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Molson
Joined: 01 May 2009
Posts: 137
Location: China
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 Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| Splenda wrote: |
Thanks for the info, Sadebugo. With a B.S. and no previous teaching experience, I'll probably end up in Korea. Hearing how miserable so many people seem to be teaching there makes me a little apprehensive, however. From what I read, getting a good public school position is basically the luck of the draw.
Taiwan also has more appeal to me because learning Mandarin is more desirable to me than Korean, but at least Korea pays well.
People like to make the case for places like China, Vietnam, Laos, etc., but the standard of living seems harsher, the pay less, and the jobs harder to find. Japan would probably be nice were it not so expensive. |
I noticed you mention languages as a key consideration. If you are considering moving somewhere to immerse yourself in the language, sure go with China or Taiwan.
However, I have found the reality of it is, I tend to work way too much and never really learn the language. I was in Korea for 10yrs and only got to the basic level. It seemed whenever I had time to study, privates or other employment opportunities presented themselves to me. I always went with money over language.
Now that I am in China I really don't have time to study Chinese. I teach at my school during the day and do privates at night. I had planned to not be so money crazy, but I got debt getting a B.Ed that I want paid off before the school year ends.
Choose your poison and stick with it. Do you want money, culture, quality of life?
About Korea: the quality of life there is GOOD. I don't get people saying it isn't. I had my own apartment which had all the same stuff I would have had if I was in Canada. I lived near mountains, so I could get access to nature anytime I wanted. I owned a car, so I could go anywhere I wanted, when I wanted. They have most of the same shops and products available in Korea as your home country. Sure, you pay a lot more for it. So eat Korean and your golden. Their internet is one of the best in the world and uncensored.
The pollution might be bad around Seoul, and people smoke inside restaurants. Other than these two things, I don't get how the quality of life is so bad?
Oh, and they have cheap and excellent dental and optical options. Blows away North American options. Their health care could be better, but coming from Canada I loved being able to pay $10-$20 to see a specialist and get what I needed ASAP. In Canada I had to wait 6 months to see a specialist.  |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| If you want to learn Chinese take a morning class five days a week in Beijing or Taipei. Work in the afternoons. I did it for a year. Currently I have one on one lessons once a week. |
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InTheKnow
Joined: 13 Jan 2010
Posts: 20
Location: greater Japan
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Nexus11 wrote: |
| People are way too hard on Korea. If you live in Seoul, they have the world's fastest and most accessible high speed internet in the world. |
I went to Seoul for a 3-day visa run and was happy to get the hell out of that xenophobic place. You know it's bad when even the Starbucks staff don't smile as they (seemingly) begrudgingly help you.
The speed of the Internet wouldn't be the first thing that sells me on a country. I have to believe that I've heard all the horror stories about living in Korea because, well, they're true. I returned to Japan and I thought I'd gone to heaven. |
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parrothead
Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 342
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:20 am Post subject: |
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To the OP,
I think you'll have to sacrifice something wherever you go. I live in Japan and despite being more expensive than other Asian countries most jobs pay more than enough to live well on. The downside is that with your qualifications you will probably have to make due with busier, more time-consuming eikaiwa work. Finding time to learn the language will be more challenging. Similar language school work is available in Korea. The cost of living is lower, but a lot of people find the culture much more abrassive than Japan. I think Taiwan might be a nice compromise between work and free time. From what I've noticed it is possible to earn enough to get by on without burning yourself out. If you want to learn the language you might be able to arrange your schedule to accommodate that. |
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NYCESOL11211
Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 75
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| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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deleted
Last edited by NYCESOL11211 on Sat Jul 17, 2010 2:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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NYCESOL11211
Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 75
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| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Molson wrote: |
About Korea: the quality of life there is GOOD. I don't get people saying it isn't. I had my own apartment which had all the same stuff I would have had if I was in Canada. I lived near mountains, so I could get access to nature anytime I wanted. I owned a car, so I could go anywhere I wanted, when I wanted. They have most of the same shops and products available in Korea as your home country. Sure, you pay a lot more for it. So eat Korean and your golden. Their internet is one of the best in the world and uncensored.
The pollution might be bad around Seoul, and people smoke inside restaurants. Other than these two things, I don't get how the quality of life is so bad?
Oh, and they have cheap and excellent dental and optical options. Blows away North American options. Their health care could be better, but coming from Canada I loved being able to pay $10-$20 to see a specialist and get what I needed ASAP. In Canada I had to wait 6 months to see a specialist. |
THIS |
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