Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bcjinseoul]

I taught English in Korea for four years (2006-2010) during the second half of my twenties, and had a great time doing so. Bored and overworked in my own country, I’m ready for my next adventure overseas to commence sometime, somehow in 2014. I certainly won’t let the fact that I’m in my early thirties get in the way of on one last adventure abroad.


As an American citizen, I know prospects for me are limited in Western Europe/The European Union (dues to EU regulation), but because I have a German mother, I know for a fact I can file for dual citizenship at any German consulate in the world (with the necessary paperwork in hand, of course), and with that German passport, live and work forever in any major Western European country like I’m back in the States, no stamps, visas, green cards, alien cards, FBI checks, notarized and apostilled docs, contracts, etc, required once I’m in. I could honestly see myself in southern Spain or southern Italy for years and years…maybe even the rest of my life. Who wouldn't want to be there?


Has anyone started in Korea/Japan/China/etc and then taught somewhere in Europe? What are the biggest pros/cons/differences, what are the students like, the overall market for jobs, any hope of rent and airfare covered like in Korea, etc?


I’ve always thought that British people make the best English teachers, since they happen to have high language awareness. In most of States, we only learn the basics, like what is a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc…but British ESL teachers I’ve met over the years can break down a right or wrong sentence in proper English and explain why it’s right or wrong, point by point, which has always fascinated me, like they’re mathematical geniuses or something (not trolling, FYI).


Having said that, it seems to me that virtually every ESL gig in the EU wants a Cambridge CELTA or Trinity Certificate in TESOL 120 hr teaching certificate, and courses/lesson plans based on exactly that, with no deviation. There seems to be a higher teaching standard, compared to the whole “degree and a pulse” thing in Korea, China, Taiwan and a few other places. It also appears on the surface that there are not a lot of jobs in major EU nations, as outside of TEFL.com, I don’t see many places where there are tons and tons of ESL jobs listed in Europe, especially Western Europe, so I guess a lot of it is just word of mouth and referral, right?


Competition is something to consider as well. Hundreds of thousands of British expats live in Spain, and surely tons of them teach English there as well, seeing that unemployment is sky-high for the locals in all the other fields, and I imagine the same is true with Italy. I know if nothing else I should probably start reading some Cambridge textbooks by Oxford Press and familiarize myself with proper English grammar and teaching methods and even the Cambridge exams. The language schools of Europe on TEFL.com are mostly small classes of adults and teenagers who have an intermediate to very advanced command of the language, and having said that, a Cambridge CELTA or Trinity Certificate in TESOL seems to be as necessary (almost) as actually being an EU citizen with an EU passport.


There seems to be more career satisfaction and work-life balance (and perhaps quality of life?) to be had at some major chain/franchise young adult language school in the EU than working at some kindergarten in Korea, Taiwan or Japan…which is like most of the jobs in those three countries these days, anyhow.


Thoughts?

[Lucas]

[edwardcatflap]

[Popocatepetl]