Job Discussion Forums

TheGreatAdventurer · Joined: 17 Aug 2011 Posts: 26

Hello everyone,

I've started to plan and prepare for embarking on my dream of teaching English abroad, and as time passes I find myself setting my sights more and more on Indonesia as the place I'd like to teach first. After spending all 35 years of my life in the hustle and bustle of the suburban United States I am ready for a serious, serious change. Smile

Thus, I find myself drawn to the smaller, more distant communities of my potential destination. I have little interest in teaching in a large major city and I wonder, what sorts of opportunities are there deep in the provinces of Indonesia? Are there a lot of schools looking for teachers say, on the islands east of Bali (including places like Sumba and Sulawesi)? For somebody brand new to teaching and not skilled in Bahasa Indonesia is it a difficult proposition?

I feel that I'd be most comfortable being in a location that is truly "away from it all". For me, a big part of this entire great adventure is to immerse myself into other cultures and truly experience life as a local, or at least as much as is possible for a foreigner.

So, I'd like to ask your thoughts on the outlying areas of Indonesia. Are there plenty of opportunities for a new teacher that pay enough to have a decent, yet humble, quality of life and longevity to stay as long as I'd like? Or would I be setting myself up for a troublesome experience by pursuing such an endeavor?

I greatly appreciate your thoughts and input.

Thanks in advance!

rayman · Joined: 24 May 2003 Posts: 427

I'm afraid to say, for a language school to afford the expense of sponsoring and paying the salary of a foreigner it needs to operate in a city affluent and large enough to still make them a profit. As such, you won't find opportunities in the backwaters of Indonesia. That said, there are some smaller cities with access to the places you perhaps envisage.

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

I'm with the OP! Thinking Sumatra. What about provincial colleges? Sure, the city might be large but you could live on the outskirts. Life seems to be an art of compromise...

colli · Joined: 06 Sep 2010 Posts: 5

I think that you're best bet would be to find a teaching job in a small town in either Sumatra or Java so that you can learn the language and look into the possibilities of teaching further east at the same time. You could also think about Lombok as a possible destination to work in and look for other work at the same time. Good luck and let me know how your plan goes!

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

chezal · Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 146

Yes you can work in Lombok but there isn't that much work on offer or that well paid either.

This year I was offered a job in an National Plus school in Lombok as a fully qualified Science teacher. I was offered 7.5million rp a month! I was earning more as an unqualified ESL teaching 5 years ago. So who knows what pittance they would offer you as an ESL teacher.

colli · Joined: 06 Sep 2010 Posts: 5

RP 7.5 million might not be much by western standards but goes a long way in Indonesia, so bear that in mind bluetortilla. If you work somewhere like Jakarta or Surabaya, yes, that is definitely a pittance, but in other cities your money will go further.

godmachine12 · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Posts: 62

I give a vote for Sumatra as well. Honestly, anywhere on Sumatra should satisfy your desire for a serious change. You'll learn Indonesian and maybe a local language if you stay long enough and put in a little effort. How you'll get by without learning is beyond me but I still meet people that can't string together a proper sentence. Anyway, good luck with your search.