Job Discussion Forums

etx · Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 26

Here's an Amazon listmania list of novels about English Teachers Abroad and TEFL --

http://www.amazon.com/lm/R2WGEY32WTYRCP/ref=cm_lm_pthnk_view?ie=UTF8&lm_bb=

Those of us who were around in the 90's obviously remember GIRLS, GUNS, AND GANJA, an "expose" of teachers in Cambodia at that time; but there were a couple of entries I wasn't familiar with and was interested to learn about -- I particularly enjoyed 12 STORIES OF RUSSIA: A NOVEL, by AJ Perry, who even the internet doesn't seem to know anything about.

The list seems a bit slanted toward the decadent; apart from a couple of martial artists who went to Asia to teach, the books are mostly about disreputable alcoholic types.

Then again, I suppose it wouldn't be very interesting to read about people who quietly go to class and then go home and watch TV. . .

Anybody know of any other good novels about English teachers and TEFL?

lucia79 · Joined: 18 Jun 2011 Posts: 156

National Geographic's Locked Up Abroad series has a few episodes on people who went abroad to teach English and ended up getting involved in trafficking drugs. I remember a real horrible one about a guy in Southeast Asia who was caught for attempting to smuggle heroin. He ended up in prison, started doing the drug himself, and contracted AIDS. His mother was able to get him released by petitioning etc. He returned to Australia to live out his life. Another one I remember is of a man who taught in S. Korea and was arrested for smuggling drugs through the postal service.

They are on youtube, I believe.

AGoodStory · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 738

lucia79 · Joined: 18 Jun 2011 Posts: 156

BenE · Joined: 11 Oct 2008 Posts: 321

There's always English Teacher X there to give you a few laughs.
I've been looking around myself for a few books about TEFL.

I think it's true that people who've had disaster times always sell more.

Ignatius Reilly · Joined: 30 Jun 2011 Posts: 29 Location: East of Suez

There is Anthony Burgess' wonderful 'Malayan Trilogy' of novels from the 1950s. The first of which 'Time for a Tiger' (a reference to the beer rather than the animal) is a highly amusing semi-autobiographical account of the great man's inglorious time as an EFL teacher in that part of the world. Well worth a read.

Perilla · Joined: 09 Jul 2010 Posts: 792 Location: Hong Kong

chutes41 · Joined: 02 Nov 2011 Posts: 1

Peter Hessler's book River Town is a fantastic book about a peace corp guy teaching english in China in the 90s. Really one of my all time favorite books and highly recommended for everyone[/i]