Job Discussion Forums

[lagerlout2006]

To the OP of course. Sorry if it was out of place. I am tired of these WHERE can I make money posts. Free world though I guess. If you need to go on the net and ask if you should teach the answer is no.

[scot47]

I have to agree with lagerlout. Someone who asks "Where can I make oodles of lovely money" should be looking at accountancy or the law, not teaching and certainly not at TESOL.

I have been at this racket since 1968. I am not and never will be rich unless my lottery ticket comes up. I am pretty sure that is true of most of us - except for a few who have spent long peiods in the Middle East.

[denise]

lagerlout2006 & scot47--

Of course you are right about there not being a lot of money in teaching. Does that mean, though, that it is wrong to want to make more, rather than less? ("more" being considerably less than in other fields)

At this point, I confess that I am guided by money--hence my job search in Japan, rather than in South America, where I'd really love to go. Japan will cover my student loans; no South American countries will.

I don't see anything wrong with wanting to go somewhere where the salaries are higher than, say, $2 an hour. Provided, of course, that the original poster, or anyone else, for that matter, doesn't expect to be filthy rich, own a house, have substantial assets, etc, on an EFL salary. Nobody should get into this field in search of money, but once in the field, it is nice not to live in poverty.

d

[scot47]

Concern about earning a reasonable income is what brought me to Saudi Arabia and keeps me here. That does not mean that I am making a lot of money. It means that most places pay pennies to TESOL teachers.

Anyone who wants oodles of lovely lolly should become a narcotraficante, not an English teacher.

[johnslat]

Dear scot47,

" It means that most places pay pennies to TESOL teachers. "

True enough - though wouldn't it ( quibble alert ) be TEFOL teachers? However, given the no taxes in the Kingdom, the housing provided, the lack of bills every month, a thrifty ( old Scottish word meaning " cheap ", " pennypinching ", " skinflinty " ) instructor over there COULD save about 80 to 85% of his/her salary. That mounts up ( Hmm, has anything ever " mounted down " ? ). If you're making, say, $40,000 a year, that'd mean you cold salt away over $30,000 per annum, something no full professor at Harvard would be able to do, I'll wager.
Regards,
John

[scot47]

Well your figures are a bit high, johnslat. I may be a Scot but I am no skinflint.

And the wife and bairns expect to eat regularly. Most inconsiderate of them !

Last time I looked my life savings were just into 5 figures in US currency.

[dduck]

Are your bairns still living at home? I thought you were OLD.

Iain

[johnslat]

Dear dduck,
Scot47 old?? Why, he's a wee bairn himself, relatively speaking, of course.
And scot47, you're right - I guess I was talking mostly for the " single-status " people, those who have no " hostages to fortune ". Having a wife and children can be an expensive blessing.
Regards,
Old Man John

[scot47]

My mentors have been Charles Chaplin and Pablo Picasso.

It may be that in the politically correct west men are considered "past it" by the age of 40. I pay no heed to these conventions. I married in my forties - admittedly for the second time.

Oldtimers can father children. They often make better fathers than twenty-year olds !

[double agent]

i say WHERE YOU ARE IS WHERE IT PAYS

i am not in the ME and making close to 2000 us clear a month,
with low expenses..... teaching ..yah

30000 a year sounds nice in my pocket though...Saudi...
mmmmmm

maybe one day...

but for now teaching privates and soliciting Large corporations
with my talents is paying for devient needs.

30000 a year ... 30 thirty thooosssannnndd a yyyyeeearrr cccclllleaar
my my
where is my resume?

[The_Prodiigy]

This can be true.

Dubai is a lot smaller and has many more attractions that Saudi Arabia.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

The most lucrative place to be for an EFL teacher is somewhere where you make enough to pay debts off in your home country (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Middle East) but don't feel that you need to drink away half your salary on a daily or weekly basis to forget how miserable you are (so still any of the above areas, depending on the type of person you are).

And for savings, it helps to be single with no dependents, of course (It's so much cheaper to be totally alone! Now read the above comment about drinking daily or weekly again).

[GambateBingBangBOOM]