Job Discussion Forums

[Nyssa]

I have just spent the past few years learning Indonesian and doing a TESOL Diploma. I want to spend some time in Indonesia to get my language skills up and running and also for teaching experience. I heard somewhere that Indonesia is a good place for new graduates to start. I am a bit concerned about ageism ( I am forty six) Early retirement is not an option for my generation so I still have many years of working life ahead of me and I may as well do something interesting. Is there a lot of ageism out there?

I will be accompanied for part or all of the time by either one or both of my teenage boys ( aged 15 and 18 ) Is this going to be a problem. I would be interested to hear some feed back on this. Is it viable for example? Can I get visas for them? Is accomodation going to be a huge problem?

Is there anyone posting on these boards similiar in age to me who has experience teaching in foreign countries ( any country will do) accompanied by children and if so what were your experiences?

[brasilstu]

Mate, if you were like 65 or something then you might have some real concerns with your age. Ageism! At 46! Certainly not as and English teacher in Asia.

Visa's are no problem for your sons, presumeably they'll be your dependants. Won't you need to put them in some kind of school though? That might be a problem. You won't be earning enough to put them in an expat school. I don't know what to suggest with that one.

Accomodation is provided by the school or you are given an allowance. It might be difficult to get a nice three bedroom place on just a teacher's salary though, most teachers get one room places.

Did you really do a TEFL diploma? Or was it a certificate? If you've got a diploma you might try and get a DOS job, you usually need teaching experience but with life experience you might swing it.

Have a post on the Indonesia forum, you don't need to confine yourself to the oldies league. Lot's of the teachers there will have kids, although they will probably be young kids they have had there. Reply back here if you want to follow up on anything. Good luck.

[ls650]

[El Llama]

You could check out the site http://www.expat.or.id which has a bunch of useful info.

There's a section on visas - http://www.expat.or.id/info/docs.html

And one on bringing children - http://www.expat.or.id/info/expatchildren.html

Hope everything goes well.

[Nyssa]

Thankyou all for responding to my inquiry. Yes I will present myself to the Indonesian Forum at some stage.

Selamat malam Brasilstu...well age is a relative thing...thankyou for the encouragement...it actually makes me feel a whole lot better

Is650 I never said I didn't have a degree..I've got a BA, Grad Dip Asian Studies and I will have my TESOL Diploma in November so I am not worried about my qualifications

regarding my children..it is highly unlikely that they will both be with me all of the time...what will probably end up happening is that my eighteen year old (he finishes Year 12 this year) would come over for say...three months...

El Llama - thanks for those links I am checking them out now

....mind you I am starting to have second thoughts..i've just been hearing about and outbreak of bird flu in Indonesia

seeyou in the Indo forum