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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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 Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| United Arab Emirates, Brunei, Malaysia ... |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 11:47 pm Post subject: Re: What's the best place for me? |
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| Hsinchuguy wrote: |
| I've been teaching ESL for about 17 years, I have an M.A. and TESL certification. I've taught in China, Taiwan, Oman and now, Canada. At this point, money is probably the most important factor for me but I don't want to live like a hermit either so Saudi Arabia isn't for me. Even though I could teach in a university I'm not necessarily interested in it, career advancement isn't important for me. I just want to go someplace where I can bank some decent money for my later years. |
| Iceman wrote: |
| How about Japan? The money there can be quite good (depends on qualifications, school, etc). Plus, you have all the freedoms you want, unlike the Middle East. |
Salaries in Japan have been falling, and it's a very competitive market there. When do you want to start?
How much "decent money" do you want to save per month? |
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Iceman33
Joined: 08 Nov 2009
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 2:03 am Post subject: |
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I was looking at English language schools in Hakkaido and Fukuoka (adult conversation schools).
No, I am not very materialistic and I don't drink, but I was planning on saving around $500 dollars/month.
I hear that university teaching is very competitive, no matter where I go online. As for adult conversation schools, some tell me entry-level jobs aren't that hard to get if you have a degree in any field combined with a TESOL certificate (at least 120 hours). Others tell me you just need a degree for the visa and have miminal qualifications (no certificate), even though some language schools are a bit pickier than they used to be (whatever that means).
Do they appreciate qualifications in Japan? Some tell me no while others tell me yes. If it's no, then why do people say it's so competitive, even for entry-level jobs?
I have a Bachelor's in French, a Master's in lingustics (French > English translation) and a 150-hour online TESOL certificate. Not sure if that will get me in or not. I can always try.
In Turkey the pay is quite lousy for saving any kind of money when converted into US dollar, but my qualifications seem to be better appreciated there, or so it seems (in Russia, too, lol, where the pay is really low).
I really don't know what to think. It's all so confusing to me, even after doing months of research. 
(PS: I've been studying Japanese grammar quite intensively, but I love langugages and grammar, so...  ) |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 2:39 am Post subject: |
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| Iceman33 wrote: |
| Do they appreciate qualifications in Japan? Some tell me no while others tell me yes. If it's no, then why do people say it's so competitive, even for entry-level jobs? |
In my experience, most places in Japan don't really care/know about TESOL/TEFL certificates (CELTA, Trinity, etc.) MAs they do appreciate, but mostly for university jobs (for which you also have to have pretty good Japanese language skills, publications, etc., and even then, it's still very, very competitive) I think the reason that it's still so competitive even for entry-level jobs is because there are SO MANY people already on the ground looking for jobs. For that reason, it is possible that some places are learning about TESOL/TEFL certificates (i.e., as a quick way to weed out some of the massive pile of applications they have for each position) - but I have no knowledge of this actually happening. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 9:58 am Post subject: |
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| Iceman33 wrote: |
| I was looking at English language schools in Hakkaido and Fukuoka (adult conversation schools). |
Typo. That would be Hokkaido.
Conversation schools that cater exclusively to adults are not all that common. Eikaiwas are businesses, and they often/usually have clients of all ages.
| Quote: |
| No, I am not very materialistic and I don't drink, but I was planning on saving around $500 dollars/month. |
That should be no problem even on an entry level wage. Half of a 250,000 yen/month salary goes to basic necessities, and saving the other 125,000 yen is easily enough done with minor frugality, IMO.
| Quote: |
| I hear that university teaching is very competitive, no matter where I go online. |
Absolutely!
| Quote: |
| As for adult conversation schools, some tell me entry-level jobs aren't that hard to get if you have a degree in any field combined with a TESOL certificate (at least 120 hours). |
Until 3-5 years ago, I would have told you that eikaiwas don't care about certs at all, nor do they even know what they are.
Nowadays, with the increased crunch on hiring, who can say how employers in that area are filtering through applicants? I can tell you that there are lots of applicants even for entry level eikaiwa jobs! What I can't say with any certainty is whether those employers follow a western logic in hiring the more qualified. I'd say some do, some don't.
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| Others tell me you just need a degree for the visa |
Yes, the degree is a minimum requirement for the visa. It's up to employers to figure they want it, too. That may sound strange, but you have to figure that there is more than one type of visa which will permit work, and not all visas require a degree. Even for a work visa itself, 3 years of related work experience will substitute for a degree.
| Quote: |
| Do they appreciate qualifications in Japan? Some tell me no while others tell me yes. If it's no, then why do people say it's so competitive, even for entry-level jobs? |
It's competitive because since 2007 there have been 2 major eikaiwa chains that have gone bankrupt (for different reasons), putting >5000 instructors on the street, sending them home with tails between legs, or taking jobs with G.com (the place that adopted the teachers), and because ALT dispatch companies have made serious inroads into the JET program ALT business.
| Quote: |
| I have a Bachelor's in French, a Master's in lingustics (French > English translation) and a 150-hour online TESOL certificate. Not sure if that will get me in or not. I can always try. |
Good enough for entry level jobs. Pretty much the same level of quals as most newcomers. |
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JimJam
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 69
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 2:33 pm Post subject: Russia? |
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No one seems to have suggested Moscow yet. The schools pay pretty poorly (maybe $1000 a month) but they often throw in flights, a flat and bills. However, the real money is in private students who can pay 2000 - 4000 rubles ($80-$160) per 90 minute class.
Personally I teach 25 hours for a school and then double my money teaching 10-15 hours privately.
If you work hard and live fairly austerely you can send home $2000 or more per month.
The downside is of course that Moscow isn't a particularly nice place to live and living austerely here means not really living at all. But having said that it is a good place to bank for a year or 2. |
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Iceman33
Joined: 08 Nov 2009
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 11:46 pm Post subject: Re: Russia? |
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| JimJam wrote: |
No one seems to have suggested Moscow yet. The schools pay pretty poorly (maybe $1000 a month) but they often throw in flights, a flat and bills. However, the real money is in private students who can pay 2000 - 4000 rubles ($80-$160) per 90 minute class.
Personally I teach 25 hours for a school and then double my money teaching 10-15 hours privately.
If you work hard and live fairly austerely you can send home $2000 or more per month.
The downside is of course that Moscow isn't a particularly nice place to live and living austerely here means not really living at all. But having said that it is a good place to bank for a year or 2. |
Thank you for this information! Very interesting.
I forgot that housing usually comes with the deal in Russia as well as plane tickets costs.
Not sure I could handle Russia right now, even though I study that language a lot (love it!). I'm a newbie to EFL (lived overseas before, but not in a country like Russia).
To make that kind of money, you must really be working hard all while being amazingly frugal at the same time. If I were in those conditions, I would never manage to be that thrifty.
Turkey seems to be comparable to Russian in salary (perhaps a bit higher in general in the range of $1500 US/month). If I had to pick, I'd probably take Turkey first as a newbie as Turks appear friendlier and the students are easier to deal with (what I've been told).But there are aspects about Russia that appeal to me a bit more such as language, architecture, religion, etc). |
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