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izzyismydog

I am a certified teacher in Canada and hoping to move somewhere else to teach where I can still make reasonable money (have to send home about $1000CDN per month). I have 2+ years teaching in Taiwan and will finish my second year teaching before I head off again. I don't particularily like the "cram schools" of so many other countries but would prefer to have my own classroom.

I have searched the forums and haven't found much info on Macau. What is the pay like? How are the schools? Are there any that would be a particularily good place to work, or a good place to avoid?

And if there's info I am missing when I search, please direct me to the links!

Thanks

TravellingAround · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 423

There's one great option for you - http://www.tis.edu.mo/

Canadian curriculum and in Macau - beat that! There is also an international primary school there as well and maybe a couple of other schools (if that) but none that will suit you as well as on the above link.

Pay seems good. Macau is nice and clean...kind of a bit boring but near loads of cool places so great for a travelling base.

peggiescott · Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 162

You might also try this one:
http://www.schoolofthenations.com/
Peggie

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

While the above information may be helpful I would advise against too high hopes because Macau is tiny and it doesn't normally recruit English teachers from overseas.
The local schools have as a matter of fact have reasonable success in imparting good English communiction skills to their graduates; you can daily test their skills anywhere in downtown Macau! It's unlike the Mainland!

There is one university - the University of Far East - that has academic positions to offer.
Recently, Macau has been groaning under labour shortages due to its breakneck development as a consequence of casinos expanding. I don't know if that bodes well for you: casino staffers are expected to have language skills but where can they be trained for their jobs?

That might open some avenues - but beware of illegal job offers!

TravellingAround · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 423

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_Macau

As for Macau itself...you never know which salubrious and respected characters you might bump into...such as...

Who is he? Check...http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/son-of-kim-lives-it-up/2007/02/01/1169919453875.html

The son of ""Im So Ronery" living the high life on Coloane Island...although you probably won't get that if you haven't seen Team America Wink

izzyismydog · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:29 pm Post subject: TIS and a bunch of questions!

I actually have an interview in a couple of weeks with TIS, they are currently recruiting here--I teach from the curriculum they are using. Before I found their ad I was trying to find info on working in Singapore (hard to find), and Macau seems like (almost) as good an option from what little I know! I would like to continue travelling in the general area and enjoying the food, weather and lifestyle.

What should I know about Macau and that school (or any other in Macau) before I go into the interview?

Is the treatment and pay going to be reasonable? Is it possible to save money there? Are the locals generally accepting of foreigners? Is there an expat community to speak of?

What would my husbands work situation be like? I assume he would get some sort of spousal visa status? He has a 1 month intensive CTEFL and 2 years of teaching EFL and a BSC but no ed degree (though would start his masters in TEFL or something online if it'll help).

SPeaking of KJ-i is it safe there, with any corruption or crime staying aways from the expats? It was apparently quite corrupt and relatively dangerous in Taiwan- if you were Taiwanese, but not if you were a wei guo ren. (what language is the most prominently spoken in Macau?)

thanks for your help!

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

Youcan lay off your fears about living in a town infested with casinos. While gambling dens cluster around the tip of Macau Peninsula (where the Lisboa was set up as the very first of them decades ago) youcan enjoy dining out, shopping and working almost next door without even becoming aware of what's going on next door.
Macau is heavily touristed; if you follow WESTERN tourists you will be safest; they head for the Leal Senada square in the centre of town; it is a very Portuguese, very charming neighbourhood, all buildings very ornate, most renovated; lanes are cobbled and traffic is under control (not chaotic as in Zhuhai). In fact, if you want to cross a road cars will slow down and come to a stop. Macanese are probably China's best-behaved people.
English is widely spokken, Portuguese hardly at all, while Cantonese is the lingua franca and Mandarin is becoming ever more important.

It is a bit dense everywhere except on the two islands; it's cacophonous in Macau town, really, and I would guess, long-time residency seems a slightly depressing prospect (just over 12 sq klicks for the town with close to 400'000 inhabitants!).

But even the most heavily built-up district has buildings and sites of major tourist and historic interest!

Living costs are about as low as in the mainland (lower than in Shenzhen!), as are incomes of most people; it's a wonder that so many natives can scrape by in such a pretentious and glitzy city! If you are going to make 20'000 you will live quite comfortably! Croupiers get maybe half that much and waiters half a croupier's...

TravellingAround · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 423

I've known people to go and think they were visiting a mini-Hong Kong...well, it's definitely not that so don't go if that is what you are expecting. They were usually disappointed when going with those expectations!

It's nowhere near as loud, brash and intoxicating as the teeming parts of Hong Kong.

I really liked the place and the food is awesome but many people find it dull and too small. Depends on your temperament really.