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Best country to save up some $$$
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Cuyp



Joined: 02 Jan 2018
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:57 am    Post subject: Best country to save up some $$$ Reply with quote

Hey guys!

Basically, i would like to save up as much as possible in next few years.Ideally 800-1000EUR monthly. I'm on the Spartan side, saving is not a problem when there is a buck to save.

I just did my CELTA and I'm looking for my first ESL job ever.I wouldn't mind living in Antarctic for few years if they would pay well! Laughing

China It might be impossible to get a job there(new law)
Saudi&UAE- not enough experience+they hire mostly native speakers
Hong Kong- I think they also hire only natives, but will give it a shoot
S Korea and Japan- My impression is that the start-up costs, as well as the living costs, are high.Not sure how much one can save in those two countries.
Thailand- If working full time for 30-35K TBH, i don't see much saving potential...
Vietnam- Still bit of a mystery, didn't research it thoroughly enough.

Any comments?
Am i missing a country on this list?
Any recommendation, country-wise?
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suphanburi



Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The biggest thing you are missing is who are you?

    country of passport - major issue in EFL.
    degree or no?
    age - 20-something fresh out of school, 45-something going through a mid-life change or 60 something looking for retirement.


With no information about you other than having a CELTA and no experience it is hard to give advice in a global sense.

NNES and no degree and just a CELTA (I assume you were accurate in your brand of TEFL cert) means you are very limited in your options and none of them pay well.

NES with a B.Ed go to with your CELTA and pick a country, even with minimal experience and you can expect to make as much as or more than you would at home

American passport? You can pretty much rule out western Europe but there is decent money in Asia.

European? Rule out most of Asia as an EFL teacher but lots of poorly paid jobs in Europe where you don't need to worry about a visa.

Asian passport - get a TOEIC or IELTS test done and start looking within the region. Most EFL jobs will pay better than what you get at home doing other things.

.
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creeper1



Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 481
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

He’s not a holder of a passport accepted as native speaking. I think he mentioned that in the first line.

I’ve been around Asia myself and I can tell you I’ve met non native speakers teaching in Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Whether they are adhering to the letter of the law I don’t know. They are there.

As for saving tons of money, you would be lucky to make a profit of any description with visa runs and bribes needing to be paid.

Good luck
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Cuyp



Joined: 02 Jan 2018
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BA Degree, Cambridge CELTA and EU passport. EU doesn't offer good job opportunities in ESL. Therefore, i'm thinking Asia.
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Jmbf



Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe that in Hong Kong, if the OP has at least a Bachelors degree, a basic teaching cert, some teaching experience and some valid proof of English fluency (current IELTS results etc etc) then they have a chance to get a working visa. Nothing guaranteed of course. And the positions available to them won't be the best. In addition, as a non native they may face quite a bit of discrimination here.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cuyp wrote:
BA Degree, Cambridge CELTA and EU passport.

A BA in what major? And were your university studies completed in an Anglophone country?

As you're finding out, NNES are limited as to where they can teach. They also tend to earn less than native speakers with the right passport, which makes your goal of snagging good money a challenge.

You don't mention your nationality, but what about teaching your native language, if there's a market for it? That's usually a more viable option.
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Cuyp



Joined: 02 Jan 2018
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nomad soul wrote:

A BA in what major? And were your university studies completed in an Anglophone country?
......
You don't mention your nationality, but what about teaching your native language, if there's a market for it? That's usually a more viable option.


BA is not related to English nor teaching. However, i did my studies in Malaysia(in English)which is an Anglophone country.
My L1 is useless as soon as i cross the border.
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suphanburi



Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Simple fact are that in Asia your chances of employment are not great.
Key, well paying markets (Korea, China, Taiwan) are not an option for legal work due to your passport.

In places like Thailand you can get work by adding an IELTS or TOEIC test to your list of documents but "good money" is not happening. European NNES teachers will earn, on average, about €650 per month with no other benefits.

Vietnam is also an option and earnings of €900-1200 are possible if you work at it. Here also you will face problems getting a work permit.

The same is true for most of the rest of SE Asia with either visa issues or very low wages.

.
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manomano



Joined: 27 Jun 2016
Posts: 8
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 5:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey guys,

Similar to the OP I am looking at moving somewhere next January/February that will have a good propensity to save.

I am a 27 year old male from Ireland. I have been teaching English in China for 3 years, (ready to move to a new country). I have a Bachelors Degree in Business and I am currently studying an online masters for an unrelated discipline to teaching. The school I teach at is an authorized IB (International Baccalaureate) school. I have been a grade leader for the last 2 years. Hold a TEFL but not a CELTA.

My fiancée has the same academic credentials as me. She has also been a grade leader at our school for 2 years. We will be applying for positions as a couple. We will be legally married by the start of 2019.

Ideally we would like to move somewhere closer to home such as the Middle-East but from the little research that I have done it will not be easy to get a job there that starts in January/February. As well as this its obviously harder for non-teaching degree holders to get a job in the Middle-East.

I have spoken with a friend that worked on the EPIK program in South Korea. Surprisingly he was able to save a similar amount in South Korea to the amount that I was able to save in China over the course of a year.

So at the moment we are leaning towards applying for a job in Korea but we are open to other options. Our first choice would be to continue working in a school that uses the IB curriculum but we are willing to enter programs such as EPIK if we cannot secure a job in an IB school.

Does anyone have any other recommendations on countries that we should look at applying for jobs in? I would also be grateful if anyone had any tips for researching places to teach that would be relative to our level of experience and academic backgrounds.

Thanks
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Jmbf



Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 6:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

manomano wrote:
Hey guys,

Similar to the OP I am looking at moving somewhere next January/February that will have a good propensity to save.


Hong Kong provides decent savings potential, especially for a couple. The downside for you is that with your qualifications and experience I doubt you'd be able to secure a school position. Most likely it would be language centre work. On the upside, with your combined salaries you'd be looking at around USD 3,000 savings per month (or more if you were careful with your spending). And once here on the ground, if you network and work hard to improve your qualifications then landing a school position would become much more likely. IF you both successfully manage the transition to school positions then your savings rate would go through the roof.
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In the heat of the moment



Joined: 22 May 2015
Posts: 393
Location: Italy

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Annyeonghaseyo, manomano. AFAIK you need a CELTA for most of the better positions worldwide, and it only takes a month to get. Online qualifications don't old any water in the Middle East, and you'd need a teaching certificate for most roles - apart from in unis and language centres in the KSA.

You're correct, most roles in the ME are interviewed early in the year and start the following September. Without a teaching degree (please someone correct me if I'm mistaken), your best bet in the ME is to get a CELTA (or Trinity Cert. TEFL) and apply for direct hire only roles in PYPs in universities. You can both apply to the same university, and get a couple's living accommodation. Once you're married, of course!

It sounds like 2019 will be too early for you to do this, but just keep it in mind for later. I think at 27 you'll be a somewhat mature EPIK candidate, but not too old. Expect for you both to be placed in a small town, far away from the bright lights of Seoul. As a couple and in your late twenties you'll be given the trust to cope with a bit of isolation. This will also bring you a very good chance to save money, and an insight into rural (traditional) life in Korea.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

manomano wrote:
Ideally we would like to move somewhere closer to home such as the Middle-East but from the little research that I have done it will not be easy to get a job there that starts in January/February. As well as this its obviously harder for non-teaching degree holders to get a job in the Middle-East.

Quote:
Online qualifications don't old any water in the Middle East, and you'd need a teaching certificate for most roles - apart from in unis and language centres in the KSA.

Without a teaching degree (please someone correct me if I'm mistaken), your best bet in the ME is to get a CELTA (or Trinity Cert. TEFL) and apply for direct hire only roles in PYPs in universities. You can both apply to the same university, and get a couple's living accommodation. Once you're married, of course!

Direct-hire university English PYP positions in the ME require a TESOL-related degree (mainly an MA) and post-degree experience. Qualifications that entailed online instruction are not accepted. Language schools tend to fill their openings locally with resident expats and nationals. Berlitz is the exception. For k12/international schools, you'd need a valid k12 teaching license/cert and experience -- both related to your degree major.

KSA is your best bet. However, you'd only qualify for uni positions via for-profit contracting companies, which range in sketchiness. You're also limited in terms of where you can work as a married couple. Head to the Saudi forum for more info.
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MotherF



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

manomano wrote:
Hey guys,
I am a 27 year old male from Ireland. I have been teaching English in China for 3 years, (ready to move to a new country). I have a Bachelors Degree in Business and I am currently studying an online masters for an unrelated discipline to teaching. The school I teach at is an authorized IB (International Baccalaureate) school. I have been a grade leader for the last 2 years. Hold a TEFL but not a CELTA.

My fiancée has the same academic credentials as me. She has also been a grade leader at our school for 2 years. We will be applying for positions as a couple. We will be legally married by the start of 2019.


Thanks


Not sure if this fits as "closer to home" but you'd have a good shot at getting IB jobs in Mexico a married couple could live on one salary and save the other one.
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twowheel



Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

manomano wrote:
My fiancée has the same academic credentials as me. She has also been a grade leader at our school for 2 years. We will be applying for positions as a couple. We will be legally married by the start of 2019.


Question: What nationality is your fiancée?

Warm regards,
twowheel
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manomano



Joined: 27 Jun 2016
Posts: 8
Location: China

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 4:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Apologies for the late reply. My email only notified me of the initial reply to my post, (no notifications for the replies that followed).

Jmbf wrote:


Hong Kong provides decent savings potential, especially for a couple


Currently we live in Guangzhou, which is essentially just over the border from Hong Kong. So we are not considering moving there.

In the heat of the moment wrote:
Annyeonghaseyo, manomano. AFAIK you need a CELTA for most of the better positions worldwide, and it only takes a month to get.

Without a teaching degree (please someone correct me if I'm mistaken), your best bet in the ME is to get a CELTA (or Trinity Cert. TEFL) and apply for direct hire only roles in PYPs in universities. You can both apply to the same university, and get a couple's living accommodation. Once you're married, of course!

It sounds like 2019 will be too early for you to do this, but just keep it in mind for later. I think at 27 you'll be a somewhat mature EPIK candidate, but not too old. Expect for you both to be placed in a small town, far away from the bright lights of Seoul. As a couple and in your late twenties you'll be given the trust to cope with a bit of isolation. This will also bring you a very good chance to save money, and an insight into rural (traditional) life in Korea.


Kamsahamnida for the detailed reply. The ME is not looking likely for 2019 judging by people's replies. A CELTA qualification will be necessary for us to get a job in the ME but unfortunately we won't have the time to do the course within the next 12 months. After that, yeah we will look at doing a CELTA. As it stands, all roads are leading to EPIK.

nomad soul wrote:


KSA is your best bet. However, you'd only qualify for uni positions via for-profit contracting companies, which range in sketchiness. You're also limited in terms of where you can work as a married couple. Head to the Saudi forum for more info.


Thanks, I will have a look.

MotherF wrote:


Not sure if this fits as "closer to home" but you'd have a good shot at getting IB jobs in Mexico a married couple could live on one salary and save the other one.


I looked at the IBO website to gauge the number of authorized PYP schools in different countries around the world. Surprisingly there were very few Mexican schools that came up. Maybe I need to scratch deeper beneath the surface.

twowheel wrote:


Question: What nationality is your fiancée?

Warm regards,
twowheel


My fiancée is also Irish.
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