Job Discussion Forums

almuze · Joined: 25 Oct 2004 Posts: 125

well, let me start by asking that everyone please put up with my bad typing.. please! Just chalk it up to the insanity of a dyslexic ESL teacher (true! I have to spell check my lesson plans to make sure I teach them right!) Smile

but spell checking is long and tedidous for Dave's posts, so please, please please, excuse the typos.

As fas the OP, just like veryone lese said, it really depends on what you are looking for, what kind of... lifestyle you want, I guess. Then I would also say - be careful! because you are coming from cananda many turks will see you as a.... free&open book of info about "canada" (which, of course, you are) but I would advise to charge for sharing your expertise about how candian schools run, how they store student reconds, how they selct textbooks, what kind of security systems they have.... what ever other questions they have, really, don't share unless you have to.

This may seem mean, but it seems that some turkish employers hire ...returnees? with the intention of sucking them dry and then firing them as soon as possible on some cooked up pretense. And, once you have shared everything, you lose respect and value... so, keep your know how to yourself.

Before I start to sound like Ghost, Smile

, I taught in C. Am, too, but not as many differnt countires, and the salary sucks, yes, but I wanted to say that my turkish students are not that differnt from my C.Am ones, really! maybe I am just having good luck w/student (but it's been 4 yrs,here, in total, sooooo)
maybe its elementary school kids?
but so far, they are pretty much the same, nice, love to please, love sugar, love to run..... the cultures are really differnt, and the local teaching methods are really differnt, (I think most turkish teaching methods are based on intimidation and fear of failure) but the kids aren't that differnt, I think.
signing off.

ardabay · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Istanbul

Foreign EFL teachers usually earn more than Turkish EFL teachers. Turkish teachers have got to specialize in ESP or TOEFL preparation to boost their income. We have a saying in Turkish �Ne kadar ekmek, o kadar k�fte� u might have heard. If you want to get more, you have to strive for it. And what if a foreign teacher does ESP or TOEFL in Istanbul ? I think he/she is simply unstoppable.

calsimsek · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 775 Location: Ist Turkey

As always I disagree with most of what ghost said!
Then again its nice to have you back (is there any chance that you and 31 are the same person- just joking)

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Absolutely. Otherwise I would't have spent over 10 years here.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Wow! where to start. I'll leave others to answer for now. I'm running off to class.

calsimsek · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 775 Location: Ist Turkey

Hi. Entrailicus. I can tell you what I think while dmb is in class. I came here in 1991 and since have never thought of going back. There's lots of reasons and aspects to living here. I just give you one: Seasonal life.
The great thing about Turkey is that life is seasonal. The food is fresh and if you want you can still go down to the market stalls and get fresh veg every week. No Turk would dream of eating ice-cream in winter.
Even the rich who could buy imported foods would never serve watermelon in winter. In summer light meals are cooked and if you wanted some form of winter meal you just have to wait till.
In my home town we kind missed two seasons. Here I enjoy a full year.
Any way dmb must be back form class by now.
I'v finnished for the day so I'm off home.

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

One of my neighbours told me that if you drink the water and breathe the air, you will never leave Istanbul. My plan was to come here for a couple of years and then go somewhere to make money. This is my 8th year here and I have just bought a place, so I guess my neighbour was right. Every day is at least a small adventure here, so it is never very dull.

Faustino · Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 601

Which water were they refering to? Tap (faucet) water? If you drink that stuff you'll never leave the toilet!

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

actually I have a friend who always drinks water from the tap and he has no problems. I brush my teeth with it, so maybe that is close enough.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Sımply, you can have a much better standard of living. Back in the UK last month I kept thinking to myself. Thank God I don't live here.