Job Discussion Forums

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

It's pretty glaringly obvious that the bad economy has brought a nasty job situation to EFL teachers in most of East Asia, especially in Japan and Taiwan, in which 20 people often apply for a single entry-level opening (eikaiwa or buxiban), and keeping from getting fired is harder than ever because of the number of people just waiting to take your job...

Those of us who have jobs (fortunately I have one) are often finding we aren't teaching as many hours as we'd like, and we're just treading water, financially.

Do you think the market will improve for us teachers in one year, five years, or ten years?

Or will it stay the same?

Or will it continue to get worse and worse to the point that anyone with less than an MA TESOL can't even find an eikaiwa job?

I don't know, so that's why I'm asking what you guys think. What are your predictions?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Impossible to say, but the birthrate is not really going to change matters soon even if it hit positive values today. Schools are closing, they admit practically anyone in universities now, and the elementary schools are only going to have fewer students for a while. What do you think that means?

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

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norwalkesl · Joined: 22 Oct 2009 Posts: 366 Location: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-China

EFL is a field where the Internet makes it much easier to jump into it in 2010 than prior. Old hands like John in the KSA were at this in the late 1960's and they always lament how the salaries are lower now.

Well of course they are - there are more people who know that the world is not a scary place and that living and working outside the US/Uk/EU is easy and fun to do. In 1970 you had to leap with little info. Now one can spend a month of spare time doing research on the Web and get very well informed.

More people in Anglo countries will be willing to try it or do it as a new career because they can find out info from us here and reduce that fear barrier to entry. The ease and lowered cost of air travel makes it easier to get to a job, the internet makes it easier to find a job, and email makes cheap/free communication with your new employer and friends and family back home a breeze.

There will always be positions for those who want to earn big money, but no one is just going to show up and get 12,000CNY for being white in 2010. This is a sign that the EFL market is beginning to mature. The high profit high margin product (jobs) are disappearing as the market adopts the tech in a widespread fashion. The millions of college graduates from the USA with no job prospects will be flooding into Asia for years to come. If one is serious a CELTA, DELTA and TEFL degree will make you a better candidate and the MA may become the standard outside the ME also.

Competiton cannot be stopped - wages will drop and more people will vie for your job.

Imseriouslylost · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 123 Location: Tokyo

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

but then,
because a lot of people think its not so good here now (chances of getting a job) that means, even if its true that there are less jobs, the fact that less teachers will come, could cancel it out to some extent (so to speak)
????
in theory at least

dove · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 271 Location: USA/Japan

I free-lance and I have seen more demand for private lessons because students don't want to pay the fees at big schools. However, gone are the days of 10,000 yen per hour private lessons, unless you are really lucky. With a work visa in hand it is possible to do pretty well financially, but it means hustling and commuting. It also means arranging your own insurance and taxes and apartment. It can be challenging, but I'd never go back to being a full-timer at one place.

steki47 · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 1029 Location: BFE Inaka

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

steki47 · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 1029 Location: BFE Inaka

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

flyer posted

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

TL · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 76 Location: Seoul

I agree. China has become Japan's largest trading partner and this relationship is growing. With shrinking household income, I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future parents stop paying for English lessons. I also think some of the money that would normally go to English language education will be diverted to Mandarin lessons.

If you follow the economic news regarding Japan, you can sense that the future is bleak. The new government just introduced a budget where the deficit will be greater than tax revenues! That's unheard of among developed nations. Can you imagine having an annual income of 3 million yen but spending 7 million yen every year?
The demographics are against the economy as well. By 2020, 40% of the population will be over 60! I personally don't think that the government will be able to afford more English teachers for the public school system when other areas will be short of funding (i.e. health care and pension system). I get a headache every time I think about the future of Japan. Sad

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

[quote="TL"]I agree. China has become Japan's largest trading partner and this relationship is growing. With shrinking household income, I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future parents stop paying for English lessons. I also think some of the money that would normally go to English language education will be diverted to Mandarin lessons.

Accoding to this article, "Most business people [in China] speak English".
http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/china.htm

This article says, "In the Asia-Pacific region, South Korea is the only top-ranked country where English is not commonly spoken in business settings."
http://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/ris/dps/pidsdps0436.pdf