Job Discussion Forums

[guangho]

[helmsman]

.......

[guangho]

[gharwell1]

Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Chile, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, India, Russia, Ukraine, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and planning to go to Viet Nam.

I'm 57, I have a 24 yr old Moroccan wife and No money in the bank but it sure beats working in a furniture factory.

Life is GOOD

[soapdodger]

Mick Luna: Advice on E. and Central Europe - just go. There is constant demand here, Poland, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary, cost of living is still relatively cheap so getting accom and surviving until the first paycheque isn't expensive. The usual caveats about pay and work conditions, but there's nice stuff if you look.

[Tiger Beer]

[gharwell1]

[b]Kazakhstan[/b] was the lowest pay I have ever received, $300/month. But I had the best time there. I met a lot of interesting Russians. I did a radio show and the local newspapers wrote some articles about me. When I got there there was NO text, NO curriculum and NO Syllabus. Just a chalkboard that was of a very poor quality. I was totally free to do anything I wanted.

[b]Panama-Panama City.[/b].... Very sweaty, Air conditioners that sounded like Air Hammers. Rent was very very very very expensive. Unless housing is provided as part of the job. I would avoid it.

[b]Ukraine-[/b]-- Interesting people, nice looking women everywhere. Some good BArs and clubs but ost people entertain in the homes so you will never see them.
Hope this helps

[Takahiwai]

SPAIN - 8 years divided between three of the smaller northern cities. Generally lovely students, reasonable standard of living, one cowboy boss (the typical first year experience in Spain), one skinflint boss, one fabulous boss. The introduction of the Euro made a big difference to the cost of living with big price hikes. Unfortunately, wages didn't really keep pace.

ENGLAND - Various summers, firstly with shopaholic Italian teenagers and the odd earnest Portuguese, followed by adult classes with a wide mix. Awful school (but nice students) and still feel guilty that I got a good friend fixed up with a job there. She has never quite forgiven me.

UAE - One year. Inept employers, but charming (adult) students, the entire staff of a girls' primary school, who are surprisingly motivated. For all the links I can see with Spanish language and culture, it is proving to be a real eye-opener.

[mcsam]

10 months China - a difficult place to start but a great learning experience. Fantastic D.o.S who took me under his wing and taught me so much, I will be eternally grateful.

9 months Vietnam - small pre-school on an ex-pat compound. I was the boss and had total autonomy. Fantastic place, great people, lovely kids from all over the world. Fantastic!

1 year U.A.E - Still pondering on wether to leave or not. Totally inept management, unrealistic expectations of students. The kids are nice but not as open as some, the adults are sometimes frustrating and often tiring but on the whole try hard.

[dreadnought]

As a teacher and DoS: Greece (3 years), Croatia (1 year), England (1 year), Morocco (1 year), Poland (1 year), Lithuania (2 years), Serbia (1 year), Kyrgyzstan (4 years) and Korea (currently six months...)

Also, as a teacher trainer have done one month courses in: Bulgaria, Costa Rica, South Africa and the US.

Thoughts on each:

Greece: first job, amazing social life, work sucked 30-40 hours a week doing exam prep with bored teenagers for little money
Croatia: wanted the full 'authentic' experience. Went and worked in a small inland town just after the war ended and unfortunately got it
England: dull, dull, dull, efl in your own country, what's the point? All the disadvantages and none of the perks.
Morocco: amazing country, not good for a single guy..
Poland: great job, great people, but really had to leave for the sake of my liver..
Lithuania: Vilnius is an awesome city, didn't like the job much, unbelievably beautiful women, pay sucked.
Serbia: Belgrade's cool, but sadly i wasn't working there had a good job as a teacher trainer but the program I was working for closed so had to leave. Exciting because I was there during the state of emergency when the president was assassinated.
Kyrgyzstan: fascinating ethnic mix (Kyrgyz, russian, Tajik, Uzbek), had a great job, met my wife there, generally though not a place to earn a great living.
Korea: jury's still out. Some things I like, some things not so much

[Jetgirly]

I don't think I've replied yet. I did the CELTA in Barcelona so I did six hours of supervised teaching practice with Spanish students , then went to Italy and taught for about eighteen months, then came back to Canada and taught at a community college for the summer term before doing a year of ESL student-teaching in the public school system. Last weekend I was supposed to get all the details about teaching in Mexico next semester, but my email box remains sadly Mexico-free. I know the email is coming one way ("you're going") or the other ("you're not going")... so now I wait.

[ESL Hobo]

University of Mexico(10 years),very nice,loads of parties, great students.
Spain(1 year)Private Kindergaten, lots of free time, great place on the Med near Barcelona, awesome weather, cool people and excellent food and wine.
Thailand(1 year) not as nice as it used to be in the 80's.
Indonesia(3 years) great students and exotic culture, stay clear of any Dukuns (witch-doctors).
Taiwan(7 years) money is good, teaching conditions not so great, kind of boring culturally.


The ESL Hobo
"Hopping the next train, plane, bus or bicycle to anywhere. Always looking for the next contract. Being faithful to the ESL Hobo code of ethics."

[LongShiKong]

[quote="JosephP"]
*Hawaii -- Barely squeaked by financially, but the weather, the music, the beach, the waves...hana hou!...it was a nice year in Waikiki.

Teaching ESL in Hawaii sounds like a job in heaven for those of us who don't like the winter. Seems the university there is also a major center for Applied Linguistics. Almost makes me wish I was American.

[bridgetc]

I've taught in Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. In that order.

Germany was my favourite in terms of lifestyle... I speak the language and loved the cities I worked in, and the teaching was a bit of a breeze to be honest. Comparatively anyway (I work in FE in the UK now, which says it all...)

I loved the students in Slovakia and Poland, but I found the schools pretty unbearable. I think I just had bad luck. Very underhanded bosses and very little in the way of resources or support.

Austria was fun, I only wanted to be there for personal reasons, really, but it worked out well. I taught in Salzburg and got myself a good collection of "ski-time" buddies who I can stay with when I fancy hitting the slopes Was near-enough impossible to get a job there, though...

When I finish my next course, my next move is going to be somewhere HOT. I need to warm up!

[Jetgirly]

I can add Mexico to my list of countries. So that makes it:

Spain (if you count the six hours of teaching practice during CELTA)
Italy (eighteenish months at a chain school, teaching mainly Business English)
Canada (a two-month community college program, two student-teaching practicums in grades seven through twelve, three months so far of "really" teaching ESL electives in a middle school)
Mexico (five nightmareish months in a prepa / senior high)

I think the best experience I've had so far is the one-on-one work I do with a nine-year-old who has recently come to Canada from Uzbekistan. My teaching certification is grades seven and higher, so I've never worked with kids that young before, and it's just amazing. Today we acted out different animals and made animal noises! Then, we went to the library and he pointed to a picture of Barak Obama and said, "Obama! No! Bad! McCain! Good!" His transformation has been astonishing. Two months ago he wouldn't even answer to "How are you?" Today he won't shut up. It is so rewarding.