Job Discussion Forums

[gursky]

Hi All,

Yet another question about teaching English. We've been doing a lot of research recently but it seems like a good idea to explain our situation and get more specific advice.

First of all, a little info about ourselves. My husband is a native speaker, has a CELTA and 6 years' post CELTA experience. He is currently doing a full time MSc in language teaching at a reputable university in the UK. I'm a non-native speaker but fluent in English. We both have British and Turkish passports (I was born in Turkey). I'm planning to get a CELTA this year. We've been living in Britain for the last four years. The question is where to go to teach English?

He is mainly interested in teaching at universities (generally better/guaranteed pay but also for the experience) and I would like to be able to teach in a language school and/or give private lessons even if it's only part time. I'm not hoping to earn much but the idea of moving to another country and not being able work at all scares me, I'm a photographer so in the long term I'm more interested in doing more photography but as you can guess it's more difficult to find a photography job in a new country.

Our plan is that he's going to apply for jobs and if he can get a post somewhere where we think the money is worth going (which means we can live in a nice small flat and eat healthy food and ideally save a bit) then after arriving I'll look for a job.

So far what we've found out from our research is that the best paid jobs are in the Middle East, but it's quite difficult for me to teach as a non-native speaker. China is easier for non-native speakers to find a job, as is also the case in SEA. We're also considering Turkey as we both speak the language.

Anyway it would be great to hear your opinions. Thanks a lot for reading.

[JonathanRossWC]

Hi Gursky!

I am far from a knowledgeable source of information on the multitude of places to teach, and someone with more intimate knowledge should come along shortly and lend some insight.

However, I was thinking that Turkey may very well be a good place to check out. I'm sure that with his qualifications, a university job in Turkey should not be a problem. I would definitely consider it as a possibility, and it might be the easiest place for you to find work as well, as you are from Turkey and speak both Turkish and English.

Other than Turkey, I would also think that China would be a decent bet, but I may venture to say that your quality of life would be greater in Turkey than in China.

Is there any reason you would prefer a place like China over Turkey, aside from income?


Jonathan

[johntpartee]

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but China is beginning to require native speakers; at least in some provinces. The Swedish English teacher at my last job here told me that Henan Province would begin hiring English-as-the-primary-language-only passport holders beginning this year.

Actually, JonathanRossWC has a good point: Turkey. A lot of visa hassles would be circumvented, not to mention the language barrier. I've never been to Turkey (would love to go) but from what I've stumbled across in my own research (Googling), the quality of life is better in Turkey than in China (at least by Western standards).

[spiral78]

There's a pretty active Turkey forum below here - you might want to go there to read up and make inquiries. The Turkish denizons of our boards get around here now and then, but they are always there on the Turkey board!

[Mike_2007]

I would certainly think Turkey sounds like the best bet. University gigs pay pretty well there and the fact that your husband speaks the language would give him a slight advantage over other candidates. Istanbul has a language school on almost every street and your passport, local language skills, and excellent English should mean you can also quite quickly pick up work. When I live there I found that private lessons were especially easy to come by.

I would also imagine that if you want to set up something with photography it would be easier for you to do in Turkey as your language skills will mean negotiating the red tape is a lot easier. Then, of course, there's the fact that you won't have any real visa problems either.

So, unless you have any particularly reason for wanting to avoid Turkey, I would seriously consider it as your first option.

Bol sanslar!

[gursky]

Hi All,
Thank you all for your replies. Sorry for this very delayed post, I was away for two weeks and things have been hectic recently.

Unfortunately we've found out that having dual nationality doesn't bring any advantages to my husband, instead it brings disadvantages; to be able to apply for any university post he has to take a multiple question exam, which has nothing to do with assessing your teaching ability at all. Another big problem is, although he is British and a native English speaker he gets paid as a local teacher. He already had an interview with a university in Turkey and they are ready to employ him as long as he takes this exam which is in May.

JonathanRossWC,I think you're right, we travelled in China last year and I agree, life standards on average are better in Turkey.

I still want to do the CELTA, but I'm not really sure about finding a job as a non-native outside Turkey and China, having a British passport might help though.

Well, we're a bit confused now, and trying to make the best decision for the next year.

Thanks a lot again for all your time and sorry for not writing back earlier.

[lucia79]

Maybe your husband could revoke his Turkish citizenship; reclaim foreigner status, and earn more than the local salary.