Job Discussion Forums

[James Hetfield]

So you're teaching in a nation where you barely speak the local language, not good enough to negotiate a lease, contract, anything at all over the phone or through email. Your school pays so little that virtually all teachers survive by tutoring privates. PROBLEM: How can you advertise your service and negotiate tutoring if you barely know L2, and those potential students responding to your advert barely know English?

In Taiwan I totally relied upon my girlfriend to advertise, answer want ads and negotiate all contracts. Now I'm a stranger in a strange land with no help at all for anything. I cannot hold a phone conversation or negotiate anything in local language. And I need private students.

Any brilliant ideas how you solved this problem and landed some private students without knowing L2?

[jonniboy]

[JZer]

Well in Taiwan these days you can find tutoring jobs on tealit without speaking a word of Mandarin. Of course I have one agent that gives me private students and I usually have to speak Chinese to those mothers. The reason they contact an agent is because they cannot speak English in the first place. If they did they would find their own tutor and not pay a fee to an agent.

[Glenski]

Hand out business cards at every opportunity. Yes, in English for the reasons described above.

Or, MAKE a friend or FIND a translator.

Or, here's a thought...learn the language enough!

[Justin Trullinger]

I-ve never been a big fan of tutoring private classes, but those I know who do mostly get business through word of mouth. Meaning that the people who recommend you can help set it up.

Where are you, anyway, James?

Personally, I-d advise against going anywhere that you have to take on private classes right away to survive.


Best,

Justin

[naturegirl321]

Advertise in English, for Peru, you can advertise on Expatperu.com , Expat Peru's listserv and Livinginperu.com

Then after a while, it's all word of mouth

[Glenski]

If you're actually trying to survive upon entry to a country by taking on private lessons, is that legal? Not in Japan, anyway.

[Justin Trullinger]

Most places I know, it wouldn't be legal.

But how much that matters varies from place to place.

Some places, if it's illegal, you run the risk of serious consequences including arrest or deportation.

Other places, if it's illegal, it's just...illegal. And nothing happens.

Teachers who've been there longer than you, and knowledgeable locals are your best sources to figure this out. But remember that it's you, and not them, who will face the consequences- so go with reliable sources, and double check.

I'll say it again- if a job pays so poorly that you need privates to survive practically from day one, it's not a job I'd be interested in.


Best,
Justin

[spiral78]

If the OP is somewhere like Poland, it is legal to take on privates, and, yes, it's the little bit extra that can make the difference between barely getting by and doing OK.

And many Central European languages are very tough to learn - it takes some time.

So, yes, for Central/Eastern Europe, advertise in simple English, until you have time to get a grip on the local language. It's the norm in this region.

[Guy Courchesne]

Quite common practice in Mexico, as well as being very lucrative. Tutoring is the norm for local teachers here to bolster their income though foreign teachers doing so fetch a nice premium.

Advertisng is almost unneccessary as word of mouth will bring in more students than one can handle. If you don't speak a word of Spanish, then you'll usually pick up intermediate level students that have had their fill of local teachers, or that are looking to move abroad, complete a TOEFL test, or work with foreign accents.