Job Discussion Forums

DJames · Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 11

A friend doubled his salary teaching private lessons in Korea. Officially it was illegal, but he said many of the FT had side jobs. |What is it like in China? With a school loan payment back home, a salary of 4K doesn't leave much to live on.

Crippler · Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 141 Location: Dongguan

I actually earn another salary teaching private student and my school principal actually sends me students. I also teach many of the PSB, education department and government official children... I have never been asked to do free lessons and I get dinner out several times a month on top of it...

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

DJames · Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 11

I was just curious if teaching outside your school was prevelant, profitable, legal and such. I wouldn't go for the money. Much more drawn to experience China than Taiwan or Korea.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

You can make quite a bit of money teaching privately. As far as whether it is legal or not, let's just say many contracts do have a clause stating that moonlighting is forbidden. That said, it hasn't stopped too many people from doing that.

no_exit · Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 565 Location: Kunming

Schools will usually only use this clause against you if you've done something to piss them off in the first place and they need an excuse to get you for breaking the contract. Most schools will look the other way, provided you're not working for the competition or stealing students from your school (if you were working at a training center and handing out your phone number to your students offering private classes and the school got wind of it, then they wouldn't be happy).

travisncali · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Federal Distrito

The reason your friend is doing so well in Korea is that we as english teachers get paid at least 50 dollars US to teach private lessons an hour near the Seoul area. The cost of living there is relatively low and you can save in excess of $2000 a month in your first six months and possibly $3000 a month if you planned to stay for two years. Curriculum development is even a better and easier way to make money in Korea. So if you have school loans to payoff go to Korea, it is how I paid my debt; then teach in China. Cheers, T

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

Re the question whether teaching on the side is legal: quite obviously, no, this is not legal and most contracts formally ban it.

Still, many of us manage to find extra work and income; in many cases our employers don't mind or even encourage us to do so.

But I would not pin too high hopes on such chances; in big cities competition is fierce, and FTs are no longer admired and respected! Chinese teachers often squeeze in on the market and undercut our rates; don't think you have a "marketable advantage" being a native speaker of jingo-lingo!

Outsida · Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:00 am Post subject:

Jingo-lingo? That's a pretty good hook, reckon I might use it.

Cheers, Roger!

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

Ahhhgr, that Hump-brand Yunnan coffee had a most reviving side-effect - the main effect being so pleasant to the palate! Sorry for the lexical licence my mind inadvertently took...

But why oh why do people insist on giving me a name I do not use myself? Steppenwolf is the name, born ca. 90 years earlier in the brain of Hermann Hesse, one of the world's greatest novelists of that time!

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

Steppenwolf is far more reserved than the back biting attributes of a South African with a twitch....

legality of working a second job can be assured by reporting it to a local labor office .if your contract doesn't forbid this type of moonlighting....but frankly you would be foolish to do so...

And while FTs are no longer admired or respected they still bring in the cash when it comes to tutoring...and the results can be as much as 400RMB per hour if targeting Japanese business and local ex-pat run firms...with the advantage student 100 to 160 for as many as three or four grammar scholars.. and around 250RMB for average type business men from local enterprises...and as to the market..I am called or approached often to do this kind of work..but I rarely take the offer instead preferring to work (in my spare time) seeking out old motorcycle parts..to complete the internal combustion desire that courses through my veins...

M109A3 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 99

cj750,

DANG YOU!!!!!! It was BAD ENOUGH to suffer from the green fever here in the states. Now when we get there I'm going to be looking for a Donghai 750 and military surplus trucks. I WAS hoping to escape the disease!!!!!! I'll let you deal with my wife's temper since you opened the can of worms......................................................... Twisted Evil