Job Discussion Forums

laurateacher · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2

i know, i know, you probably get asked this question all the time, so please bear with me and hear me out. mainly i'm looking for some advice, and i'd really appreciate it if i could get some honest feedback about this.
i've been teaching esl in canada for 3 years, previous to that (and before i had any teaching qualifications) i was teaching in south korea for one year. i have since received a certificate in tesl from a canadian university and have worked as a professional in canada; for 2 years teaching convention refugees and permanent residents in a federally funded program, and now i'm teaching international university students.
i'm thinking that i'd like to get back out into the wide, wild world of efl, that is the original reason i got my ctesl after all. but i'm out of the loop, i don't know where i can make some money. my primary goal is to pay off my student loans, hopefully something i can achieve in my first year (i have no problems or issues with teaching privates in places where it's illegal, and no i don't want to get into that debate!). after that goal is achieved, i'd be willing to go someplace where i may be making a fair bit locally, but not much in canadian dollars. so right now, i think south and central america are out, as well as thailand *sigh* are korea and japan still good places to make enough to save? how about other asian countries? i've been thinking about viet nam. how about europe? does one need a euro passport to teach in eu countries?
i think that's about it for now, thank you so much for your time.
laura Cool

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

One does need a passport from an EU country to teach (legally) in most EU member states. Exceptions include Germany, but the economy there is in a recession and money's not generous. The new member states (Central/Eastern Europe) won't pay enough to cover your loan repayments, though you can probably still get legal working papers. Asia is likely your best bet - though, have you considered the Middle East?

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I suggest you pay off your student loans first, then look for work overseas.

Someone mentioned the Middle East for money, but I don't think your qualifications are going to warrant that.

Celeste · Posted: Sun May 01, 2005 9:37 pm Post subject:

You've done Korea once. Come try Japan. I think that you will do well here. I would recommend coming with the JET programme. (I am just finishing up my 3rd year and it has been lucrative as well as an all around good job). If you really enjoyed your time in Korea before, you could also try there again. The money there sounds better than ever, but the hardships also sound about the same as ever.

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

You mention a TEFL but not your formal education. Korea is your best bet with less education and Japan and the ME are the best with a strong background. If you've been to Korea then that may be your best bet--you probably already know some people and how things work there.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

She does have a degree. It's a prerequesite (or co-requesite) of a CTESL programme (at least in Ontario). Also, as far as I know it's really only referred to as a CTESL at one or two schools in the country (it's just TESL certificate at other universities and colleges).

I second the JET programme for paying off loans. You get to save. Plus, in the JET programme there's lots of opportunity to meet people from private high schools (both junior and senior) who often hire foreign people to teach Oral Communication classes (there may be opportunities beginning next fiscal year for this kind of employment, but it's hard to find the right recruiters for the schools- many private schools hire through recruiters who take a chunk of your pay). The deadline to apply for JET for this coming July/August intake has passed, though. So the wait might put it out of the running for you. November (application booklets come available in September) through to the end of August for application to departure, so the earliest opportunity to be in Japan with JET would be fifteen months from now.

Oh, and I think a CTESL (one year) would be fine for a job in the Middle East (I've seen ads on this web site for colleges - not universities- looking for that kind of qualification, they often specify the gender of the teacher they are looking for in that area of the world).

Girl Scout · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Posts: 525 Location: Inbetween worlds

Since you missed the deadline for the JET program (which is a good program) you might want to consider Taiwan. You can reasonably save more than 20k in one year, especially if you are willing to do privates.

High Plains Drifter · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 127 Location: Way Out There

Don't know what a CTESL is, but it doesn't seem as if you have the qualifications or the experience to work in the UAE or Qatar. You might have a better chance in Oman or Kuwait. If you want to have a sex change operation and become an American citizen (which would be more painful for a Canadian?) you could probably get work at SALTS/Raytheon in KSA--they're desperate and paying around USD 66,000 per year.

I suggest also that if you want people to take you seriously as an adult professional worthy of a high salary, you learn how to use capital letters and cool it with the smiley faces. Learn about paragraphs too.

laurateacher · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2

Thank you all for your advice, especially spiral78, Celeste, and Gambate.
I do have a degree, otherwise I wouldn't have been accepted into the CTESL program at Carleton. I have a Bachelor of Social Sciences, and my CTESL is equivalent to an American Masters in TESL (according to my prof on the first day of classes). So yes, I am qualified to be teaching, both abroad and in Canada. As I mentioned above, I have one year of experience teaching in South Korea, with only my bachelor degree. Since then, I have received my CTESL, and I have been teaching professionally in Canada for three years.
The Middle East may appeal to me, though I'm not too sure how comfortable I would be as a liberal Canadian woman! I guess it would depend on which country I went to. Asia and Europe are certainly appealing, though the JET program doesn't really do anything for me, the next round is too far off!
High Plains Drifter and Zero Hero, as evidenced by this post, I do have a shift key, and I do know how to use it. Believe it or not, one can be an adult professional and not always follow the conventions of typing. This is a discussion forum, not a job interview. Just as I don't always use perfect grammar when I speak in casual conversation, I don't always choose to use caps when I am emailing or posting in an informal situation. Using a smiley face does not denote a lack of professionalism, it denotes friendliness, I didn't go overboard with them (an annoying trait that I dislike), I used one. Please, please, please, chill out, and be a little less critical, it doesn't endear you to anyone, it merely makes you appear judgemental and shallow.
Having cleared up any questions about my qualifications, does anyone have any other advice or information? I'd greatly appreciate it!
Thanks again, Laura Wink

khmerhit · Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 9:01 pm Post subject:

yes i have some advice Laura---get some cool memories for your old age--go to cambodia-- check it out!! Very Happy

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

laura,
Just how much do you have to pay off every month?
Here in Japan, you are probably suited for work initially only in the conversation schools. You can get interviewed and your visa sponsored at home in Canada from the Big Four schools (eikaiwas) -- NOVA, ECC, GEOS, AEON -- and your salary will be roughly 250,000-280,000 yen/month. That's about CDN$3125-3500. Figure losing half of that to basic needs (rent, utilities, phone, food), so what you do with the other half is entirely up to you and your lifestyle. With conservative drinking, you will spend about 50,000 yen more per month, leaving you with about 75,000 - 90,000 yen every month to play around with or try saving. This remainder goes for EVERYthing else in your life, so gauge how much you can save by your own lifestyle. Drop me a line if you want more info.
[email protected]

After a year or so, you can move on to other types of teaching, whether as an ALT from the board of education or through a dispatch agency, or get directly hired in a private high school, elementary school, etc. Your salary there could be 300,000 to 400,000 yen/month.

One more note. Insurance. If you go with national health insurance, you will pay about 2500 yen/month your first year. Japan has no record of your previous year's earnings, but when second year comes around, they know what you made, so the rate goes up about tenfold.

tedkarma · Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 9:47 pm Post subject:

I agree with Celeste, you've done Korea - go check another country.

It is amazing that so many go to one country to teach and then never move on to try the waters somewhere else. Each country will teach you a new set of skills and teach you something new about the world in general. And add to your confidence that you can succeed anywhere.