Job Discussion Forums

[Landon]

Is there anybody that does this part-time? Im talking about the whole experience... Someone that teaches EFL for a period of time during the year in a location and then returns to their home country for a time? Is that a thing?? Similar to mini-retirements versus semi-retirements.

There has got to be multiple ways of going about this and tons of ups and downsides. I just wondered if there was anybody that was doing it; someone keeping a home and furnishings and contacts back home and living a few months or a year and teaching and then coming home for a while and doing it all over again.

[spiral78]

The main problem is that not too many employers want to jump through the working visa and other legality hoops for someone who's not committed to a regular contract (usually 10-12 months).

If you commit to a year, then of course you are free to return home for a while and then to do it all again - but you are doomed to entry -level stuff. It takes a couple of years in a location, usually, to work your way up to the better gigs, schedules, and pay scales.

[santi84]

My uncle does this. He has a PhD in TESOL though, and a very nice gig that allows it.

[Xie Lin]

Unless you have another source of income, I can't see the financial side of this working. TEFL salaries, especially at entry level, often pay not much more than the cost of living in the country where you are working (with some notable exceptions, but these don't offer many short-term gigs.) If you are talking about maintaining a household full-time in your home country, I don't see paying for it while working short-term TEFL jobs abroad without independent income or substantial savings. Perhaps in conjunction with reliable on-line work?

This would seem more feasible later on, say mid career, or at least after solid experience, advanced qualifications, and a reputation are established.

.

[Landon]

Thanks. Im not really interested in EFL as a long term career or even fooling myself that its a money making venture, since I am not an in demand PhD EFL professor with a world class tenure. The part of the world I am interested in wouldn't even pay that type of person very much anyway.

It is more of a novelty type experience for me; something to do and earn a local type living while getting away from it all, experiencing a new culture, learning a language, etc. And then regrouping and starting it over again. A few bucks would be nice too.

Just wondered it there were others that looked at it that way...Live and work a year at home, and live and work a year abroad...something like that...As they call "mini retirements" or "mini vacations".

[schwa]

I'd think assembling visa docs every other year would be a big hassle, not to mention just getting your foot in the door over & over could lead to a succession of bum jobs & a pretty sore foot.

But who knows. Your life is yours to create.

[spiral78]

[scot47]

Visa and work permit hassles make this unrealistic.

Try two years with the Peace Corps ? But they expect some sort of commitment. In return they do give opportunites to learn a language.

Looks good on that CV too.

[Landon]

Thanks. I have looked into the Peace Corps over the years. That is very meager earnings and tough schedules. And the living conditions seem pretty rough. Bathing in a pond with no electricity is not really the type of experience I am looking for (many assignments are like that).

Latin America is what I am looking at, not Europe. My wife and I already communicate with each other completely in Spanish, and we also speak conversational Portuguese, so the language part is not a problem for us anywhere south of the border. Learning the language in other places in the world could be a nightmare, Im sure.

I wasnt thinking that the visa process would be so difficult. I will have to look into that more. I know that Ecuador just wants to see that you have some money saved and that you have a college degree to get a Professional Visa.

Thanks for the responses.

[spiral78]

Suggest you post in the General Latin America forum below; there will be more posters there with relevant information.

[HLJHLJ]