Job Discussion Forums

Lanceman · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 2

I'm wondering if anyone can give me advice on how relatively difficult is for Americans over 50 to get TEFL jobs abroad and which countries would be the most receptive. I'm 55, BBA, JD, 30 years business experience, ready to get CELTA, and taking MA-TESOL courses part-time at a local university.

The traditional concept of "retirement" is not for me and I'm exploring TEFL as a second career and as an opportunity to fulfill a long time goal of living in a different culture. It seems that using teaching as a way of integrating into a community would be ideal.
Any advice? Any obtacles I might need to overcome?
Thanks.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Pardon me, but what does JD and BBA mean? Do you have a bachelor's degree in anything? Do you have any teaching-related experience? What countries would you like to go to?

J-Pop · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 215 Location: USA

Glenski asked:

ohman · Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 239 Location: B' Um Fouk, Egypt

Lance Man--the Middle east is probably your best prospect, Saudi Arabia in particular.

Lanceman · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 2

Thanks for the input. J-Pop, you're correct on the BBA/JD descriptions. I probably should have been more specific.

Regarding preferred places to live, that's an interesting one. I've been to 60 countries so far and they've all been fascinating in their own way. In every one of them I've been able to visualize myself living there. Now I'm working on visualizing myself teaching English in different places. Have never been to the Mid-East or Africa.

Thanks again.

Kurochan · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 944 Location: China

Age can be an asset in China. Schools think your age will make you more stable and less likely to misbehave through excessive drinking or promiscuity. Almost all of my colleagues are 50+. I don't know what the top permissible age is, though. I believe there may be an upper limit.

Does anybody know?

One thing about China is that it can be a physically stressful, as well as emotionally stressful place to live. If you have joint problems, things like squat toilets could be a real problem. There are also extremes of heat and cold to deal with in a lot of the country. So, take your health into account when deciding whether to come here, and where you might live.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Visualising to live in a foreign country is one thing, but actually doing it NOT AS A VISITOR BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE LABOUR FORCE is quite different!
WOrk in China is, like elsewhere too, a bother on occasion, and you are the foreign body, that is, the trouble maker. Relations fray quickly if there is any disagreement, and you are always treated as the culprit. You have a lot of communication problems with your local peers and superiors no matter how good their English is (which rarely is better than basic). They tend to take advantage of your weaknesses!
Jobs are not stable.
But, the upside is that there seems to be no upper limit to age, in fact, a certain maturity may be regarded as a credit. SOme folks over 50 last longer than younger ones.

ohman · Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 239 Location: B' Um Fouk, Egypt

Is money important? China is notorious for paying coolie wages but one shouldn't go there for the money. The Middle East, that is, the Gulf countries, pays well enough so that it becomes a staging area for trips around the globe; trips, I might add, that don't require bunking in hostels or two star hotels and dining on the local rice and gruel combo.

For the same reasons mentioned earlier, the Gulf Arabs prefer ripened teachers. It is felt that 50+ hires won't vanish over the weekends due to a lack of accessible vice.

Of course, Viagra is sold over or discreetly under the counters in most Gulf countires.