Job Discussion Forums

[sharter]

EVERY single EFL teacher I know in Europe is flat broke. There is something not right about that. EFL is a holiday job not a career.

[tttompatz]

[spiral78]

I reckon that many EFL ers at the newbie level in Europe are living on tight finances. It's a hirer's job market, and has been for a long time.

However, most teachers who have dug into a region and put in the time and energy needed to get more quals, learn the local language, and make good local contacts do better.

I had a very decent package of wage and benefits, but it was at an international university, and it's true that those jobs are thin on the ground. And require significant qualifications, connections, and luck to find.

[denise]

That is the norm, but I wonder if you know EFL teachers in a wide range of jobs--including those rare gems that spiral78 alluded to--or just entry-level language school teachers with entry-level qualifications. Europe is certainly not the place to go to save big bucks (and thanks to the EU it's also off-limits to folks like me with the wrong passport ), but there are always exceptions... Very rare in the EU, though. And once you leave Europe, you can indeed make a proper career of this.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go and finish packing for the holiday that I was easily able to pay for on my EFL salary, and that I have earned after a full semester of real work!

d

[Enigma2011]

[denise]

Um, don't know if your comment was targeted at me, but I am doing well. And no, I am not a brownnoser.

Here's why I am doing well: I have an MA, 10ish years of experience, and I work in the Gulf. I am single, so no husband to mooch off of.

Seriously, people who *think* EFL sucks as a profession are going to have a rough time of it. Self-fulfilling prophecy... Change your attitude, get some qualifications, and work in countries that pay decent wages.

d

[Guy Courchesne]

We stopped feeding trolls in the Mexico forum so you'll have to excuse us as they wander out hungry.

[TeresaLopez]

[spiral78]

Um, don't know if your comment was targeted at me, but I am doing well. And no, I am not a brownnoser.


Could have been targeted at me too. Yes, I've done fine and can now afford to take a year off if I need to before I find something else rewarding in both financial and professional terms. Ditto the MA and years of experience.

[mimi_intheworld]

[johnslat]

I love the "real job" comment - one I often used to hear in teachers' lounges here in the States:

"I'm just doing this until I can get a "real job."

Upon questioning, I discovered that the definition of a "real job" for most of the speakers was any employment that paid them a lot more to do a lot less.

I sincerely hope that they found such jobs, as they were, without exception, lousy teachers (Is anyone really surprised?)

Regards,
John

[1st Sgt Welsh]

[Hod]

I�ll take Sharter�s side, just to balance things.

First off, I�ll assume ttomplatz lives in Thailand, because I�ve seen the name elsewhere. I know Thailand well and like it a lot, but not everyone wants to settle there. It�s hardly a country without problems.

As for the Gulf, life is too short.

The above are small points. More salient here are the oft-used claims about the west and how ghastly it must be to be stuck in a rat race. It�s fair to say people making these claims were not knee deep in qualifications in their home countries, or they might now have rewarding jobs there. But then teachers who moan about their lot find themselves being quizzed about their � qualifications. So, when you�re next belittling life back home, think about why you�re not there.

[denise]

[Hod]