Job Discussion Forums

jezebel · Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 53

Everyone I know who has gone abroad to teach English has typically done it right after university or high school. Are there many newbie teachers who are older than that? Are there many teachers in their 30s and up? Or are these mainly the ones who've been there for years?

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

Perhaps it depends what country and what type of school you're talking about. My experience is only of universities in China, but I noticed a significant numbers of geezers, like myself. I would guess the average age of the teachers at the schools where I worked would have been around 40.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Every time scot47 and I go on holiday we have to get an export licence from the Department of Antiquities.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

MGreen · Joined: 22 May 2007 Posts: 81

What are you talking about, Dubai and Beirut both have excellent party scenes.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I guess I was thinking more about small-town Oman...

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Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

comenius · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:59 pm Post subject:

I think you'll find the age distribution is heavily weighted towards folks in their 20's, but there are lots and lots of folks over that age as well.

That's one of the great things about ESL, is that it really has no age limits. Smile

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Right, some people start young and keep at it. Others do it for a bit than go to other jobs. Or others start late.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

MO39 · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:31 pm Post subject:

I'm 62 and a friend is 57. Both of us are working in Mexico City doing business classes for language schools, and we also have our own private students.

Wonder if I have time to get one of those Antiquity export licenses before I leave next week for the U.S....

eslstudies · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 1061 Location: East of Aden

I think increasing numbers of people in their late middle age are going into TEFL as an alternative to retirement. Many of them are well qualified and experienced teachers who find the short hours and easy lifestyle appealing. They can support themselves while superannuation/investment savings pile up at home, ready for genuine retirement.

Pollux · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 224 Location: PL

Neah, most ESL teachers are young graduates with useless degrees who can't get a real job at home. Then there are older folks who realise it's an easy gig.

There are always sloppy backpackers at it too.

MO39 · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject:

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

There are people who start out as fresh out of uni 20somethings who never stop and so they become old.

There are people who are in their 30s who did a bunch of other stuff in their home country (or not really) before leaving who plan to stay at it for a long time.

Part of the reason why it's so scewed towards twenty-somethings is that many people only do it for a couple of years and then leave, and many people who would like to go overseas end up never actually doing it if they don't go right after university because they do the job, marriage, 2.5 kids, house in the suburbs thing instead.