Job Discussion Forums

[Underwood]

I am currently teaching in Korea but considering a change of venue. My wife has a Philippine passport. She is not allowed to teach English here because she's not classified as a native speaker. We would like to go somewhere where she can also work. She speaks English fluently, with a moderate accent. She has an Engineering BS.

Two questions. First, I understand as an American I could fairly easily obtain a tourist visa, enter Vietnam, and then pay a fee to convert it to a business visa. Is the same true for nationals of other countries such as the Philippines?

My second question is whether a 'non-native' English speaker has much chance of finding a teaching job in Vietnam. Is there any legal reason my wife couldn't teach? If not, is there much chance schools would hire her?

In case anyone has read this far, I'd also welcome opinions as to whether Saigon or Hanoi is the better choice.

Thanks

[OzBurn]

Yes, there are many non-native speakers teaching English in Vietnam. However, they must not "look Asian," or they will almost certainly have to accept a lower salary -- perhaps five dollars an hour instead of 11-15 dollars an hour. I have met Turks, Swedes, Italians, etc. working as "native" English speakers in Vietnam. They made the same salary as the native speakers.