Job Discussion Forums

[Gordon]

How has TEFL changed where you live? Some people think this market has been saturated by teachers. Others think we haven't even gotten started yet and it will only get better for us? What do you think? Many of you have only been teaching for a few years, but what do you think based on talking to a few old hands in your current country? What do you think the future will hold for TEFL in general?

[Gordon]

10 years ago I began teaching in Korea and from I hear now, I had things much better than they do today. Pay is a little more now, but with the change in exchange rates, I made far more money back in 95. Opportunities abounded for making extra money in publishing, voice recording, editing...
I have only been in Japan for 3 years, but from others have told me, things were much better 10 years ago than they are today. Perhaps, a big reason is that the economic bubble has burst here so salaries have dropped and people are not getting as likely to hire private tutors to learn English.

[guest of Japan]

I've been in Japan for a little over four years. When I came to Japan it was easy to find conversation school jobs advertising for over 300,000 yen a month. I would never see a position advertising less than 250,000. Now 250,000 is near the top end.

Private high school positions used to be quite plentiful if the applicant had a few years experience in Japan and a university degree. Positions were schools were offering between 5 and 6 million a year with bonuses. Now dispatch companies have popped up everywhere. They've taken over the recruiting for most private high school jobs and the salaries are only a little higher than conversation school. The remaining high schools that do direct hiring and have decent salaries want either a masters degree in TESOL of a lot of experience at the same position.

I see no signs that things are going to get better. I think most Japanese people and educational institutions have come to the conclusion that English will not be learned in Japan by students. Having foreigners on the payroll has become like carrying a designer bag. Everyone is supposed to have one, but no one can really justify the purpose. Since we are no longer associated with high status, they'd rather get a cheap knock-off teacher just to look good in pictures.

[Guy Courchesne]

I started teaching in Mexico City over 4 years ago. I wouldn't say it's better or worse now in 2005, than 2000. There are more jobs it seems, and perhaps a current 'changing of the guard' in that higher paying jobs in business-EFL teaching are more proliferate. That might be skewed since the US mini-recession in 2000/2001 had a direct effect on corporate spending on in-house language education.

From Mexico's point of view, I think greater awareness of the ability to teach abroad and the greater ease at finding teachers/locating jobs through the Internet has brought a higher standard and quality of language instructor to this country. I'm told it used to be that any backpacking gringo could find a job just by knocking on a few doors.

[moonraven]

There are more folks because of Internet, but I haven't seen much of any improvement in quality of preparation. A bigger pool of people also means more undesirables.

[basiltherat]

I get the distinct impression here that the market is growing rapidly. This might be in contrast to many neighbouring countries. One school here just cant cope. There's often a waiting list to join a course. We now often see young and middle aged people walking around on their way to or from learning and holding copies of headway. This, ive been told and been witness to, has only really appeared in the last couple of years. It seems as though its set to boom further. Fees are rising but may stabilize as more schools open up.
basil

[Deconstructor]

The last ten years that I've been a teacher, I can say that I've seen no real change either way. Teachers teach the way they always have and students learn the way they always have. TEFL is an unregulated profession where anything goes. It is the wild west of any profession and will always be that way.

[Girl Scout]

I see a huge increase in demand for teachers, but a decrease in quality. Many teachers I have worked with and met are recent grads. with very little experience. I don't just mean teaching experience. I have seen quite a few new teachers who have barely kept a part time job. There sometimes seems to be a lot of difficulty adjusting to the fact that this is a full time job.

Employers are quick to fill positions. In Taiwan there is rapid turn-over. Not all teacher actually finish a one year contract. They also tend to employ the young recent grads. The constant change and lack of experience does have an effect on the quality education.

[Gordon]

[Deconstructor]

[shmooj]

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[Deconstructor]

[Deconstructor]

[Sweetsee]

ALT direct hourly pay has slipped from 6500 to 5500 yen this year within the Tokyo public high school system. That and the total hours continues its downward trend.

I agree with Guest of Japan, very good assessment of the current conditions. And I agree with Bat Girl.