Job Discussion Forums

[marshouser]

I've been looking for a way to get to Nepal or Tibet to teach english and submerse myself in a buddhist community but am unsure about the best route. I can't pay money to go over for a year in a volunteer capacity because I don't have it. Plus, I don't see many volunteer opportunites for a minimum 12 months (my desired time frame). I need to teach for money because I have those lovely loans from my bachelors. I have a bachelors in Business Information Systems and have taught computers to adults and children in an informal capacity but enjoyed it just the same. My ten-year career in the IT field is coming to a hault with my new direction of PhD but I need to get over there and get a feel for things. Any suggestions? I need to be able to send home about $500 US/month.

Any thoughts anyone?

~Jen

[movinaround]

No

I am not saying there aren't chances, but so few I think it would be easier doing a year of hard saving and not worry about saving when you go there. Maybe try Korea for a year (you can save over $1000 a month without saving, if you really try, $1400) and then go to Nepal or Tibet without money worries (for that year atleast).

This isn't meant to be mean, just straight advice.

[saint57]

[Jetgirly]

"Hault"? "with my new direction of PhD"?

What on earth makes you think that the people of Tibet or Nepal (which has a per capita GDP of $1500) would want or need to pay you (with your excellent writing skills and seeming lack of TEFL qualifications) to teach them English? Do you have any comprehension of your financial expectations in relation to their financial reality?

[marshouser]

Pretty much saw that one coming. Honesty and straight-forward information isn't being mean, don't worry, I'm 35 and was in the Navy at one point. Mean is a whole nother ball o' wax. Gotta love being compared to a hippy....LOL! I've been to S Korea before and liked it so I guess I could go back? I just didn't want to take more than a year to take off before starting my PhD full time. I'm old enough that I don't want to wait too much longer.

Thanks guys, keep the honesty coming.

Jen

[marshouser]

It's late and a typo slipped. I was trying to keep the posting short and it didn't come out well. Plus, that's why I came here, to ask questions? Nice attitude.

[JZer]

[eslstudies]

I've never heard of a Westerner getting a legit teaching job in Tibet. The Chinese are suspicious enough of foreigners there as it is, worried about their political agenda.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Why don't you just go to a Buddhist country in which you can earn money, like...uh.... Japan?

[Henry_Cowell]

[ilaria]

Teach English in Tibet? I only know of one person who did, and that's because she wrote a book about it - Catriona Bass, 'Inside the Treasure House'. However, that was fifteen or twenty years ago, when China was in the first flush of reform and opening. The situation in Tibet is different now. I agree with those who say you have no chance of working there.

Nepal - I was there a couple of years ago (on holiday, not working). Grim politics and economics back then, can't have changed much since. There are some voluntary work options, but I'm afraid I had to laugh when you said you needed to save $500 a month.

A couple of suggestions:

1. Mongolia. Strong historical and religious links with Tibet. Paid work possible. (Might not be well paid enough for you, of course.)

2. Western Sichuan. The provincial border between Tibet and Sichuan has been drawn very arbitrarily. Tibetan culture, language and religion extends much further east into Sichuan than that line on the map suggests. Paid work in high schools, teacher training colleges etc very possible, but again, the salary would be low.

This is what I've heard, anyway - could be wrong!

[ilaria]

'American Teacher Devoted to Tibetan Students'
http://www.china.org.cn/english/Life/117491.htm
Just came across this while looking for something else... It's a somewhat vomit-inducing article (syrupy description of Perfect Teacher Kevin) but contains much useful information for anyone wanting to teach Tibetan students. This guy didn't teach in Tibet proper, but in Qinghai which borders Tibet.

[jammish]

I love this kind of newbie optimism...

As others have said, try South Korea, which seems the easiest place to save money. Korean students also easier to teach than Chinese students in my experience. Even just with a Degree in Korea you can get enough money to send home 500 USD a month without breaking sweat, probably more than that unless you want to spend it all in bars.

[Dolma]

Hmm, where do I begin, dharma sis? This is my dream too. Unfortunately Nepal is difficult because it is such a poor country and most positions are on a volunteer basis. In 2001 immediately following the Royal Family Massacre I taught very briefly(one month, would have stayed longer but was on vacation leave) at a monastic school affiliated with a lama I was studying with at the time (Lama Pema Wangdak, http://www.vikramasila.org) . At the time they were renting a property near Swayambhu, now the school has relocated to Pokhara. I needed to pay my own airfare and incidentals but I received free room and all the dal bhat and roti I could eat. Try to inquire directly with monasteries, etc. Avoid the 'pay to volunteer' orgs. It's better to just show up and ask around I think(try Boudha), even look at the notice boards at the Kathmandu Guest House, etc. I saw 'volunteers wanted' ads with Buddhist orgs there last summer.
Another problem is I believe the gov't will only allow you to stay for 5 months at a time in a calendar year. Of course, since the gov't is changing this may change as well. I have head of people staying from August to December and then January through May to get around this rule but then you have to get out.

I am contemplating alternating jobs in 'money' countries (Korea, Taiwan(which has a lively Tibetan dharma scene)) with stints of volunteering in Nepal. Don't know if it would work, but this is what I am considering.

[mlomker]