Job Discussion Forums

foxy · Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 2

hi. i'm wondering where i could save a good chunk of cash (for myself, my husband & daughter) teaching EFL overseas, bearing the following in mind:

-we are flexible with location--whereever i could save (not just make) the most money
-my husband would NOT be working; he would be taking care of our daughter (currently 8 months---we would like to go when she is b/t 1 & 2 years old)
-we would have a very conservative nightlife & would not do much travelling or purchasing expensive items
-our plan is to go for a year, so we wouldn't be putting our daughter in school

i have a B.A. in intercultural studies and a certificate in TESOL. i am also from canada. any guidance as to what countries to consider teaching in--or even if it's possible to save for 3 on one teacher's salary--would be much appreciated. thanks.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

afaik, the only countries where a family could possibly live off one EFL salary and nothing else are Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and certain middle eastern countries. Of these, the middle east will not consider new entrants to the field, and you pronbably wouldnt consider the middle east safe under the current political climate anyway.

However, while you may be able to survuive on an efl salary, I doubt youd be able to save anything much with 3 living off that salary.

JosephP · Joined: 13 May 2003 Posts: 445

It can be done. It won't be easy, but it can be done. But you better be prepared to make sacrifices.
As far as places for you to accomplish this, well, I was able to do this in Thailand of all places. Granted, my wife is Thai so we were able to have a local's knowledge of the "system" which was helpful. I also "worked" ungodly amounts of hours.
I also had quite good luck in New Zealand until the TESL industry went bust. So NZ probably isn't the place now...
Anyways, good luck.

comenius · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 8:51 pm Post subject:

I think the key is that while you could survive, it would be very, very difficult to "save a chunk of cash," especially if you are the only one working. If you're willing to work long, long hours you could definitely earn more than your monthly expenses, but with three mouths to feed and only one source of income I'm afraid you might do little more than that. Also, bear in mind that most of the serious money in Korea/Japan/Taiwan comes from teaching private lessons, and those can take a while to get off the ground until you're established with good connections and a good reputation.

If your goal is to live relatively comfortably by local standards, then I think your idea could work. The saving a lot of money part is the only area where I think you might run into trouble.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

If your husband were to get a TESL certificate, could he work as a tutor from home while looking after the baby? That could supplement your income...

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

You don't mention that you have experience teaching EFL so I assume it is very little. You will find a difficult time finding a high paying job working at a good school unless you have the experience along with the education. Could you support your family teaching ESL in Canada? No way unless it is a f/t job in a college or university. I know because I have done that.
With you working f/t and your hubbie doing some p/t teaching in the evenings, you can make it work in Japan or Korea. You won't save a lot of cash though. If you only want to go abroad for a year, I don't think it is worrthwhile dragging a family around IMO. You'll just be set up and then you're on your way home. The cost of setting up a house and moving would suck up way more money than you can ever hopew to save. I think 2-3 years minimum.
I came to Japan when my daughter was 8 months old, a great age to travel. That was 2 years ago and we are on our way back for a 3rd year soon. PM me if you have any specific questions about kids overseas. You are still 4 years away from starting school for your child, so you have lots of time.

JosephP · Joined: 13 May 2003 Posts: 445

It's been yonks since I worked there, but don't Korea TESL gigs often include accomodation? Of course, Korea can be a challenging place to work. But with your qualifications I would think you could get free housing and make around 2,000,000 won a month (2,281.372 CAD). With self-catering and careful budgeting I think it might work out. Airfares there might make the first few months a savings washout. In the end, I would agree with other posters in that you'd need to stick around for awhile to make it pay.
All the best.

foxy · Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 2

thanks for all your help/advice/suggestions. all will be taken into consideration as we make a decision in the next few months. "JosephP" brought up a good point i forgot to mention: some places claim to offer free accomodation & airfare reimbursement, which would really cut down on monthly expenses and help with saving. is this something to consider, or by "accomodation" do they mean "dumpster", etc.?