Job Discussion Forums

[akmassager]

I've been scouring eslcafe.com and this section intensly as I am planning to come out to VN in April or May. I was chatting with a friend in Thailand who said that working conditons for esl teachers are horrible. I told him, successfully, that VN, from what I have gathered, doesn't have the horrible working conditons that seem so prevalent in other Asian countries, namely Thailand, Korea, and Japan.
I understand that it does vary widely from company to company, but on the whole aren't the working conditons in VN decent by comparision to the aforementioned countries?
Thanks,
akmassager

[ajc19810]

Best working conditions I've had as a teacher and not as a manager were surprsingly at Saigon Tech University.

- own locker, photo copy card with a great photo copy guy, spacious classrooms, quick internet access, markers pens pencils supplied, class folders put out for me to pick up before class, cd player put in class for me, boards and erasers cleaned properly, large staff room, furniture in good cond, communication all done by email and regularly, powerful aircons.

Worst working conditions were not surprisingly at the same school that stole every working viet and foreign teachers and admin staff monthly salary, SITC. (Whatever happened to that guy?)

- re-photocopied books, folders always jumbled up, continuous class cancellations, halls flooded with water from poor plumbing, lift regularly breaking down with students in it, cd players never working, ink supplied for teachers to refill markers (always messy), overcrowded staffroom. All in all crap.

Out of the 8 schools I have worked at only one had poor working conditions and that was SITC. That was the extreme.

[akmassager]

AJC,
thanks for the response. I was also concerned about whether VN employers 'abused' their teachers. I've read and had horror stories related to me about teachers in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan... it doesn't seem that that happens much in VN... or am I wrong about that?

[ajc19810]

I've hit the piss with most of my previous employers and I've found that helps relations as it does anywhere in the world. All my direct superiors have been male so that makes it easier.
As far as being abused of course there are stories, but I have never encountered any abuse first hand. Some employers may abuse you by making you teach 8 - 10 hours in one day (saturday). This was my experience at VATC. They were a relativley good employer but the branch I was at couldnt grasp the concept that that many hours a day wasn't good for anyone. Good money, but would have preferred playing 3 ball all afternoon.

[mickeyrex]

Thailand doesn't necessarily have horrible teaching conditions. Quite the contary in my case. It's just the fricking low salary for what you do that's troublesome. Korea? Look at the won and tell me that's a good prospect.

[mcsensei]

I taught in Japan for 6 years at a variety of schools and never thought the conditions were that bad.

That being said, the two most well known English Language Centres in Vietnam-ILA and Apollo-are British organizations and both have quite solid reputations. I work for one of them and the quality of teaching and general professional atmosphere is better than what I experienced working for a Japanese English language school.

I think in any country, there are going to be good and bad schools. You can ensure getting a better working environment by getting a CELTA or equivalent and/or some experience under your belt. It's usually the 'bottom-feeder' schools that are going to give you the most headaches.

I think the most attractive thing about teaching in Vietnam as opposed to other Asian countries is that the pay is really good relative to the cost of living. It also doesn't seem to be suffering from the economic crisis as badly as some others- notably Japan.

Good Luck!

[MisterLinguistix]