Job Discussion Forums

[running dog]

This follows on from the previous thread, but thought it was worth a new one to get a possible discussion going and pass on advice to younger readers. Is it possible to make a decent living from tefl-ing anymore? The short answer is "no". After years of being on a government gravy train, I've recently been forced back onto the private market and am appalled by the salaries and conditions offered by most employers. If you can clear a thousand euros net a month (no accommodation) anywhere in western Europe you're lucky. The situation in the ME is hardly any better. 2,000 euros maximum on double overtime seems to be the best on offer. Granted, if you want to go and live in Bratislava or Southern Patagonia once your stint is through, it probably makes some kind of lopsided sense but otherwise ............... Despite all the (fanciful? surrealist?) talk of unionisation, there's probably no remedy to this but it does raise 2 interesting questions. Number 1: why, if the global economy is doing so relatively well at the moment, are employers so stingy? And number 2 (which is only a follow on) why are there still so many young english speaking people willing to go into this racket? (Surely you can get a better job at home if you are American or British?) All comments, musings, ruminations, spur of the moment inspirations, downright insults welcome.

[007]

[veiledsentiments]

I can't speak for the UK, but there are certainly plenty of jobs available in the US that pay better than the average TEFL job. For me this was a second career that I went into because it was so much less work than business and had two months of vacation to see the world before I was decrepit.

But, because of the tax-free status and low living expenses in the Gulf, I was able to save a huge portion of my pay, at least 3-5 times what I could have saved staying in the US.

And a major factor is that if you ask TEFLers about their degrees, you find that many of them have one of those degrees that prepare you for no existing job anywhere. They can't find a job after graduation, so they decide to head off to see the world and end up somewhere in Asia that hires any native speaker... and then they are on the TEFL merry-go-round.

It can be hard to get off before it is too late to go back home and start over.

VS

[Cleopatra]

[spiral78]

I might add that, for many teachers, it's simply INTERESTING to work in cultures and locations that are different to your own.

I think this may be one of the greatest benefits of the wave of English speaking world-wide - that so many young North Americans and Brits are (hopefully) learning more about people and cultures and thereby learning to RESPECT people, cultures, and histories different from their own - whether or not they embrace every aspect of them!!

I suppose it's not PC to say so, but young Americans in particular can really benefit from more exposure to other cultures, in my personal opinion. So many grow up insulated from the rest of the world.

So, I guess, to me it's not the spread of the language (though we can all benefit from the ability to communicate directly with different people!) but even more the greater understanding and respect that comes from direct knowledge and experience of people different to onesself.

Wow, GET OFF the soapbox, spiral!!

[Mark100]

Teaching TESOL in the Gulf is better paid relatively than most other countries but it should be remembered as far as expats go in the Gulf you are still at the bottom of the ladder as a TESOL teacher in regards to pay and conditions.

Additionally the problem with the Gulf is that there are fewer and fewer good positions available and relatively speaking more and more people looking for those fewer number of good positions.

Further to this the slump in the USD and the lack of real rises in salaries in the Gulf over the last 10 years means that even the Gulf is not such an attractive or viable alternative these days.

Globilisation is only likely to further exacerbate this trend.

[scot47]

As far as 'white expats' go - yes but you are still quite high up the ladder. Maybe you don't count the Filipinos and Bengalis as 'expats' ? What is an 'expat' anyway ? Weasel word.

[Mark100]

OK western expats happy

[Bebsi]

[Stephen Jones]

The minimum pay for language school teachers in Spain (the cheapest Western European market) was 900 Euro.

Teaching is labour intensive. It will never pay a lot.

[spiral78]

Yeah, but Spain's not typical of Western Europe, as they turn a blind eye to the thousands of illegal North Americans (and Aussies, etc) teaching there. Which keeps wages unnaturally low, along with the fact that so many want to work there.

I work projects in Nederlands, and the pay is quite all right relative to cost of living. Wish I could make it a full-time thing, but so far I'm not that high on the ladder - and I've 10 years experience and MA TESL/TEFL....

Yeah, the job market's tough in Western Europe. You're right.

[Stephen Jones]

[running dog]

Many thanks for comments. My own angle on this is that the back-packer/gap year division will always be there (which, of course, with all due respect to you youngsters who need a bit of adventure, has always led to the low esteem in which tefl-ing is held). It just seems a bit hard on those of us who've been doing it so long we're fit for nothing else. Still, what's the use in complaining? You pays your money and you take your chance .... Happy Eid to Saudi correspondents and hope you enjoy your break.

[scot47]

From my Balkan Chateau I send Eid greetings to all.

www.skavivascot.com

[Stephen Jones]

As far as I can tell KFUPM pay around the same as other universities. Jubail and Yanbu pay more but that was deliberate policy in the late 70s to attract people to the places.