Job Discussion Forums

CANDLES · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:39 am Post subject: IRAN

Anyone working in Iran in the ESL field? Recommended or not?

What's it like, because I've just seen a teaching job being advertised and am intrigued by it.

Thanks!

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

There have been discussions about Iran:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=1116470

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=1089707

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=855163

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=89404

CANDLES · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 1:59 pm Post subject:

Thanks NS, but the previous threads are very old 2012-2013. Nothing from 2014 and onwards.

I had colleagues from Iran and they of course said it was beautiful, but work wise for expats, not sure.

The ad stated that they would apply for visa, but wanted to know what the teacher's salary expectation were. I was curious as to whether anyone was working there now to answer those questions.

Thanks anyway.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Visa difficulties for US and UK teachers. Salaries are also on the low side. Before the Islamic Revolution Iran was a big employer of TESOL teachers. No more.

returnee2014 · Joined: 06 Jun 2014 Posts: 37 Location: SuliTown, Iraq

Do you mind sharing the ad link? Because I'm rather mystified by that. I can't imagine any place in Iran trying to recruit Americans or Brits.

I'm a few kilometers from the Iranian border and after extensive research, have come to the conclusion that it would be very unwise for me to visit there at present, much less attempt to work there.

CANDLES · Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 8:39 am Post subject:

Native English Teacher for language center in Iran
Oxin institute for higher education

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

hash · Joined: 17 Dec 2014 Posts: 456 Location: Wadi Jinn

Iran is one of the most astonishing countries in the world, particularly the supernatural cities of Isfahan and Shiraz. (Tehran is just another giant city). I was very lucky I was able to visit the country on several occasions before 1979. It is one of the few countries left where the "old culture" still dominates. It has not yet become "folkloric".

Its unparalleled poetic tradition still retains a dynamic and nearly mystical presence and reverence in every Iranian household.

In the "old" days, one could fly from Dhahran in KSA to Shiraz for a long weekend. It was only a 1.5 hour flight. No visa necessary... just get it at the airport.

If you lived/worked there, you lived "on the economy" meaning that within 6 months, you became nearly fluent in Farsi. (On the other hand, I've known 20 year resident teachers in KSA that can't say PENCIL in Arabic) (or even WATER!).

Today one can try to enter Iran as an English teacher, but you won't be successful. The political situation is such that we're very far from this kind of contact for the foreseeable future.

But I'll tell you one thing: if Iran ever opens up again to ESL teachers as was the case before 1979, it will drain the Arab Gulf states of every single teacher currently employed there. Then watch them salaries go up.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Farsi of course is an Indo-European language and must be a lot easier for English speakers than Arabic.

hash · Joined: 17 Dec 2014 Posts: 456 Location: Wadi Jinn

johnslat · Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 10:26 pm Post subject:

Dear hash,

" I imagine it would be like living on a moon of distant Alpha Centauri . . "

Naw, Alpha Centauri has great nightlife.

Regards,
John

buravirgil · Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 11:47 pm Post subject:

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I too found it very odd that so few of the teachers knew any Arabic. Because I started out in Cairo, I had basic survival that I had picked up. I would probably call it "pidgin" rather than "gringo-speak." But ift Hash had taught in Cairo, he would have found many Westerners who knew the language well, some Muslim, most not... some married to Egyptians, most not.

The Gulf is a strange world. There is really no need to learn the language as everything is bi-lingual in the main cities. All the signs... all the clerks in the shops... even in the Ministries, everyone you dealt with spoke English. I had no further need for the Arabic that I had learned in Egypt, and basically just used it to amuse the students... and keep them guessing how much I actually understood. Cool

But I had taken the time to do a course in basic comparative analysis for teachers of Arabic speakers as part of my MA. And I often went to the Arabic speaking teachers and talked about why so many of my students did this or that. I was shocked to talk to teachers in the Gulf who had been teaching Foundations for 10+ years and didn't know that what we call a run-on or comma splice is a proper Arabic sentence. Rolling Eyes

Oops... I think we've hijacked this thread. My Irani friends have always told me that Farsi is easier than Arabic, and I expect that like Cairo, one would need to learn it. I have friends who had to depart suddenly after the revolution, and always spoke with affection of their time there. It would be great if it opened up again.

VS

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

In small-tpwn Saudi Arabia 1970 if you spoke no Arabic you could not function. "Bidun Arabi mafi akl, habibna !" The Arabic I acquired in Tabuk in 1970-1972 stood me in good stead. It was hardly "Fusha" but a mix of Levantine and Hejazi with a heavy use of profanity and religious imprecations.

When I went back to the Peninsula in 1990rI was surprised to find thousands of honkies with nary a word of Arabic amongst them.

One of my regrets is that I did not take up the offer of a scholarship to Shemlan (FO School in Lebanon for Arabic Language) where I could have acquired a proper knowledge of Arabic in all its richness. I might have become an Ambassador !

hash · Joined: 17 Dec 2014 Posts: 456 Location: Wadi Jinn