Job Discussion Forums

[Solar Strength]

I'm in Bangkok right now and looking to make a move to the mainland but not sure if I should have a look at Hong Kong or Macau. How do the two compare in terms of TEFL working conditions, salary, job availability? I've already been in contact with a few people in Hong Kong and so have info on the situation there but more interested now in how the two location compare.for instance, are the salaries comparable? how about hours per-week? what are the major conversation schools in macau? thanks.

[sistercream]

Easy bit of the answer is that there are no "major conversation schools" in Macau ... with a total population of just over 500,000 it's just a village by Chinese standards, and probably >20% of residents are English speaking expats of one stripe or another (from Nepali security guards to American casino execs). The few language schools there are seem to get along just fine with people who are already resident.

If you want to work there, you need to have formal teaching and TEFL quals so you can get into one of the better secondary schools or a tertiary place.

If you're looking for a language mill job, I'd choose mainland over HK any day - even in "good" gigs in HK you'll likely be spending1/3 or more of your pay on rent. You could expect 45 hours a week at work, with 30 hours or more class time. If you teach kindergarten, you could at least have evenings off (but still work at least some of your Saturdays).
There's a huge range available in mainland - the raw salary won't look as good, but you're much more likely to be able to get housing and at least part of your airfare thrown in with the deal, with fewer hours, and lower living costs ...that last at your discretion, of course

But if you've got the formal qualifications and experience then the picture changes: working in the government NET scheme, or as a general class or subject teacher in an international school, you will get much better money and conditions in HK than you could expect for similar work in mainland.

[Solar Strength]