Job Discussion Forums

sandinista445 · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 136 Location: 世界

Hi,
I'm planning on travelling to Asia to teach English and also wanted to learn Mandarin. I've heard that one of Singapore's official languages is Mandarin, but was wondering how many Singaporeans actually speak it (or is Cantonese more widely spoken)?

Also, I'll be graduating with a BA in social sciences, and will have a tesl certificate this spring when I apply (probably in March or April, but plan on travelling at the beginning of July at the earliest). Would I have a good chance at landing a job in Singapore, and what schools should I be looking at?

thanks for any advice.

sandinista445 · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 136 Location: 世界

wow this forum is dead...is it that there aren't many teachers in Singapore or that those in Singapore want to keep the market a secret?

HappyHappyHappy · Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Planet Earth

If you have a degree and a CELTA, you CAN get an ESL teaching job in Singapore. And the language school you work at may even have Mandarin lessons, which you can take at a discount.

The catch? You really should come here and look for a job in person. That can be expensive, and you may have to wait a while for a position to open. I telephoned a dozen schools, and they all asked me to email my resume, which I did - and NOT ONE SINGLE SCHOOL even bothered to reply. I finally got my job by just walking into a school for an on-the-spot interview. In fact it was at one of the same schools I emailed weeks earlier, and never heard from again!

One more thing --Singapore is no "big secret"; the pay is average, and your salary doesn't allow you the extremely fun lifestyle AND opportunity to save heaps of money that ESL teachers enjoy in certain other countries. However, it's never cold, everyone speaks English (your students will be foreigners, from China, Japan, etc) and it's a pretty happening place.

sandinista445 · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 136 Location: 世界

Thanks for the information. How much would I be able to save as an English teacher (if I were to live like a local)? Do they help you out with accomodation, and which schools should I be looking at in your oppinion?

HappyHappyHappy · Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Planet Earth

The money is the real problem. From a salary of S$2500, your rent will be at least $500, it's hard to keep basic daily food and transport costs below $10...going out to eat or drink with friends will cost you $50 or more, just like that... "living like a local" is more an abstract concept than a reality. And you will be living in one giant shopping mall, where the temptation to spend is very strong. Clothes, gadgets, entertainment. How long can you resist?
A moderate lifestyle might leave you S$1000 a month in savings. That's US$660. Not much, and you have to pretty much forego all-night drinking sessions, decent restaurants and luxury goods if you want to save that much.

That's what it seems like to me so far, anyway.

As for which schools to approach, just come here, look in the Yellow Pages under Language Schools, mark the most likely looking ones on your map, and get walking. It depends who has a vacancy at the time.

Polina · Joined: 04 Dec 2003 Posts: 71

Is there any adults' IELTS teaching available, does anyone know? Or anything else goal-focussed for adults?

RobSg · Joined: 29 Jul 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Singapore

I agree with the person that said it is best to come here and just plan on doing some heavy walking to get a job rather then sending in resumes. There are many language schools, and if you were to walk into a variety of them, in the summer months especially, with resume and letters of reference in hand, and present yourself in a decent manner, I really think you should have no problem finding employment. I've been here for 17 years as a teacher, and that is what a lot of people have told me.

RobSg