in dealing with beginning students.

Teacher Salary Information A teacher in the Czech Republic will make around 13,125–20,200 CZK per month for the usual work week of 25 hours. While the salary is sufficient for living in the Czech Republic, it is not luxurious by Western European standards, and you won’t walk away with a lot of savings. However, if you are better qualified or perform well, you can earn up to 30,290 CZK per month. In the city of Prague, salaries can sometimes be double what they pay in smaller towns in the countryside.

Benefits Teachers here get paid holidays, sick days, and health insurance. Some programs reimburse your return airfare after the contract is over. Housing is rarely included, but most schools offer assistance finding a place to live.

Working Visas You need both a work permit and a residency visa to legally teach English in the Czech Republic. It is a long process, so it’s best to give yourself about six months for the application process. Most schools help you with this process. You need to first find an employer who will issue you a work permit and then apply for a residency visa. This must be done outside of the Czech Republic. However, if you are already in the Czech Republic, you can do several visa runs to nearby countries like Austria or Slovakia to complete the paperwork. In order to apply for the residency visa, you will need both a notarized work permit from your employer in the Czech Republic and a signed lease document for where you will be living. Everything must be translated into Czech and notarized. Once your residency visa has been approved, you can pick it up at the local embassy or consulate. The residency visa is only valid for the employer for which your work permit was issued. Once it has been issued, you cannot change jobs. If you quit or lose your job, your


residency visa will become invalid and you must leave the Czech Republic within one month.

Cost of Living While salaries in large city centers can be much higher than what they are elsewhere in smaller cities, so too are accommodations more expensive. A one-bedroom flat in Prague, or other large city centers, can cost 7,000–14,000 CZK per month; the same flat in smaller cities can be 6,000–10,500 CZK per month. A room in a shared house can cost around 4,500–7,000 CZK per month. You can also get a fully furnished room for around 6,000–10,000 CZK, which includes utilities and an Internet connection. A week’s worth of groceries should cost about 600 CZK. Food and entertainment are also inexpensive, with a full meal and a beer at a restaurant costing about 150 CZK, a movie about 150 CZK, and drinks at a bar about 50 CZK. There are a number of great options for affordable public transportation in the Czech Republic, with Prague having one of the best systems in all of Europe. You can travel anywhere in the city with a monthly metro pass for only 500 CZK. Individual tickets are available at metro stations for 20 CZK.

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ • http://www.teachabroad.com/search/czech-republic • http://www.escapeartist.com/czech/jobs.html


Dubai At a Glance • Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country • Degree: Have a four-year bachelor’s degree • Certification: Be a licensed teacher in your home country. Even as a licensed teacher, it’s a good idea to have a quality TEFL or CELTA certificate. • Experience: Two years of formal teaching experience at the appropriate grade level in the relevant subject area • Age: 25–65 years of age • Average salary per month: Private language schools offer 9,000–15,000 AED (Emirati dirhams) tax-free. Public schools offer 12,300–20,400 AED tax-free. • Salary perks: Flights, housing, health insurance, relocation bonus, contract completion bonus, and generous paid vacation, among other perks Dubai is slowly coming back to life from the economic collapse a few years ago, and with it the demand for teachers is rising again. Dubai considers itself a banking and finance hub, and learning English is a high priority there. Expect to earn a lucrative salary and receive a competitive benefits package while living in a world-class city that is known for being a little less conservative than other locations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Teaching positions in Dubai can range from ESL teaching in private language schools to licensed teaching positions in all subjects in public or private schools.

Working Conditions Public school system

Teachers interested in teaching in Dubai’s public school system are required to be licensed to teach in their home country. You’ll likely need to commit to a two-year contract. These positions typically pay 12,300–20,400 AED ($3,500–5,500 USD) per month. Salaries are determined by the teacher’s level of education and amount of certified teaching experience. Public schools will not consider teaching experience at private language schools as licensed, classroom experience. These positions often include accommodations for families, plus flights for family


members each year. An end-of-contract bonus equivalent to one month’s salary is also paid out for each year worked.

Private school system Licensed teachers should look into positions at private or international schools, as well. There are a large number of private schools in Dubai, and for teachers with a background in ESL, there are opportunities at language schools and vocational colleges. As well as being popular with Dubai nationals, private language schools are sometimes used by expatriate workers from various countries to improve their English. If you choose to work in one, the hours can be long, and classes are usually at night. Foreign international language schools, such as Berlitz, have branches in Dubai. They often require that their teachers attend their own training courses to learn the particular teaching methods of that language school. Private English lessons are popular in Dubai and therefore a significant source of employment. The demand for private English lessons is to some extent seasonal, with more people wanting them in the run-up to the examination season. There’s another peak of demand when exam results are published, from those who have failed and need to improve their skills for exam retakes. Preference is given to male teachers or teachers with families. The working week in Dubai is Sunday through Thursday.

Teacher Salary Information Depending on your host school, you can expect to work about 40–48 hours in an average workweek in Dubai. The average salary for an English teacher is about 5,000– 11,018 AED per month. With this salary, you are able to live comfortably and even save some money. If you have a master’s degree as well as a lot of experience, you can expect to get a job that pays even more than that. Teachers can earn up to 220,000 AED per year here. Your salary is also tax-free. You can also tutor lessons privately for extra money, but this requires formal consent.


Benefits Teaching in the UAE gives you a lot of benefits. In fact, they have some of the best benefit packages in the ESL world. You’ll get: • • • • • • • •

A monthly tax-free salary Paid round-trip airfare Additional flights for family members Large, free, furnished housing Health care A generous amount of paid vacation time A contract-completion bonus payment of one month’s salary per year A relocation bonus

Working Visas Applying for a visa in Dubai is extremely rigorous, and the entire process generally takes about 3–6 months. Teachers applying for positions with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) must interview in person at recruitment sessions that are found in locations throughout North America, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Private schools are typically a bit more lenient with their interviewing process and will allow teachers to interview over a Skype video call, but it really depends on the hiring team for each school. No matter which route you choose, a recruitment agency will almost always be the best choice for applying, as a good agent will be able to walk you through the process of securing your national criminal background check and completing the documents. Most companies that hire internationally have what they call “fixers,” people who help you throughout the entire visa application process. Whenever you visit a department in Dubai regarding your visa application, your “fixer” should always be there as well. The government requires that all foreign teachers coming to live and teach in this Emirate have their qualifications attested. What this means is that you have to take all your certificates to a public notary in your home country before you leave for Dubai.


Foreign teachers are legally required to get a resident visa and labor card in order to teach in Dubai, and most jobs are offered to men. Foreign teachers must undergo an intensive medical exam in order to apply for a residence visa.

Cost of Living Dubai is an exciting city, with some fabulous restaurants and exciting night activities, but it is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in and can quickly eat up your income. The cost of living in the country is increasing, and inflation is growing. The dirham is currently pegged to the US dollar. A number of schools will offer accommodation for their teachers, but if you have to find your own, rent costs are about 2,000–6,000 AED per month, and utilities would cost about 459 AED monthly. Dining in a local food stall in Dubai costs about 10–100 AED, while dining in a Westernstyle restaurant costs about 150 AED and having some drinks and snacks in a pub or club costs about 100–500 AED. Monthly costs for groceries should be about 400–1,600 AED. The best public transportation in Dubai is the taxi, which will cost 6 AED per kilometer. There’s a lot of traffic in the city and a typical cab ride is usually around 100 AED. Public buses will cost 4 AED for a long trip. If you want to drive yourself, you can choose to rent a car for 60–100 AED per day, with the nicer models being more expensive.

Job Links • http://www.eslemployment.com/location/esl-jobs-Dubai-US.html • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ • http://www.jobsindubai.com/TeachingEnglishJobsInDubai. asp?lstIndustryID=10 • https://www.teachaway.com/teach-in-dubai-uae


Ecuador At a Glance Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: A bachelor’s degree is not required Certification: A 120-hour TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: No age restrictions Average salary per month: $300–600 USD per month (Ecuador uses the US dollar) • Salary perks: Paid vacation and paid national holidays • • • • • •

Ecuador’s beautiful tropical rainforest and mountainous highlands make it an incredible place to teach English. Not to mention that the Galápagos Islands are virtually right next door. The demand for English teachers in Ecuador is certainly steady, with no signs of slowing down in the near future. Many of the job vacancies can be found in Ecuador’s major cities: Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil.

Working Conditions In order to work in Ecuador, you don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree; most schools will hire you if you only have a TEFL certificate. As a matter of fact, almost all of the schools in Ecuador require that you be at least certified to teach English with a TEFL certificate. Teachers can usually expect to find work in state or private schools and universities. Typical work hours are 20-30 hours a week, depending on your school. Classes usually take place in the early morning and in the late afternoon. Like many TEFL jobs, these hours can be unsociable, so it is important for you to research the school beforehand to find out what their teaching schedules might be like, in order to see what works best for you. Remember also that people in most South American countries are known to be late, and Ecuadorian students are no exception. Just don’t be surprised when some students arrive 20 minutes after the class starts.


Private tutoring is common as well in Ecuador and is a good way to make a few extra dollars. It wouldn’t hurt to also pay a small fee to put an ad in the local newspaper to promote yourself.

Teacher Salary Information Teachers earn $300–600 USD a month. On the low end of the pay scale, teaching at a private English school, you can expect to make $3–6 USD an hour. On the higher end, it is possible to make $6–8 USD an hour. It is also possible to find employment at one of the large language institutes, like Wall Street English, where you will work eight-hour days, five days a week. This type of job will typically yield around $600 USD a month before taxes. You can also do private lessons for up to $15 USD an hour.

Benefits The only benefits in Ecuador are paid vacations and national holidays.

Working Visas Most schools don’t offer any assistance in obtaining a visa in Ecuador, and gathering together all of your paperwork can definitely be a hassle. They have certainly cracked down on illegal teachers in Ecuador over the past few years, so it is essential to have one. Most teachers traveling to Ecuador are going to need to get a work visa (12-VI) for this. Here is what you should have: • Two passport-size photographs, in color, with white background • A passport that is valid for at least six months and regular residency in the country upon entry • A CV or résumé • The hiring company’s articles of incorporation, duly registered in the Chamber of Commerce’s registry • An updated RUC certificate from the sponsor • An appointment from the Chairman, General Manager, or Agent, to be submitted and duly registered in the Chamber of Commerce’s registry • An updated certificate of not having outstanding obligations to the IESS


• In the case of work contracts, the following must also be submitted: employment authorization issued by the Labor Ministry, and an employment contract registered with the Labor Directorate.

Cost of Living To live a moderate lifestyle in Ecuador, you are going to need $400–600 USD a month. Accommodation in Ecuador is inexpensive. You can expect to find a room in a shared apartment for $100–200 USD. For a one-bedroom apartment in the middle of the city, you can pay upwards of $300–400 USD a month. Basic utilities like heating, water, and gas should cost $15–40 USD a month. The Internet speeds in Ecuador certainly aren’t lightning fast, but if you really need to use it at an Internet café, it’s about $0.10 USD for 10 minutes. Food is very cheap. A lunch can cost $1–4 USD; that includes the main course, soup, and a drink. If you are looking to dine out at a nice restaurant for a three-course meal, you’re still only going to pay $12–25 USD. A liter of beer will cost you $0.80–2 USD, depending on whether you buy it in a store or a bar. A one-way ticket on local transport will cost $0.25 USD, or you can purchase a monthly ticket for about $15 USD. Taxi trips in the city are about $1–3 USD. Just make sure you tell the taxi driver that you would like the meter on before he takes you anywhere. It’s not likely that you will save much money living in Ecuador, but the ability to navigate the rainforests on weekends and take a quick trip to the Galápagos Islands should be enough of a motivation to visit.

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/search/Jobs/Latin_America/Ecuador/ • http://www.eslbase.com/jobs/ecuador/ • http://www.esljobs.com/teach-english/ecuador/


What It’s Like To Teach In Ecuador Flora is a London-born writer, travel blogger and avid volunteer, with a self penned obsession for the weirdnesses of the world. She is currently volunteering her way around South America; teaching English in Ecuador, playing Jenga in the favelas of Colombia, coping with a broken collarbone in Peru, building houses in the Brazilian jungle and making artificial limbs in Bolivia. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, and read more about her travels at floratheexplorer.com.

Why did you decide to teach english overseas? Teaching English abroad for an extended period of time has always been something I’ve been keen to do. I studied literature at university, come from a book-obsessed family and feel like I have the personable skills to make children eager to learn a foreign language. It was also a challenge for me to take on the role of being a teacher, after spending a long time purely travelling. Finally, it’s one of the best ways to spend some time living somewhere new and becoming a part of the local culture - something you can’t gain from simply travelling through a place.

Where did you teach and for exactly how long? What type of school was it? I taught in Cuenca, Ecuador, for around four months, at a local high school. All the students I taught were ages 15 to 16 and their English level was pretty basic when I arrived. However, the vast majority of my students were still eager to learn - not to mention thoroughly enjoying the presence of a gringa wandering the corridors!

Did you have any prior teaching experience or qualifications? I’ve taught English in a number of different countries but always voluntarily, always


short-term and never with any kind of formal qualification. But to be honest, the countries where I’ve taught (Thailand, Nepal, and Lithuania) have all been in such need of English teachers that formal qualifications were never at the top of the requirement list! Before moving to Ecuador I took part in a week long teacher training course in London, but in retrospect the methodology and lessons I learned there were for students much more advanced than my Ecuadorian kids, and ultimately everything I taught them came from the school’s textbook and my own intuition/research.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? Many of the people I’ve met in Ecuador had never taught anywhere before arriving, and they managed perfectly well. However, I do feel as though I had the upper hand through having taught in other countries as well. It gave me an introduction in coping with large groups of children, how to take control of a classroom and, most importantly, how to assert my authority when necessary.

What was your experience like? My experience teaching in Ecuador varied dramatically; at times being overwhelmingly challenging, hugely enjoyable, hilarious and thought provoking. It’s taught me a great deal about myself and how I interact with others, and has pushed me to improve my language skills significantly. It’s also opened my eyes to just how much respect all teachers deserve - it’s not a job that everyone can handle!

Was it easy to find work? Are jobs widely available? I found my teaching position through a volunteer company based in the UK, but came across many foreign teachers in Ecuador who’d found their positions pretty easily. It’s a good country to teach in but I would recommend doing ample research before arriving to ensure a good position. Often working with specifically language-based schools may garner more results than primary and high schools.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would ensure that my Spanish was better than it was when I arrived! Although it’s not completely necessary to have Spanish skills when teaching English in Ecuador, I would always highly recommend it because you never know how little English could be


spoken at your school. Luckily, the Ecuadorian teachers I work with are really eager to improve their English skills, but other foreign teachers at different schools have had a worse experience because their fellow staff members have virtually no English skills at all. And regardless of my eager teachers, I still often face a minefield of blank faces when I explain a simple exercise and none of my students have a clue what I’m talking about. Having someone beside me who speaks their language is ultimately invaluable - and it also makes me that much more resolved to reach Spanish fluency.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Ecuador is a fascinating place to live. Living in Cuenca is particularly interesting because it’s very wealthy, the people are close knit and the community is small enough that everyone knows each other. The country itself is small enough that it’s possible to travel the length and breadth without spending too much time on the infamous longhaul South American buses, and there is a huge diversity in what you can experience when travelling through Ecuador - beaches, jungle, mountains and city life, all less than a day’s distance from each other. I spent my time in Cuenca living with a host family, which undoubtedly gave me a rather unique perspective on Ecuadorian life. The house was taken care of by a maid who cooked our meals and washed my clothes, which definitely took some adjusting to. But it meant my meals were spent listening intently to my family’s daily Spanish conversations (lunchtime in Ecuador is when all the family gets together and talks) and a large part of my free time was spent with my host brothers and their friends as they showed me the city.

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. To teach in Ecuador, I would recommend learning Spanish as an absolute priority; either before arriving or intensely once you’re living here. And continuing to practice your Spanish as much as possible is fundamental to improving your skills, too. 2. Secondly, I’d advocate staying with a host family, like I did; although if you’re


living here for longer than six months you may prefer to find a place of your own. But in terms of improving your Spanish and really becoming part of your chosen city’s culture it’s a great way to gain that experience. 3. Finally, be aware that the vast majority of Ecuadorians are warm, friendly and extremely welcoming. Although you may find an element of gringo-bashing (in the form of stares, catcalls (for women) and general judgement from time to time), living in Ecuador is a wonderful experience - and teaching English there is met with a huge influx of gratitude.


France At a Glance • Nationality: EU citizens preferred, plus native English speakers from Englishspeaking countries • Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree • Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate • Experience: Have some experience (optional) • Age: Any • Average salary per month: 1,300–2,000 EUR • Salary perks: Health care and paid holidays France is internationally renowned for fine dining and culture, and the unbeatable romance makes this a very popular ESL teaching destination, especially for those wishing to live in Paris. However, France doesn’t put a high priority on learning English, so there aren’t many jobs around and competition is fierce.

Working Conditions For full-time teachers at language schools, you will be paid generally for 35 hours: 25 hours of teaching and 10 hours of preparation. People want classes after work or on weekends; this can mean starting very early and finishing very late, sometimes with big gaps in the middle of the day. You need at least 4,800 EUR ($6,000 USD) with you when you go, as most landlords are reluctant to rent to foreigners and will require two months’ advance deposit. It can take months to open a French bank account, since you need your carte de séjour, or residency card, before a bank will let you open a new account. Having extra funds available is essential. Telephone lessons are very popular among French businessmen and women, who may not have time in their busy schedules for a two-hour face-to-face class but can generally squeeze in a 30-minute phone call a couple of times a week with a native


English teacher. Teachers with business English experience and knowledge of French will have a better chance at getting work. Along with the hundreds of private language schools in Paris, English lessons are frequently organized through municipal city halls and the Chamber of Commerce in most French towns.

Teacher Salary Information In France, salaries can vary greatly for English teachers. For freelance teachers in public schools and English institutions, the average pay is about 15–25 EUR per hour, while for contracted teachers, the average pay is about 1,300–2,000 EUR per month. Though it is not common, you can sometimes offer private tutoring lessons and earn an extra 28–35 EUR per hour. Teaching English in France is not a good way to make money. In a good month you could work 100 hours, but in slow periods like January and August you may only work 10-20 hours for the entire month. Usually, this averages out to be about 1,000–1,300 EUR a month, which is enough to cover basic living expenses if you don’t live too extravagantly. Don’t expect to save a lot of money here.

Benefits In France, you will get health care and paid holidays. However, don’t count on anything more than that.

Working Visas While citizens of the EU are permitted to live and work in France, non-EU citizens must submit a considerable amount of paperwork and go through the French government. Teachers who are not EU citizens must apply for a visa du long séjour, or a long-term visa, in their home country, and once they have this visa, they can travel to France and begin working immediately. Once you arrive in France, you will have to go through a medical exam at immigration. French officials prefer to hire a citizen of France for any position, including teaching English. The next preference would be given to a European Union passport holder. If no


one qualifies they would consider granting a visa to a citizen of a non-EU nation. After finding a job, the company will fill out the paperwork needed to gain a French work permit. Since it is difficult for non-EU citizens to find positions teaching English in France, most of these people find the job at home with an international or French company that has branches in France.

Cost of Living Just like the rest of Europe, the cost of living in France is particularly high — especially if you settle in a major city like Paris. However, you can more than make up for it in the salary that you will earn, especially if you work full-time hours or take on extra English teaching jobs. Accommodations in Paris are very expensive. To rent a room in a shared apartment, it’s 300–600 EUR per month, including electricity, water, Internet, and telephone. Renting a private apartment would cost about 500–1,000 EUR per month, plus utilities. Dining in France is expensive. A three-course dinner in a restaurant will cost about 30–65 EUR per person, though fast food, obviously much cheaper, can range from 4–8 EUR for a hamburger to 6 EUR for pizza. Monthly groceries will probably cost about 200–400.

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ • http://www.teflcourse.net/tefl-jobs/countryjob_list.php?country=France • http://www.esljobs.com/teach-english/france/


Germany At a Glance • Nationality: EU, American, and British citizens are preferred. Schools will also consider a native English speaker from an English-speaking country. • Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree • Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate • Experience: Have some experience (optional) • Age: Schools prefer to hire teachers between 20 and 30 years of age • Average salary per month: 1,100–2,500 EUR • Salary perks: Health insurance and paid vacation English teachers are always in high demand in Germany, as they have close business relations with many English-speaking nations and there are a lot of open positions in their universities. Germany doesn’t have a lot of the labor restrictions that other European countries have, so it’s fairly easy and straightforward to find a job and become an English teacher here.

Working Conditions English teaching jobs in Germany are not known for their great wages, but most ESL teachers come to Germany for the experience, not for a large paycheck. Many ESL teachers in Germany have found more success applying to teach in smaller cities. Private classes are usually taught early in the morning and after business hours, until around 9:00 p.m. Teachers in Germany are often hired to give one-on-one English tutoring to students of all ages and backgrounds. ESL teachers who offer private lessons must be sure to keep track of all earnings and expenses, as they will be considered to be running their own business. To teach here, you must have a TEFL certificate and be a native English speaker (those from the United States and England are given preference). Freelance work is very popular among ESL teachers in Germany, as getting a freelance


visa is easy.

Teacher Salary Information English teachers in Germany are paid the equivalent of about 17–22 EUR per hour, which, if you teach 20 classroom hours per week, provides a good income. Salaries start at around 1,100–2,500 EUR per month when it is all said and done. Experienced teachers working directly for companies can expect to earn about twice as much as a new teacher.

Benefits Like elsewhere in Europe, you’ll only really receive health insurance and paid vacation.

Work Visas To work in Germany, you will need to have a work permit and a residency permit. You will need to have a job offer from a German company in writing, and then take that to the local registration office, where they will give you a three-month working visa while the rest of your visa documents are processed. To obtain a residency permit, you need to have your three-month work permit, a German address, proof of employment, and proof of health insurance from a German insurer. Once you submit these things to the registry office, you will be able to receive your residency permit. Remember, EU visa rules require them to give preference to citizens of the EU first. However, Germany is a lot more relaxed about this rule, and so if you are looking to teach English in Western Europe, Germany will be the easiest country to do that in.

Documents needed for a German work visa: • A fully completed application; when applying in the United States, applicants will need to fill out two applications. • Two passport photos • If applying in Germany, be sure to have evidence of a German address. • A letter from the applicant’s future employer stating that a job has been offered; be sure to fill out the matching work permit application (part of the visa, not a


separate card like in many EU nations). • Recent and past tax information, bank statements, and other financial documents that show a healthy money situation • Evidence of private health insurance that is going to provide full coverage while working in Germany, as the public health system rarely covers Americans • Any additional documentation that was requested before the application appointment

Cost of Living Germany is relatively inexpensive compared to other places in Europe. I am always happy when I visit there because everything is so cheap. Living there is no exception. All in all, for accommodation, food, leisure, etc., 1,000 EUR per month is a realistic amount. An apartment will cost about 400–700 EUR per month. A two-course meal in an average restaurant costs 20–50 EUR per person, including a glass of beer or wine. Eating out doesn’t have to take a huge bite out of your budget, however, as long as you stick to cafés and casual restaurants, where you’ll get meals for less than 10 EUR. There are tons of cheap Indian, Middle Eastern, and sausage places throughout Germany where you can get a meal for less than 5 EUR. Generally, prices in supermarkets are a bit lower than in the UK, the United States, and Australia. Museum admission ranges from 0.50 EUR for small local history museums to 10 EUR for international-caliber art museums, and even more for blockbuster exhibits.

Job Links • http://www.jobsabroad.com/search/germany • http://www.esljobfind.com/ • http://www.esljobs.com/teach-english/germany/


What It’s Like To Teach In Germany Before setting off to travel the world as one of half of GlobetrotterGirls.com, Jessica Ainlay lived abroad in four countries, working in each of the four (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Germany and the United Kingdom) as a teacher of English as a Second Language for seven years. Here she provides insight on being a teacher in Germany:

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I had already taught English in Central America, so when I moved to Germany, I knew I would continue to teach English there.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught in a town called Erfurt, Germany at two language schools for exactly three years.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I have a Bachelor’s in the Teaching of Spanish, a TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and had taught English for two years already in Central America.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? Regarding qualifications, that depends on what school you teach at and in what city. In order to acquire the work visa, you need to prove you can provide a service that no native German can – native English speakers pass that requirement for English teaching every time. However, you have to have a signed work contract to get the work visa (seems backwards, but that is how it works), and it was required at my language school that all teachers have a Bachelor’s Degree (any subject) from a qualified university before a contract of employment was issued. I had no problem in Erfurt getting or extending my work visa, but there are not many native English speakers. In places like Berlin, Cologne, Munich or Frankfurt, however, the competition is more intense and jobs/visas are harder to come by. In terms of experience, that varies by the school. I taught part-time at Berlitz, which


has the exact same curriculum in every country, meaning, for example, Level 2 Chapter 5 page 4 is exactly the same no matter where you teach. Because all lesson plans are already written for you, there is no real need to have previous experience. At other schools, however, teaching experience was necessary as creating effective lesson plans was a major part of the job.

What was your experience like? I loved teaching English in Erfurt, and it was a life-changing experience to say the least. I found it was difficult to get used to the students’ different learning style at first (very much rule/grammar-oriented rather than a playful willingness to make mistakes that I depend on for language teaching) but I ended up learning as much about Germany and German people as they learnt English from me.

Was it easy to find work? Because I had a BA in Language teaching and prior experience, I had two jobs within four weeks of moving to Germany. Some people with less experience had a harder time finding enough hours, though getting the work contract was rarely an issue. Language schools always want more native speakers on the payroll to fill in, but sometimes there wasn’t a lot of work to go around. You need a bit of hustle and charm to get the hours, but I would imagine that while it might be harder in some of Germany’s bigger cities to get your foot in the door, there is always work for English teachers.

What advice would you give to first time teacher on finding a well paying job and navigating the application process? The most well-known language schools will not pay you a high hourly wage, but, especially at first, you need to work with them. The schools have clout for the visa, they have an abundance of hours and it will get you into a good rhythm to understand what different students want. I did not teach at a high school or university. If I were to teach in Germany again, I would consider a university but not a high school, as Universities can pay very well, but high schools could offer you a monthly salary as low as $900 a month and forbid you to work at any other school. Once you have put in due diligence and you have gotten into the swing of things in Germany, you will find that students are often unsatisfied by group classes, and that one-on-one instruction is too expensive. Off the record – you can make very good money in Germany by


offering cash only private or group classes – conversation or full-on grammar/writing/ etc. This is off the record because it is not exactly street legal, and of course I never did this, but many, many English teachers do this to supplement their income. In terms of the application process in Germany – think formal. In Germany the application process for any job is an extremely formal affair. A resume in German is called a ‘Lebenslauf ‘– literally your life history. This means you need to prepare a resume with information like your high school (with grades), your university – exactly what you studied and your grades, and every job you have had since graduated. They view a year or two gap as holes, or times that you were unemployed. So if you in fact were unemployed between April and September one year, do what you can to connect the dots so, if possible, there are no gaps. Next, you need to include all related documents in your application. A copy of your university diploma and transcripts, a teaching certificate if you have a degree in Education, high school diploma if relevant, any and all TEFL or English Teaching course diplomas, copies of your passport, the application if they have asked you to fill out one, a cover letter and a resume – which needs to have a picture either attached or actually printed out with it in the upper right or left corner. Your resume and cover letter can be in English (most managers at least understand written English well enough), but consider translating job titles or degrees that are specific, especially if this would be relevant for current job application. Lastly, in Germany there are so many documents in a job application, that you must include them all in a folder. Go to any store that sells school and office supplies and look for ‘Bewerbungsmappen’,or specific job application folders. You will find any number of colors, sizes and prices. My advice is not black or red, thick, and somehow slightly different to the others. Germans are well aware of how differently job interviews are run in the U.S. / Britain / Australia, so they won’t fault you for not doing things the same way, but getting this process done correctly will make you shine, and reflects that you understand how things are done in Germany – which will absolutely make a positive impression.


Dress well, ranging from business casual to a full suit if you would like. The interview will take place in English, and there will most likely be a German and a native English speaker in the interview. Be likeable, but remember that your qualifications and degrees are what is the most important, so make sure to give as much hard proof as possible as to your experience. Expect to find out in a timely matter whether you have gotten the job. Only after you have been offered a contract will you be able to apply for a work visa, so it is critical that this entire process be finished within three months – as you only get a 90 day tourist visa upon entry.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would have charged more per hour! I have learned over the years that you have to value yourself and turn down jobs that don’t pay enough. Working as a freelancer means you are paid for your time in class, but not all the extra hours grading and preparing outside of school hours. I earned a fairly good salary, but when all the real hours I spent doing job-related work were averaged together, I was making about 8 Euros an hour. I want students who want me to care, work hard planning and grade fairly, so they have to be willing to pay the price for an engaged teacher who actually gets them to speak English!

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? At first, not speaking a word of German, life was tough. As I said, there aren’t many English speakers where I lived, so friendships were limited in the beginning. However, after a while, I learned German and made many more local friends. People always say that at first, it is hard to break in to a German social circle, but once you do, you have friends for life. I found this to be 100% the case. I also loved all the festivities like Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets, and most of all I love German food!

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? I taught English while the Bush administration was in power, and I had a handful students throughout the years who were initially very unhappy to be learning English from an American. They didn’t want the accent (which, as beginners it is almost impossible to pick up anyway!) and they wanted to learn about British, not American, culture. This wasn’t everyone, of course, but even students who had no real problem


with my being American were quick to get into political debates about what we Americans were doing overseas and at home. Basically, I found it difficult to be an unofficial ambassador to the U.S., especially because I also lived abroad and had a hard time making sense of many of the policies myself.

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country?

1. Get a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification before trying to teach English in Germany. In my case, even with experience (including a year teaching in Germany already) and a BA in language teaching, I was required by one school to take a 10 week TEFL course. Germans are very big on documentation and paperwork, so even if you don’t technically need it, a TEFL qualification will get or keep your foot in the door. 2. Don’t worry too much about not speaking German. I found that when I actually couldn’t translate a quick work/ sentence into German, the students had to work harder to understand English and learned in a deeper, more lasting way. Eventually you will pick up the language and while it is faster to just translate a quick point, it actually doesn’t help the students learn. 3. Try your luck at some of the bigger language schools first, like Berlitz. It is very difficult to get a job teaching in an actual elementary or high school (plus the pay is worse). Starting off at a well-known language school teaching business English or general evening classes, even if they only have ten or fifteen hours a week available, will be enough to cover your costs while you look for additional work at smaller schools. Eventually, most English teachers have two to four schools who give them steady work every month. You will have to notify the ‘Foreigner Office’ and have your visa updated to include each school, but as long as you continue to prove that no native German could take the job because it requires a native English speaker, you should get permission to teach at each school as requested.


Guatemala At a Glance • • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: No age restrictions Average salary per month: 4,000–6,500 GTQ (Guatemalan quetzals) Salary perks: Paid holiday time and free language lessons

There is a high demand among Guatemalans to learn English. Students just out of high school need to show proficiency in English as a second language to be accepted into university. However, while the desire to learn English is strong, the resources are not always there. It’s hard to find teachers — most schools don’t have the money to hire ESL teachers, and parents might not have the money to pay for private tutoring. This isn’t a very rich country, after all. Finding work will require a lot of careful planning. The standard of living is low, though on the flip side, cost of living is also low. Work visas are hard to get, so most foreigners work on a tourist visa.

Working Conditions Hiring usually occurs during the spring months for the fall term. Hours of work vary from school to school, and benefits depend upon qualifications. Schools prefer qualified teachers but will provide training if necessary. The maximum class size is 20, with no private lessons offered. Full-time positions involve about 25 contact hours per week. Resources vary from good to almost nonexistent, so it’s best to be prepared. If you have a lot of experience and a TEFL certificate, finding work will be a lot easier.

Teacher Salary Information English teachers in Guatemala usually earn 4,000–6,500 GTQ per month, with language


schools paying around 16–40 GTQ per hour, private tutoring of students paying around 40–63 GTQ per hour, and private tutoring of employees of larger companies paying around 79–141 GTQ per hour. Also, many of the schools provide free Spanish lessons for English teachers, along with training and teaching resources.

Benefits You don’t get many benefits here. A lot of schools will offer free Spanish lessons, and some of the chain language schools or overseas exchange programs might provide housing. Usually the following benefit package is available for foreign teachers: • Visa renewal sponsorship • One-week holiday plus travel stipend • Free Spanish lessons As many positions are effectively voluntary, you will often be able to give lessons in exchange for accommodation and food. Otherwise, you’ll probably have to stay in a hostel, which starts at about 40 GTQ per night for a basic room.

Working Visas You must obtain both a residence visa and a work permit to teach English in Guatemala legally. US, Canadian, and EU citizens can visit Guatemala for up to 90 days without a visa, while citizens of other countries must apply for a visa to visit. Often, teachers will travel to Guatemala on their tourist visa, find a job once there, and then have their visa status changed once they receive their work permit.

To get a work permit, you need: • • • •

A solid job offer and declaration of responsibility from your employer A résumé or CV translated into Spanish A police record of good conduct from your home country A certificate from your country’s passport authority confirming your passport’s validity

You must acquire a residence visa before you can receive your work permit in Guatemala, and applications for both of these must go through the Ministry of Labor in


Guatemala. Your employer will be your sponsor for these visas, and they will assist you and submit your paperwork to the Ministry of Labor on your behalf. Both the residence visa and work permit are valid for one year and can be renewed.

Cost of Living Guatemala is quite inexpensive to live in. To rent a room in a shared apartment, it would cost only about 1,000–2,000 GTQ per month, plus utilities, which cost about 40 GTQ monthly. You can also find a fully furnished room in a safer area of town for about 2,000–6,000 GTQ per month, including telephone, drinking water, and laundry services, plus utilities. Shared accommodations can run slightly cheaper. Dining out in Guatemala at a high-end restaurant, including a glass of wine, costs about 130–300 GTQ per person. Dinners are generally four plates, including wheat or corn flour tortillas, rice, corn, beans, fruit juice, and fruit for dessert. A fast-food meal is obviously less expensive, at about 30–45 GTQ. Eating at home is always a good way to spend less, and you can get many reasonably priced, fresh, locally grown fruits, such as a dozen bananas for 6 GTQ. Public transportation in Guatemala is also very cheap. An hour’s bus ride costs only about a dollar, while short trips are just 1.50 GTQ. Another means of traveling within Guatemala are the “tuk-tuks”, or three-wheeled taxis.

Job Links • http://www.esljobfind.com/ • http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/esl/teaching_english_in_ guatemala_resources.shtml • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/


What’s It’s Like To Teach In Guatemala Before setting off to travel the world as one of half of GlobetrotterGirls.com, Jessica Ainlay lived abroad in four countries, working in each of the four (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Germany and the United Kingdom) as a teacher of English as a Second Language for seven years. She has already provided her insight into teaching English in Germany and know talks life as a teacher in Guatemala and living in Central America:

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I had visited Antigua, Guatemala during my Junior year abroad in Costa Rica and desperately wanted to move there after graduation. I had a degree in Spanish teaching, but since teaching Spanish to native speakers was out of my range, I decided to teach English instead.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught at a bilingual school just outside of Antigua, Guatemala for one school year, and did private classes both before and after, for just under two years total.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I had a Bachelor’s in the Teaching of Spanish - Grades 9-12, but in Guatemala I taught 4th and 5th graders. I had also worked as a day camp counselor for five summers in the U.S., but while I was familiar with the age group, I was teaching them not only English language lessons, but Math, Reading, Science, Spelling and Creative Writing. It was intense, and I think I (re)learned as much about science as the kids did!

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? In Guatemala, people who want to teach English do not necessarily need any qualifications. I was the only English teacher during my time there with a degree in education. Some schools require it, but others are more interested in the authentic experience students get from native speakers. The deeper your bag of tricks, the better, especially with younger kids who need new activities every 10-15 minutes. Having said


that, the only way to really become a good teacher is through experience, so it’s not bad to just jump right in and start teaching. The kids absolutely love foreigners and most want to impress you, so you have an advantage there!

What was your experience like? Teaching at the bilingual school in Antigua was totally rewarding. There was a lot of work involved - seven hours per day at school were followed by hours planning and grading throughout the week, so balancing my normally uber-active social life was not easy, but even years later I can still name every student in both my 4th and 5th grade classes.

Was it easy to find work? Because I had a degree, it was super easy to find work in Guatemala and especially in the foreigner-friendly town of Antigua. The locals there witness daily the increased opportunities within the tourism industry for those with a command of English. These parents want their kids to speak English, as do the countless expat parents in Antigua who want their kids to have a bilingual education, so the demand is there. Teaching privately (adults and kids) was a bit trickier, but once a few people hear good things about your English classes, you can easily get groups of 2-5 together once or twice a week for classes for some under-the-table cash pay.

What advice would you give to first time teacher on finding a well paying job and navigating the application process? There is definitely a large discrepancy between best and worst paid teaching gigs in Guatemala. The way to get a well- paying job has a few steps: First, avoid signing a contract until you are on-site. You might not like the town or the school might not be what you expected. Second, when you arrive in town, ask around. It might seem hard at first, but ask around and get multiple perspectives on different schools (if the town is big enough). Some teachers might say great things to get you to teach there, but in general, teachers are happy to sound off and be honest about the work. Ask them, if they don’t mind, how much they are making. Or ask what teachers at other schools are making in comparison. The best schools to teach at, as a general rule, are the bilingual and international schools which have monthly or annual dues that secure your salary in the end. In Guatemala City there are a couple of schools that pay very well, like the


American School, where you may be able to swing $30,000 a year – a respectable amount of money in Guatemala. The application process is going to be a lot less formal than you might expect. Most schools desperately need native English speakers, so you’ll find qualified local English teachers replaced by inexperienced native speakers. Have a resume ready, one in Spanish and one in English. Spanish for the principal and decision-making staff, and English for the head English teacher, who will hopefully be a native English speaker him/herself. Look nice and in business casual, but unless you have heard otherwise before hand, a suit will be over the top. Be able to say at least a few things in Spanish, as if there is a secretary and you have to give your name, that there you have an interview, and thank you. On the one hand, do not expect timely feedback from the interview (things can move slowly), but on the other hand, be prepared for an on-the-spot offer. The process is not as formal and it depends on how badly they need a teacher to step in so they may just ask you to start as soon as possible.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? Honestly, I wouldn’t work as hard as I did. It sounds awful, but working at a bilingual school meant that the two setsof teachers had two completely different teaching styles, and their culture was much more laid-back than ours. The students were incredibly fluent in English (near-native speakers by 4th grade!), and we even had them in math and reading one year above their grade level using U.S. textbooks so we knew what they were capable of. The Guatemalan teachers were more laid-back and did not require as much original thought/ opinions from the same students who we knew were capabale of so much more, and it was hard to accept the different style, but in the end we all did. We were guests in their country, after all. But many of us stressed out a lot about it, and looking back now, I would try harder to stress less and accept more.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Life was easy and fun! There is a fun mix of locals, ex-pats and backpackers to always keep things interesting. The school paid a (relatively) good salary, so I was able to travel a bit, eat well and easily cover rent. I loved walking to work everyday directly toward


a giant (dormant) volcano, and having two others within view, and the sound of the rain on our school’s tin roof during rainy season. There are plenty of great restaurants, a movie theatre and cafes to keep you from missing anything from home, really, and it is very easy to become friends with the locals in Antigua.

What is the social life like in destination? Is it easy to meet locals and make lots of friends with other teachers? My experience may vary greatly to others, as I taught English in Antigua, one of the most popular destinations in the country. That means that even if I didn’t like any of the teachers at my school, there were thousands of backpackers and other ex-pats on hand to mix with. As it turns out, I was best friends with one teacher and became really tight with the other teachers as well. However, because our school was a bilingual school, there was a slight us-against-them mentality between the Guatemalan teachers and the native English speakers. But we were all much younger, single and full of energy, while they were all a bit older and married with kids. For people looking to teach in other popular places like Xela (Quetzaltenango) or Lake Atitlan, you’ll find the social life to be equally easy. However, teaching at a rural school in a small village will be a much different experience.You will most likely be the only English teacher, one of a few foreigners in town who you may or may not like. Locals here may not even speak Spanish very well, as there are 33 languages spoken in Guatemala. The children will all speak Spanish, but just in terms of communicating on a daily basis, buying eggs or milk, you might end up learning a few words from the indigenous people as well. When teaching in a smaller community, keep things like bug spray, antibiotics and iodine tablets for the water, as being ill in this environment can be very difficult. This differs greatly to Antigua, where you can grab a cream cheese or pesto bagel and a takeaway coffee before work! Overall, teachers, especially foreign teachers, are highly respected no matter the size of the community.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? In general, life in Antigua was great. There were two aspects I could never adjust to, however. One was violence. While I never knew anyone personally in any major danger, restaurant and bar owners (usually ex-pats and friends of ours - Antigua is a fairly small


town), told stories of armed blackmail or robbery that would just never happen at home. The other was worrying about clean water/vegetables. All the English teachers were sick at least once from the water, and being a vegetarian it was really frustrating not to just be able to safely gobble down salads/raw veggies without knowing 100% that they were washed in purified water.

What are your tops three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Dedication- be ready to dedicate yourself for at least one full school year. Many classes go through two or more English teachers per year as foreigners tend to come and go, but this can be disruptive and hold students back. All six of our teachers stayed on for the full year and the parents thanked us countless times, especially at the end of the year. 2. Work visa - Some schools might specifically require you to get a six-month or year-long visa, but they will help you every step of the way. Most schools, however, have worked out a system with their foreign teachers. Upon arrival into Guatemala you get a 90-day tourist visa, after which time you must leave for 72 hours before returning and getting another 90 days. Most of us went home for Christmas, so there were only two other mandatory vacations to worry about, which I didn’t complain about at all! 3. Don’t expect to get rich. Obviously those who get into teaching know it’s no millionaire profession, but earning Quetzales means that you will have no savings after a year of teaching. I made about $250 a month and that was plenty to live on, but even if I saved 20% each month, I would have only just had enough for a plane ticket home. You can find loads of ways to make more money - private classes, translation gigs, bar jobs on weekends, etc, but still thereis no chance to save. If you would like to earn a great wage, consider working specifically at The American School in Guatemala City, which pays a salary in US Dollars comparable to first year salaries in the U.S.


Hong Kong At a Glance Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a 120-hour TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience; the NET Scheme (see below) gives preference to teachers with prior teaching experience • Age: Up to 60-65 years of age. Schools that cater to young learners typically hire teachers between 21 and 35 years of age. • Average salary per month: 19,500–62,235 HKD (Hong Kong dollars) • Salary perks: If you are teaching in the public sector, you can expect to receive airfare reimbursement, plus a housing allowance, performance-related bonuses, and paid holiday time. Private language schools do not offer much in the way of perks. Your school will cover the cost of your work permit and visa, plus health care and paid vacation time, regardless of whether you teach in the public sector or the private sector. • • • •

There is a high demand for English teachers in Hong Kong, although positions tend to be snapped up quickly because Hong Kong is a sought-after location by many experienced teachers. Make no mistake: Hong Kong is an expensive city to live in, and it can be tough to save a lot of money on an average teacher’s salary. You can supplement your monthly income with additional part-time work and tutoring once you are a permanent resident of Hong Kong. There is plenty of secondary work to be found once you’re there.

Working Conditions The NET Scheme

Hong Kong’s NET Scheme is a government program that places teachers at prestigious public primary and secondary schools, as well as schools for students with special needs. NETs (Native- English Speaking Teachers) teach English as a second language to students in Hong Kong, and they assist local teachers with curriculum development.


Hiring for the NET program usually occurs during February, with teachers departing for Hong Kong in August each year. Teachers typically work at one school as a co-teacher. You do not get a choice of where you are placed. English teachers teach at either whole-day schools or bi-sessional schools. Whole-day schools run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., while bi-sessional schools run from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. There are usually 30-37 students per class. NET teachers are expected to work during school hours, after school if needed, and occasionally on the weekend.

Private language centers Private education centers can be found everywhere in Hong Kong. These schools are typically after-school programs that allow teachers to teach actual classes and do oneon-one tutoring. The majority of these schools require teachers to have a degree and at least a 120-hour TEFL certification. There are still a few centers in Hong Kong that will hire you without a TEFL certificate. Make sure that the school you accept a position with will offer to sponsor your work visa. Teaching conditions vary at private language schools in Hong Kong. The average class size can be anywhere from 15 to 30 students per class. Classes are typically held in the late afternoon and evenings, and on Saturdays. If you have a lot of experience and a TEFL certificate, finding work at a private language school in Hong Kong should be fairly easy.

Teacher Salary Information NET teachers receive 25,505–62,235 HKD per month, depending on experience and qualifications. Teachers must commit to a two-year contract. Interviews are held in person in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and London each February, with teachers departing for Hong Kong in August each year. Private language schools typically offer 19,500–30,000 HKD per month, depending on experience and qualifications.


Benefits The NET Scheme offers an incredible salary package, plus a housing allowance of 19,081 HKD ($2,462 USD) per month, reimbursed return airfare with up to four family members, a baggage allowance, and paid holidays (including Christmas, New Year’s, Chinese New Year, Easter), and summer vacation. Teachers also receive a contract completion bonus. Private language schools in Hong Kong do not typically offer accommodations due to how expensive housing is. Living space is at a premium in Hong Kong, and apartments are tiny. Some schools offer a housing scheme: they build your rental cost into your salary, provide you with school housing, then deduct the rent from your paycheck each month. Your school will cover the cost of your work permit and visa. Teachers that are on a set salary each month also receive paid public holidays and additional holiday time throughout the year.

Working Visas

To get a work permit, you need: • • • •

An official job offer from your employer A full university degree A 120-hour TEFL certification Scans of your passport, degree, TEFL certificate, teaching certifications (if any), and letters of reference

Public school teachers will be asked to submit additional paperwork, such as a criminal background check and authenticated educational documents. The visa process for Hong Kong is extremely fast and easy, although you do need to complete some paperwork in advance for your school. Since your documents must be sent to Hong Kong before you arrive, ensure that your passport, degree, and teaching certification scans are hi-res color scans, as the government will not accept black-andwhite photocopies. You will also need to complete an application for Entry for Employment as a Professional in Hong Kong. The form number is ID 990A, and it is available on the


Hong Kong Immigration website at http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/forms/hk-visas/ employment-as-professionals.html. Email your application along with your color scans for the school to examine first. Once your school confirms that everything looks correct, you will be asked to mail your documents in to the school. They will start the application process for your employment visa in advance. Once your paperwork is sent in, you’ll fly to Hong Kong and enter on a landing visa, which is converted to a work permit by your school within a few weeks of your arrival.

To apply with the NET Scheme Before you do anything, thoroughly read through the latest information on the qualification requirements and related appointment matters of the NET Scheme on the website of the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) at http://www.edb.gov.hk/net. EDB posts new information about upcoming positions each year on this website. It also provides a full list of requirements, as well as information on new recruitment partners. You must interview in person for a position with the NET Scheme. There are two ways to apply: to the Hong Kong Education Bureau directly at http://www.edb.gov.hk/net, or with a NET Scheme official recruitment partner.

Your application must include: • • • • • •

A completed form with a full-face photograph A regular email address A hi-res color copy of your degree A hi-res color copy of your certificates Official study transcripts Statement of employment that are printed on official letterhead, which include your full name (as shown on your passport and birth certificate), your contact address and phone number, the length of employment with exact dates, the position held with the rank specified, the nature of the employment (full-time or part-time), the subjects to be taught, and the age and levels/grades of students to be taught


• Your choice of an interview venue (Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, or London) • A national criminal background check The NET Scheme’s official recruitment partner for Australia and New Zealand is Teach Anywhere and in the UK ESL Starter.

Cost of Living Hong Kong is an expensive city to live in, and rental costs vary considerably among the various districts. A tiny room in a shared apartment can cost anywhere from 5,500 HKD to 8,000 HKD monthly. One-bedroom apartments outside the city center typically start at 11,669 HKD monthly, while one-bedroom apartments within the city center start at around 17,000 HKD monthly. Basic utilities per month will set you back an additional 1,630 HKD monthly. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant is usually 45–70 HKD. A three-course meal at a midrange restaurant is around 300 HKD. Fast food is typically 26–35 HKD. Eating at home isn’t much cheaper, plus your living space likely won’t allow for much more than a hot plate. A bottle of domestic beer costs 40 HKD. The Hong Kong subway system is easy to navigate. A one-way ticket costs 10 HKD, while a monthly pass is usually around 450 HKD. Taxis start at 22 HKD.

Job Links • http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/resource-support/net/ index.html • http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/sch-admin/admin/about-sch-staff/net-scheme/ recruitment-primary-net.html • http://www.eslstarter.com/teach-english-in-hong-kong.php • http://www.teachanywhere.com/job-seeker/far-east-asia/hong-kong/hongkong-net-programme/ • http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/teach-english-hong-kong


Italy At a Glance • Nationality: EU citizens and native English speakers from an English-speaking country • Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree • Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate • Experience: Have some experience (optional) • Age: No age restrictions • Average salary per month: 768–1,536 EUR • Salary perks: Health care and paid vacation time. Airfare is sometimes included. Many people look for a teaching position in Italy, because who doesn’t want to live and work in Italy? However, this is a hard country to get a job in, and the hiring process is long and convoluted. All English teachers must have a TEFL certificate and should also have a bachelor’s degree, though this is not required. Companies in Italy require you to sit down for a face-to-face interview before they will offer you a job.

Working Conditions Teachers are generally employed as “contract workers” or “freelance workers.” Italy’s legislation on corporate social security payments has made it more attractive for private language schools to take on freelance teachers, as teachers who fall into this category must make their own social security payments. International school chains like Wall Street, Linguarama, Berlitz, and Inlingua are very present in Italy, training many would-be ESL teachers for subsequent teaching positions in their own schools. The British School has over 70 branches across the country. Teachers can expect to work about 20-25 hours per week, and a typical teaching contract lasts nine months to one year. If you are contracted to work with a school, you will most likely get paid holidays and vacation time. Fall is the peak hiring season for teachers.


It is extremely difficult for non-EU citizens to secure a teaching position before arriving in Italy, which does not allow them to negotiate a contract prior to departure. Foreigners residing in Italy have obligatory public health insurance coverage by the National Health Service. A percentage of an English teacher’s annual salary is contributed to this insurance, which entitles them to medical assistance for lesser fees.

Teacher Salary Information Each school is different when it comes to pay. At the lower end of the market, you will find smaller schools paying 12–15 EUR per hour (often large chains pay this little) and private colleges paying 20–35 EUR per hour. Wages at bigger and more exclusive schools can go much higher. Private lessons can also be a good little earner — you can charge as much as 25–30 EUR per hour. English in state schools is often confined to just a couple of hours per week, so many parents will turn to the help of a private teacher to ensure their children get good grades. Hourly fees can be as high as 30 EUR. English teachers in Italy can expect to make about 800–1,700 EUR per month, which is lower than the salaries in some other countries. Private schools do tend to pay better and also offer more job security, so those are more highly recommended.

Benefits Accommodation is usually not included, but airfare sometimes is. And of course you get health care and vacation time. Like most of Europe, the benefits package here is pretty weak.

Working Visas EU citizens are able to work and live in Italy without special visas. Non-EU citizens must acquire an Italian work visa, but this is very difficult to get. The company that hires you must be willing to sponsor your visa, and they must prove that you are an expert in your field and therefore not taking the position from an EU citizen. The Italians tend to be stricter about this, so essentially they get their English language teachers from the UK. There are often few exceptions to this rule. Italian work permits must be sponsored by an Italian company; a potential employee or by an agency cannot apply for them directly. Processing times vary between


regions, but the average is about two months.

Cost of Living While you will most likely not have your accommodations taken care of by your employer, your employer may help you in your apartment search. The cost of your apartment depends largely on its size and location. You can expect to pay anywhere between 500–1,200 EUR per month for a studio and up to 2,000 EUR per month for a one-bedroom apartment in a new or renovated building. There is also a compulsory insurance fee and utilities fee, which can range anywhere from 70– 200 EUR per month, and this covers your heat, hot water, maintenance and repairs, communal lighting, and garbage removal. Other utilities, such as electricity, water, and gas, are not included in these charges and should be paid separately.

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ • http://www.eslbase.com/jobs/italy/ • http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/esl/italy.shtml


Japan At a Glance • Nationality: Be a native English speaker from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, or the United States • Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree • Certification: Have a 120-hour TEFL or CELTA certificate • Experience: Have some experience (optional) • Age: 20–60 years of age, on average • Average salary per month: 190,000–300,000 JPY (Japanese yen) • Salary perks: Return airfare, contract completion bonus, paid holidays, health insurance, paid sick days, and accommodation Japan is a mecca for ESL teachers. Though the heyday is long gone, the country still attracts a lot of teachers. Jobs are abundant and secure, and they pay well. There is a big teacher community here. The best way to get a teaching job is to work with one of the four major English-teaching school chains, called eikaiwa. Collectively, these schools employ thousands of conversational English teachers. Japan’s governmental program, known as JET, is also really good.

Working Conditions The language schools provide a set curriculum, which is especially helpful for firsttime teachers, along with teaching materials such as in-house texts and tapes. You are expected to prepare for class on your own time. Teachers can expect to work about 40 hours total per week, with 20-25 of these hours spent in a classroom and 15-20 in office hours. Classes are generally held in the early afternoon through the evening. The class sizes are usually small, giving teachers a chance to really develop relationships with their students. Typical office hours are filled by grading student work, taking class notes, preparing future lessons, or just chatting with students. One of the biggest ways to get a job is to use the government-sponsored Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program, which places teachers in communities


throughout Japan for one year at a time. The application process for this is long, and applicants will have to apply and interview in their home country. You’ll be placed in public schools and have to sign a one-year contract. If you are accepted into the program, a well-paying job is guaranteed. A typical workweek is five days long. Most teachers work at least one Saturday or Sunday, with another weekday off.

Teacher Salary Information Salaries begin around 3,000 JPY per hour. Typically, for a teacher with a TEFL certificate and experience, you can expect 190,000–300,000 JPY per month. If you work in an international school, you can earn double that amount. Salaries for English teachers at most private English schools start at around 250,000 JPY per month. The JET program pays 300,000 JPY per month. JET participants have to pay Japanese income and resident taxes from their salary. International schools pay 3,000,000–6,000,000 JPY per year but generally require a teaching license from your home country.

Benefits Like the rest of Asia, the benefits in Japan are phenomenal. In Japan, upon completion of your contract, you will get a return flight home and a completion bonus of one month’s pay. You get paid holidays, health insurance, and sick days, as well as subsidized accommodation. Employers reimburse teachers the cost of airfare after they have fulfilled the contractual agreement. This entices employees to stay the full duration of their contract and protects employers from losing their new staff members prematurely. Vacation packages are quite similar for most schools: expect two weeks of paid vacation and most national holidays off. The majority of ESL teachers use the Japanese National Health Insurance.


Working Visas In order to teach English in Japan legally, you must have a work visa. In order to obtain a work visa, you must have a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, most schools and programs will only hire native English speakers, so you should also consider that a requirement. If you work in the JET program, you will be required to have an interview in your home country; you can’t apply outside of your home country. Once you enter Japan, you have 90 days to register for an alien registration card at the city hall or local ward office. When Immigration issues your working visa, it will be good for 1–3 years. The company that sponsors you has nothing to do with how long your visa will be good for. This is in the hands of Immigration. Visa processing times vary, but expect 2–3 months for everything to get processed.

Cost of Living Japan is considered one of the most expensive countries in the world, and it has a very high cost of living. Living in the major cities, particularly Tokyo, is especially expensive, so many foreigners choose to live in small, single-room apartments in the city or live in the suburbs and commute. Apartments can cost 50,000–150,000 JPY per month plus utilities, though some landlords may include electricity and water. Japanese food is also quite costly, including the basics such as meats, fruits, and vegetables, with local foods not being much cheaper than imports. You can expect to spend about 30,500–50,000 JPY per month on food and drink. There are plenty of 100 JPY shops around, where you can get cheap ramen meals and soups. ESL teachers should know that some employers provide dorm-style apartments with shared bathrooms and kitchens. In this case, separate bedrooms would be included, while typical studio apartments (bachelor suites) may not contain a separate bedroom. A futon mat rolled out on the floor is used for sleeping, which is then rolled up and stored in a closet during the day to save space.


ESL teachers wanting to operate a motor vehicle must obtain an International Driving Permit from their home country’s driving association. For shopping, you can find both cheap and expensive options. There are inexpensive flea markets, supermarket chains, and 100 JPY shops in some downtown areas. There are also more pricey malls, department stores, and boutique shops that have more options. During the winter, prices are generally more expensive in Tokyo, where you can find both local and imported designer products.

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ • http://www.daijob.com/en/ • http://www.jetprogramme.org/


What It’s Like To Teach In Japan: Part I Nate is an ESL teacher in Japan. He also plays in a local band, Windbeat, and writes travel articles for JapanTourist.jp. He writes about teaching in Japan and what it’s like to be Gaijan (outsider) in the country.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? When I was a university student, I wanted to study abroad, but after a volunteer teaching experience in Budapest one summer, I realized that teaching English was a great opportunity to make money, rather than spend it, while still gaining all of the other benefits of living abroad.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I currently teach in rural Japan where I have been for the last five years.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I only had a little experience teaching before I left for Japan. I had taught a couple of summers in Budapest at culture centers, and helped university foreign exchange students studying at my school.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? There is one thing about teaching that I’m pretty sure about, and that is, you’ve just got to jump into it. While most schools in Japan don’t require any prior experience or qualifications, it is probably a good idea to create a couple of personal benchmarks before embarking on your journey. First, if you plan to teach in a normal school setting, give yourself exposure to speaking to groups of about 20-40 people. Secondly, learn a little bit about language teaching methods by reading up online. Then, try a few of them to see what works best for your own personal style. You can do both of these by looking for volunteer ESL opportunities in your area. Again, there are no requirements for Japan, but doing these two things will probably save you a lot of headache caused by the “hit the ground


running” expectation most schools will have for you.

What was your experience like? As I’ve taught in many different kinds of schools, with age ranges from 1-73 years old, my experience has been, to say the least, very diverse. That diversity is what I’ve enjoyed so much, but it hasn’t always been easy. One difficult aspect about teaching in Japan is that teachers at school rarely create solid expectations for what and how they want you to teach the students. This can lead to a lot of trial and error, but without clear feedback. In return, this can create a feeling of dissatisfaction with your performance, creating a lot of negative emotions when your experience in the country otherwise is great. The best part of the experience, though, has to be the opportunity to meet, interact with, and make friends with a variety of people (both Japanese and people from all over the world). This, combined with the numerous travel opportunities I’ve had, has opened my eyes to the world the most.

Was it easy to find work? When I first came to Japan, I was hired through the JET Programme. So my position and city were arranged for me. After JET, however, I had to find my own job. The job search was not as easy as I had hoped, but that was in large part due to my desire to stay in a rural area. Had I gone to a bigger city, I could have easily found work. If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would have started making the most of my time here much earlier than I did. In the beginning, I didn’t get out and find opportunities to get involved in the community. I wish I had, because once I did, life became so much richer and full of the kinds of experiences I wanted. It takes effort to make those things happen, but I wasted so much time sitting around thinking people would find me. Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Life in southern Japan is great. The slow pace of life, the close proximity to the ocean and mountains, and the easeof living are the top reasons why I’m still here. To specify what I mean by ease of living, almost everything is within comfortable cycling distance, fresh fruit and vegetables are in abundance, and the people are so welcoming and inviting that. All of this combines to make for one of the easiest and most comfortable places


I’ve ever lived. Life in Japan, especially rural Japan, can feel very bizarre in the beginning as there’s an almost total lack of diversity in demographics. Because of this, it is impossible not to stick out everywhere you go. For a while, you began to feel as if everyone is staring at you. I don’t think this is actually the case, but it is hard not to be sensitive to it in the beginning. I am lucky living in Kochi because people here are not as reserved as Japanese are usually imagined to be. They are very warm and welcoming, and do their best to make outsiders (even Japanese from other parts of Japan) feel at home. While this happens with your students and people you meet in your personal life fairly easily, working at a large school with busy teachers typically leaves you feeling a little on your own in an office full of people. Not many teachers have ever gone out of the way to try and get to know me. So remember, to make good relationships at work, it has to come from you. As far as the teacher scene in Japan, I feel that it is easier to connect with other teachers you meet here faster thanyou would with the hodgepodged background of co-workers in a typical company back home. Maybe it’s because you’ve both taken a similar jump that not everyone wants to do. That being said, it doesn’t mean you will automatically become friends. Just as anywhere you go, you’ll make a few really close friends. But with everyone else, you will at least feel like you’re more or less on the same wave length. There are a lot of young teachers in their early to mid-twenties, and then others who have chosen to settle down in Japan who are older. The longer you are here, and the more like the latter group you become, the more those types start to come out of the woodwork (or you move into it...). In the beginning, I remember feeling like it was merely an extenuation of college, but now I have fellow teacher friends young and old alike. I’ve also made some of the best friendships of my life here.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? Communication, or lack thereof, was probably the biggest adjustment. I had studied Japanese for a couple of years, so I think that probably helped me have less difficulty


than others. But even with some language skills, miscommunication happens. Japanese are notoriously polite, and this is a great quality, but it sometimes led people at work to not state that we were not understanding each other. The politeness can be contagious as well. I then found myself not stopping someone to say I didn’t know what they were talking about because I was afraid of hurting their confidence in English. Miscommunication was never a huge problem for me, but it is something you have to be ready to work around.

What are your tops three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country?

1. The JET Programme, Interac, and similar companies and organizations are the way to get into Japan. These places will set you up with everything you need. You may not have as much freedom to choose exactly where you’ll be, but if you request some nice sounding small city or rural area, you’ll most likely get what you want. If you ever want to branch out and try something else, you will be much better suited to do this after a year of experience. 2. My second suggestion is, if you would rather work for a language school, make a list of conditions that you unwilling to compromise on (might be pay, number of lessons per day, weekends, etc.). I’ve met a lot of people who take the first job they find on the internet and have a rough first year because of it. Be honest about your list with your future employer during the interview process. 3. My last suggestion would be to figure out what you want to get out of your experience in Japan, and look for a place that will make that the most possible. If you want to learn the language quickly, go to where there are few foreigners. If you want to go to a lot of fun parties and meet people from all over the world, choose a major urban center. Let this list be your guide not only for picking the best place for you, but also to remind you of the things you want to do after you get here.


What It’s Like To Teach In Japan: Part II Robert Fitzsimmons is from the UK and started his travels around the world in 2008. He writes about travel related stuff on his website adventurerob.com and has a personal blog over at robertfitzsimmons. co.uk. He describes his teaching teaching experience in Japan.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? It’s probably the easiest job to find as a foreigner. Plenty of teaching jobs about. It was more a lack of options than a choice. Unable to speak a language upon arrival limits your options somewhat.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught in Japan. Once for a large company (which didn’t work out), privately (one on one tuition), a small company, and for a start up company. All this over a period of 5 months.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I have a TEFL certificate (a 3 day course I did in the UK) but otherwise no formal teaching experience. Only certain avours as I went along with my travels (e.g. teach my daughter some English in exchange for bed/board). Otherwise I lived with teachers for a bit in my first 6 months in Japan so picked up a bit living with them and helping out with earthquake/tsunami victims which we gave free lessons for children in.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? No, but every bit helps. The more experienced and qualified you are, the more you’re appreciated and the better jobs you’ll get. I mostly find being a native speaker is enough to qualify me in certain jobs. Some established schools want experienced teachers only, but that doesn’t always get them good teachers anyway. Some of the best I’ve seen learn it as they go along.

What was your experience like?


Working for a large English teaching corporation was terrible and I got screwed over with paperwork and dishonesty. Private teaching was difficult as it was hard to find students that were reliable and regular, but if you are in a country long term this can work out well if you get regulars that like you. The small company was a one-off day job for very advanced students (marine students, some with master degrees) but was enjoyable in it’s own as I got more personal with students as they were similar age to me and had a high English level. The start-up company (teaching children age 4-6) worked very well for me as it was very flexible and open to my ideas.

Was it easy to find work? All my jobs were found online, so in that respect, it wasn’t so hard. However there is a lot of competition. Definitely research the market. Big English schools go into liquidation occasionally which floods tonnes of English teachers on the market making it difficult to stand out (and demand a decent wage).

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? Privately, I’d offer the first lesson free (usually I do for half price) and get cards made for people to hand out and spread. Being known was the hardest part in a new profession with little clients. I’d also walk in more places like English schools and offer my services (even if I had to do it for free), as it’s difficult to spread your credentials online compared to in person when it comes to things like teaching English.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Before teaching English I had a full time job as a receptionist which included food and accommodation so quite comfortable. I however (as the story goes) met a girl, one thing led to another and to be with her I needed to quit my job, move in with her and attempt teaching English instead. The big corporate gig was my ticket into Tokyo and the excuse I needed, but they cancelled my contract 3 days after I started as I was no longer needed, which put a strain on things (but likewise made my experience more rich after). On a day to day basis, Japan doesn’t offer much excitement. It’s tame, ordered and civilised, even when you are in a train squashed like cordial.


However it’s a good place to settle for a while and appreciate life, nature (which is stunning in Japan outside the cities), food, and other parts of Japanese culture like tea ceremonies, manga, arcades, anime, geisha’s, cosplay, AKB48, women with lovely legs and new electronic devices. The teacher social scene is what you make of it. It’s easy to get involved and make some good friends, likewise, it’s no big deal if you sit a few nights out. Heavy drinking isn’t as common as other teacher expat communities in other asian countries, but maybe the cost compared to wage comes into effect there. Japan is quite flexible, as long as you play by their rules you’re quite free to do what you want. One of the best aspect though, if you’re teaching children, is they are lovely and very responsive in English classes usually. Teenagers tend to get shy, and adults get embarrassed about their English level so you have to coerce a few of them into talking a bit sometime, which is a skill in itself.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? Formality. Such as the ‘do I bow or shake hands’ awkwardness that always occurs when first meeting someone. Just like in most countries a bit of fake-ness which is easy to see through with foreign eyes, but normal for Japanese people. In big companies you will see employees running around looking busy, when in fact they are moving no faster than a brisk walk - it’s for the ‘busy’ look. Another example when your client pays, it will always be in a neat sealed envelope, and it is considered very rude to look at the payment before they depart. I never did this and never had a problem (a reasonable percentage of students overpay slightly anyway), just something to bare in mind.

What are your tops three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Sign up for as many Teacher-Student meeting services as possible. This includes friend finding services and give lessons (and cards) for free to get your name out there, Japanese people (especially business men) love cards. 2. Get onto Mixi (a Japanese only social media platform) if you speak Japanese. Your potential students just increased 10 fold. Get a Japanese friend/student to help you along/advertise for you. 3. Find a loving and supportive partner, as it’s not easy when you don’t have a full time job in expensive Japan, and they can make it a lot more pleasant.


Mexico At a Glance • • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: No age restrictions Average salary per month: 6,000–12,000 MXN (Mexican pesos) Salary perks: Some schools offer vacation time and health insurance

English teachers in Mexico mostly work at schools, from elementary through the university level, though you can also teach at a private language school. English teachers in Mexico must have a TEFL or CELTA certificate, and being a native English speaker is also a necessity. You may also be able to work for a company that would hire you to teach conversational English to their employees.

Working Conditions For all ESL teachers, particularly North Americans, Mexico offers some of the best opportunities for finding teaching work quickly. Currently, the demand for English teachers in Mexico is at an all-time high. Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Cancún, Acapulco, Monterrey, and Chihuahua are all boomtowns for teachers, reliant as many are upon tourism for income. Since Mexico’s inclusion in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the need for Mexicans to learn English has risen dramatically. Private language schools, including several large chains, are now everywhere, and more and more companies are providing in-house English lessons for their employees. There are also language centers attached to state universities. In Mexico, it is very common to have split-shift work at language schools, especially ones that primarily cater to companies. Expect to work early in the morning and late in the afternoon, with a long break, or siesta, in the middle of the day. You will most likely work around 25 hours per week at a language school, instead of a full 40 hours per


week. If you work at a university or private school, you can expect to teach a minimum of 20 hours per week, plus have another 10-20 hours of administrative work, lesson preparation, and grading. And be advised, universities and private schools generally don’t offer much of a budget for computers, Internet access, or high-end equipment, as their resources are limited.

Teacher Salary Information Teachers’ salaries in Mexico are not very high and can vary greatly through the country. At a language school, you will usually earn around 6,000–12,000 MXN per month through either hourly wages or a monthly salary. You can live off of this money locally, but you won’t be saving much to take home with you. The better salary usually comes from universities and private schools: 8,000–27,000 MXN per month. Many times, these schools also provide accommodation, health coverage, and vales, or coupons for local purchases. Foreign teachers are responsible for paying income tax above the tax-exempted amount of 4,800 MXN per month.

Benefits You don’t get many benefits in Mexico. Sometimes you get accommodation, but not often. You’ll get vacation time and health insurance, though, if you work at a public school, university, or language school. Mexico does not have any agreements with other nations about exchanging health benefits for their citizens. ESL teachers are not entitled to use the Mexican public health system; therefore it is highly recommended to purchase private health insurance before leaving home.

Working Visas There are two types of Mexican visas that English teachers typically apply for. The T3 visa is meant for teachers interested in teaching for a period of time and eventually returning to their native country to live, and it can be extended for up to five years. For


those interested in gaining a Mexican citizenship, the T2 visa is a better option. The T2 allows teachers to have immigrant status after a five-year probation period, following which teachers can apply for Mexican citizenship. Visa applicants will be required to have 1,000 MXN in their bank account and must provide bank transaction records to prove this upon applying for a visa. ESL teachers interested in gaining a visa can apply at a Mexican embassy or consulate. In order to apply for a Mexican work permit, you must have a registered Mexican company to support your visa application. This company must submit a work permit application on your behalf to the labor authorities in Mexico. The company must include a copy of its incorporation articles, proof of tax payments, confirmation of your job title with the company, a job description, salary information, your current résumé, your original university diploma or transcript, a copy of your passport, and your birth certificate.

Cost of Living Mexico is cheap. You can live on around 8,000–10,000 MXN a month and even less in rural areas. An apartment can cost about 2,000–5,000 MXN per month, plus utilities. In Mexico City and other major cities, rents might be higher depending on the neighborhood. Food is very inexpensive in Mexico. You can eat cheap meals for around 60 MXN from street vendors. Northern regions of Mexico often offer more meat-based dishes, which feature a lot of beef and goat.

Job Links • http://www.eslbase.com/jobs/mexico/ • http://www.esljobs.com/teach-english/mexico/ • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/


Poland At a Glance • • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: No age restrictions Average salary per month: 1,500–9,000 PLN (Polish zlotys) Salary perks: Accommodation, teacher training, Polish language classes, and paid holidays

Since joining the European Union, Poland’s demand for English teachers has increased dramatically. Students interested in a business-oriented career must take a government-administered English proficiency exam. Salaries are usually lower in Poland than in other parts of Europe, but the opportunity to make extra money with private lessons is around every corner.

Working Conditions The typical teaching schedule is around 24 hours per week (a 45-minute lesson often counts as one hour). Schools are mostly focused on providing business English, general English, public speaking, and conversation classes. Most schools provide their teachers with a set curriculum for the students to follow. However, teachers are generally free to adapt these courses, as long as it caters to the needs of the students.

Teacher Salary Information The average monthly salary is 1,500–3,000 PLN for those in government schools and 3,000–9,000 PLN in private or international schools, which is why most people prefer private schools. Freelance work pays around 52 PLN per hour.

Benefits Many schools in Poland offer teachers free accommodation (if not, they will help you


find some), teacher training, Polish language classes, paid holidays, and work permit assistance. Similarly, many language institutes also provide the following benefits: • On-the-job teacher training assistance • All the books and materials needed • Four weeks of paid vacation during the school year

Working Visas EU citizens are permitted to live and work in Poland without any special visas. NonEU citizens, however, need a residence visa and a work permit from their potential employer to legally work and live in Poland. The company that hires you will send you a “work permit promise,” which can involve a complex and lengthy process. First, companies in Poland are required to advertise any open positions locally before they can offer it to a foreigner. If no Polish citizen is placed in this job after one month, then the “work permit promise” can be offered to a foreigner. Once you receive a “work permit promise,” you must then apply for a residence visa by submitting all of this paperwork along with your passport to the Polish embassy or consulate in person. Once your papers arrive in Poland, your employer is then responsible for the rest of the application process of your residence visa, and they apply for your work permit. Your work permit will be issued by the regional employment office closest to where you will actually be working in Poland. Generally, work permits are valid for 12 months, but this can vary depending on the terms of your “work permit promise.” There is an additional way to work legally in Poland. Instead of getting a work permit through a school, you can register with the local government as a “company” and work as a self-employed freelancer. In order to do this, you will need a school willing to hire you and a contract in hand. But this status also means that you can work in as many different schools as you want. Many schools in Wrocław, for example, require teachers to have their own company — or be willing to start their own company — to be considered for the position. You also need a temporary residency permit to do this. If you open your own company, you are completely responsible for having a local


address at which your company is registered, as well as for paying for your own taxes and for public health insurance.

Cost of Living Poland is a relatively cheap country in which to live. Most schools offer their teachers free accommodation in the form of shared housing with other teachers, or with a host family. For schools that do not provide housing, they will still usually help in finding accommodations. A room in a shared house or apartment will generally cost around 600 PLN per month (on the low end) or 800 PLN on the high end, while a room with your own kitchen and bathroom will cost 1,000–3,000 PLN per month. Dining in Poland can range from affordable to pricey, depending on your personal preferences. At a high-end restaurant, you could dine for 60–120 PLN, while at a regular pizza place, a meal will cost 15–30 PLN.

Job Links • http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ • http://www.esljobfind.com/ • http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/esl/ centralandeasterneurope.shtml • http://www.jobsabroad.com/search/poland • http://www.esljobs.com/teach-english/poland/ • http://www.learn4good.com/jobs/language/english/list/country/poland/


What It’s Like To Teach In Poland Jenna Makowski is a freelance writer, editor and English teacher whose first journey coincides with the first book she ever read. She has lived in Russia, Poland and Ireland. Currently based in Washington DC, she grapples to understand place experientially, through people, music and daily life.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I was in the process of transitioning from a Masters program to a Doctoral program when I was suddenly hit with a moment of panic – do I want to be a perpetual student/ academic? I decided I needed a hiatus to think about it, and I wanted to travel. So I made the choice to teach English abroad.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught for one year in Moscow, Russia and one year in Wroclaw, Poland.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I completed a 4-week TEFL certification before I signed my first contract. I also had experience teaching as a graduate assistant instructor, although in a completely different field.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? Yes. Teaching in Europe is virtually impossible without – at the very least – a certificate. In fact, some private schools in Poland will not even hire teachers without a CELTA, which is the Cambridge version of the TEFL and the holy grail for some European schools. I was rejected from International House, one of the largest chains in Poland, simply because I had a TEFL certificate and not a CELTA (even though they are, more or less, the exact same thing. The only difference is where you get it; you can get CELTA-certified in the UK, and TEFL-certified in America). If you want to teach at an international school or a public school in Poland, you will also probably need an


education degree of some sort.

What was your experience like? I taught at private language schools, mostly adult evening classes. The curriculum was largely based on the New English File series. My school had a syllabus prepared for me, and I just had to create lessons around the material for that day. I also worked in tandem with a co-teacher; we split material and taught alternate classes throughout the week.

Was it easy to find work? Since Poland has entered the EU, it’s becoming slightly harder for non-EU passport holders to find work, though there are plenty of native English speaker positions out there. It’s much more difficult to find a job in Poland over the internet – more schools are willing to hire teachers who come in on the spot. Also, I’ve found that it’s rare for schools in Poland to pay for accommodation or flights. In fact, in Wroclaw (which is the 3rd largest city in Poland), if you want to teach at the private language schools, you have to set up your own company with the local government, get a temporary residence card and be hired as a self-employed freelance teacher. My school helped me with this process, but I was essentially responsible for myself – I paid my own taxes each month and my own insurance (as part of the Polish social insurance program), and I was responsible for renewing my residency card when it expired. I was also free to teach at other schools at the same time.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would have kept better track of the supplemental teaching materials that I photocopied and used. Had I kept everything organized in a folder, I would have had a huge arsenal of additional activities and worksheets at my disposal, making lesson planning easier and quicker.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Living in Poland, especially a larger city, is manageable if you don’t speak any Polish, as English is fairly widespread, especially with the younger population. Salaries in Poland can be pretty low, even for native speakers and beyond, in many other careers and job types. The city of Wroclaw has a great, central location – it’s possible to go to Berlin,


Krakow, Prague, Budapest or Vienna for an extended weekend.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? In Poland, I’ve had trouble adjusting to the lack of grocery stores with a wide range of vegetables, spices and other items. The Polish diet can be pretty uniform, sometimes.

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country?

1. If you open your own company and teach as a freelancer, stay in control of your own schedule. Don’t let schools manhandle or manipulate you into taking more classes than you want or can handle. Be upfront with when you are available to teach. 2. Be open to working on weekends – Saturday morning classes are often highly attended and well paid. 3. Take advantage of the methodologist. Many private schools in Poland have regular methodologists who work and observe teachers. Take advantage of the expertise, ask for questions and advice. Little modifications can go far when it comes to better teaching practices.


Russia At a Glance • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Bachelor’s degree not required Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate Age: No age limit Average salary per month: 35,750–53,600 RUB (Russian rubles) Salary perks: Free accommodation and occasionally, flight reimbursement and visa fees

There is a high demand for native English speakers in major Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as in smaller, secondary cities in both western Russia and Siberia. Russia can be a challenging place to live; it’s not the place to go and live a life of comfort, but if you want a challenge, Russia is it!

Working Conditions To meet the demand for English language education, numerous private language schools have opened in Russia in the last decade. Many of these schools are chains, with multiple branches in Moscow and other cities across Russia. While being hired at a private school usually requires TEFL certification, some schools — particularly the chains — offer their own certification programs, which participants pay for. Most teachers hired at private language schools in Russia are considered full-time and teach 24-30 hours per week (one teaching hour may be equivalent to anywhere between 45 and 60 minutes). Schools run classes for students of all ages, from young learners to adults. While English is part of the general curriculum in elementary and secondary schools, many students seek additional instruction, and classes are often held in the afternoons and evenings. General English, business English, and exam prep courses are all standard components of most private school curriculums. Some schools focus more heavily, or even exclusively, on hiring teachers for business English contracts. Known as “in-company” work, these teachers teach in offices at the contracted company.


Schools may also offer classes for individual students, and it is not uncommon for teachers to travel to students’ homes or offices for individual lessons. Sometimes teachers may be asked to work split shifts, teaching individual lessons in the mornings and adult classes in the evenings.

Teacher Salary Information Note that Russia is not a country to go to if you’re planning on paying off student loans. While your salary is more than enough to live comfortably, you won’t be earning enough to send home. Most of the major schools in Russia offer similar salary packages. Salaries are paid in rubles and average 35,750–65,000 RUB per month. Salaries will be higher in Moscow than other cities to compensate for its higher cost of living. There is also a demand for private lessons. In Moscow, a 90-minute lesson may be valued at upwards of 1,000–2,000 RUB. Private lessons in smaller cities run much less.

Benefits Most private schools offer free accommodation or a generous accommodation stipend. When schools provide accommodation, it is often shared with other teachers. Some packages can include flight reimbursement and visa fees on completion of the contract, but those aren’t as common as they used to be. There are over a dozen public holidays in Russia, including 10 days at Christmas. Private schools often offer up to 10 vacation days in addition to the national public holidays.

Working Visas All foreigners need a visa to enter Russia. After hiring, a school will apply for a letter of invitation from the government. Once approved, the school will forward the letter of invitation, along with a sponsoring cover letter, to the teacher. The teacher must then apply for a visa. The application can be found on the Russian consulate website and can be sent via the mail through an accredited agency or done in person at a consulate.


The current visa fee is 4,315 RUB. It’s important to check your local Russian consulate website for information, as requirements differ slightly depending on which country you are applying from. Most schools provide extensive visa assistance, especially as many teachers enter Russia on a tourist visa and switch to a work visa after 90 days. Russian law stipulates that everyone (citizens and foreigners) must be registered at a valid address. Schools will register their teachers at the address of their accommodation. If a foreigner intends to leave the city in which he or she is registered for longer than three days, he or she must inform local officials and re-register upon returning (most schools will take care of this, but it is important to inform your employer when you plan to leave and return for vacation). Likewise, if you plan to visit another city in Russia, you must register there, as well, for the duration of your stay. This is either done through your hotel or, if you are staying at an individual address, through the local government office.

Cost of Living Even though Moscow often carries the stereotype of being one of the most expensive cities in the world, it is affordable with a teacher’s salary and a bit of caution. As with most major metropolitan cities in the world, luxury options exist alongside more affordable ones. Food in Moscow costs on average 1,500–3,000 RUB per week for groceries. A pint of beer at an average bar ranges from 80 to 150 RUB. Housing can be on the expensive side in Moscow, and if a school offers accommodation coverage or stipends, take advantage of it. Renting a room in an apartment near a metro station may cost 15,000–20,000 RUB per month. A room in a city other than Moscow may run anywhere between 5,000 and 15,000 RUB per month, depending on the location. Transportation is a cost that must be factored into a Moscow budget. A 60-day metro pass runs around 1,200 RUB. Individual metro and bus tickets cost around 30 RUB. The cost of living in general is much lower outside of Moscow, but so are salaries as well.



http://www.waytorussia.net/Expat/Teaching.html http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0101/russia.shtml http://jobs.goabroad.com/search/russia/jobs-abroad-1 http://www.esljobs.com/russia/


What It’s Like To Teach In Russia Jenna Makowski is a freelance writer, editor and English teacher whose first journey coincides with the first book she ever read. She has lived in Russia, Poland and Ireland. Currently based in Washington DC, she grapples to understand place experientially, through people, music and daily life. She blogs at jennagmakowski.com. She talks about what it’s like to teach English in Russia.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I was in the process of transitioning from a Masters program to a Doctoral program when I was suddenly hit with a moment of panic – do I want to be a perpetual student/ academic? I decided I needed a hiatus to think about it, and I wanted to travel. So I made the choice to teach English abroad.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught for one year in Moscow, Russia and one year in Wroclaw, Poland.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I completed a 4-week TEFL certification before I signed my first contract in Moscow. I also had experience teaching as a graduate assistant instructor, although in a completely different field.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? Absolutely. In Russia, the majority of schools will not consider hiring teachers without a certificate. Some of the private language schools even offer their own certification programs that prospective teachers can pay for before being filtered into full-time, paid work.

What was your experience like? I taught at private language schools, mostly adult evening classes. In general, I was expected to follow the given text (New English File), and to cover the material in a given period of time. I had freedom to design my own curriculum based on the book,


and could supplement with outside material.

Was it easy to find work? There are plenty of opportunities for teaching English in Russia. My school took care of my visa and all of my documents. They also paid for my accommodation, insurance and reimbursed me for my flight.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would have kept better track of the supplemental teaching materials that I photocopied and used. Had I kept everything organized in a folder, I would have had a huge arsenal of additional activities and worksheets at my disposal, making lesson planning easier and quicker.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? I found that life in Moscow, for me, had fairly extreme ups and downs. It’s a huge city, and the amount of people canbe overwhelming at times. I would recommend learning a bit of Russian before going, as it’s not so easy to find English speakers in stores and restaurants. And if you can’t at least read the Cyrillic subway signs, you won’t be able to function on a day-to-day basis. Moscow is a city with a fascinating history, and there is plenty to do on weekends and during holidays (museums, concerts, restaurants, daytrips around the Golden Ring). There’s excellent public transportation. Even though my school wasn’t always very well organized or communicative, the teachers were treated very well. By the end of the school year, I felt like part of a family.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? My school was rooted in a lot of needless bureaucracy, and it was often difficult to get seemingly simple information, like the level of a new student or a supplemental listening CD from the library.

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Go with the flow. Don’t expect to be showered with instructions. After getting my job and visa, I was simply told to fly to Moscow and meet Vladimir at the


airport. I had no idea who Vladimir was, nor did I speak any Russian (Vladimir, as I soon found out, also didn’t speak any English). I arrived at the airport; Vladimir was waiting. He shook my hand, asked for my passport, handed me his, and walked away. While the instinctual response might have been to panic, I didn’t, and it was fine. He only had to make a photocopy for some sort of bureaucratic red tape, and he eventually returned; he’d given me his own passport as collateral, after all. My time in Russia was filled with in-the-moment information (I only found out which classes I’d be teaching 2 hours before I was meant to start) and last minute communications (text messages at midnight: you have a new student tomorrow!) I also never managed to open a bank account (I opened my sock drawer instead), and am pretty sure I unknowingly collaborated in a tax evasion scheme. But in the end, everything worked out, and I came away with great teacher-student relationships and friendships with the staff. 2. Learn a bit of Russian before you go. 3. Supplement your income with private students. There is a huge market for native speakers, and people are willing to pay for the service. Be aware of whether or not the contract you’ve signed with the school has any stipulations about whether you can teach independently, outside of the school. Observe and talk to other fellow teachers about what they do – and go with the flow. Chances are, the words in the contract don’t match up with the generally accepted practices.


Saudi Arabia At a Glance • Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country • Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree • Certification: Have a 120-hour TEFL/CELTA certificate. You must be a licensed teacher from your home country to teach at kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. • Experience: One to two years of formal teaching experience • Age: The official age limit is 65 years of age. • Average salary per month: 10,000–15,000 SAR (Saudi riyals) • Salary perks: Housing, flights, generous vacation time, contract completion bonus, tax-free salary, relocation bonus, flights for family members, and more Like Dubai or other Arab states, Saudi Arabia pays very well. You will make a lot of money here, and all of it is tax free. However, unlike Dubai, you don’t get nearly as many freedoms. Moreover, most of your jobs will be restricted to Riyadh and on Western compounds and a few universities. You won’t be able to travel very much outside certain areas, either. It’s a great place to make money, but not really a fun place to live.

Working Conditions The working week in Saudi Arabia tends to vary between 40 and 48 hours, depending on the particular company’s policy. Office hours are usually from 8:30 or 9 a.m. to 5:30 or 6 p.m. During the month of Ramadan, the working day is reduced to six hours, and legally this should apply to all staff, but many companies only apply it to Muslims, who fast during daylight hours. There are jobs available in schools or through private lessons. Although in the past there has been some resistance to teaching English in primary schools, the Saudi government announced in June 2011 that it was reducing the age at which English teaching would be taught in state schools from 11 to 9. In an elementary school, working hours are generally 7 a.m.–3 p.m., while in a private school or university the hours are mainly in the evening. Most schools are


sex segregated, with female teachers teaching women and girls, and male teachers teaching men and boys.

Teacher Salary Information Teacher’s salaries in Saudi Arabia can range from 10,000 to 15,000 SAR per month, depending on your experience and qualifications. If you have a master’s degree and experience, you can earn upwards of 180,000 SAR per year. Many English teachers also provide private tutoring, as this is in high demand, and you can charge about 100–150 SAR per hour. No income tax will be taken out of these salaries.

Language schools ESL teachers are in great demand because of the government’s efforts to encourage everyone to learn English. The average salary is 12,000–15,000 SAR. Your salary and benefits package will be based on your previous teaching experience. It’s in your best interest to have some sort of a TEFL or CELTA certification, preferably with a TEFL provider that offers some classroom-based hours as part of the course curriculum. Most opportunities are in Riyadh, Jeddah, and rural areas. Be sure to find out where your school is located before you agree to anything, though.

Private international schools These positions offer great opportunities for teachers that are interested in teaching subject-specific classes as well as English classes. Average salaries range are 10,000– 15,000 SAR per month. You must be a certified teacher in your home country, with a valid teaching license and a minimum of 2–5 years of formal teaching experience, also in your home country. These schools require teachers to commit to a two-year contract.

Colleges and universities The best positions in Saudi Arabia are with Saudi colleges and universities. ESL teachers can earn more than 15,000 SAR per month teaching English. Experienced teachers that are well qualified can sometimes earn as much as $5,000 USD per month and more.


Benefits In Saudi Arabia, you get tax-free income, housing, medical coverage, paid holidays, and vacations. Moreover, you often get return airfare. In addition to their salary, contract workers are awarded completion bonus at the end of the contract period. Saudi Arabia legislates that the indemnity is based on the value of the entire remuneration package, including performance bonuses. The indemnity can be a significant amount of money if you’ve been working in Saudi Arabia for a long time. Indemnity scales usually amount to 15 (in some cases 20) days of basic pay per year of employment for the first three years and a month’s salary per year of employment thereafter. Like Dubai, you walk away from this country with virtually your entire salary.

Working Visas You must be at least 22 years old and have both a residence and a work permit in order to get a visa to legally teach English in Saudi Arabia. Before applying for these permits or arriving in Saudi Arabia, you must have secured an offer of employment. The process of receiving your visa can still take up to two months. Your prospective employer must sponsor your work permit application to the Ministry of Employment, and they must be satisfied that you are required for work. Once the Ministry of Employment approves your application, they will send it to the Ministry of the Interior to issue a residence permit. Once both the work permit and residence permit are approved, you must apply for a visa with the Saudi embassy or consulate in your home country. The embassy requires the following authenticated documents in order to process your visa request: • • • •

A completed application form A certified and notarized copy of the educational degrees with official transcripts A copy of signed contract The original letter of invitation certified by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce


• • • •

Police certificates A medical report (including an AIDS test) Three passport-size photographs The application fee

Cost of Living The overall cost of living in Saudi Arabia is similar to that of most European countries, if you’re living in the style of the average Western expatriate. However, you will find that you have a very low cost of living in Saudi Arabia because your employer will provide for your housing, utilities, health insurance, and amenities. Food, leisure activities, and shopping are primarily your only expenses. Dining in Saudi Arabia is quite affordable: dinner at a restaurant with three courses will cost 70–130 SAR, and eating fast food will cost about 15–30 SAR. Having a cup of coffee at a café runs about 3–7 SAR.


http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ http://www.eslemployment.com/esl-jobs/middle-east/ http://www.esljobs.com/teach-english/saudi-arabia/ http://www.teachaway.com/teaching-english-saudi-arabia/


South Korea At a Glance • Nationality: Be a native English speaker from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, or the United States • Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree • Certification: Have a 120-hour TEFL or CELTA certificate (combined online/ classroom certificate) • Age: The preferred age range is 23–35, but schools will take teachers up to 62 years of age. • Average salary per month: 2,100,000–2,700,000 KRW (Korean won) • Salary perks: Flights, housing, health insurance, and paid vacation, among others South Korea is the number one spot for English teachers, as jobs are fairly easy to find and pay and benefits are the best. It’s the easiest place in Asia to teach. Some schools in South Korea can still hire teachers with just a university degree, but more and more schools are demanding that teachers have at least a 120-hour TEFL qualification. South Korea’s EPIK program (English Program in Korea) requires teachers to have at least a 120-hour combined online/in-class TEFL certificate and a national criminal background check. With the poor global economy in recent years, Korea has seen an influx of young people looking for jobs, making competition fierce, especially for EPIK.

Working Conditions Class schedules are based on the type of school that you teach for. Public schools are generally the most desired positions, due to the few classes taught by the teacher and the longer vacation time. Public school positions are administered through EPIK. The competition for these positions is extremely competitive, and you can expect at least a six-month interview and documentation process. You do not get to choose where you are placed, although you can certainly give your location preferences when you apply.


These positions pay really well and offer a great teaching package. Teaching hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are many private institutes, which offer kindergarten classes in the morning and elementary after-school classes starting at 3 p.m. There are also certain institutes that are strictly afternoon programs, meaning that classes are taught between the hours of 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. Be careful, as some employers try to get you to do a “split shift,” i.e., have you work in the morning and then again in the evening. Many of the English language schools treat their employees poorly or do not honor contracts, so it is important that you research the school or placement company carefully. Additionally, Koreans have a strong work ethic, so vacations and sick days are not something they give lightly. Even if you are entitled to them, you may find yourself fighting with your employer over these days.

How to apply with EPIK There are two ways to apply for positions with EPIK: • Apply directly with EPIK. Note that EPIK recruiters do not offer any frills, thus you will not be given any assistance or explanations on how to complete the documentation process. • Apply with an official EPIK partner agency. EPIK uses eight recruiting agencies, all of which are Korean, with the exception of Reach To Teach Recruiting (the largest ESL placement agency in the United States) and Canadian Connections.


Application process for EPIK


How to apply with a hagwon (for-profit private institute, academy, or cram school)


Teacher Salary Information English teachers can expect to make 2,100,000–2,700,000 KRW per month with EPIK. The more education and certifications you have, the higher the pay. EPIK will also cover your flights, housing, paid vacation, and more. Teaching at a hagwon (private institute), you will earn about 2,100,000 KRW per month for a 40-hour workweek. Private schools tend to pay more than public schools, though if you teach at a public school for a few years, you can work your way up the salary ladder. A teacher’s salary is considered pretty decent, and it’s likely that you can save money while working in Korea, particularly if your employer covers your housing expenses. If you teach business or work at an international school, you can earn upwards of 6,000,000 KRW per month. Most foreign employees are required to pay Korean income taxes, which are generally withheld and paid by the employer. Teachers working for colleges or universities are sometimes entitled to an exemption from paying Korean taxes for up to two years.

Benefits Korea offers the best benefits package out of any country in Asia. In Korea, you will get free housing, 50% coverage of health care costs, a relocation bonus, paid vacation (depending on the school), a completion bonus, and return airfare home. All schools close for Korean national holidays, and most schools close for a week in summer and a week at the end of the calendar year. This results in two full one-week breaks and 10-13 other days off throughout the year. The distribution of the national holidays results in at least two 4-5-consecutive-day breaks, 2–3 long weekends, and a handful of less useful, but not unwelcome, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays off. English teachers in Korea occasionally have contract disputes with their employers. In the Korean context, a contract is simply a rough working agreement, subject to change depending upon the circumstances.


Basic features of a contract should include the following provisions: • • • • • • •

Housing Airline tickets Working hours Class sizes Severance pay Taxes Medical insurance

Working Visas In order to teach English in Korea legally, you must have a visa. While many people still choose to work illegally, if you are caught, you will be fined, deported, and likely not allowed reentry into Korea. Schools only hire teachers with a work permit. Most English teachers acquire an E-2 visa. Visa issuance is very closely controlled by the Korean government, and getting your visa can take from one week up to six months. You must acquire your visa outside of Korea, so you can come to Korea on a tourist visa to find a job and get the necessary paperwork, and then go to a nearby country, such as Japan, to get the actual visa. Once you are offered a job, your employer can help you get your visa. When you get your work visa, you have 90 days to register with Korean immigration and get a residence certificate and reentry permit. Along with your visa, you will need to bring the following to the Korean immigration authorities: • A notarized sponsorship guarantee form from your employer • An employment contract (it must be for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years) • Certificate of employment (supplied by your employer) • Statement of purpose (sometimes optional) • Your résumé • Passport photos • College diploma (you must have the original document and additional copies)


• College transcripts • Criminal background check (notarized) • Health check Changing employers is quite difficult and requires release consent from your original employer for the remaining period of the contract. Permission from the Korean immigration authorities is also required, and you must leave Korea and return with a new visa with your new sponsor. You should direct any questions about this procedure to the nearest Korean immigration office.

Cost of Living Korea has a fairly low cost of living, with food, entertainment, and public transportation all being quite inexpensive. However, accommodations can be a little pricey, particularly in Seoul, but as a teacher, your housing will be provided for you. The provided accommodation is usually small and not that great, but at least it is free. Your utilities, including electricity, water, gas, and TV, will cost about 100,000–200,000 KRW per month plus 20,000–30,000 KRW for Internet access. If you choose to buy groceries and cook at home every day, you can probably get by spending about 200,000–300,000 KRW on food per month. Dining out in Korea is quite inexpensive, and you can eat a good meal at a restaurant for about 5,000–12,000 KRW per person. If you want fast food, you can pay about 4,000–7,000 KRW for a meal at either McDonald’s or KFC. At a pizza place, you will pay about 7,000 KRW for a large. Seoul has some foreign food restaurants, but they are mostly overpriced with subpar food, so you may want to avoid those. Drinks can cost about 400–800 KRW per can in a store or 4,000 KRW per glass in an upscale restaurant. A large bottle of local beer will cost about 1,500–2,000 KRW in a store and up to 7,200 KRW in a restaurant. Public transportation is pretty good and quite inexpensive in Korea, particularly in Seoul. A local bus trip costs about 1,100 KRW and a long-distance bus trip costs about 2,000 KRW. Three major cities — Seoul, Busan, and Daegu — have subway systems, costing about 1,400 KRW for an average trip.


Overall, you’ll find the cost of living in South Korea to be very cheap, especially when compared to your salary.

Job Links • • • • • • •

http://hiteacher.com/ http://www.gone2korea.com/ http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/Teach-English-in-Korea.html http://www.parkenglish.com/ http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/ http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/ http://www.eslemployment.com/esl-jobs/korea/


What It’s Like To Teach In Korea: Part I Samuel Jeffery is a blogger at NomadicSamuel. com, who taught English in Korea for three years. He shares his experience as an ESL teacher and life as a make teacher in Korea. You can find more about him on his blog where he shares photos, videos & quirky travel stories along with photography tips, interviews, ESL tips, and other travel advice. One can get in touch with Samuel by following him on his Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, Youtube & Google +.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? During the last two years of college I started tutoring ESL to students on campus. The majority of my students were from South Korea and I forged some close bonds that still last today. It was at this time that I began to discover opportunities for teaching English overseas. Overall, I would say my positive experiences tutoring my students combined with my strong desire to live abroad made the choice to go and teach English in Korea a no-brainer decision. In fact, I had my degree rushed to me and I ended up skipping convocation, so that I could accept a position just days after finishing my last college course.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I’ve taught three years in South Korea completing three separate contracts in different areas of the country. I’ve taught in both the private and public sector teaching students ranging from kindergartner all the way to mature adults in cram schools and government funded programs. In between each individual contract I’ve backpacked around select areas of Asia and South America for roughly a year at a time.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? My level of experience prior to teaching in South Korea was confined to only tutoring students on campus; however, I did complete an extensive TESOL diploma before I arrived. My tutoring experience gave me an added level of confidence and my TESOL


course really helped shape my teaching philosophy and lesson planning skills.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? To teach in South Korea you do not need any prior teaching experience but you do require a four year college degree. Your major can literally be anything – ranging from basket weaving to quantum physics. If one can pick up some teaching experience prior to arriving by tutoring, volunteering at an international centre or any other method I highly ecommend that. Additionally, a TESOL diploma (in most cases) qualifies one for a higher salary and really does help one feel more confident as an inexperienced teacher going overseas for the very first time.

What was your experience like? My experiences in Korea are overwhelming positive but not without challenges. I’ve found my jobs have ranged from below average to excellent and each time I’ve gone back to Korea I’ve found better working conditions. In my opinion, doing a lot of research about prospective schools and finding the right balance of work and play creates for an optimal experience. I’ve personally been able to fund all of my backpacking adventures - by teaching in Korea - being frugal but not cheap. On the other hand, I know other teachers who live paycheck to paycheck because of wayward spending habits and excessive partying. My advice for a newbie teacher would be to make relationships that extend beyond expat drinking activities to really experience the local culture, save money and have options afterwards.

Was it easy to find work? Generally speaking it is very easy to find work in South Korea if one has a university degree and demonstrates a positive attitude to their prospective employer during the interview process. However, the process of gathering the right documents (criminal record check, notarized degree, sealed transcripts, etc) in order to obtain a working Visa is a rigorous and often tedious process that needs to be completed outside of the country over several months. For those based in SE backpacking or doing something else options such as Taiwan are far more attractive given you can just show up and obtain an ARC (Alien Registration Card) shortly after arrival. On the other hand, Korea offers a lot more perks (return airfare, free housing, severance pay and pension refund)


that other well paying countries (such as Japan or Taiwan) generally don’t include. There are a lot of good sites for contacting employers and recruiters directly and none probably more famous than eslcafe.com.

What advice would you give to people navigating the jobs process? How would you help them pick a good school? South Korea, unlike other countries in Asia, is not somewhere you can just show up and start teaching. The Visa process is very strict and stringent. Thus, it’s vital one prepares all of their documents (apostatized criminal record check, notarized degree, university sealed transcripts, etc) several months before they would like to begin teaching. One of the best sites for finding a job is worknplay.co.kr. I’ve said this earlier, but I honestly cannot stress it enough, that it is very important to ask as many questions about your prospective school. Finding out details about the apartment, manager, coteachers, teaching materials and philosophy of the school will save a lot of potential headaches. Furthermore, a school with a high retention rate (teachers staying more than one year) is a very positive sign. Overall, I suggest one is prepared well in advance and is selective before making a final decision when it comes to teaching in Korea.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? If I could travel back in a time machine I would have selected better schools to workat during my first two years in South Korea. My initial standards included findingpositions that did not involve weekend work commitments, free housing and close proximity to Seoul. What I learned over time was that it is far more important to find out the working conditions of your prospective school by directly talking to either present or former teachers. Your entire year can be defined by your working conditions and I recommend anybody going overseas to teach English to make sure they’ve found out as much information about the school as possible before they sign any one year contract.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? My life in Korea outside of the classroom was fantastic. Korea is a modern high-tech nation that offers cutting edge arts, entertainment and technology as well as old world charms. One can find fast paced city life in places such as Seoul or Busan or escape to


the countryside areas of destinations such as Sarak mountain or Gyeongju. I find Korea has a lot to offer and can suit a wide variety of lifestyles. Any efforts made to learn the language, sample the local food and embrace the local culture will be appreciated by Koreans in a way that is often not found in other countries I’ve previously lived or visited. Life in Korea is what you make of it. It’s a place where you can be a party animal or a reclusive hermit. There are opportunities for just about any lifestyle one can possibly think of. For those interested in going out often it is recommended you choose a larger urban centre such as Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Ulsan or Kwangju. If one is more serious about saving money and enjoying scenic views the province of Kangwondo is your best bet. Overall, it is possible to enjoy an active social life, make friends with expats and locals and save a lot of money by the end of the year.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? Korea is the most Confucius nation on earth and as such defined relationships between age, gender, level of education and social status are very different from Western culture. Moments of culture shock included being encouraged to drink more (if I refused it would have been extremely rude) by older Korean men when I had clearly had enough and situations where less than stellar bosses tried to use coercive techniques to make me do extra work above and beyond what was defined in my contract.

What are your tops three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. First, obtain a TESOL certificate to not only prepare you to become a better teacher but also to receive a higher monthly salary. TESOL certificates can be done online or on campus in locations all over the world. The school I went to (globaltesol.com) is reputable and well recognized overseas. 2. Secondly, realize that a recruiter (most common way to secure a job) or prospective employer is going to tell you all the right things to encourage you to sign a contract. It’s totally up to you to get in contact with present and former teachers or to research and ask the right questions about your job to find out as much as you can about the school, your contract and director. Those who haven’t done their research may possibly end up with bad working conditions


that include substandard apartments, unpaid overtime and deferred monthly payments to name just a few. ESL is very hit or miss and the best way to ensure a great experience is to take the time to find a reputable school and not rush into something that is less than ideal. 3. Finally, try as best to have clearly defined goals and something to look forward to at the end of your teaching contract. In my opinion, nothing is worse than hanging out with other expats continuously, spending the majority of your salary on drinking and having nothing to show for your experience both culturally or materially by the end of your contract. Unfortunately, this kind of situation is not atypical. I think the right balance of work and play allows one to enjoy their teaching experience, save money, make friends with both locals and other expats and have something to look forward to at the end of the contract – including options such as saving to go to grad school or enjoy a one year trip around the world. That in my opinion is the optimal teaching year in South Korea.


What It’s Like To Teach In Korea: Part II Nicole Keslinke is an adventure seeking, life loving, travel writing and music loving American girl whose been living abroad since 2006. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago, She promptly moved to the picturesque beaches of Grand Cayman for over 2 years and worked for the Hard Rock Café. She moved to Seoul, South Korea in April 2009 where she has been teaching ever since. She opens up and shares her experience teaching in South Korea, one of the most popular destinations for teaching in the world.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? Funnily enough I had no idea that teaching abroad was an experience to be had until one night while surfing jobs on Career Builder in Chicago I saw an advertisement from a recruitment company offering etching positions in Asia with no teaching experience required. I was a little confused that a company could advertise such a position and after I sent a sternly worded letter I received a call from a well-informed and experienced agent who spent 2 hours explaining the process to me and I immediately fell in love with the opportunity teaching ESL abroad offered me and was more than delighted she invited me to interview the following week. After passing the interview I was in Seoul 4 weeks later.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I am still currently teaching here in Seoul Korea and have been for over 2 and a half years.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I had been a camp counselor and taught swimming lessons as far as actual instruction to other individuals goes, but I had absolutely no classroom teaching experience upon my arrival in Seoul.


Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? The first and foremost requirement is a Bachelors Degree (or higher) from an established University or College before any school or recruitment agency will consider you. Please also note that a teaching job at a University typically only hires those with a Master Degree, several TEFL Certifications and prior experience with adults. Once you have signed with a school they will give you necessary training and what they expect you to do. I chose to come and teach because the recruiter had explained exactly what I would expect from both my training course and my first class in front of students and I was confident I would do well. I was also hungry for the opportunity to go outside my comfort zone and try something else in another foreign country. I believe that any time spent explaining something to someone who has positively has no idea what you are talking about, and having them walk away with the gist of what you were trying to get at, is all the experience you need.

What was your experience like? So far my experience has been life-changing. As an individual responsible for not only instructing lessons to these kids, a lot of them see me as a role model and it has helped shape my life’s outlook from a somewhat selfish standpoint to that of a someone who wishes to give more than posses.

Was it easy to find work? For my situation I felt like I accidentally fell down a sewer and came out smelling like a bouquet of roses in terms of ow my job situation turned out. I had an wonderfully kind director, a beautiful apartment, and fantastic students; but many don’t have the same luck. But in general terms yes, it was easy to find work both starting from my home in North America and already in Seoul (for the second time around). During my phone interview I was asked my response to a number of potential classroom situations and based on my answers I was invited to their training program in Seoul. Part of the training program included teaching in front of my peers and other training staff. There were also instructional videos and plenty of reading to help prepare me for the test.


Only after successfully completing the week-long training program and passing the 3 hour test was I given a chance to teach in an actual classroom and my flight money reimbursed. I was not required to obtain a TEFL before coming to the training program but chose to get one during my time here in Seoul.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? If I had to choose something I would have brought a suitcase full of peanut butter and western-sized shoes; both are hard to find and if you do, they’re overpriced.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Life in Korea is has been a jaw dropping experience. I have participated in a thousand year old tea ceremony, chanted with Buddhist Monks at 3 am, rubbed shoulders with famous musicians because I was one of a few foreigners at the show, walked in ancient lava tubes, and have seen a liger. Almost 99 percent of the Koreans I have interacted with have been warm and friendly to me and even if the only word they can say in English is, “Hello!” I always reciprocate with a big warm, “Hi!” and both of us walk away with a smile.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? I have found trying to communicate what I need when there isn’t a plain or direct translation for it to be most difficult. It can become exhausting translating word after word after word but ultimately rewarding because you learn how to skip a lot of unnecessary steps the next time that happens.

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. First and foremost I would suggest saving as much as you can. 2. Come to the country first and explore potential employers before committing to one thousands of miles away. If you are unable to do that I would suggest thoroughly researching your school and its neighborhood to make sure it would be a right fit for you. 3. I would also suggest to have a sense of humor and an open mind every single day. There is a lot to be learned if you just keep quiet, observe your surroundings and try and understand the way other people think.


What It’s Like To Teach In Korea: Part III Steven Sirski is a writer, musician, filmmaker, English teacher and sometimes a tractor driver. He has been travelling all over the world since 2009. You can find out more about his travels and other adventures at his website, stevensirski.com, follow him on Twitter, or find him on Facebook.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? Simply, I wanted to get out and see the world. My home town, Winnipeg, is kind of isolated from the rest of Canada. But money was on my mind as I didn’t want to leave home without knowing I could recoup my expenses. South Korea was the perfect starting place for me since they paid for my ticket over, covered my apartment rental fee, and offered a generous salary.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught in Busan, South Korea for one year.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I hold a BA and an MA but had never taught English before I went to South Korea. However, I’ve been a performing musician and filmmaker my entire life so standing up in front of people and trying to get them to understand what I’m saying has been a large part of my life.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? Any prior experience will help. Certified or experienced teachers will have more ideas with regard to how to handle students, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll adapt to a country and its people well. The South Korean government’s English teaching program, EPIK, offered an 8-day orientation that helped prepare me for the classroom. Financially speaking, certification might help you make more but not necessarily.


What was your experience like? Great. I learned a lot about the countries and cultures I visited and I’ve developed a greater appreciation for the teachers I’ve had throughout my life. I’ve also learned a lot about myself as I’ve travelled so the benefits of travelling abroad have been very rewarding.

Was it easy to find work? It was easy to find work, but it was hard to allow myself to take the risk to go. South Korea was the first time I left my home town and moved so far away.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I’d like to say I should’ve stayed in Korea for another year to save more money, but I wanted to keep moving. I’d be wiser with my money and try not to party so much, both things that are easier said than done.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Fantastic. Despite being constantly informed of the things Korea has invented or done for the world, the people, the places and the general living standards in Korea were absolutely fantastic. Not only that, I got to make a short film in Korea as a class project titled Coffee and Milk. That’s something I’ll never forget. It was also humbling to visit another country to teach a language I take for granted while struggling and often failing in their native language. Many places and people are very similar: the internet is all over the place; smiles are ubiquitous, free and catchy; beer is cheap and a communal beverage; coffee is for reflection; lots of big cities have lots of big buildings; and many country sides, no matter the country, all start to look like a bunch of trees. The idea of “being at one with nature” escapes me, can’t that happen anywhere and everywhere?

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? Always being in “teacher” mode whenever someone wanted to practice their English. Living in another country is sometimes awkward because you have off days and days when you just want to be left alone, as happens in Canada, but then someone wants to practice their English.


I don’t want to be rude or even cut the conversation short because sometimes those conversations can be very interesting and revealing. I learned that it pays to be courteous because often it’s nerve-racking for the non- English speaker to build up the courage necessary to try to go beyond “Hello, what’s your name?” An added bonus is that Koreans are extremely nice people.

What are your tops three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Go. 2. Keep an open mind. 3. Have a fall back plan.


What It’s Like To Teach In Korea: Part IV Chris and Tawny met at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro and haven’t looked back since. They decided to treat their severe case of wanderlust and also supplement their income by packing up and teaching English in South Korea. They’ve been on the road, exploring the world together for the last four years. Not wanting to keep their travels to themselves, they began filming their adventures to share with friends and family back home. They’re now gearing up for their next adventure that will take them around the world, hand delivering letters that they got out of a post barrel in the Galapagos. They can be found at the website CaptainandClark.com

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? We had just graduated from college and were itching to travel. We had explored different options, many involved choosing a country, moving there, and trying to find a job. We realized that getting a job beforehand was a better option. Originally, we had planned to teach abroad for only six months. Six months turned into two years and we fell in love with the country and our students.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? We taught in the coastal town of Pohang, South Korea. We were there for a total of two years.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? None really. Chris double majored in English and Theater in college and both were very useful in the ESL classroom. Tawny had worked with children before, but never in the classroom. We both went into this with little hands on experience. With a huge influx in foreign teachers over the past few years, the application process and paperwork to get into Korea has gotten a little more strenuous. At the time that we submitted our forms we needed our degrees and background checks apostilled. That involved a long trip to the capital and a couple hundred dollars. We also needed to send in two letters of


recommendation, head shots, and our resumes. We fortunately moved to Korea before FBI background checks were required. We hear that those can take up to 4 months to process, so if you’re even thinking about teaching abroad, you might want to start the application process now- just to be safe. As far as visas go, the director of your school should take care of it for you. In our case, she needed our actual degrees (not copies), head shots, and our signed contract. Along with your visa, you director should also help you get your alien registration card. This card is just like your drivers license and should be on you at all times. With that said, be sure that you communicate with your director. While it is their responsibility, some might think that you can take it all on by yourself. Make sure to ask how the process is going and have them keep you update.

Do you think you need and prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? We think that prior experience would definitely be helpful. Getting CELTA, TEFL, or TOEFL certified will not only get you a better paycheck, it will also prepare you for the ESL teaching experience. It’s not necessary, but it’s something that we’d definitely recommend. There are some countries like Thailand and Vietnam where you can touchdown and start the job search on your own. Korea is very different. To have a legal teaching job in Korea you must find a school and director beforehand. That’s the way that you’ll get your E2 visa and alien registration card. Unless you plan on working under the table with no benefits (and having to leave the country every 3 months), it’s best to find a legitimate job before you leave your home country. Not to say that it can’t be done, just that it rarely works out in your best interest.There are a plethora of jobs in the Korean school system waiting for teachers. Visit sites like Daves ESL cafe and you’ll have hundreds of schools in various areas of the country. Choose the ones that appeal to you, send in the criteria they’re asking for (resume, head shot, letters of recommendation), and then wait for their call/e-mail. If they like your paperwork, they’ll usually ask for a phone interview.If your interview goes well, they’ll send you a contract and then tell you all of the required paperwork that you’ll need.


What was your experience like? It was a life changing experience. The first year was better than we ever could have hoped for. We liked our director, we loved our hours, and the students were very well behaved. Since we enjoyed it so much we decided to sign on for another year. Our second year in Korea was vastly different from our first. Our director opened up two new schools. She became stressed, irritable, and we could no longer depend on her. We were forced to work at different school with longer house and we felt like we were being mistreated. This is very typical of the hagwon system. It has its ups and its extreme downs. We also didn’t receive the benefits that we deserved. We had to fight tooth and nail just to get our severance money before we left. Even then, we only received a portion of it. Our classroom teaching experience was wonderful. We really enjoyed our students and the flexibility to teach our classes how we wanted them. Our second year we had to follow a strict syllabus, but that just made our planning and teaching easier. Our school became so big that we took on a few new teachers hailing from Scotland and Canada. It was great to work with other foreigners and forge friendships.

Was it easy to find work? As far as teaching English in Korea goes, it’s extremely easy to find work. Really all you need is a 4-year college degree and a semi-clean background check. Is it easy to find a job in a great environment with a wonderful director? Not so much. We heard more horror stories than good while we were there. For us, our first year of teaching went smoothly and we were so grateful that we had a wonderful and understanding director. Our second year was not ideal, even though we stayed at the same school with the same director. We ended up wishing we would’ve changed schools for our last year. If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? We obviously have no regrets when it comes to our time in Korea. Everything we did lead us to where we are now and we are forever grateful for all of our experiences, good and bad. That being said, in retrospect, we would have probably tried to get into a public school instead of teaching at an after school academy.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life in your host country like? Absolutely wonderful. We swear that Korean is probably one of the safest


countries in the world. There’s a huge code of honor and no one wants to bring shame or disappointment upon their family. We often saw 4 and 5 year old children walking by themselves to school, babies left in strollers outside markets while their parents grocery shopped inside, and empty and unlocked cars left running with car keys inside. Tawny would often go running late at night (we’re talking 10pm or 11pm) by herself. People would pull up to her in their cars and start clapping for her or giving her the thumbs up, often shouting, “good job” in broken English. There was never a time we felt that we were in any danger. Korean food is wonderful, albeit a bit spicy. You’ll be able to eat 5 start Thai food once you return. It’s a country that can prove to be a little challenging for vegetarians and vegans. There are a few vegan restaurants in the bigger cities and Buddhist temples serve great meals sans meat. A lot of Korean dishes are built around meat. Even if you attempt to tell a restaurant that you don’t want meat, they’ll attempt to give you seafood instead. Technology abounds in Korea and everywhere you look will be the newest smart phone, tablet, and LCD screen. If you’re lucky, you might even have a fancy toilet in your apartment. The one that comes with the plethora of buttons- some that heat your seat, others that give you a “refreshing” shot of water. We wanted to immerse ourselves in Korean culture as much as we could. We took hapkido, a self defense based martial art, attended yoga classes, and took Korean courses. We’d often go out on day trips and weekend outings with our hapkido master and his friends. We learned so much about the culture and built friendships that will last our entire lives.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? Honestly? The lack of cheese. We’re not kidding. We had a smooth transition into Korean living. The only time we ever really felt homesick was when we were craving a delicious grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla. I think being a couple made it easy as well. We had each other and we could relate to what the other person was feeling and going through. It would have probably been a little different if we had gone alone.


What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Do your research beforehand. You’ll need to decide whether teaching in a public school or in an after-school academy is best for you and your lifestyle. Like to have more control over your classroom and what you do/don’t teach? Love to stay up late and sleep in? Don’t need the security of a government job? A hagwon academy would probably be right up your alley. Want to start early and get off early? Like working with other teachers and having a set schedule? Are you able to control a higher volume of students who might speak little to no English? A public school would be great for you. In our case, we went with a hagwon and loved it However, dealing with the parents, our director, and the politics of it all can get a little wearisome. That, and you don’t have the security that you would if you taught at a public school. These hagwons come and go and you might go into the office one day and be told that you no longer have a job and have to be out of your apartment in two days (true story, happened to many of our friends). 2. Keep an open mind and be sure to respect local customs. Koreans are typically very friendly and inviting. There’s a big honor system and were rarely made uncomfortable the entire two years we were there. Also, commit. The number one difference between expats who were depressed in Korea and people who loved it was that people who were sad and homesick, stuck to what they knew and people who loved it, vampyrically drank all they could from it. Learn the language, take a martial arts, visit the local digs, and if you’re single, maybe try dating a local. 3. If you’re taller than 5’3”, weigh more than 120 pounds, and have a shoe size bigger than a 7, you might want to bring a ton of clothes with you. Chris is 6’3” and was literally scoffed at anytime he went into a Korean shoe store. Ladies, it’s very tricky to buy bras that are bigger than an American A. Make sure to bring enough to last you throughout your time there. That, or have friends back home who are willing to bra shop for you. Korean clothes are very modern and sleek. There are some things that you’ll be able to wear, and some that will be splitting at the seams. Better to be safe than sorry... and naked.


Spain At a Glance • Nationality: EU citizens and native English speakers from an English-speaking country • Degree: No degree required • Certification: Have a 120-hour TEFL or CELTA certificate • Experience: Have some experience (optional) • Age: No age restrictions • Average salary per month: 700–1,300 EUR (euros) • Salary perks: Health insurance, paid holidays, and sick days The recent economic problems in Spain have made English a low priority, and jobs are hard to come by as everyone has cut back. However, that being said, there are still a lot of jobs available, especially in larger cities. It’s not easy to get work in Spain these days, but there are still plenty of jobs out there.

Working Conditions Teaching in Spain only lasts from mid-September through late June, and there are not many opportunities to teach over the summer. Like elsewhere in Europe, students like to take the summer off, and in August nearly everyone goes on vacation, so you won’t find any work then. Typically, teachers are treated well here. There’s nothing either really great or really bad about teaching in Spain. Normal working conditions apply. That being said, you do get a lot of siestas” That’s a big, big plus.

Teacher Salary Information Teaching English in Madrid, you can expect to earn about 700–1,300 EUR per month. Salaries are decreasing around the country, as budget problems have reduced the need for English teachers in public schools as well as people’s ability to pay for private lessons. (Before the economic crisis, you never had any problem finding students!) A typical salary these days would be closer to 800 EUR per month, with a limited ability to find private students now.


Private tutors generally get about 20 EUR per hour.

Benefits Spain offers teachers health insurance, paid holidays, and sick days. Sometimes you will find jobs that provide accommodation, but it is rare. Many of the international schools offer a completion bonus. Teachers are offered free monthly cultural excursions around the country.

Working Visas In order to legally teach in Spain, you must have a work permit. To get a work permit, your employer has to sponsor you and submit a petition to the Spanish government proving why the job cannot be done by a Spanish citizen. Since Spain is part of the European Union, the same visa rules that apply in other countries apply here. Thus it is much easier for UK residents to get a job teaching English than other people. However, there are a lot of Americans and Canadians teaching in Spain. It’s very easy to get a Spanish visa, even easier than Germany! The process is as follows: • Attend interviews with the desired company of employment, with the intention of being selected. • Submit all the following documents to the Subdelegación del Gobierno in the city you are trying to move to and work in. (Note that this involves many hours in queues or, alternatively, contracting a Spanish lawyer): • An official application form (EX-1), signed and stamped by the employer • An official job offer form (EX-5), signed and stamped by the employer. The job offered must be full-time and 10 months or longer. • Three passport photos (not high-gloss) • Your original passport (must be valid for duration of work-term) • An original official company fiscal identity document (CIF) • An original official company social security inscription document, as well as documents TC-1 and TC-2 • Certified originals from the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social and the


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• • •

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Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria proving that the company is fully up to date in its tax and social security payments An official certification that the job on offer has already been advertised in the official Provincial Unemployment Office and that no suitable European candidate has applied A document describing the services offered by the company and why a nonEuropean should be employed to work there Original and photocopies of degree credentials, with the official seal of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture (Madrid) Make an appointment with the Spanish consulate serving your official home address (in your country of origin) in order to process all the documentation, which is required for a work visa. Once your home country’s Spanish consulate has processed your work visa, you have to fetch it in person. It cannot be handed to anyone other than you.

As soon as you have your work visa you can return to Spain, finalize the application for a work/residence permit and start work. Please note that there is no legal right nor any guarantee to a work visa or permit.

Cost of Living The cost of living in the larger cities is pretty high, so when you’re thinking of teaching English in Spain, you’ll need to take into account that you’ll have a great time, but you won’t be able to save a great deal of money. Eating out is still more variable. A menú del día (daily set menu) can cost as little as 8–14 EUR. A full dinner is 20–30 EUR. When compared to other parts of Europe, you find a lot better deals on accommodation in Spain. A studio apartment in a large city will cost approximately 325–800 EUR per month, while one in a small city will cost 240–600 EUR per month. A two-bedroom apartment in a large city will cost approximately 600–1,400 EUR per month, while the same in a small city will run 400–1,000 EUR per month.


Public transport is reasonably priced, although high-speed trains are pricey. To save money on transportation, however, travel passes are available for about 50 EUR. These allow you to use the metro, town buses, and commuter trains for a month without restrictions. You can get a lot of savings from this, as a one-way ticket would cost 1 EUR and a ten-trip pass would cost about 7 EUR.

Job Links • • • • • •

http://tesljobs.com/filter.php?id_country=Spain http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ http://www.esljobfind.com/ http://www.teachabroad.com/search/spain http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/esl/spain.shtml http://www.eslbase.com/jobs/spain/


What It’s Like To Teach In Spain: Part I Liz Pitt is an English teacher in Bilbao, Spain. In addition to trying to eat as many pintxos as possible and trying to navigate Euskera, she writes about the funny things that happen to her in her corner of Spain. She can be found at her blog lizenespana.com or on Twitter at @lizenespana. This is how she describes her experience:

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? After college, I wasn’t quite ready to jump into the rat race. I’d always wanted to go back to Europe, but knew I needed some sort of paycheck. When I discovered the North American Language and Cultural Assistants in Spain program, I knew it was perfect for me. Minimal working hours meant more time to explore Europe and make a little cash to finance my travels.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I just started my second year at a secondary school in the center of Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? I had a degree in Journalism/Advertising, and 0 experience teaching before I came to Spain. I had never even worked with high-school aged students before I came here, so it was little intimidating to get up in front of a class of kids not much younger than I was. It was sink or swim for me.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? With my program, all you need is a college degree-any college degree. Getting a work visa is difficult if you’re not an EU citizen, so the NALCA program was the best option for me, since it gave me a student visa. However, you can free-lance private English lessons easily, and having a TEFL or CELTA boosts your value, making it easy to live here day-today.


What was your experience like? My experience here has been great so far. At my school, I plan classes that center around cultural themes from the United States (and sometimes England). I teach middle/high school aged kids, and I think they’re great. I work in a school with a really high immigrant population, so I’m getting a very different experience than a lot of other teachers in Bilbao that only teach Spanish/ Basque kids. It can be challenging, with kids that don’t care and teachers that care even less, but I’m learning a lot, and I usually leave work happy. If or when I go back to the States, I would like to continue working with immigrants in some way, shape or form. with my private classes, I work with students aged 4-30. With some, it’s just conversation, with some I teach grammar, and with others I help with homework. It’s a huge variety and keeps me on my toes.

Was it easy to find work? With the NACLA program, they accept around 2,000 people, so if you apply, you usually get the job. Private lessons were very easy to come by. I got a lot of them through word of mouth. Once I started with a family, they told their friends and before I knew it, I was turning classes down. I know a lot of people that aren’t here with a specific program, and just freelance private lessons and get along fine.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would have given myself a little crash course in English grammar before I left the States. When it comes to your first language, you don’t always know the rules for everything, and people learning your language are going to want to know why. I can’t count the number of times I had to tell someone, “I don’t know...it just sounds right?” in the first couple weeks of teaching.There are a lot of resources for TEFL at libraries and online. There’s even a “Teaching ESL for Dummies”. I wish I had taken a little time before I left to brush up on things I hadn’t thought about since 3rd grade.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? I have everything I want in Bilbao. The food is amazing, the beach is a metro ride away, and travelling is easy because of how well connected with the rest of Europe Bilbao is. I’ve gotten to travel all over Spain and Europe, and have had some great experiences. I get to experience a part of Spain that not a lot of people know about. I get to hear a


language that’s only spoken by about a million people. The culture in Basque Country is very different, and I have loved learning about Basque culture. Life in Spain is great. As a country, it is one of the highest with days off, so you’ll have a lot of time to travel and explore. The nightlife is great, there’s history everywhere you look, and it’s pretty hard to find a bad meal. It’s wonderfully connected to the rest of Europe, and the weather isn’t too bad either. In almost any city, you can find other English teacher and expats to hang out with, if that’s your thing. Spain in general has a huge expat population, those from the UK and the States, so if you’re looking for English speakers, you won’t have too much of a problem finding them. If you’re looking to meet locals, I highly recommend Couchsurfing. Most cities have weekly meet-ups and events that you can look up on the website. I’ve met a lot of great people through setting up intercambios (language exchanges) with local Couchsurfing members. It’s a great way to practice my Spanish and get the insider scoop on Bilbao.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? I’ve lived in Spain before, but never in Basque Country, which is very different from the “tapas, flamenco, and bullfighting” that everyone thinks of when they think of Spain. Sometimes the “anti-Spain” sentiments can be a little much, especially since I came here because I love Spain. However, living here has helped me open my mind to a culture within a culture, and I can appreciate everything that the Basque Country is (and isn’t).

What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Do your research. There are lots of companies that take advantage of eager people wanting to move to Spain. The Internet is your friend; use it to figure out what is legitimate and what is a scam. There are people that will try and rip you off, so be alert and if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. 2. Save as much as you can before you leave. Even if you’re going into a paid teaching gig, you never know what might come up. The first couple months in a


foreign country are the most expensive paying for rent, food, and transportation can add up really fast, especially if the exchange rate is not in your favor. 3. Realize that living in another country is different than visiting it. Life is life, no matter where you live. You’ll still get sick, you’ll still have to pay rent, and you’ll still meet people that rub you the wrong way. Sometimes you’ll be homesick, and sometimes the tiniest things will drive you crazy. I’m not saying you’re not going to have an amazing experience, but expecting things to be 100% perfect all the time will leave you sorely disappointed.


What It’s Like To Teach In Spain: Part II Lauren is a wannabe Top Chef expat living with her Spanish husband in Madrid, Spain. When she’s not busy stewing pig’s cheek or slicing cured ham, she works as a freelance TEFL teacher. She also gives Spanish cooking classes and writes for her two blogs, spanishsabores.com and recetasamericanas. com. She also writes about her experience in Spain.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I was a senior in college and in the midst of perfecting my resume, choosing the right business suit, and learning to make just the right amount of small talk when networking. But then I realized I wasn’t even excited about the jobs I was applying for and I knew I had to look for other more exciting and challenging opportunities. Luckily, one fell into my lap when my Spanish professor emailed me with an opportunity to be a North American Language and Culture Assistant in Spain. The second I saw the email I knew that was my escape route from the 9-5 life I was about to choose! I applied and never looked back!

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? Before leaving I got my TESOL certification in Massachusetts. I taught a bit while taking the course, and my students were mostly Spanish speaking immigrants. In September of 2009 I left for Seville, Spain and I taught in a small town outside of the city for two years. I was technically a language assistant and shouldn’t have had my own classroom, but I did. In the evenings, I also taught private students (adults and children) in their homes. I currently teach freelance ESL classes in Madrid, Spain.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? Prior to becoming TESOL certified I had a few years of experience tutoring teenagers, but I’d never taught English. My command of grammar was a bit rusty, but after the course and some self-study I felt well prepared!

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? While experience and qualifications are quite helpful, the Language Assistant program


in Spain doesn’t require them. You are supposed to be a learning resource and co-teach with the classroom teacher. You might be asked to prepare power point presentations or games based on your culture or city. However, many times I was asked to teach grammar and also left alone in the classroom. If you want to teach private classes (besides general conversation) I think that experience and qualifications are extremely important. People hire you to help their child pass English class or to pass an important exam like the TOEFL. That is a large responsibility and I wouldn’t have felt as prepared without my TESOL course.

What was your experience like? I had my ups and downs. My school in Seville was quite disorganized. The teachers had no experience with a language assistant and didn’t know how to take advantage of a native speaker in the classroom. I often was given too much responsibility (like having my own classroom) that wasn’t included in the contract. I really enjoy, however, giving private lessons. You are able to see a lot more progress and form a bond with students. I tailor my lessons to the students’ needs and interests, which makes for some very interesting classes. I’m also my own boss, which is always great!

Was it easy to find work? The language assistant program is a question of meeting the requirements and getting the application in early. If you do that, you will be accepted, although you don’t have much control over where you are placed. You are able to renew the position for at least a second year. Finding private students was also easy. There are many websites (similar to Craigslist.com in the US) that have a section specifically dedicated to private classes. I’ve gotten hundreds of responses fromthese sites over the years! Also, in Spain the people love posting flyers with tear-off phone numbers. I did this in my neighborhood in Seville and suddenly had many students who lived quite close. It was perfect!

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would have made sure to read and print out my work contract and discuss my responsibilities in detail with the entire English department at my school. I also would have been more assertive when I didn’t agree with something that seemed to be the


norm there. In Spain, you really have to speak up for yourself because there are a lot of strong personalities and self-interest in the public school system!

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Life was (and is) pretty great! Spain is a wonderful country with great food, wine, festivals, weather, people, beaches, shopping... It’s only the size of Oregon but you would be surprised how much the food and traditions vary from region to region. I think that my quality of life here in Spain is definitely higher than in the US, although sometimes I get frustrated with some cultural differences and, of course, the bureaucracy!

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? It was difficult to make good Spanish friends, as I found most people were friendly but didn’t want much more than a superficial relationship. It was also difficult to adjust to the low standards of customer service—cell phone companies are a nightmare for example! I also realized quickly that although the average salary in Spain is lower than in the US, many things like clothing and electronics actually cost a lot more! It’s made me be much less materialistic.

What are your tops three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Research the different regions of Spain and choose wisely—some are as different as night and day! 2. Do become certified before looking for a job because it is competitive here and most academies require certification. Also, for private classes you will be better prepared and able to charge more. 3. Don’t constantly compare Spain and the US (or your home country). Many people think that just because the people look and dress more or less like back home that the culture should be just as similar. Don’t forget you are a guest in a different culture!


Taiwan At a Glance • Nationality: Be a native English speaker from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, or the United States • Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree • Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate — This isn’t a hard requirement yet, but most schools now want teachers to have at least a 120-hour TEFL certificate. You must be a licensed teacher in your home country to teach in Taiwan’s public school program. • Age: 20–55 • Average salary per month: 45,000–90,000 TWD (Taiwan new dollars) • Salary perks: Private schools in Taiwan do not typically offer salary perks, although some provide teachers with a contract completion bonus or a flight stipend. Teachers in Taiwan’s public school receive a housing stipend, free flights, and a generous amount of paid vacation time. All teachers receive health and dental coverage. Taiwan is an extremely popular destination for people looking for employment. There was a time when it was very easy to find work in Taiwan upon arrival; I was fortunate enough to find work within days of arriving in Taipei. Although many websites and forums still encourage teachers to come to Taiwan to look for work, the truth is that those days are gone. It has become increasingly difficult to find good, reliable full-time work on the ground, especially in Taipei. The market is flooded with expats looking for work. Furthermore, Taiwan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, thus there are not as many children attending after-school programs as there were in the ’80s. Many schools have gone under since 2006. Rumors abound that a BA is not required for a work permit, but I have yet to meet a school that will hire a teacher with just a TEFL certification. Officially, the Taiwanese government will take teachers with a TEFL certification, but schools make their own hiring decisions, and the norm in recent years has been to hire teachers with a bachelor’s degree.


Additionally, your university must be an accredited university. Taiwan’s Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) is very strict about this rule. This is because of the number of teachers that have been caught in the last few years working with a fake degree.

Working Conditions Teachers work very little in Taiwan. Most schools only offer around 15 hours a week, and most classes are lumped together during one time of day. The minimum number of hours that schools need to offer for teachers to receive a work permit is 14 hours. This means that most people have two jobs in order to have a full workweek, though you can live off the salary of just one job if you live frugally. Many teachers find a school that sponsors them for a work permit and then they add additional hours to their work schedule by either adding a second job to their Alien Resident Card (ARC) or by teaching private classes. The exact number of hours you end up working depends on what kind of school you teach in. Having said that, the majority of private schools will offer you, on average, anywhere from 16 to 25 hours of actual teaching hours per week. Compared to most 9–5 jobs back home, you will be working fewer than 40 hours per week. However, don’t forget that many schools require you to turn up at least 30 minutes before class, so you can usually expect to add 2-3 hours on top of whatever your school claims as your workload. Public schools will require you to be at work all day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Teachers are expected to prepare for their classrooms on their own time and sometimes even come in for meetings. In some schools, you get paid for these extras, but the general rule of thumb is you don’t.

Teacher Salary Information With the cost of living being so low, you can save quite a bit of money working here. Private school English teachers can make decent money in Taiwan, with a monthly salary of between 45,000–60,000 TWD. A typical full-time position at a kindergarten could last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday–Friday, and pay 50,000–60,000 TWD per month. If you earn money hourly, you can expect to make about 600 TWD per hour. Public school teachers in Taiwan earn 62,000–90,000 TWD per month teaching Monday


to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. These positions also offer a housing stipend, flights to and from Taiwan, health care, and a generous amount of paid vacation.

Benefits Most schools in Taiwan do not pay for housing and flights unless you are in the public school system. Some schools still do, but they will factor that into your salary or hourly pay. Always make sure you are very clear about your expectations of reimbursement before accepting employment. Larger schools are generally good about keeping their commitments, but smaller schools can sometimes let these things fall between the cracks. A few schools still provide accommodations for their teachers, which is usually a shared living space with other teachers. Other schools offer temporary residences for teachers for a few weeks until you can find your own accommodation. However, the school will often help you find a place to live and help you get set up there. As a general rule, schools in Taipei do not offer much in the way of benefits. This is because there is a massive expat community in Taipei. Teachers are a dime a dozen. If you’re interested in finding a teaching position in Taipei, it’s best to find a school that will offer you an ARC and work permit first, even if they are only offering you 14 or 15 teaching hours per week.

Working Visas Applying for a 60-day visitor visa in your home country isn’t necessary anymore, unless you are from South Africa. Today, teachers from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the United States are granted a free 90-day landing visa; unfortunately, teachers from South Africa must still apply for a visitor visa prior to coming to Taiwan. Once you have found work, whether it’s in advance or once you arrive in Taiwan, you will need to do a local health check. Once you have received your health check results, your school will help you convert your landing visa to a visitor visa and apply for your work permit. After obtaining your work permit, you must apply for your ARC. Your ARC must be validated by your employer. To apply for your ARC, you must have a passport


that is valid for at least six months from the date of entry, a copy of your work permit, and two passport-sized photos. You will not be able to get your ARC until you have received a work permit. Once you have it, you will also receive your health and dental insurance. You can also open a bank account in Taiwan at this point. The entire paperwork process in Taiwan takes 5–6 weeks, and it costs 8,000–10,000 TWD, depending on your nationality. If your landing visa expires before you find a job, you can leave Taiwan to go to a nearby country and start the process from the beginning again. It is recommended that you look for work before actually coming to the country. Also, if you find work before coming to Taiwan, your employer will help you take care of all of your paperwork, and you will not have to leave the country to get your visa status renewed and then come back again.

Cost of Living The cost of living in Taiwan is very inexpensive. You can find a fully furnished apartment for about 5,000–10,000 TWD per month. Accommodations are cheaper in rural areas and will get more expensive the closer you get to Taipei. Dining in Taiwan is delicious and affordable. You can find food stalls everywhere that sell full meals with meat, rice, and vegetables for only 70–120 TWD. Fast food restaurants designed for Westerners cost a little more, at 90–150 TWD. When visiting a bar, local Taiwanese beers are just 60 TWD while imported beers can cost 105 TWD. Public transportation is available in Taiwan, but many schools suggest that their teachers buy a scooter to commute to work. You can find a used scooter in good condition for about 8,000–29,000 TWD. The government in Taiwan requires foreign teachers to purchase medical insurance, which costs about 800–1,000 TWD per month, plus regular checkups, which cost about 121–181 TWD. You are responsible for 25% of your health insurance; your employer covers the rest.


Job Links • http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/Teach-English-in-Taiwan.html • http://www.esljobfind.com/main_job_search_results.php?s_job_ country=Taiwan • http://www.tealit.com/


Thailand At a Glance • • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: Up to 63 years of age Average salary per month: 25,000–80,000 THB (Thai baht) Salary perks: Some schools offer paid vacation and a contract completion bonus. Most schools offer health insurance.

Thailand is a popular destination for backpackers and people looking for quick work. As a major stop on the Southeast Asia trail, lots of people tend to stop in Thailand, find a job, work for a few months, and then quit to travel again. Moreover, a lot of teachers are attracted by the beautiful beaches, cheap food and cost of living, and great nightlife. Thailand teaching jobs tend to attract a lot of younger people, or older people looking to semi-retire.

Working Conditions English teachers in Thailand can expect to work about 20 hours per week at a language school or teaching test prep or corporate training. If you work at a public, private, or international school, you can expect to work a full school day, even if you are not teaching. At most schools, you’ll be expected to hold office hours and fulfill the responsibilities of a teacher as you would back home. At other language schools, you’ll be expected to create lessons, grade papers, and make exams on your own unpaid time. At test prep or corporate training companies, lessons typically follow a pre-made curriculum.

Teacher Salary Information For a native English speaker without experience but with a degree and a freshly minted


TEFL certificate, the starting salaries can range from 25,000 to 40,000 THB and up, depending on the region of the country and the type of school. Wages in Bangkok are usually the best in the country. Popular tourist destinations such as Phuket, Samui, and Krabi will often pay a bit less, as many people want to work and live there. Teachers can expect to make an average monthly salary of about 36,000–45,000 THB at language schools and public schools in the larger cities in Thailand. In the smaller towns, you can earn about 20,000–35,000 THB. Working at a public university, you can make about 25,000 THB per month. Private schools pay 60,000–80,000 THB per month. Corporate training and test prep jobs generally pay 600 THB per hour. International schools pay 80,000–120,000 THB per month.

Job Benefits In Thailand, you don’t get very many benefits. In language schools, you will have a few days off, but that is it. At international schools, you will get paid leave and holidays. However, there is no accommodation or airfare provided for you. If you sign a two-year contract at a private school, some of them will provide a completion bonus of up to two months’ salary. Many schools in Thailand will offer some type of health insurance for teachers. According to Thai labor law, an employee must be given sick leave every year. This varies depending on the company, but most schools will give at least 10 days, with a note from a doctor required after an absence of three consecutive days.

Working Visas In order to work in Thailand legally, you need to have a work permit and a nonimmigrant B visa, and you must apply for this at a Thai embassy or consulate outside of the country. To apply for this visa, you need to have the completed visa application, a letter confirming your job offer from your employer, and two passport-sized photos. Your employer might also need to provide documents related to their company registration. Many times, your visa can be processed the next day, but it can also take longer. If you decide to come to Thailand to find work, once you do, you’ll need to do a “visa


run,” where you leave to go to a nearby country to get your Thai visa legally. Some employers will also hire English teachers illegally, but in this case, you’d have to step out of the country every three months in order to renew your tourist visa, which can get costly and annoying. Once you receive the non-immigrant B visa, you are allowed to enter the country. You then need to complete more forms, provide more photos, and give your passport to your employer so they can complete the rest of the application on your behalf. After that is done, you need to visit the Department of Labor in person to sign your work permit and have it laminated. You will then bring your work permit and visa to the Immigration Department, where they will extend the visa in your passport for another 12 months from when you originally entered the country. Lastly, you need to go to the Tax Department to get a tax card, which should always be kept on you. You will also need this tax card if you decide to change jobs, so make sure you don’t lose it!

Cost of Living Living in Thailand is very affordable, especially if you can live like a local. Accommodations can be quite comfortable and inexpensive here, with cheaper apartments costing only 3,000–6,000 THB per month, plus utilities. Utilities, including electricity, water, cable TV, and Internet, generally cost about 1,500–3,000 THB monthly. These apartments may be poorly maintained or well maintained, so make sure you shop around before deciding on a place. Also, some come with basic furnishings, not including bed linens; the TV or refrigerator may or may not be included. If you decide to dine out in restaurants regularly, you can expect to pay about 5,000– 9,000 THB on food per month. Fast food will cost less, with a hamburger running about 100 THB and a large pizza about 250 THB. Public transportation is quite inexpensive in Thailand. Local buses cost 10 THB.

Job Links • http://www.ajarn.com (This is really the only resource you need. If there is a job to be found in Thailand, it is posted here.)


Ukraine At a Glance • • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a TEFL or CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: No age restrictions Average salary per month: 12,300 UAH (Ukrainian hryvnias) Salary perks: Benefits vary by school, but may include a housing stipend and bonus schemes

Overall the country is fairly poor, but there are plenty of people that have money in the larger cities, some sporting fancy cars, designer clothing, and 16,410 UAH per month apartments. In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the Ukrainian economy quite hard, resulting in a devalued currency, bankrupt businesses, and a high unemployment rate. One industry, however, that was not adversely affected by the crisis was that of English as a second language, since those that had lost their jobs decided to invest in becoming more competitive in the business field.

Working Conditions English lessons will generally take place in local schools or office buildings, depending on the company you teach with. If these are business English courses, it is not uncommon to travel to the local business workplace to teach the language at a convenient time for the students. Teaching hours can range between 20 and 40 hours a week. If you’re working in a state school, you can expect to work for several hours a day, but the pay will be low, if you’re paid at all; bed and board will be more likely compensation. Conditions in private language schools and teaching for private language firms are better, offering better pay, though schedules are often changed around and you may be required to work in the evenings during the week.


Depending on the school, a teacher can expect to work 6-8-hour shifts. Evening classes are most common in order to accommodate those that are pursuing the language outside of their normal studies or work. However, day or morning lessons are also a possibility for people teaching business or specialty English courses.

Salary Information Pay will vary according to one’s qualifications and experience. On average 12,300 UAH a month is considered a very competitive salary. Some schools give the opportunity to work additional hours, often in the form of in-house corporate tutoring. Opportunities for private tutoring abound, and many teachers supplement their income with private lessons. English teachers at private language schools can expect to earn about 80–104 UAH per hour in Kiev and a bit less in other large cities. If you work more than your contracted hours, you can earn as much as 120–160 UAH per hour in overtime pay.

Job Benefits Benefits vary by school but may include student retention bonuses, longevity bonuses, and set rates for apartments. Student retention bonuses may be obtained if your students end up signing on for another term. Longevity bonuses are applied to teachers that stick around for a certain period of time. Accommodation may be provided in some areas in addition to salary. Airfare coverage is rare. Schools will often help with the legalization and visa process. Many will also offer free introductory Russian and Ukrainian lessons.

Working Visas Citizens of the European Union, the United States, and Canada can stay in Ukraine for up to 180 days without a visa, as long as they enter the country with a valid ticket and passport. Some schools will have the teachers enter the country to start working and then draw up the supporting paperwork, so that you can apply for a proper working visa. This may involve a quick trip outside of the country to obtain it. If the school is


proactive about your employment, and there is sufficient time to do so, they may draw up the necessary supporting paperwork beforehand so that you do not have to leave the country mid-stay for the visa. Getting a work permit for a foreign employee can be quite costly, and the work permit must be renewed each year. This route is usually chosen by well-established companies that will be hiring a foreigner for full-time work on site.

Cost of Living Cost of living in Ukraine is affordable, and you can find a two-room apartment (outside of the main city center) for 2,000–4,000 UAH per month, plus utilities, which averages about 400–700 UAH per month for electricity, gas, and water. Please note that “tworoom apartment” generally means one bedroom and a living room, and it is quite common for many families to use the living room as an additional bedroom, especially since the typical Ukrainian’s income is lower than a teacher’s salary. Internet costs can be 60–160 UAH per month, and you should expect to spend about 600–800 UAH per week on food. These costs are less expensive for smaller cities in the country.

Job Links • http://www.lse.ua/


What It’s Like To Teach In Ukraine Steven Sirski is a writer, musician, filmmaker, English teacher and sometimes a tractor driver. He has been travelling all over the world since 2009. You can find out more about his travels and other adventures at his website, stevensirski.com, follow him on Twitter, or find him on Facebook.

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? Teaching in Ukraine was a chance to discover my ancestral home. I’d never been to Ukraine before but some of my friends and family had gone before. They told me what it was like but I wanted to see it for myself. I’ve grown up with Ukrainian culture my entire life so I wanted to see what was becoming of my grandparents’ homeland. I decided that living and working there would be one of the best ways to find out more about the country, its people, and how the country is growing.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught in Kharkiv for four months.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? Yes, I had completed a BA and MA while in Canada and had done some teaching before travelling to Ukraine. But I had only taught children in South Korea and Cambodia. In Ukraine I taught adults.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? For Ukraine? Sadly, no, most people could probably find a job there quite easily. It’s a good thing because you’ll be able to find work and the students’ expectations won’t be very high. The sad thing, however, is exactly that, you’re students are probably used to bad teachers.

What was your experience like? Living in Ukraine for such a short period of time wasn’t enough, I want to go back. I


experienced a greater culture shock in Ukraine than I did teaching in other countries. The teaching experience itself was alright. The school had a text book from which I taught and the students were bright and eager to learn English. The students especially loved hearing about my travels and playing games. Apparently playing games is a favourite thing for students of all ages do in class!

Was it easy to find work? At first it was difficult to research and to trust what I was finding out. But I didn’t let that deter me. I established contact with a school before going to Ukraine but within my first month there I realized just how many opportunities exist in the major Ukrainian cities.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? I would’ve gotten the appropriate visa and stayed longer.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Nerve racking because I’d been told numerous horror stories of the cops stopping people on the streets and harassing foreigners - especially English speakers - because they are seen to have money. Not only that, border trouble stories were commonplace. Some people had no problem, others had bad experiences. I think it comes down to how you handle stress and difficult situations. Getting angry rarely solves anything, but I kept to myself and tried not to speak English when there were cops around.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? Finding out the difference between the idea of Ukraine in my head - developed from years of growing up in the Ukrainian-Canadian community- and finding out what the country was really like. Ukraine truly is a country in transition and it is fascinating to watch it grow.


What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? 1. Research on the internet, though be cautious of all the “horror stories.” Yes, some bad things happened to some people who were breaking the laws here, but people who don’t go looking for trouble typically do fine. Not only that, internet research will help you get an idea of what to expect and provide up-todate information about Ukraine. And it’s free. 2. Depending on your exposure to living abroad or Ukrainian culture (especially its language), your experience will vary. 3. Go. Ukraine is a country in transition and it doesn’t take much to witness, and partake, in its transition.


Vietnam At a Glance • • • • • • •

Nationality: Be a native English speaker from an English speaking country Degree: Have a bachelor’s degree Certification: Have a TEFL/CELTA certificate Experience: Have some experience (optional) Age: None Average Salary Per Month: 25,000,000-54,000,000 VND Salary Perks: Some schools offer paid vacation and a contract completion bonus. Most schools offer health insurance.

Vietnam, with an affordable cost-of-living and miles of coastline, has flexible options for English teachers. High-demand for English language teachers makes jobs easy to find and securing a one-year contract with benefits should be a cinch for those with a university degree and a TEFL/TESOL certification. Part-time contracts are also available with a business visa and don’t have as stringent requirements.

Working Conditions English teachers in Vietnam can expect to work about 20 hours per week on a oneyear contract. Hours vary depending on the type of school you are teaching at. Many positions have flexible hours but public schools tend to have the most fixed hours for teachers, with schedules of 9am-4pm. If working on a part-time basis on the business visa, you can expect to work 3-4 hours per week per contract. It is common for people on this visa to work multiple jobs. Twenty hours tends to be the amount of time most English teachers work and finding more than 20 hour/week jobs can be difficult.

Teacher Salary Information Standard pay as an English teacher in Vietnam is around 442,200 - 552,750 VND per hour, whether teaching at a public school or tutoring privately. Rates are higher around 88,440,000 VND per month. If you are able to land a job at a private language school, but those jobs are competitive and usually require teaching certification


beyond the TEFL (like a Master’s degree). Most teachers take home anywhere from 26,532,000-66,330,000 VND per month though 35,376,000 VND is about standard.

Job Benefits In Vietnam, if you are working on a one-year contract, you typically get paid leave and holidays along with health insurance. At some schools, you may get a completion bonus as well. Accommodation and airfare are not typically provided. There are no benefits provided for teachers working on a business visa.

Visa Information In Vietnam, it’s possible to go straight from a tourist visa to a business visa without leaving the country, although you have to renew it every three months. This visa costs 2,000,000-2,900,000 VND. In order to work in Vietnam on a contract, you need a work permit. Some of the required documentation is provided by your employer, but on your end, you will need original versions (along with a couple of copies) of the following documents: a TEFL certificate, a University degree, an academic transcript, a police background check that is no older than six months, and a medical exam from an approved hospital. With some negotiation, the school you are working for will cover the cost of the permit, which is around 7,075,000 VND. For all visas (including a tourist visa) you need to submit an application, have a passport, and also submit 2-3 passport-sized photos along with the appropriate fee. A tourist visa typically costs 420,000 VND for a first-time application. There is also an option for pre-arranging a visa upon your arrival in Vietnam through a private agency for an additional fee.

Cost of Living Living in Vietnam is very affordable on an English teaching salary. Even with eating out, going out with friends, and traveling some weekends, cost of living is about 17,700,000 VND. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the most expensive cities but provide the most teaching opportunities.


Accommodation for a one-bedroom apartment is around 4,400,000 - 8,900,000 VND per month. Furnished apartments are common. Utilities (electricity, heating, water, and garbage) average about 1,220,000 VND a month. Internet is around 240,000 VND. Meals outside of your home will run you about 22,000 VND although upscale restaurants are more around the 110,000 – 175,000 VND range. In Vietnam, most people get around on a motorbike and some use a bicycle. A used motorbike will run you from 17,700,000-8,900,000 VND but you can also rent one whenever you need it (costs vary). Taxis are inexpensive at 19,000 VND for the first two kilometers, then 12,000 VND per kilometer thereafter. Buses are known to be unreliable, but the fare is usually no more than 1,000 VND.

Job Links • • • • •

http://teachatapollo.com http://llv.edu.vn/en/ https://www.britishcouncil.vn/en http://www.ama.edu.vn/en/ http://acet.edu.vn/en/index.html


Teaching in Countries Not on the List What It’s Like To Teach In Ghana Lillie Marshall is a world-traveling, Boston-based teacher and writer. Her extensive personal travels (including a year of solo travel around the world) are documented at www.AroundTheWorldL.com. Her other site, www.TeachingTraveling.com features interviews with all types of teacher-travelers (in the broadest sense of the term) in order to inspire and assist more teachers to travel and more travelers to teach. She spent time traveling around the world and teaching in Ghana in Africa and describes her experience this way:

Why did you decide to teach English overseas? After 5 years of teaching in the U.S., I became burned out. To re-find my zest for life, I took a Leave of Absence to travel around the world for a year. I thought, when I flew out of the country, that I would not want to teach again... but how wrong I was! Four months in my trip, I began to miss teaching, and I became curious about whether it would be a different experience teaching abroad than teaching at home. Sure enough, how different and how rejuvenating it was to teach abroad once I finally did! After 3 months teaching in Ghana with amazing students and coworkers and seeing a whole other philosophy and style of education, I regained my passion for teaching!

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? The most full teaching abroad experience I’ve had was when I volunteer-taught writing and reading at a locally-run educational nonprofit called Youth Creating Change in Ghana for three months in 2010.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? Yes and yes. I had a Master’s in Teaching English and TEFL certification, as well as 5 years of experience teaching High School English in Boston.


Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? In any country, there are places you can teach where you do need qualifications and experience and places where you don’t. At the youth center in Ghana where I volunteer-taught, it certainly helped my teaching quality a lot that I had qualifications and experience, but there were several volunteers who had no experience and figured out how to teach on the job. If you have little experience or few qualifications, the most important thing is motivation and believing that you can get better with practice. There were several times when a fellow volunteer in Ghana would get frustrated with planning a lesson and then exclaim, “I’m not even a teacher! How should I know how to do this?!” Unfortunately, in these circumstances I often ended up teaching for that person because I knew how to do it and there wasn’t time to train the volunteer. It would have been possible for them to do it, but because they didn’t see themselves as a teacher, they gave up.

What was your experience like? I LOVED living and teaching in Ghana because it was so very different from home, but the people were wonderfully friendly, and the work exhilarating. My teaching position was flexible in that it could be what I made it-- and I made it have about 20 different parts! Every day I traveled (on foot, by bike, or by rickety shared taxi) to a different school, accompanied by a Ghanaian colleague. At these schools, I sometimes was scheduled to teach a reading class, and sometimes helped run the writing and reading sections of the international penpal exchange I helped coordinate. Throughout the week, I would also teach reading, computers, and “cross-culture exchange” with the students at the youth center. Though English is the official language of Ghana, many elements of my classes were ESL-class-style because there are so many U.S. and European terms in books that Ghanaian students don’t understand because the cultures are so different. Ex: “Halloween.”


Was it easy to find work? Yes, it’s easy to find volunteer teaching opportunities in developing countries, but the tricky thing can be vetting opportunities to make sure they are good. To find this volunteer teaching job in Ghana, I joined the “Ghana” group on Couchsurfing.org and posted that I was interested in volunteer teaching in Ghana. Several local nonprofits and schools wrote me back, but YCC stood out. I wrote back to them asking for the contact info of past volunteers. After corresponding with those volunteers I deemed the position legitimate and flew into the country!

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? Nothin’!

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? At Youth Creating Change of Ghana, I lived in a modern (German-designed) guest house alongside 3-5 of my Ghanaian co-teachers, and 0-5 international volunteers. (During the three months I lived there, people cycled in and out of the house, but a core group of colleagues-who-became-friends remained.) This modern house is not necessarily standard in Ghana because it is still very much a developing country. It was very, very, very hot and I learned to move very slowly and stay out of the sun. The country is very safe (except you need to take your anti-Malaria pills and be careful on the roads), but I never went out at night alone because it would have scandalized my coworkers and been culturally inappropriate in the small town I lived in. For leisure, I had a wonderful time spending time chatting with Ghanaian friends, eating delicious Ghanaian food (with bare hands!) and getting beautiful, inexpensive custom-made dresses.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? The heat (SO HOT!) and the terrifying driving on the roads in rickety shared taxis.


What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become a volunteer teacher in Ghana? 1. Do it! It’s the best way to travel in Ghana because Ghana’s jewels are its people and schools. 2. Ask for the contact info of past volunteers/teachers in the program you’re interested in so you can hear their tips. 3. Have faith in yourself as a teacher, whether you have experience or not. Students are so appreciative of foreign teachers, and my former students in Ghana Facebook message me all the time to say they wish I could come back soon, and other volunteers will come soon!


What It’s Like To Teach In Honduras Tom Mcloughlin writes the travel blog Top Backpacking Destinations and runs SEO Travel, a specialist SEO agency for travel companies. He discovered his love for travel many moons ago when teaching English on the island of Roatan in Honduras. He describes his experience here. Why did you decide to teach English overseas? I was keen to travel, but liked the idea of staying in one place where you could get fully immersed in the community and a different culture. Teaching in a local village school seemed like a great way to do that.

Where did you teach exactly and for how long? I taught at a local school in a village called Punta Gorda on the island of Roatan. Roatan is a small island off the north coast of Honduras with beautiful beaches, amazing blue sea and fantastic people. I taught there for 12 months and enjoyed every second.

Did you have any prior experience or qualifications? No, I just did a weekend long training course with the charity I went away with before I left.

Do you think you need any prior experience or qualifications for the country you taught in? No, I don’t think so. However, I think you do need some guidance in terms of how to plan lessons, what to cover and tips on discipline. The weekend training I did covered this for me, though I’m sure there are plenty of online resources you can use which would give you sufficient tips.

What was your experience like? The teaching experience was quite difficult as I was working with large numbers in the classes, huge variation in ability and the school itself was very disrupted with teacher strikes throughout the year. It was still lots of fun though and really rewarding when the kids took in what you were teaching and responded positively.


Was it easy to find work? My position was arranged through a charity, Project Trust, before I went away so I had no worries on that front! As I went through a charity everything was arranged for me in terms of the job and school. However, I would suggest this is a more reliable, safer way to do it to ensure you end up in a good school and with the role you are looking for. In any case I would suggest asking around for advice, whether that is with local people if you are already in the place you want to teach, or experienced bloggers who have done similar things in the area.

If there were anything you could do differently, what would it be? Probably spend more time planning lessons. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of planning makes when you’re in front of a classroom of 40 kids! When exercises don’t work or go quicker than you expect it’s always good to have another one up your sleeve in reserve.

Moving beyond teaching, what was life like in your host country? Incredible. The local people were fantastic and totally accepted me and the other English teacher into the community. The village was beautiful, we were right on the beach and used to go and swim after every day in the classroom. On Roatan life was very laidback! There were regularly teacher strikes and the education of the children certainly took second place behind the politics. There were days we would turn up at school only to find no-one there! This was fine for us (there were only 2 of us (nonlocals) teaching in the school), but if the teaching element is very important to you and you are looking for a structured role then this may become a frustration. From a social perspective life was great, the locals took us under their wing and we got totally immersed in the community and the day to day fun they had.

What did you find most difficult about adjusting to life in that country? Missing friends and family. As it was my first time on an extended trip away it took a while to acclimatize and get over the homesickness. And also not having my Yorkshire Puddings on a Sunday afternoon!


What are your top three suggestions for someone looking to become an ESL teacher in your country? Be open minded and enthusiastic in everything you do. Get involved and experience everything you can in the local community as it will really help you be accepted and make the teaching side of things easier as well. Always prepare well!


CHAPTER 10

CONCLUSION


Teaching English somewhere in the world is a really enjoyable experience, and it’s something I recommend people who want to experience living in a foreign country look into. It’s an easy way to work in a foreign country, and it was a life changing experience that I fondly look back on. I got to learn a lot about other cultures and myself, make international friends, and save a lot of money while doing so. It was a wonderful time in my life. I grew up. I became an adult and I wouldn’t be who I am without that opportunity. I hope this book helped you better understand what it takes to become an English teacher, what you can expect of the process, and the resources you need to become one. At the end of the day, it’s not hard to become an English teacher; it’s just a lot of hoops to jump through. But the overall process is a lot easier than it seems, and I hope that is what you walk away with from this book realizing. Pick a country, get a degree (if needed), apply for a job, and fly over to start your new life. Lastly, I want to thank Carrie from ReachToTeachRecruiting.com. She’s an old friend of mine from back when I was working in Taiwan and has since started a company that places teachers with students around the world. She was instrumental in helping update and expand this edition of the book, ensuring that all the information was accurate and helping connect me with teachers and programs as I wrote this edition! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] with the subject line “ESL Book Questions.” I’m happy to answer anything you feel I didn’t answer in the book. Or if you want to just give me feedback, I’m always happy to take it. Sincerely, “Nomadic” Matt Kepnes Want to know more? Follow me, my travels, and my tips here: • • • • •

Twitter: @nomadicmatt Facebook: Nomadic Matt’s Travel Fan Page Website: Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site YouTube: Nomadic Matt’s Travel Videos Destination Guides: Nomadic Matt’s Travel Guides


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