Job Discussion Forums

[rockinrobin714]

I'm just wondering what your experiences were. Did you prefer one country to the other? What are the main differences? Salary, locals, lifestyles?

I ask because I taught 2 years in Taiwan and right now am in the process of deciding between Seoul and Istanbul. I know the money is a bit better in Korea, but Turkey interests me more.

[DrTongue]

I did a few years in Istanbul followed by a few years in China. China wins hands down. Better students, better administrative support from the institution, much better pay and benefits, lower cost of living, and no harassment from the locals. While Istanbul offered easier options for travel to international destinations that interested me, I usually didn't have enough money to exercise them.

I don't regret going to Turkey, but I should have left a little sooner than I did. On the bright side, I got some good experience out of it, both personally and professionally.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[The Steakinator]

I would agree with the first response. Though I only did 3 1/2 months in China and didn't like it very much (China did have its perks such as the money, low cost of living, opportunities to pick up tons and tons of extra work, huge expat communities, etc.).

For me, I chose to come back to Turkey (I had previously lived in Istanbul and what the previous poster said about lack of money is spot on) because I just prefer the region precisely because of the constant semi-chaos and the pervading sensuality Turkey and the Arab world. like Turkish culture. Granted, there are specific issues in interacting with Turks, such as raging nationalism and an a generally accepted racism based not so much on color as on being Turkic vs. non-Turkic. If you teach in a university in Turkey, especially one outside of Izmir and Istanbul, you can expect $1,700 to $2,300 (US) a month with paid accommodations, visa, and a round trip ticket as well as a month of paid vacation.

Antics with money are minimal (though they do exist, *especially in institutes*) compared to China - where my wife and I were screwed out of about 19,000 Yuan.

If you're outside of Istanbul and Izmir, the cost of living in Turkey isn't that much more than Guangzhou, China (where we were). A nice furnished apartment were I am is actually cheaper than a nice apartment in Guangzhou and vegetables/fruit are cheaper than cheap.

The students in Turkey range from great to awful. It all depends on where you work. If you work in a private uni, the students will be on the lower end of acceptable but still dozens of times better than in the Arab Gulf.

Just as a side note (and at the risk of being labelled a bigot), I found the Chinese of Guangzhou to flat, dry, and boring. Really just obsessed with making money at all costs - granted, due to their history, there's a reason for it, but knowing that didn't make it easier to live there. Turks are more 3-D and animated. They have opinions and a lot of emotions. They can be very sensitive about something, but their sense of humor isn't that far from the standard US sense of humor. They have an exceptional love of good food and booze in general, they'll follow you down the street to return a 5TL bill to you that you dropped, and they're really friendly (though, they speak less English than the Chinese so be ready to learn Turkish) despite coming across as fairly serious (in Turkish, each syllable is given equal stress so unless they're fluent, when they speak English, they usually come across as very serious). They can be nosy - really nosy depending on where you are don't tell anyone anything you don't want a bunch of other people to know.

I've known several people who taught in China, Korea, and Japan and then came to Turkey and the Middle East. They usually lasted one contract and then headed back. You could say Turkey and the Middle East are "full contact" while Asia seems to be much more hands off in how they deal with foreigners.

[lucia79]

I'd say S. Korea is better to work in. I think the pay and conditions are much better. I actually got their sense of logic and it makes more sense to me than many arbitrary decisions made by Turks. Korean kids were far more well behaved. I felt that people in general were more respectful and considerate.

But, Turkey has a lot going for it. Incredible history and lots of ancient ruins to explore. Proximity to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. My friends and family from the US visit whereas in S. Korea they didn't come (maybe it was timing, but I seem to think it was either airfare costs or not an interesting place for them). As was mentioned by The Steakinator, the cost of living is cheap in Turkey and the produce is wonderful. Turkey is really loud, so bring some earplugs and yes, people are nosy (for example, after not knowing you for very long they tend to ask, "How much money do you earn? Why don't you have children yet"?

[The Steakinator]

With the exception of a few cases, I haven't been asked how much I earn, but the "why don't you have children yet?" is constantly. When people found out my wife was pregnant, it was as if a weight was taken off *their* shoulders. Sort of strange how in the Middle East (and yes, Turkey is culturally the ME - it's the "Middle East Light," but it's still the ME), people feel its their burden to make sure you procreate.

[lucia79]

[JohnRambo]

[gloomyGumi]

I taught 3 and a half years in Korea and 1 year in Istanbul.

Turkey is interesting and the food is great, but the chaos, the unpredictability, the lateness, the traffic, the zealous nationalism at all costs, the 2nd-world goods and services..........

I prefer Korea and wish the laws had not gotten more intricate there, or I would go back tomorrow, boring as it may be.

[tarte tatin]

I was only in Korea for 6 months, and have been in Turkey over 6 years. Therefore, my experience in Korea was limited and I was not in Seoul. However, money is better in Korea, and initially I found it easier to adjust to.

The nosy questions people have mentioned were also asked to me by lower class Koreans (I was in a fairly rural town). I think it might be an Eastern thing.

Overall, though I prefer Turkey. It's a more varied country, with very nice holiday destinations. The food can get a bit samey but I found that more of a problem in Korea.

There are nice people everywhere, but I think Koreans are more racist on the whole.