Job Discussion Forums

[tbigdog]

I'm a 60 year old American with 10 years ESL experience. Past 7 years have been at a top Korean University. I have also taught all ages and levels in both Thailand and Korea. I have a BS in Business Administration and a TEFL cert. I will be traveling with my Thai wife(married 7 years and she is 34).
???'s
1) Is it possible for a 60+ to get a job(prefer Uni or College but privates, language schools, or public school system at any age will work for me)?

2) What kind of pay (roughly) and what is the cost of living for a married couple (range, city not very important-prefer coast or large city)

3) I am looking for at least a 1 year contract with visa for me and for my wife (my cost)

4) What pay range can you make on privates vs schools/hour.

please advise here or PM me. Probably looking to go around Feb 2013

looking for break even wages (I have some savings). Looking for a future retirement city-country some 2+ years from now.
need place to retire on $1,200/mo for couple who don't drink much nor have expensive habits outside of foreign foods(cooked at home) + a little travel in central or South America

[HLJHLJ]

Your age won't be an issue, not at Uni anyway. At language schools it will depend on the school. However, getting a visa will be problematic. The larger chains can offer cultural exchange visas, but to get a work visa to teach English you need to have a Bachelor degree in English language, literature or linguistics.

The laws have changed recently with regard to universities. The government have said that anyone teaching at university needs a masters and then a PhD in their subject area. At the moment there is a grace period so that existing staff can get qualified. But with neither a masters or a PhD you aren't a very attractive option for universities. It wouldn't be worth them going through the hassle of trying to get you a work visa (which it would probably be refused anyway with your qualifications). However, very few universities offer visas anyway. It's typically part time term time only work.

If you can get your own visa you may still be able to pick up part time university work. You might be able to get a retirement visa, or an investment visa. The latter requires an investment (I think $25,000 + $500 per dependent but the figures might have changed). You can 'invest' in the property you live in.

Typical earnings in Quito are $6-$8/hr in a language school, the range is about $3-$11. As a couple we lived OK on about $1,200 month, some people spent far more a few spent a lot less.

Privates are also variable. You'll see ads offering lessons for $5-$6/hr. In Ecuador it's all about contacts. If you are sociable and build a good reputation you can charge $10-$20/hr, maybe more. Be warned though, the ma�ana attitude is rife, and private students are notoriously flakey.