Job Discussion Forums

The Great Toad

Hello, I am in contact with some persons from American Academy in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. They mentioned perhaps I might be employed in Bahrain.

Is 10,000 S. R. a good salary there?

I beleive I was to be teaching men form the ages of 18-22 who had some English proficiency already.

It would be fine for all if you could share your timely reference teaching in this place or association?

In other teaching jobs in Taiwan and South Korea I used card games and pop songs to teach English. I would guess I would have to be sensitive to the culture and avoid pop song vids that had to much visualization of racy images in them. I would not have done this in the USA teaching - but I agreed after unanimous affirmation to play that racey and terrible car crash Maroon 5 pop song- although I did later point out the flaws of the main character....

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

Pop songs I would absolutely advise against. You will be reported or complained about. The songs would be offensive to some small headed Saudi student. As far as games you could try something, but be prepared to quickly abandon using games as a method of learning for Saudi students.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Some religious parents and students will object to the representation of animals - especially if they are presented as TALKING ANIMALS !

bigdurian · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 7:00 pm Post subject:

Depends on the students, I used music loads when I worked in a school. The only time it was a problem was during prayer time when they asked me very politely to wait fifteen minutes.

The Great Toad · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 11:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the advice. I did assume I should sort of think of them as old school Mormons in regards to their taste- or distaste- to decadent Western pop music. Of course Isalm is an established belief system - but I think some of the cultural rules they follow are very similar- morality and consumption wise.

I guess 10,000 is average if you have no masters then.

We will have to meet at the Baharain beach and swim.

Laughing

bigdurian · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 3:16 am Post subject:

Salary is pretty rubbish, but on the plus side, you're close to Bahrain.

Although with that comes vices, which don't come cheap.

But then again, Khobar itself is very nice, nice than Dammam anyway. I'm always surprised by how normal the driving is in Khobar, compared to Riyadh.

There are some good private locations there on the beach with refreshments available too.

Whatever you do, don't go to Half Moon Bay on a holiday, the amount of rubbish is overwhelming. Although witnessing Saudi women swimming around in abaya with bits of plastic floating around everywhere is amusing.

2buckets · Joined: 14 Dec 2010 Posts: 515 Location: Middle East

Music can be a problem. My mattawa told me that if you listen to music you will go to hell and the devil will endlessly pour molten lead in your ears.

Even the 20 second intro in Kernel lessons playing music from
Rimsky-Kosakoff's Scheherazade brought complaints and had to be edited out.

Half Moon Bay, where the debris meets the sea.

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

babur · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 6:46 am Post subject: POP SONGS!

POP SONGS!!!!
Have you been living under a rock? You're headed for S.A.U.D.I. A.R.A.B.I.A. https://www.hotmusiccharts.com/sa/itunes. This is the K.S of A. mate. You're students will .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru00LPqgqL8 that give them a few ideas for classroom activities and games. ... and it'll still be "Teacher why you no give me full marks?" Your esteemed colleague with the hanging ghutrah will have you in the back of a C.P.V.P.V. SUV straight after the lesson