Job Discussion Forums

[VanIslander]

After nearly three years of teaching ESL abroad, happy as punch with it all, I feel the urge to change countries to do what I do elsewhere simply out of wanderlust and intrigue.

I'd like to know what it was like for those who have taught ESL in different countries. Was it basically the same? What differences did you experience in the classroom? What changes did you have to make in your teaching style?

How was it?

[sigmoid]

I've taught in both Bangkok, Thailand [for many years] and Saigon, Viet Nam [for a few months]. I thought the teaching aspects were pretty similar, but that Saigon was not quite ready for prime time. Of course those two countries are geographically and culturally close.

I have contemplated Saudi Arabia and nearby Gulf countries, China and Taiwan without taking the plunge after research. Now I'm thinking about Korea solely due to financial concerns, still in the research phase.

[basiltherat]

Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi and Syria.
I concur with previous poster, very similar. Generally, I found Malaysians to be more adult in their attitude to learning than Indonesians. Their languages are similar so they had similar problems language-learning wise.

Saudi was very challenging with an apparent lack of enthusiasm; not only for English but for almost everything else, too.
Clearly, Arabs have problems with written work especially spelling. Syrians are more advanced than Saudis in this respect though. Few Syrians have real problems with writing.

Syrians are really great to teach - except for the odd clown here and there.
In all above countries bar Malaysia, politics, sex and religion were No-Nos.
It has not been difficult to adapt.
btw, where r u thinking of going next ?
regards
basil

[dmb]

I spent 12 years in Turkey, then went to Qatar for 18 months. I am now back in Turkey. Glad to be back. Home again

[Hector_Lector]

And all that despite having an English grandparent.

[2 over lee]

Australia
China
New Zealand
Argentina
Chile.

In that order.

Regrets? Not being able to find a good job in Argentina.

I feel much better balanced in life than a year ago, now having experienced Asia and Latin America. Many of the frustrations I met in China exist here as well.

I think I'll give Indonesia a nudge next. I'd like to try Japan or Russia, but not sure I have the energy left! This coming from an aged 27. But then again can anything ever compete with the People's Republic of Chaos (P.R.C.)?

Differences in the classroom? Enormous. We can discount NZ and Australia as most of the students there were Asian with a smattering of Russians and Brazillians. A multilingual classroom does make the teacher less of an outsider.

China-sleepy students. We want more opportunity to speak, but this is not interesting. Same questions everyday.

South America. Great, never shut-up. But, hard to control and keep on topic, too many hormones coursing through the veins.

[dmb]

Shhhh that's a secret.

[VanIslander]

[dmb]

[2 over lee]

If you've been in Korea, as I've added above, you'll be bowled over by your first few weeks in South America. You'll have a smile ear to ear. Wow! My students are actually talking to me!

Best students----Russian women>friendly, intelligent, understand classroom dynamic, have own lives, tough, hot.....

I taught a lot of Koreans in NZ and Aus....more jingoistic than the Chinese, didn't think it was possible. Different from the Japanese who seemed facinated with their own feet.

[Hector_Lector]

22 years of this stuff.

Sudan - wonderful students, huge mixed-ability classes, few resources.

Spain - great people to be with, lacking in self-confidence in English, very honest.

Saudi Arabia - arrogant, brutal-minded xenophobes, a few gems.

Italy - make sure you wear the right clothes!

England - strange mixture of students, many expecting to �absorb� English, therefore why do your homework when you can go to the pub?

Qatar - would-be sheikhs, rubbish at English. Normal folk - excellent students.

Cameroon - totally delightful.

Slovakia - heaven-on-earth for a teacher - keen students who love boozing.

Oman - keen students who (mostly) don�t love boozing, but who are fantastic to work with.

Kosova - incredibly keen - be careful on essay topics. Don�t ask about the family - the answer is usually harrowing.

Spain (again) - Spanish learning has grown up - also, delightfully, female students are keener to learn English than their male counterparts.

Overall, hurrah for English! (Not THE English.)

(All comments are very subjective, therefore PC comments will be sneered at in a sneering sort of way. Further details can be discovered, more objectively stated, at an unknown point of time in the future.)

[XXX]

Russia: Cold, cold and more cold. The students were fun and wanted to learn. All in all, a good time.

Korea: If ye be tough as nails, you might make it. Good money and a truely bizarre place.

Poland: The best. Great students, hot women, good food and many great times. ( I went back this summer)

The US: Try teaching kids who are illiterate in native language English. It isn't easy. The American Educational establishment hasn't a clue how to teach ESL.

[Boy Wonder]

Greece...a small town in the north...a year was a very long time...interesting!!

Spain....in Madrid...vibrant..exciting.. but relaxed work environment...

Poland....a mid sized town in the SE...very enjoyable..my fav place to date!

Italy.....Naples....Inlingua....lovely students but the workplace made me

Qatar....good lifestyle and entertaining colleagues if nothing else!

Thailand....Bangkok....good school and a place with potential for anybody!

UK......Seven summers...mixed fortunes but on the whole ok..

[dmb]

[moonraven]

USA: elderly Chinese at San Francisco's Chinese Cultural Center who had been forced into taking English classes by their children and grandchildren. They were lots of fun--would pretend to be deaf in class and pull other capers. I learned a lot from them in a few months.

Mexico: 10+ years in several parts of the country teaching all ages and all levels in all kinds of schools (elementary through university). They were all great--even the ones that were not the brightest bulbs in the box.

Ecuador: twice, two different universities and two cities. Srudents were very similar to Mexican students except not as free-wheeling.

Jordan: 6 weeks summer session I just finished with 1 group of undergrads and 1 group of grad students. very similar to students in Latin America (the spanish took Arab culture to the New World, after all).

I am now in Bahrain, and will be testing students for placement all day tomorrow. News at 11.