Job Discussion Forums

[james_tesol]

Yes this is the same post as of 2 days ago before I was told by the administrators to re-post after some problems! Thanks for those who replied on the original post, all your comments were most valuable.

Yes I have posted to numerous other forums since I really have no idea of where to teach yet! Guess that maybe lazy in the eyes of some! For me I was just doing research�.so here is the original post if you want to reply! Thanks!

I have a degree and master degree in business from a UK uni, a 2 week TESOL course qualification, a CELTA, 2 years teaching experience in a college in Thailand, and when i finish my contract at my present job, i will have had 1 years experience in a prestigious Korean university.

My question to all you knowledgeable people out there, is this....

1)What is the best job I can get there with my qualifications in terms of money/hours/holidays etc etc.
2)I don�t need to save money, but I don�t want to lose money from home either. Is it possible?
3)I don�t want to work split shifts. Is it possible to find a good schedule?
4)I would only like to work at 1 institution. Is this possible?
5)Obviously it�s nto a deciding factor, but always worth asking�.What is the dating scene like there, and is there any chance of having a girlfriend?
How long are the contracts usually for and what happens of you want out?


Any ideas or comments would be most welcome!

[butterflyefect]

I taught fot almost five years and I hope these answers could help you a bit :
1. With your qualifications, you could work for an international school or an academic coordinator for a language school. At language schools where I used to teach, native teachers could have more than a month holiday every year. The salary always depends on where you teach. Usually Rp. 6,000,000 - Rp. 15,000,000. We usually worked from 9 to 5.

2. It's possible coz the cost of living is cheap and you can cover it with your monthly salary. It depends on your lifestyle.

3. Yes you can. It depends on the school where you work at. At a language school where I used to teach, we never had split but at another language school where I also used to teach, we worked on split shift. Not everyday, though.

4. For a native teacher, you MUST work only for 1 institution because this institution will take care of your work permit. You won't be allowed working for more than one institutions.


5. From what I've been observing, if you're a westerner, you wouldn't find any difficulties getting a girlfriend. Girls would be easily attracted to you and this is a fact that is undeniable. Trust me, coz this is my country that I'm talking about
Usually a contract is for one year. If you want out, they wouldn't give you your yearly bonus. Usually they'll pay half of your ticket flight once you arrive. Another half will be paid 6 months after you work. So if you leave after 3 months, you will lose half of your ticket money.

[ls650]

[james_tesol]

Thanks butterflyefect.

What does working at an international school in Indonesia involve? I am only qualified to teach ESL, not other subjects. Do international schools have classes JUST in english??

Also what are the students like? I have always enjoyd teaching under priviledged students, but if it means a better wage, then higher class students don't seem so bad!

[butterflyefect]

I'm sorry but I don't know much about international schools coz I never taught there. I have some friends who teach English at international schools and their certificates are TESOL or CELTA. You'll be paid more if you work for an international school. Language schools for under privileged students don't hire native speakers coz they can't afford to pay. A real challenge when you teach high class students is most of them are there because their parents want them to not because they want to learn English.
I'm taking part in the tsunami relief programme at the moment. If you are interested in teaching Acehnese children, there are some NGOs here who hire native speakers to do the job. I don't know much about the pay, though. There's someone from OXFAM who needs to hire native English teachers. Private message me your personal e-mail address if you're interested.

[guruengerish]

A couple of points to consider.

Indonesia is a mainly Muslim country, and as such has a high standard of morals, at least amongst nice young ladies.

I know people who have had serious relationships, and when it comes time to marry, it's always the westerner who has to change his/her religion. Some families take this quite seriously, and one can't become a Muslim in name only. Others don't really care. Some western teachers may also take their religious obligations quite seriously also; it's all up to the two of you.

On the subject of breaking a contract, be aware that a school has to put in a lot of money to get a teacher into the country and working permits issued, and sometimes renting a place to stay, a year up front. Teachers who quit early are usually asked to pay the costs involved, which can be around U$500 per month.

[basiltherat]

without intending to generalize, there used to be several common reasons for an indonesian girl wanting to attach herself to a foreigner in Jakarta (is that where you'll be ?):

1. to be admired by her 'girlfriends' for being able to do so
2. to have 'attractive' children if marriage comes about
3. to get a 'ticket out of the country' which by many accounts is still mired in abject poverty
4. to get a husband quick - especially those 'girls' who've reached 25 or over and seldom find a guy who is interested in such an 'aged woman'
5. local guys are unimaginative, conversationally-boring and unreliable.
6. to rip the white guy off
and of course,
7. there's pure and simple love.

There is an expression for the less-admirable type ... 'mata bensin'

Anyway, yes, go for it, but I suggest keeping the above in mind. In my time there, I witnessed some horrific cases of foreigner-local girl relationships, some due to the disgusting behaviour by the foreign guy and some, many, by the despicable intentions of the girl.
guess i was lucky.
best
basil