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saving money?

 
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athenssoest



Joined: 24 Dec 2009
Posts: 41
Location: middle of nowhere United States

PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:37 pm    Post subject: saving money? Reply with quote

I really want to teach ESL abroad when I finish college, however being able to save some of my salary would be a must for me. Other than the typical Korea and Middle East, can anyone tell me some countries where the salary will allow teachers to save?
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Zero



Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402

PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's the problem with EFL in general. Not enough money in it! I most places, you probably won't be able to save much.

Some people can save in China. The key is to live a modest lifestyle and to supplement your main job with extra part-time work or private lessons. In some ways the second- and third-tier cities are better for this, because the cost of living is lower. But wages may be higher in the biggest cities, so it's a toss-up.

When new posters come here and say, "I am moving to Shanghai to teach English, can anyone tell me the best nightclubs?" then I know they aren't going to save anything.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Everyone in the world wants to save money. Help us out here.

Where exactly are you interested or not interested in living/working?
Exactly how much are you hoping to save? (I realize that immediately after college, you will probably have student loans to repay, so include those in your calculations.)
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tttompatz



Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 2:17 am    Post subject: Re: saving money? Reply with quote

athenssoest wrote:
I really want to teach ESL abroad when I finish college, however being able to save some of my salary would be a must for me. Other than the typical Korea and Middle East, can anyone tell me some countries where the salary will allow teachers to save?


US citizen, BA + TESOL ...

Best bang for the buck is still Korea for a newbie with a college degree.
Minimal start-up costs, TESOL and/or experience not required. Go read the Korean forums for a better idea.

Most of Europe is out of the picture for visa reasons.

Pay at the newbie levels in most of the rest of the world won't allow you to pay back or save anything until you get a few years of experience under your belt (not a great plan if ESL is not a career path you are interested in).

Taiwan is not a bad 2nd compared to Korea. Start-up costs are a bit more but savings are possible.
Vietnam is another option as well.
Japan is do-able but you will need a lot of luck or a good sized bank roll to get started (unless you get get into something like the JET program).


.
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naturegirl321



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

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TEFL is a hard job to save in when you're starting out. (Honestly, I've been told that construction workers and truck drivers actually do pretty well.l A friend of mine was looking into those) Korea is probably the best. The Middle East as you get more experience. And just about anywhere if you're willing to work a lot, charge his prices, do privates, company classes, etc. And have the legal ability to do so.
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athenssoest



Joined: 24 Dec 2009
Posts: 41
Location: middle of nowhere United States

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone!
Let me expand on my original post. I don't have any debt to pay off or anything so I'm mainly looking to be able to save enough for grad school. Also, I already have 2 years of ESL tutoring experience in the United States, so i don't know if that would help me get a higher paying job at all.
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tttompatz



Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

athenssoest wrote:
Thanks everyone!
Let me expand on my original post. I don't have any debt to pay off or anything so I'm mainly looking to be able to save enough for grad school. Also, I already have 2 years of ESL tutoring experience in the United States, so i don't know if that would help me get a higher paying job at all.


Unless your 2 years of tutoring are 2 years of full-time, verifiable, in the classroom time they will mean nothing when you head abroad.

Want to save money and have nothing more than a generic Bachelors + TESOL + US passport the list above is accurate. You get to start at the bottom of the pile like everyone else in your shoes.

.
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rtm



Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

athenssoest wrote:
Thanks everyone!
Let me expand on my original post. I don't have any debt to pay off or anything so I'm mainly looking to be able to save enough for grad school.

The reason you want to save money isn't really the issue (paying off student loans vs. reducing future student loans). The question is: How much do you intend to save per month? That will help people here to recommend places where doing so might be feasible.

athenssoest wrote:
Also, I already have 2 years of ESL tutoring experience in the United States, so i don't know if that would help me get a higher paying job at all.

It most likely won't help to get a higher-paying job, but it may help you to get a lower-paying job over someone who has no experience. So, don't leave it off of your resume completely. Just realize that it probably won't count for a ton (many employers don't consider full-time EFL work in a different country, let alone tutoring). It might, however, make you a better-prepared teacher, which will hopefully come through in any interviews or demo lessons you do.
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