Job Discussion Forums

[spycatcher reincarnated]

I have taught English in the Czech Republic, Taiwan and Vietnam. Out of these three countries I would say that the level of foreign English teachers that I have come across is much, much higher, here in Vietnam.

[sigmoid]

[skarper]

Where are all the good, professional, well trained, motivated English Teachers? Which wonderful, well paying, welcoming country has snapped them all up?

Sorry for the sacrcasm but WE ALL KNOW that EFL everywhere is the same. It attracts all sorts of people but mostly the good people leave and go into other jobs because EFL just can't cut it.

Some become managers. Some start their own schools. Some just stick it out and make the best of it....but most go home and get a 'normal' job.

There is always a large majority of new faces who are mostly inept though often well meaning. EFL is what it is. There are no good places to go where professionalism is valued/rewarded or even wanted.

These realities can be annoying, but the sooner we all accept them the better off we will be.

Vietnam is NOT worse than Japan, Korea or France in my experience. Korea has a straightforward and transparent visa/WP system but still fails to attract professional teachers. Japan's WP system is held up by many as the best solution but again their are proportionally VERY FEW qualified EFL teachers among the masses of unqualified 'gaijin' edutainers.

Europe is pretty much a hopeless case since the 2008 financial meltdown. Living on subsistence wages in Spain/Italy/Greece does not appeal...Japan is not much better an getting worse. Korea is due another jolt no doubt made worse by NKs sabre-rattling.

In sum - Vietnam is OK. Not great but OK for most of us. Those wanting to seek greener pastures may well find it hardly worth the trouble.

All this visa kerfuffle will settle down in the end. I am married to a local so it hasn't affected me yet.

[LettersAthruZ]

[skarper]

Sure - freelance work in SK is a serious no-no. Someone will rat you out in no time and you will get jugged - they will freeze your bank account too.

Though - many do freelance in SK for years and get away with it - so it can be done. Helps to be Canadian because of 6 month tourist visas.

By all means look into other places but expect to swap one set of problems for another.

If freelancing you can always pass on the costs of visa runs to your clients in higher fees. You will still be a better/cheaper option than the mills who will charge an arm and a leg then send in the clowns...

If you really like it here why not get married? Solves 90% of these problems though it does cost 2-3000 USD. Just don't buy a house in her name! ;->

[LettersAthruZ]

[ExpatLuke]

[skarper]

If you are going to freelance then you HAVE to be able to manage for long periods without work. If I were trying to market myself to a company and they said 'why don't we use _______ instead of you' my reply would be - sure go ahead.

If that's all they want then you don't want to work for them...

[LettersAthruZ]

[skarper]

If people were allowed/encouraged to freelance it would lead to a much higher standard of teachers [on the whole] and a better deal for the students/clients.

However it would spell the death knell for the mills and that [among other reasons] is why they will always make it difficult for people to freelance. The mills are 'well in' with the powers that be - they'd have to be to have survived this far.

Times will change, but it is a gradual process not without setbacks.

[kurtz]

[Anh Dep]

Also by VN law the residence card is to be returned if you happen to start working for another company that is not the name on your work permit.You can get a residence card as I did by proving work experience and having it notarised in your home country. Seeing as I had no university degree, that was my only option, it took some time to sort out, but it was done without too much fuss and cost me a total of 500usd through a solicitor. I have found that from provence to provence, it all comes down to whoever is making the decision, there is no uniform law that they work by.

My friend in My Tho wanted to get another residence card, he showed them my residence card which was for 3 years and the department there said that 3 year residence cards dont exist. Even though he showed them mine, they refused to budge and said thats how things work in My Tho, they dont care what the law states.

[bradleycooper]

There is no use turning a thread about Vietnam into a personal slanging match about the teaching abilities of various posters. Stick to the facts people and keep ego out of it!

[Oh My God]

[kurtz]