Job Discussion Forums

[lostintranslation100]

Hi everybody. I'm new to these discussion boards so I thought I'd say hello. I'm an ESL teacher in Korea. I'm 24, graduated with a BA last fall and made the plunge into Korea last March. I really enjoy teaching, however, I really don't want to stay in Korea any longer. So when my contract ends in March, I really want to move somewhere new. I have a few questions.

1. Ideally, Europe sounds great. Prague would be awesome. So can an American get a job in Europe?

2. Where else besides Asia does a young American have a chance for work? I would get my CELTA before I go anywhere.

3. Is the world's ESL job market going to improve in the next year?

4. So what should I do?

Thanks for any advice you can give me!


-Gary

[naturegirl321]

1. Yes, but there's lots and lots of paperwork, and getting into the old EU is nigh on impossible. Check the Europe boards.

2. Latin America, the Middle East. North America.

3. Probably not.

4. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, teach privates, tutor online and work towards an MA.

[JZer]

If you cannot find anywhere else to go I would say to give Taiwan a try. It is warm here and a lot better than the Hermit Kingdom. You don't get a free apartment but at least you don't have people here falling you around checking to see if you are teaching illegal privates, etc.

[Glenski]

What exactly do you mean by booming? Here in Japan, the market is glutted, salaries are falling, schools are closing or merging...

[ESL Hobo]

Dont give up on asia yet!
Southeast was a lot more fun for me and if you are single and dont need a lot of money I think you would really enjoy Thailand, Indonesia or Vietnam.

[khmerhit]

Excuse me, ESL Hobo. You neglected to mention























C A M B O D I A


try it and see

[Justin Trullinger]

[coledavis]

Russia's good, especially as you have experience (although I would get the CELTA, to make you more attractive to employers). If you want to live in Russia, that is.

[JZer]

What is the pay like in Russia?

[coledavis]

Your question is not as simple as it appears, but here's an attempt to be brief. (I'm adding comments about qualifications and different currencies so the answer may be of use to other people.)

The negatives: Firstly, you won't get a western salary (not that western salaries for TEFL are all that hot). Secondly, Russian prices are not that much cheaper than in the west.

The positives: If you can get into a licensed educational establishment - a non-profit making language school, where the director gets a salary - (and they will want a good TEFL qualification and experience), then you get a free flat and possibly subsidised fuel and internet. So it is actually possible to save much more than you would if renting your own accommodation in the west.

With the McStarterJobs, which I think are businesses rather than licensed educational establishments, then I think a shared flat, possibly subsidised rather than free, is the norm. Obviously you'll save less if anything, but it makes sense for those with no experience in order to get some. They provide some support both academically and, if you're new to Russia, culturally. Not to be sneezed at.


Payment is in roubles. This fluctuates a lot, generally in a negative way, against the US dollar, but stays fairly stable in terms of the pound (as this is also falling in value). If you want to look in absolute terms, although I've already indicated that this is not particularly helpful, I would say a flat plus 500 US dollars is the norm for a starter job, a flat with about 900 to 1100 dollars is well worth taking if you can get it (remember this is just rough estimation, as pay is in roubles). Bigger pay is for much more experienced people.

To ask this question about each country is going to lead to some convoluted calculations.