Job Discussion Forums

BOBBYSUE · Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 100

Viracocha doesn't tell the whole story at all. Perhaps lazy, untalented people who would not have done well in any field will find themselves at a dead end in ESL as they would have done anywhere. But talented, hardworking people can make the world their oyster in EFL as anywhere else. I have a friend who taught with me way back in the late 80's when we had just done our CELTA's. After many years abroad he moved back to the UK to work for a company creating online courses for companies in China and Japan. He is earning very good money. He also receives in excess of $15000 per year in royalties as he co-authored a very successful ESL textbook at the age of 31. Most of the people earning good money in the head offices of organisations such as Embassy CES, IH and Bell began as EFL teachers and worked their way up, doing some management training on the way. Those places are full of people who wanted to move back home.
I am slightly different in that I have state teaching qualifications as well as the ESL ones, and I wanted to stay abroad with my partner, raise a family, put them through good schools, AND buy a house in my home country and have long holidays to spend back there with money in my pocket. And guess what? You can do that too! I worked in the UAE and am now at CfBT Brunei, where I am surrounded by people who are busy saving lots of cash whilst living in huge houses and spending plenty of time with their ever increasing families. The cost of living here is low, the workload very manageable, the salary good, and the Brunei dollar pegged to the Singapore dollar. And we pay no tax and can visit all of SE Asia cheaply.
I know so many talented people in ESL who are doing really well either in their home countries or abroad, many with large families and very nice lifestyles. If you are prepared to work hard, stay up to date, and not do the minimum to get by, you will do well...go for it.

keitepai · Joined: 23 Feb 2008 Posts: 143 Location: Istanbul

So it is possible to live a comfortable lifestyle teaching internationally - with kids though? I initially came over her for 2 years and now I find I can't possibly think of going home to NZ for the next 4 years!!! I have been infected............I wonder if my kids are going to resent my choice later in life when they try and fit back into our insular little country or will they be happy they had such an experience.

I have found it difficult at times in Istanbul to support a family, especially with the low USD last year. In saying this our house and living conditions are certainly better than we could afford in NZ, we have health insurance here plus a number of other benefits. My job is relatively easy so I cannot see a reason to go home and struggle in suburbia just to be at home. Confused

kinlij · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 15 Location: Australia

^^ I left Australia to teach in Thailand when my daughter was 9. We stayed there for 6 years and she went to the international school where I was working. She was 14 when we came back and found it hard to fit in at first. She had no friends and found going to a high school with 1000 students quite a shock after the nice little 200 student for the whole K-12 school she had been at. She had a pretty rough 6 months. But then she made friends and things got quickly better for her after that.

She's 19 now and is working. Living in Thailand is the most interesting thing she or any of her friends have done. She talks about wanting to travel by herself. She remembers the very comfortable life we had there compared to back in Oz. She wasn't very happy with me when we first came back because she missed it so much, but now I think it was a wonderful experience for her.

How old are your kids? The main expense for them overseas is education when they're of school age, because I really would only consider sending them to an international school.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:05 am Post subject:

poser wannabe · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 9 Location: Costa Rica

I havent read all 13 pages on this topic, but I think one major mistake teachers who want to make ESL a career, is they look at thr wrong places to "set up shop." Ive taught in differnet capitals in Europe and Asia, and although they are beautiful places giving teachers amazing memories, European capitals, and countries like Japan and Korea are really expensive if you want to buy a house (the main staple of "setting up shop") Using the $$$ you save in those places and then moving to a poorer country (central, south america) and putting money down on a house will allow you to teach as a job and not just as a limbo career. Also anual working trips back home for a couple of months, help out immensley. A $20/hour 50hours /week construction job back home is sick money in central America. While all my friends back home are fretting about mortgages, Ive got my house paid off completely in my mid 30's. The lack of pension sucks hard, and I do lose sleep over it, but if you work 35-45hours/week you should be able to sock some away every month. I dont want to come off like "look what Ive done" all Im saying is there is an option for those who what to teach ESLfor a career. Make money in rich countries and spend it in poorer countries.

jpvanderwerf2001 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 1117 Location: New York

I agree with the last post. Research where to set up shop before doing so. I happen to have a wife and a child, and am living quite comfortably out here in Russia. This is because, due to tough visa rules, it is difficult for most teachers to make a go of it out here (especially in Vladivostok, not sure about the rest of the country). As a result I have very little competition for teaching jobs and private students. If cards are played smartly and correctly this gig can be a very well-paid one.
As to going back home, that's another story. Cool

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject:

THe alternative to punching in 35 teaching hours a week, of course, is to find ways to get paid more for the hours you do put in.

I'm on about 26 hours a week of teacher training right now, and the bank balance if flowing uphill better than it would on 40 hours of teaching...

Show good sense, a modicum of professionalism, get the qualifications, and EFL can be a pretty good life.

I agree with the poster who talked about saving in stronger economies to spend in weaker ones. It would take me a hell of a long time to save for a house in the US on what I can make most places I've been overseas.

But I'm currently working in Korea towards my goals in Ecuador. Works.

Best,
Justin

poser wannabe · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 9 Location: Costa Rica

OK 35-45hours/week was a bit of a stretch, I had a few beers before posting, but I dont think 30-40 hours is working too much. After a few years under your belt, your lesson planning is reduced to almost zero, and the repetition of lessons makes you a better teacher with less time and effort commitment. Teaching 30-40 hours, necessary if you have kids, is not the same as working 40-60 hours working at a much more demanding job. Im not saying teaching isnt hard, but Im sick of teachers working 20-25 hours/week, eating out every 2nd night drinking every 2nd night travelling every 2nd wekend and still constantly complaining about how hard it is to make ends meet. You can earn a decent living teaching, the trick is not trying to live in fantasy land.

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

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

YES!!!!

Over 24 THOUSAND views on this thread!!!

Laughing

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 6:07 am Post subject:

Wow. There are a LOT of people who are interested!

I'll just add this- everybody talks about how hard it is to move up in EFL, but I haven't found it so. We're in a field where the vast majority of the labor pool are short termers and entry level. IF you choose to make a career of it, you move into the "experienced" category almost immediately. (5 years is a LOT of experience when looking for EFL jobs. Can't say that for too many other fields.)

And if you're willing to invest time, effort, and $$ in an additional piece of paper or two for the wall, the better jobs start looking for you.

I'm confident, at this moment, that if I lost my job tomorrow, I could find another one the same day. (I wouldn't. I've got enough in the bank that I'd rather take at least a couple of weeks rest. But if I had to, I could.)

It's not rocket science. Just takes some preparing, planning, and hard work. Why we call it "work," I guess.

Best,
Justin

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

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:50 am Post subject:

Not sure bout that. I've known plenty who worked hard, planned, and prepared to get a degree.

But others who were lazy as sloths and dumb as road gravel.

A degree isn't what it used to be...

best,
justin

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

It most certainly isn't. I agree with you about that one Justin.

But about moving up, I don't know. I'm at the creme de la creme teaching at the only bilingual uni in Peru, but pay is still the same it was 2 years ago. International schools are another matter, sure they pay more, but there's lots of office politics, and once you're in, it's still hard to get a pay rise.

ONe thing I must say, is that I've built up a lot of contacts over the years here in Peru and would like to open a little business. That's one way of moving up.