Job Discussion Forums

[xenab2]

Hi,

I've already put this post up on the newbie forum but it was suggested that here might prove more fruitful.

I've been checking out these pages for a while now, researching various options and what not. I am new to Tefl and about to undertake the big adventure. Mongolia is my goal!!!!

Now, I know from reading previous posts that this may well inspire some "Why the Hell" responses, but, be assured, I have thought seriously about this, so I would really appreciate some real and constructive information.

I am, and have for some years, wanted to spend time in Mongolia. I am very interested in finding work teaching English in Ulaanbaatar. I was wondering if someone could help me in my information search, and perhaps give me a little insight into the difficulties of finding such work as they have experienced it. I would also be very interested in knowing how they found the overall experience of living and working in Ulaanbaatar.

I am 34 years old, Irish, and have worked as a field archaeologist for the last 7 years. I will be Trinity certified in a few weeks and my english teaching experience will be limited to that. However, I have some small amount of experience in teaching via facilitating a couple of photography workshops with teenagers and primary school kids, and training new field archaeologists in methodology and practice. I'd like to think that I have a reasonably mature outlook & my career thus far has also provided me with a certain degree of self-sufficiency, and a necessary ability to survive in isolated (albeit english speaking ) environments. I'm not expecting it to be easy and I'm not looking for big bucks. Long as I can live reasonably comfortably by local standards and get to explore the country and its culture, I'll be a happy camper.

All information on potential English schools or University options would be much appreciated. Also any information on the overall mongolian experience would be really great.


Thanks for reading.

[Roger]

I am sorry my answer will not satisfy you, afraid; in the older days of Dave's I would notice a training centre or agent by the name of SANTIS advertising teaching positions in Ulaan Batar once in a while. Hope that helps!

Otherwise, I guess, some non-profit organisations might be into promoting English there; come to think of it, I recently saw an expose on the Soros FOundation's work abroad, and possibly Mongolia was mentioned in that paper. Soros definitely is heavily engaged in the former communist states of Eurasia!

[william wallace]

nil

[lpm100]

If you go to Mongolia, there is a significant demand for English teachers.

The best and cheapest way to go there is via train from Beijing. I can't give you the exact information as I've forgotten it, but I do know that the train departs once a week (on Thursdays, I believe) and takes 27 hours from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar. And you can buy the ticket in a travel agency in the city of Beijing.

Santis is a company that hires teachers there. There are also quite a few others, but it seems that the biggest issue is getting one that is willing to pay for accommodation. Or at least if you want a contract.

A couple of things you should get ready for:

1. It is VERY...... EXTREMELY...... BITTERLY...... COLD there. And this is said from someone who grew up in Michigan in the USA (one of the coldest parts of the country). If you have to walk places, then that is something that can become unbearable after a short time.

2. The local currency there is absolutely worthless when measured against almost any other currency. You can't give it away outside of Mongolia. As far as being able to exchange it somewhere, you might as well be carrying Zimbabwe dollars. Even the Bank of China won't accept it. (That should tell you something.) And in Mongolia, they even accept Russian currency. When I say "worthless" I also mean that it doesn't buy that much in Mongolia if you want manufactured/ electronic goods. Your salary will most likely be $600/ month @ 30-40 hours/ week-- and that is at Santis, the highest paying school. During my two weeks there, most schools were offering between $200-300/ month.

3. Services are not that good. Here in China, things are open 24 hours per day. Or, there is someone somewhere selling something at every hour of the day. Things seem to close in Ulaanbaatar promptly at 21:00.

4. Services there are not very good. You have to really understand how sparsely populated the country is. There are just under 1 million people in UB (a small city in China)-- and that's half the population of the whole country.

5. There are some people who speak English, but everything is written in Cyrillic. (Not that much of a leap of the imagination for people who use the Roman alphabet, but not helpful.) And if you learn to speak Mongolian, it is not useful outside of Mongolia. I think in my whole life I've met three people who speak Mongolian outside of Mongolia.

One good thing is the high availability of potential female companionship. They don't seem to be afraid of foreigners there. Here in the Mainland, it's much more of a chore. But that's about the only thing.

[william wallace]

nil

[xenab2]

Thanks for the replys you guys. Just for the record re:

[Roger]

So you are a real woman that wears trousers. I wish you good luck and good company in windy Ulan Baatar.