Job Discussion Forums

[bludevil96]

This link below is for people who are either burnout or is looking for a way out of Vietnam but don't know where to go. It contains the top 10 countries for ESL teaching. Vietnam is not in the top 10 but feel free to let us know how great it is after you've been there for a couple of years. Maybe more will go there and leave Vietnam with fewer angry and negative teachers.

MOD EDIT

Cheers!

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Just read it and, to be honest, that blog kind of lost credibility with me with some of those recommendations. Money isn't everything of course, but in a lot of those countries, (if not most), the pay is extremely poor and you pretty much have to arrive with large savings and dip in when necessary to make up for the shortfall in wages. It ends up costing you money to stay there and work. Although you might be living in a beautiful country/city, how much can you really enjoy it when you are broke and working long hours for crummy wages? It's up to each person to decide, but, personally, I would much rather work in a relatively well-paid country, like Vietnam or South Korea, and just visit some of the places on that list on holiday.

[I'm With Stupid]

MOD EDIT

[LettersAthruZ]

Rather dodgy piece....I saw that it had Prague on there and it said "Prague is the Paris of the 90's" - which makes me think that was written quite a while ago....

But for argument's sake -

MOD EDIT

Czech Republic?

+ and - : Just wondering, with how the Public Schools are just going hardcore at teaching (and teaching well) English in Europa, is there even any need or any positions for EFL instructors there in 2011?

Thailand?

WAS wonderful until the Government started cracking down, became over-saturated with Falong ("foreigner") and salaries flattened - a lot like what happened to Viet Nam three years or so ago!

Japan?

Positions STARTING to dry up....plus veeeerrrry expensive! (And, I think this article is severely outdated....pretty sure that NOW you also need a TEFL/CELTA/DELTA/TESOL/OMFG now to teach (legally) in Nippon (just like here)

Saudi Arabia?

'nuff said right there!

China?

Can't say I know anything about it......probably would have ended up there if I hadn't set down anchor here first. People I know who teach there, though (all TWO of them), SEEM to enjoy it! And, from what I've read, DEMAND for native English Language instructors is STILL high (unlike, say, HCMC and increasingly, Ha Noi)

Mexico?

MEXICO???? Obviously, this was written well before the Zetas, the Gulf Cartel, The Juarez Cartel, the Sinaloas and about three others started controlling (no, I mean, literally CONTROLLING) large swaths of the country and randomly murdering people (EXCEPT Foreigners, whom they hold for ransom)

France? See "Czech Republic" (above)

Brazil?

Know nothing about it.

Russia?

Veeeerrrry difficult JUST TO GET A VISITOR'S/TOURIST VISA...much less obtaining an actual working visa permit. Makes the procedure here seem easy by compare! PLUS, it's getting really expensive, as Moscow is now the world's most expensive city!

IF I departed anytime soon, it'd prolly be to Taiwan.....which, ten years ago, was so far off of the ESL radar, it isn't even funny (which explains WHY it isn't mentioned in this antiquated "Top Ten" list)

[Oh My God]

[LettersAthruZ]

[I'm With Stupid]

So just out of interest, what would you rank as your top 10 now?

Oh, and if they've started to demand teaching credentials to work in Japan, then I'm pleased about that. The one thing that's always put me off Japan is how the only requirements seemed to be a degree and a pulse.

[spiral78]

That site's utter tripe.
These are just the bits I know about from direct personal experience.

CZECH REP

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Couldn't agree more with most of what you said spiral78, but I do know people who have taught in Saudi without an MA. They just had a degree, CELTA and teaching experience.

[spiral78]

Yes - I've heard of teachers in Saudi with less than an MA as well - but not in connection with the massive salaries the link-that-must-not-be-named mentioned!!

[bludevil96]

Money wise, I know someone right now who is teaching in Afghanistan making $175,000 a year. He works for a contractor and can be shuffled between SA,Iraq, and Afghanistan.

I'm curious since there are so many people here who disagrees with that list. What do you think is your top ten?

[I'm With Stupid]

MOD EDIT

On Saudi Arabia, I know a female teacher who was offered about $5k a month to work there straight after CELTA. And two of the people on my CELTA course were being paid to take it by Saudi schools, so there are clearly jobs for all levels of qualification.

[awakenow]

I am in the m.e. but not saudi and am trying everything to get out. not fun as a place to work but perhaps interesting as a place to visit

[turtlenecks]

you don't need any kind of certificate to teach in japan, you just need to be a native speaker with a degree.
i teach in osaka and shortly after hiring season, my company, who won the contracts for high schools in osaka, couldn't fill all the positions because there weren't enough teachers.


i'm getting tired of japan and considering vietnam.

[travelinhobo]

Just responding to the responses as opposed to reading the link. Mexico won't pay anything - you'd go there for the experience. I taught privately in the capital for 2 years. Private teachers can make double than what the schools pay (which is only about 80 pesos an hour - 125 if you go to a company). And that's only in MC. In most other cities, you're going to earn less.