Job Discussion Forums

[vanilla_face]

I am a noobie on the site. I have been trolling around for a bit looking at info. I want to go overseas to teach, but I am looking for a good country to start researching.

I have a bachelors degree, but in marketing. I have a little teaching experience, in college with clubs and some in class assignments, but I have no formal training. I am looking to go abroad in about a year, so I have time to get a TEFL or similar. I would prefer to teach business English or older students, but I am not picky. I know most positions are teaching K-9 students. I am married, so of course my wife would come with. She does have a teaching degree and has one year under her belt. We are going to wait for her to finish this next year, then try and go abroad.

So with my qualifications, or lack there of, where would you recommend going? I would like some place safe, obviously, some place where I can save some money since we have a student loan to pay off, and a place with nice people who are generally accepting of Americans (yes, I know there will be staring and the occasional gaijin / guilo comment). Also some place where me and my wife could both get jobs.

I would say my top 2 choices are Taiwan or Japan. Thailand comes in at a close third. Vietnam sounds like it would be good, but I don't know about living in a communist country. I have not heard much good about China or Korea. Korea pays well, but a lot of schools are shady. China doesn't pay as well and I've heard that there is major culture shock. I would love to teach in Uruguay because I've heard the people are great, weather is perfect, it's capital city is a coastal city with great beaches, but there aren't many opportunities, especially legal ones, for someone with no experience.

So my question is where else is there to teach that I could get into with my background? Not interested in the middle east, and Europe would be tough to get into, but great to teach in. I know France has an American's teaching in France program, but they have 6-9 month contracts and it would be tough to get both me and my wife a position. I want to be abroad for 1-2 years at least.

So any ideas? Anywhere I haven't looked, or some place I've mentioned here that isn't really that bad?

[Glenski]

Lacking a teaching-specific degree is not so much of a problem here in Japan, but you have to realize where you are likely to end up:

conversation school (eikaiwa), where students could be those businessmen-aged types you seek but where you might also get housewives, senior citizens and kiddies.

ALT in public school.

business English school/agency, where your clients are the ones you seek but oftentimes the employer wants someone with experience to understand the client's jargon.

Have you looked into the JET Programme just to get your feet wet?

[vanilla_face]

I've heard of the JET program, mostly good things, but I have not applied yet. My only concern is if I go with the JET program, would I be put in the sticks and would my wife or me (whoever is working) be able to find a job in a small town?

[Chancellor]