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samcheokguy
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
Location: Samcheok G-do
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 Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Russia is OUT. I was among the last group of people to cowboy the place beofore the new visa laws...At this point, Russia is a hell hole for foreign workers... |
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mavsfan5
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:23 am Post subject: |
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Since Western Europe seems nearly impossible, I'm still looking for other options.
What about Tokyo? Any suggestions?
Does anyone know anything about Dubai or places in the Middle East? Just wondering. |
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Guerciotti
Joined: 16 Feb 2009
Location: about 6,371.57 miles from Busan
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| Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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Does anyone know anything about Dubai or places in the Middle East? Just wondering.[/quote]
And/or Turkey? My brother visited Turkey and liked it. |
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friendoken
Joined: 19 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:47 am Post subject: |
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I teach in Laos. Lots of work in schools and even more in after school ESL places. I get $1000 month at Panyathip, www.pbslao.com, paid holidays, vacations etc. A great deal and you could easily get a few extra hours in the evenings at LOGOS or some other english academy. Making $1300/month is easy, and you could save at least $500/month on that. It is very inexpensive here and the Lao love foreigners, and like to learn. It is the exact opposite of that festering dung heap of Korea. The longest ten years of my life was the single year I did in that place, and I had a pretty good gig compared to most of the nightmare stories I read here about everyones typical Korea terror tales.
Korea sucks. Leave and don't look back. Do you like year round nice weather, fantastic food, friendly people? You'll like it here. |
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katepult
Joined: 19 Oct 2008
Location: the other Gwangju (Gyeonggi-do)
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| Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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Look for an English First job. I've never worked for them, but someone I knew did and had opportunity to move from school to school in different countries. He was pretty happy with the work. He also had been able to move up to a manager position.
That might be good if you're considering ESL longer term. |
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dharma bum
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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| friendoken wrote: |
I teach in Laos. Lots of work in schools and even more in after school ESL places. I get $1000 month at Panyathip, www.pbslao.com, paid holidays, vacations etc. A great deal and you could easily get a few extra hours in the evenings at LOGOS or some other english academy. Making $1300/month is easy, and you could save at least $500/month on that. It is very inexpensive here and the Lao love foreigners, and like to learn. It is the exact opposite of that festering dung heap of Korea. The longest ten years of my life was the single year I did in that place, and I had a pretty good gig compared to most of the nightmare stories I read here about everyones typical Korea terror tales.
Korea sucks. Leave and don't look back. Do you like year round nice weather, fantastic food, friendly people? You'll like it here. |
i'd really like to hear more about your experiences in laos. i spent a couple of weeks there a few years back and have been wanting to go back since...
i guess mainly would you mind filling us in on the visa situation there and how hard it is to get set up in country with a job, housing, etc.? also, are there jobs pretty much everywhere or are they limited to vientiane?
i have a lot more questions but won't get into them here. would appreciate anything more you might have to say though. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:42 am Post subject: |
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| samcheokguy wrote: |
| Russia is OUT. I was among the last group of people to cowboy the place beofore the new visa laws...At this point, Russia is a hell hole for foreign workers... |
What are the new visa laws that make it so terrible? |
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bananahammock
Joined: 26 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:25 am Post subject: |
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| I plan on going to Taiwan after Korea. I really want to learn mandarin though. Japan would be cool, but the cost of living is expensive. |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| katepult wrote: |
Look for an English First job. I've never worked for them, but someone I knew did and had opportunity to move from school to school in different countries. He was pretty happy with the work. He also had been able to move up to a manager position.
That might be good if you're considering ESL longer term. |
A really bad company to work for. They work their teachers very hard and give small pay. They also make you do 4 hours straight with the same students. Losers like Ef-workaholic type losers. It's like a hogwan job with public school hours.
Why get into ESL to work long hours for low pay in stressed conditions. |
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WoBW
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: HBC
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| mavsfan5 wrote: |
| I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go to Spain, but since I'm not an EU citizen, it seems like it's going to be really hard. After that, I'm pretty much up for anything. |
Spain is a fascinating country, but it may be a blessing in disguise that it would be difficult for you to get a visa.
Saving money might not be important to you, and that's cool, but survival is important. From my experience working in Spain, even survival and a basic standard of living isn't easy to find. I'm an EU citizen and got a 5-year residence permit (renewable) for about 6 Euros at the local police station. I still bailed out as soon as I could. Wasn't worth the criminally low wages, and the cost of living in Spain isn't as low as many people believe.
Despite the fact that, as an EU citizen, I can work anywhere in Europe without any visa hassles, I have have no plans to do so. To all the non-EU citezens in this ESL game, stick to taking vacations in Europe with money you make elsewhere. Working there just isn't worth it IMHO. You're not missing out on anything special. |
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thomas pars
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned south America. I've had my heart set on Argentina for quite some time now. I hear that it is difficult to get set up. In that it would take some time to set up
privates etc. The climate, culture, food, sound amazing. |
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katepult
Joined: 19 Oct 2008
Location: the other Gwangju (Gyeonggi-do)
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| Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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Usually the Middle East wants teachers with a teaching certificate, but if you look around, there are sometimes ones that only want experience. A friend of mine taught a year in Korea and now teaches in Kuwait. He loves it, even though he can't get beer. He wasn't thrilled about Korea and had a pretty awful hagwon job.
I have a family member working in Dubai, but not teaching. He says that ex-pats he's met working in Saudi Arabia don't usually like it much. It's very restrictive for foreigners. Dubai isn't restrictive, though beer is expensive.
Friendoken, your link is broken. |
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jaytea
Joined: 08 May 2009
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| Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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Don't rule out teaching English in Spain just yet. I did it for a year through a government program. You work 12-14 hours a week as a language assistant in the classroom and are paid just enough to live off of comfortably. 12-14 hours leaves plenty of time for privates...or so I hear. (They're still illegal, but I've never heard of anyone being caught.)
The catch: you have to speak a little Spanish.
Check it out: http://www.mepsyd.es/exterior/usa/en/programs/us_assistants/default.shtml |
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davai!
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Draz wrote: |
| samcheokguy wrote: |
| Russia is OUT. I was among the last group of people to cowboy the place beofore the new visa laws...At this point, Russia is a hell hole for foreign workers... |
What are the new visa laws that make it so terrible? |
Work visas are becoming really hard to get. The outfits that do offer these pay a pittance and have you jumping from school to school all on the same day (up to 4 hours in the metro alone - enough to drive anyone crazy.)
That doesn't allow much time to do privates, which are becoming rarer with the magnified economic crisis there. Many teachers used to get just a business visa and do privates to their hearts' content, but now you can't stay in country more than 90 days out of every 180 with regular bus. visas.
At this point it is just not worth the hassle. |
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bundangbabo
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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Spain has a lot of ESL work but the pay isn't too clever even for EU teachers - if you are an illegal it is just not worth the hassle - not only are you prey for shark like language outfits that make Mr Kim look like a kind and respectable boss but you are also more than likely to get ripped off of housing deposits (and they aren't cheap) from landlords knowing with your illegal status - there is nothing you can do about getting your money back. The Spanish are as bad as the Koreans for pissing on your back and telling you it is raining. Don't believe all that crap about how great the Spanish are - in a lot of ways they are very similar to Koreans.
If you want the Spanish experience without having to deal with Spaniards then I think Costa Rica would be good for an American. Beautiful beaches and surf, good money, lots of ESL work and they love the NA accent though they will employ Brits and other native speakers. (so I have heard) |
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