Job Discussion Forums

[ausmel]

Ok, so I need some help. I have Bachelors degree in Health I am 24 and Australian (Australian passport) I have worked 2 years professional in research. Basically I want to become a primary teacher in oz, but before I go back to do post grad. I want to get experience etc be sure this is really what I want to do act.

So I have enrolled in TESOL, got my advanced first aid and other bits and pieces, started volunteering out of hours at a local school and trying to read everything on the internet about ESL. The problem is all the advice seems so conflicting. No jobs in Europe, can�t work there without a European passport and bad pay and not enough work when you can get it, but then lots of work in Spain and eastern Europe, but bad pay, Asia is low cost of living and bad pay.

Ultimately, all I am looking to get some experience teaching under my belt, hopefully leave recouping the cost I outlaid to get there and a little extra in the back pocket, have a great time and meet other fab teachers etc. and do it living in an ok apartment, eating three meals a day and working for a school that doesn't give you too much grief.

Is this possible? And if so where should I am? Should I be secure a job before I go / or knock on doors when I get there?

I speak basic German and about to take intermediate level at university next semester so I thought Europe. But if I am going to make better money and have better conditions in Asia or the Middle East I am just as happy to go there. I have been about 60 hours a week for the last two years, so I don�t mind hard work / long hours.

My only other fear (and I know this is really stupid) is making mates. How likely is it you show up in a foreign country, can't speak the language, don't know a soul, don�t have anywhere to live and start work at a school where you can't talk to anyone. I am kinda hoping there is generally a couple of other English teachers or it easy to meet expats, or at least find someone to live with. That is my other question, do you usually arrange your own accommodation, do you have to live at the school or do you do your own thing? I guess it totally depends on place. but I really wanted to ask anyway.

any info would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[Glenski]

[Gregor]

Ausmel,
First off, I want to admit that I am a DoS at an EF school in China. Just so no one accuses me of hiding anything from you and trying to do a commercial for my school or company. I am not. In fact, I'm leaving it AND China soon, for my own reasons. OK? A few people here will vouch for my (sometimes brutal) honesty about what newbies are likely to encounter. And I still say...
Come out to China.
No, really. You're going to get tons of people telling you what a bad idea this is, but I've been here for three years now (did two in Indonesia - another not-bad idea for you) and it offers exactly what you're asking for.

1. It's cheap to live here. Yes, the pay is not great, but you will have a nice place to live and it's a perfectly comfortable place as well. You may have to share, but you want to make mates, right? There is no reason that you shouldn't be able to save MOST of your salary, unless you just toss your money away on hookers, booze, drugs and Western comforts (none of which is necessary for a nice life here).
2. You'll get some diverse experience out of it. You will, if you take the right job, get mindless middle school experience (in front of 50 or 60 apathetic students per class, sometimes) as well as private, smaller-class straight ESL practice, maybe some primary school experience, kindergarten, maybe even some low-rent university experience.
This is one reason that people do NOT want to go to EF - it's just so likely that you have to do any or all of these things. But for what you want, mate, it's just the thing.
3. You do not need to know - in fact, are very much expected not to know - the local language at any point in your tenure in the country. This sounds absurd, but it's true. You will need to learn get-by Chinese once you arrive, but there will be plenty of help at the outset, and what you need to learn is as easy as falling off a log.
Plus, it's not as hard as it looks and sounds, in case you are interested.
And finally, 4. The government is pissy and difficult to work with and has mindless regulations that almost seem to be put into place specifically for making your life difficult. Why is this a selling point? Again, mate, it's what you're asking for specifically. You're trying to decide if this is what you want to do. So live through this experience for a year and see how you handle it. It's not as bad as I make it sound, and Australia is likely not as bad as China (though I know full well that the U.S. is every bit as bad in this regard).

Oh, yeah, one more thing: 5. If you go with EF or a similar school, they'll reimburse your flight to China immediately after you arrive and fly you home as a bonus for finishing your contract. So you're out-of-pocket for the flight, but you'll get it back. In the end, coming out and working here - again, I can only vouch for EF in this regard - has no expense at all.

And, really, that sounds worse than I mean it to. I've really enjoyed living here for three years now. The bad that I have mentioned is what I say, but it's not that often, and not as bad as I seem to imply. Really. It would be a good experience for you.

In case you want more information:
http://www.englishfirst.com/teacherinfo/recruitment/default.asp
and:
http://www.englishfirst.com.cn/englishfirst/schools/shenyang/intro.aspx
That second site is one particular EF school, but there's a function to the right that says "Select Another City" and you can look at any one of the schools.
If you want any more information, feel free to PM me. I'll be as helpful as I can.
Good luck.

[ausmel]

hey thanks, I have heard of company's similar like international house and british council, i will so check it out. Glad to here you have enjoyed your time in china. Were have you been based? If you don't mind me asking city or rural? Also, one other quick question, sharing acc (not a problem lived in a sorority in the states and with 6 other aussies and south africans in london) I can handle share houses. Did EF set you up or did you sort it yourself? and last but not least, where there other english teachers at your school, was it easy to meet others, i have heard there are loads of EFL teachers there.

cheers and thanks again

[Gregor]

Wow.
Amazing that I haven't been called out yet.
OK. I've always been in a big city. Shenyang to start with (and I can't say enough in favor of that place) and now, Dalian. Dalian, in Chinese eyes, is a small city (only four point five million souls!!). i know nothing of rural China.

EF set me up with a place. Mind you, when I came to China for the first time, I came as a director of studies. That meant a private place as part of the deal. But we'd set a new teacher up in a place from the moment he or she got into town, or put him/her into a nice hotel until one could be worked out. Sometimes, we'd put a teacher into another teacher's flat, but we always worked out permanent housing as soon as humanly possible.

And there were loads of other ESL teachers and various other Western expats to hang out with. Some locations have more than others. But if you go with big cities, you'll have no trouble at all.

[ausmel]

Fab advice, thank you so much I will so check out china then

[JZer]

I would recommend going to Korea because the pay is higher. You can go to China but not expect to return with any money in your pocket. If you go to Korea you might even be able to save some money towards the teaching certification in Australia.

[Gregor]

JZer,
I've heard this about Korea, but I've heard nightmares about actually teaching there. I see that you are there, though, so how is it? How are you treated? How are the kids? And what's your teaching environment (i.e. language school; high school)?
To the OP - well, what I just said. I've heard about crap treatment at the hands of the Chinese as well, but teachers I know who have done both maybe didn't like China much, but flippin' HATED Korea.

I'm not dissin' Korea, now. I've never been. But those who have (or are still there), where do all these complaints come from, and what would you recommend being careful of?