Job Discussion Forums

[JRCash]

What is life as a tefl teacher like in Tunisia?

[carnac]

I suspect that the lack of response is because there is small-to-no market for TEFL teachers from outside to come to Tunisia.
I asked my wife, who is Tunisian, about this. I am told that
-there are no foreign English teachers at the secondary level - they are all Tunisian.
-University teachers of any foreign language, whether it be English, French, Italian or anything else, are normally married to Tunisians and that's why they're there.
-There are no independent private language schools as there are in many other countries. Private colleges are now being encouraged to start, but are regarded as places for students who can't make it in public universities.
She tells me that there is a British Council in Tunis, which is considered expensive by Tunisians and which is mostly known for Business English. You would have to ask them directly. There is Bourguiba School where all the teachers are Tunisian. There are Centres Culturales run by many embassies, which conduct language courses on what sounds to me like a very limited basis.
All in all, not a promising job-hunting environment for native speakers.
Sorry if this sounds discouraging. My wife suggests the best chance for a job is to send CVs directly to a university there, bearing in mind that a Master's would be a minimal requirement and even so, there are so many Tunisian Masters there that it would have to be some kind of really specialised Masters in order to be considered. (MA TESOL or Applied Linguistics not rare enough). PhD would stand a better chance.
This is for what it is worth, as I sat here typing and asking questions, the answers to which I am passing along.
Best of luck.

[steady]

Try AMIDEAST IN Tunis. Details from www.amideast.org
I've copied the Tunis office contact info below:

Country Director: Lee Jennings
Street Address: 22 rue Al Amine Al Abassi, Cite Jardins
1002, Tunis-Belv�d�re
Mailing Address: B.P. 351, Tunis-Belv�d�re 1002, Tunisia
Phone: (216-71) 790-559; 790-563; 841-488; 842-523; 285-410
Fax: 216-71-791-913;
(U.S. fax) 202-776-7106
E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday�Friday, 8:30 a.m.�3:30 p.m.

[JRCash]

Thanks both.

[kellyc]

Hi everyone, and JRcash, I am currently living in Tunisia and have been looking for work for 7 months so far, I have moved from different areas trying to find the best area for work and still looking.

I am completing an Online TEFL Certificate as this seems to be the only way to get the teaching qualification here; I have been in contact with Amideast, British Counsil, Netlangues, Iket and about 10 other companies trying to get work but to no avail.

Also as i have only a few months experience as a teacher this does not help as i need at least 6, if there is anyone in Tunisia or anywhere in the country that can give advice it would be appreciated, i have even offered to volunteer just to get some experience but this doesnt seem to interest any of the schools, i just wonder how i can obtain experience if no one will offer me the chance.

I have contacted IH and they said they can not help as well as Elite, i do live in Tunisia but can travel around the African countries if i really needed to, to get a job or experience. Oh and I am a British Citizen, just fell in love and married a Tunisian!!

Anyway hope someone can help. Kelly xx

[Africaexpert]

Wow - things must have changed quite a bit - a few years ago an American friend simply dropped into the Bourguiba Institute and was offered a job.

[SwimminThruAsia]

I have no info about teaching, just some impressions I have of Tunisia from my visit there.

First off, I only was in Djerba, a small resort town (actually an island) which caters to a mostly lower/middle class european crowd. (Czechs, Italians, Poles..) It's way less Posh than most Mediterranean resorts.

At the time (2004), I was 24, and teaching English in Prague. It seemed a fantastic deal (about $500 US all in for the flight and a weeks accomadation "all inclusive" ie supposedly all meals +drinks) The reality was the same as it always is: you get what you pay for.

Maybe it was the fact I was an American, or maybe my timing was poor (it was Ramadan), but I found Tunisians (or at least Djerbans) to be the most horrendously rude people I've encountered anywhere.

A few horror stories (I swear these are not at all exaggerated):

-A bartender (who I had just tipped well!) asked me if I was American. When I replied that I was, he said "George Bush baaaad!" and I agreed that yes, Bush does suck! I gave him a warm smile and tucked into my beer. He tapped me on the shoulder and with a cheeky smile said "Osama bin Laden, gooood!!!" I kind of chuckled and attempted to move on..after all, I DID lose numerous friends in the twin tower fiasco. But no, he had to continue, and the other two bartenders got in the act. They proceeded to act out, Charades style, the pilots flying into the towers, the towers falling, and their ensuing celebration. The whole thing was peppered with horrible insulting statements in mangled English, such as "I watching people die and YAA! I SO HAPPY, Allah be praised!"

-I watched one employee KICK ANOTHER IN THE FACE behind the snack bar structure on the beach. I was walking towards the beach, minding my own business, and I hear arguing. I look over (keep in mind they were in plain view, on hotel grounds), and one of them proceeds to hold the other one in place while he winds up and kicks him square in the jaw. The guy's jaw was horriobly dislocated and he ran off screaming. The guy who did the kicking looked up at me and leered. He later was my server at dinner and asked ever so politely if I'd prefer white or red. The guy who got kicked was back at work running the jet-ski's THE NEXT DAY. He looked horrible, I felt so bad for him.

-I was down at the beach one day, which is a good 500m walk through the sand from the hotel. My stomach was a bit queasy from the dodgy food they served. I went into the toiltets only to find they were fresh out of TP..in fact, no paper in the entire bathroom. I walk to the snack bar next door and ask for a napkin. "No English" But sir, I said, you walked me to my room the first day. You spoke perfect English then, especially the "Thank You" when I tipped you 5 dinar! "No English," he repeated. So I pointed to the napkins behind him. He supposedly hadn't a clue what I was pointing to. I had a new French friend from dinner the night before, and I asked him to explain the Loo roll situation in French. My friend claimed the verbatim translation from the snack bar guy was: "tell the snake American he can walk to his room and sh*t there, or just use his left hand as we all do."

-The one genuinely nice person I met, a bartender who had lived in Sweden for 3 years and was saving to move back there, told me to watch out for employees who were overfriendly and invited me out to a nightclub. I should have heeded his warning. Sure enough, one of the security guards took it upon himself to chat me up everytime he saw me, and he always included "Where will you go tonight?" On my next to last night there, I wanted to explore the island's (non-existant, I later found) night life, so I invited him out to go "club hopping" with me. What could the harm possibly be? When I met him at the designated spot, at 10pm, he was accompanied by 3 of his friends. No need to hail a taxi-one was waiting for us. My security guard friend seemed to know the driver quite well. The fare to the hotel where it turns out the only club in town is located was 8 dinar-literally 10 times what I paid to go twice as far earlier that day. Of course, I was the only one who reached for his wallet. The others were already through the door at the club. When I got to the door, I was shocked by the 25 Dinar cover. "Not just for you," the kind doorman explained, "for your four friends, also." My "friends" could be found chatting with various ladies throughout the night, and they all made sure to stop by at least once to ask if they could borrow 5 dinar for a coke. I refused..my kindness only goes so far. Besides, I was too busy shelling out 8 dinar for mixed drinks! Keep in mind that Dollars and Dinars were about equal when I was there. After about an hour, I was broke and ready to bail, but my "friends" were having fun. They told me they could find another ride home..but could they borrow a few Dinar? "NO!"

All in all, I felt used, cheated and violated at the end of my trip. It was also the first and only place I've been (so far I've been in 35 countries) where my American-ness was (seriously) held against me. Sure, I've gotten plenty of good natured ribbing from Brits, and snide remarks from French, but this was on a different level. I'm sure Tunisia has plenty of kind people, but I don't think I'll ever be back to meet any of them!

[JRCash]