Post: #551

I have been living and teaching in Korea since 2011. I’ve taught at language schools the whole time, but I’ve met people teaching in a variety of situations. This write-up is a mix of my own firsthand knowledge and things I’ve learned from my friends, various other forums, and job boards. The English teaching industry in Korea is quite developed so there are a variety of options if you want to teach English here. Personally, I think teaching English is a great way to start living abroad, as it’s a developed country with modern transportation and infrastructure, plus you can get cheap flights to anywhere in Asia from Incheon int’l airport (ICN). I'm moving on to Vietnam in August, so I put some info on getting a work permit down at the bottom

ESL Teaching in Korea - The Basics
For Korea, the bare minimum qualifications are a BA/BS (any subject) from a university in one of 7 English-speaking countries (USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand), passport from one of those same 7 countries, clean criminal background check (FBI check for Americans), and pass a NIDA-5 drug test & AIDS test. Your degree and criminal background check have to be notarized & apostilled by the State Department/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country where you live in order to get the visa.

Unfortunately, if you aren't a citizen from one of those 7 countries and didn't go to university in one of those 7 countries, you are ineligible for a E-2 teaching visa, and Korea isn't the kind of place where you can work for cash and do visa runs every 90 days - you will get caught.

If your parents are Korean citizens, or you have dual nationality, you can get a different visa (F4), but you still need to have graduated from university in one of the above 7 countries or you cannot get permission from the Ministry of Education to teach, which means you'd be working semi-legally. Though if you're Korean-American and speak fluent Korean you’d have access to bigger/better opportunities in business, technology, finance, etc., thanks to your visa, so you could do something other than teaching

The Perks
The main perks to Korea (besides some of the hottest women in Asia and quick/cheap flights to Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Japan & China) are the pay & benefits. Any job should offer you:

- round-trip airfare to Korea at the beginning of your contract, and to your home country at the end of your contract;

- housing, either provided or a rent allowance + key deposit money - the deposit is crucial because even a studio apartment outside Seoul requires a $5-10,000 deposit;

- Korean national health insurance which covers most non-serious medical issues with just a small co-pay on your part, even one teeth cleaning per year at the dentist. The premiums are about 6% of your gross salary, split 50/50 between you and the employer;

- Korean national pension, which if you are from the USA or Canada, you can claim back as a lump sum when you leave Korea. This is 9% of your gross pay each month, split 50/50 between you and your employer, so you are getting free money with this;

- A 1-month salary bonus at the end of a 12-month contract - this is required by Korean law for all contract jobs, and it accumulates at the rate of 1 month salary per year worked if you work for more than one year for the same employer, so 2 years = 2 month’s salary bonus, 3 years = 3 month’s salary bonus, etc.

- The starting salaries aren’t spectacular in Korea - 2.1-2.2 million krw/month, which is about US$1900-2000. Higher-paying jobs can be found if you look hard enough, but you usually need experience.

Recruiters
If you are overseas, you are probably stuck with using a recruiter if you want to work at a language school or after-school program. Some language schools will hire directly, as will international schools. Recruiters do not work for you. They are paid a fee by the school for recruiting you. As such, it is in the recruiter’s best interest to make every job sound like the best job in the world. Treat them like used car dealers - check out the jobs (cars) they have on offer, if you like something, check it out. Always ask to speak to a current expat teacher, and get a personal email or phone number/skype ID if you can - otherwise, you might just be emailing the management of the hagwon. Unfortunately, you cannot trust the owner/manager of the school, or any native Korean teachers, as they will lie to you about the conditions of the school/students/job in order to get you to sign on.

If it seems like this recruiter’s jobs are sketchy, dump them and find another recruiter. Generally, though, the jobs recruiters have are not that great, but they are a means of getting you to Korea for a year to teach, travel, and chase skirts. After your first year, you should have made some friends and contacts that can help you find a better job. The main advantage to recruiters is you can tell them what sort of job you want - type, salary, location, etc - and they will try to find something similar. Some are absolute tools though: you tell them you want a middle school job in Seoul, and they offer you a kindergarten job in the middle of nowhere out in the provinces.

Public schools have their own recruiting/admin organization - the 3 I’m aware of are EPIK (English Program in Korea), GEPIK (Gyeonggi English Program in Korea), or JLP (Jeolla-do Language Program). I believe the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) recruits for its public schools separately from these others, but I’m not 100% sure.

If you want to work at a public school in Korea, beware that you cannot choose your location - they will choose it for you. You can express a preference, but there is zero guarantee you will get placed in your preferred location. I do know that getting placed in a Seoul public school is very difficult because 1. Everyone wants to be in Seoul since it’s the biggest/most important city in Korea, 2. most people who hold those jobs stay in them for several years, and 3. when leaving, the current teacher usually passes the job along to people in their network. Some public schools hire directly, using a recruiter.

The Jobs

Teaching jobs in Korea fall into 6 categories: language schools, adult language schools/business English, public schools, after-school programs, universities, and international schools. 1-on-1 private tutoring is widely available, but illegal - get caught by immigration and you’ll be fined/deported or possibly banged up in an immigration detention center if you cannot pay your fine. Many, many people still tutor despite this risk, as the going rate is 50,000krw/hour (just under US$50)

Private Language Schools (hagwons)
Private language schools are really hit or miss, some great, others terrible. They are all for-profit businesses, which means teaching and learning come second to making money by keeping the kids entertained and the parents happy, which are sometimes mutually exclusive goals and can present some challenges if you aren’t socially savvy. Each language school (called "hagwon" in Korean) caters to different age groups, most are for kindergarten/younger elementary up to middle school.

The working hours vary - for kindergarten/elementary it’ll be 9am-6pm, for older students it could be 1pm-9pm, 2pm-10pm, etc. Good schedule if you like to party during the week. I've been lucky and worked at 2 good language schools and only 1 bad one. Do your research before taking a job - always talk to an expat teacher using their personal email and read what you can on forums like Dave’s ESL cafe, Waygook.org, etc.

There are language schools in basically every city in Korea, from Seoul on down to tiny little villages out in the provinces, so if you are willing to deal with the challenges of working for a for-profit school, you can pick whichever sort of city you want in Korea. Salaries also vary, from 2.1million KRW/month up to 3.0million or more if it’s a boutique, SAT prep hagwon in Gangnam or Daechi - it’s all down to how well you sell yourself and negotiate.

There are also adult language schools - Wall Street English, YBM, and Princeton Review are the big ones. The adult students are usually university students or office workers; sometimes just random adults who want to learn English. These can be bad because they want you to work a split shift - something like 6am-10am, then 6pm-10pm, Monday to Friday, and maybe even Saturday work. If you survive that for a year, they might give you an 8-5 block - maybe. Princeton Review only does 8-5 block schedules if I remember correctly (I interviewed with them once) but at certain times of the year they require/request a lot of overtime.

If you have a business background you can get jobs as a corporate tutor, either freelance or (with networking) in-house tutor for management/sales/executives. Had a friend who taught business English in-house and had some wild stories about nights out with his students (and the corporate credit card). Google business clubs or room salons in Korea. These jobs are easier to find by networking once you’re in Korea, by starting off working at an adult hagwon, or on craigslist.

Public Schools
Public schools want a 120 hour TEFL certificate, with 20 of those hours done in-person (20 hours not online). These jobs are more stable - rarely any issues with pay or schools randomly closing or firing you for no reason. 14-20 vacation days a year, no work on weekends, all national holidays off, plus a settling-in allowance of a few hundred dollars. Salaries range from 2.2million KRW to start, up to 2.7million KRW with experience & teaching credential or TEFL certificate.

However, you will likely have to desk warm - your vacation time is less than the actual school vacation, so you'll be require to come into school and sit at your desk from 8-5 when there are no students and no other teachers either. You are basically free to do whatever you want during this time from what friends have told me, but there will be some admin person there to make sure you actually show up. Also, your classes will have a wide range of English abilities, which can be difficult to manage if you’re an inexperienced teacher.

Most public middle schools and high schools have ceased hiring native-speaking English teachers, so it's pretty much all elementary schools now, and you could get placed at a school in the middle of nowhere that's hours away from Seoul or Busan, so you may be bored out of your mind or love it, depending on your personality.

After-school programs
Public schools also have after-school programs. These are contracted out to private education companies, who hire you to go teach at a given school's after-school program. The working hours are usually 10-4, 11-5 - something like that - 4-6 hours a day. You get paid a full-time salary though, and you get the same vacations as public school teachers (14-20 days a year), always weekends off. I had several friends who worked for after-school programs, private tutored on the side and took home around 3.5million KRW/month, saving a good chunk of that too. However, you’re going to be teaching elementary school kids, and have classes that have a wide range of English abilities, which can be difficult to manage if you’re an inexperienced teacher.

Universities
For universities, you need a master's at minimum - preferably in TESOL or Applied Linguistics. They also want to see 2 years experience teaching adults. These jobs are becoming more competitive and less attractive. Salaries are stagnating, vacation time decreasing, working hours increasing. You probably won't get hired abroad for a university unless you've got a PhD with publications, and are currently teaching at a university in your home country. Better to come to Korea and build a network to get a shot at uni jobs, especially if your master's is unrelated to English or TESOL and you don't have previous university or adult teaching experience.

Still, if you get a good university job you should be earning 2.7-3.0+million KRW/month, plus a housing allowance. A good university job should have you teaching from 12-16 class hours a week, and there are opportunities to earn overtime by teaching more classes.
NB -Some universities run their own language school, which teach all ages from kindergarten-adults. Beware that some recruiters or job ads will mislead you, tricking you to believe you’ll be teaching at a university and when you arrive, you find out you’re actually only teaching at the university’s language school, working 40+ hours a week with 10 days vacation.

International Schools
International schools want you to have a teaching credential from your home country + 2 years experience teaching in a public or private school. At the better schools, the benefits are top-notch & good salaries on offer - sometimes split between KRW and USD/GBP/EUR - your choice. Salaries range from US$2500-4000/month if you have experience and certification in a highly desireable subject, like math or chemistry/physics/biology. If you have administrative experience (Principal, VP, counselor), you could be looking at a fair bit more. Lots of vacation, holidays, opportunities for professional development & move up to administration or school leadership if you're motivated & talented as a teacher.

This isn’t just in Korea - there are international schools in every country on Earth. If you have a teaching credential and experience, you can probably find a job teaching your subject or grade in any country you like. If you get into the top-tier schools, you’ll be teaching the children of diplomats, MNC executives, and the local upper class, and you’ll be compensated well with all sorts of extra perks - some schools give you roundtrip airfare to you home country every year, so you can visit home in the summer if you like. There are specialized recruiting/job database services catering to international schools - Search Associates, International Schools Services (ISS), and the Times of International Education (TIE) - also the Times Educational Supplement (TES) has jobs for teachers trained in the UK National Curriculum. International schools are where I'm trying to move into - I earned my middle school/high school history teaching credential while working in Korea, and I'll be starting a new job in August at an international school in Vietnam.

Vietnam
I’m headed here in August, so I don’t have personal knowledge of the teaching scene yet. What I can say is, the work permit document requirements for Vietnam are a giant pain in the ass - more so than Korea. According to my new school's HR department, you need:

- a BA,
- teaching credential/TEFL certificate,
- criminal background check no older than 6 months,
- and (possibly) letters proving work experience.

These all these have to be notarized, authenticated by the Department of State/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country, and then legalized at the Vietnamese Embassy in your country which costs $50 per document, nevermind the money you already spent getting notarizations and authentications.

I have to get a work permit as a condition of my employment (and I am getting reimbursed for all costs), but I hear from my friends in Vietnam that it is possible to get jobs that pay cash and don’t require a work permit, but you’ll be doing visa runs every 3 months. However, the Vietnamese government is cracking down on illegal workers, and fining/deporting people, so beware if you choose to work without a permit.

Post: #552

I have been doing some searching about International Schools and how to start in that type of work, ie, teaching a subject such as Math, History or Chemistry in a traditional school setting outside of the west.

The International Schools Review website, which has a thorough list of reviews of International schools also has a web forum that is up to date and many posts every day.

http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-...1&start=50


I was looking through the posts and found one post that is asking the question directly: How do I become a teacher at an International School if I have a Bachelor's Degree in some a subject but need a teacher's license from the US/UK/Canada. Here is a very well put together data sheet on the website with a dozen people giving advice on how to go about that.

http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-...f=1&t=5642

Post: #553

After reading a bit more it seems like one good way to get an Teaching License is to try to get a job at a 3rd tier school without one, start the Master's Online and get the student teaching/alternative teaching program at the school you are teaching at.

I already signed up for my job for the next school year starting in September, but that gives me time to figure all this stuff out for next year. I'm also looking into doing some online courses starting this summer, going until next year spring, in other courses so that I can get a Secondary teacher in Social Studies Certificate which would allow me to teach more courses instead of just History, as Im guessing there are too damn many history teachers without jobs.

Post: #554

(05-16-2016 01:28 AM)ball dont lie Wrote:  After reading a bit more it seems like one good way to get an Teaching License is to try to get a job at a 3rd tier school without one, start the Master's Online and get the student teaching/alternative teaching program at the school you are teaching at.

I already signed up for my job for the next school year starting in September, but that gives me time to figure all this stuff out for next year. I'm also looking into doing some online courses starting this summer, going until next year spring, in other courses so that I can get a Secondary teacher in Social Studies Certificate which would allow me to teach more courses instead of just History, as Im guessing there are too damn many history teachers without jobs.

The Master's is less important than the teaching credential for finding jobs. For schools to keep accreditation they need certified teachers - a master's is a bonus, but doesn't really matter unless you've got post-certification experience to go along with it. Experience trumps education. If you've got the time & money to do the master's and the credential at the same time though, go for it.

There's two alternative certification programs I know of in the USA - TeacherReady in Florida: https://www.teacherready.org/

I did TeacherReady. It was easy - if you got good grades in university, and did well on your SAT's, the coursework & Florida state exams are a piece of cake. Some of the Florida DoE paperwork & processes are frustratingly slow and old-school. Very little electronic communication possible and any problems require a phone call to resolve quickly - which is a pain if you are living abroad with a 13 hour time difference.

Pros: Self-paced, so you can complete your coursework on your own time. 5 day culminating field experience, which is easier to organize if you are teaching ESL and doing your internship/field work at a local international school.

Cons: Have to go back to the USA to take the FTCE's (Florida state teacher certification exams). Finding an accredited international school with a certified teacher or administrator to supervise your field experience.

And Teach Now from DC: http://teach-now.com/

I didn't do this program, but the major advantage is DC uses the Praxis exams for certification, which you can take anywhere in the world.

A disadvantage is the class schedule - they are virtual classes that you have to attend at specific times.

The main area of concern for both programs is you need to be either working at an accredited school, with a credentialed adminstrator or teacher, either one having 3 years experience or more, to observe you as your mentor.

Post: #555

(05-16-2016 09:45 PM)airelibre Wrote:  The Master's is less important than the teaching credential for finding jobs. For schools to keep accreditation they need certified teachers - a master's is a bonus, but doesn't really matter unless you've got post-certification experience to go along with it. Experience trumps education. If you've got the time & money to do the master's and the credential at the same time though, go for it.

There's two alternative certification programs I know of in the USA - TeacherReady in Florida: https://www.teacherready.org/

I did TeacherReady. It was easy - if you got good grades in university, and did well on your SAT's, the coursework & Florida state exams are a piece of cake. Some of the Florida DoE paperwork & processes are frustratingly slow and old-school. Very little electronic communication possible and any problems require a phone call to resolve quickly - which is a pain if you are living abroad with a 13 hour time difference.

Pros: Self-paced, so you can complete your coursework on your own time. 5 day culminating field experience, which is easier to organize if you are teaching ESL and doing your internship/field work at a local international school.

Cons: Have to go back to the USA to take the FTCE's (Florida state teacher certification exams). Finding an accredited international school with a certified teacher or administrator to supervise your field experience.

TeachReady looks good for me. I can't do TeachNow since I don't have a school to do the 12 weeks of student teaching. 5 days on the other hand, Im sure I can get that to happen in an International School somewhere in Guangzhou, even if I have to pay someone to help me or promise to help them in some other way.

After you got your Florida teaching certificate did you transfer over to a California certificate? I know that they have certs that don't expire, which sounds much better than recertifying every 4-5 years.

One issue of course: 5 days of student teaching doesn't really teach anything, so after that have to get a job at a tier 3 school and get a foot in the door. How did you handle that issue?

One issue is that my degree is in History which is not very helpful for finding work. I will need to get certified in history, though I could take some tests to get certified in other subjects later. I would probably need to eventually get a Masters in another subject to have a good case for teaching that subject in a tier 1 or tier 2 school.

Any other advice for those looking into Teach Ready?

Taking the tests in Florida will be a pain in the ass for sure. If I could get a job at an accredited school it would solve a lot of problems, but its putting the cart before the horse. I need the teaching cert to get a job there.

Post: #556

How is 200-300k USD not that much money?

Post: #557

(05-24-2016 07:42 AM)RedPillUK Wrote:  How is 200-300k USD not that much money?

It's a lot of money when you're 20. It's just a fraction of what you would need to retire on at 50.

Post: #558

200k usd is a lot of money period. I am sure in some countries that money goes a long way.

For those who are on the fence and have read the countless posts in various forums I suggest taking a vacation to the country you want to work in. Like anything, it takes time to settle in and vacationing just helps you over that first hump.

Post: #559

Don't forget that you can teach ESL online via webcam. You can chill in a place like Colombia while teaching Chinese, Japanese, European students, charging $20-30 and hour without even having to leave your apartment. Combine that with some local work and money shouldn't be an issue.

Post: #560

(06-05-2016 09:11 AM)DonnyBoy777 Wrote:  Don't forget that you can teach ESL online via webcam. You can chill in a place like Colombia while teaching Chinese, Japanese, European students, charging $20-30 and hour without even having to leave your apartment. Combine that with some local work and money shouldn't be an issue.

Have you done this?

Post: #561

(06-05-2016 11:09 AM)Suits Wrote:  

(06-05-2016 09:11 AM)DonnyBoy777 Wrote:  Don't forget that you can teach ESL online via webcam. You can chill in a place like Colombia while teaching Chinese, Japanese, European students, charging $20-30 and hour without even having to leave your apartment. Combine that with some local work and money shouldn't be an issue.

Have you done this?

I have done this. Here is what I have learned if you want to earn rates like that regularly.

It is not easy to find students, and where it is easy to find students, there is competition, driving your wage down. It takes time to build up your customer base. You must have strong hustling skills, better than the rest. Marketing and sales is part of the job.

'Native speaker' is not a sufficient qualification. You must know your stuff, not only the 'facts' of English (which educated native speakers don't automatically possess) but also how to help students develop skills. That comes from training and experience. Without this background, you will lose students.

You must have materials and activities that work for the students you have. Each student is unique in some way, so you may need to prepare or modify the materials yourself outside of class. Without this, students will look elsewhere. Pure conversation sessions are hard to sustain over time for both teacher and student, and do not get you the rates mentioned above.

You must have the skills of a therapist, taking into account your students' personalities/psychology and adjusting your approach accordingly. You must demonstrate a positive attitude at all times and show a genuine interest in your students, listening and responding appropriately while never attending to your own needs. If you can't do this, your students will become discouraged, frustrated or offended, and you will lose them.

You must have highly reliable internet and a quiet place to give classes, not a given in the third world. Also, students want classes at the day/hour when it's convenient and possible for them. That does not always coincide with your own availability and time zone.

All of this can be done but anyone with this set of skills can probably find more success doing something else online.

Post: #562

Retirement wise 200k is chump change
Investment wise, its a very decent sum of money to be had.

Post: #563

I just completed my TEFL. Next stop is China, I'm leaning towards going to Hangzhou at this stage. I plan to work say 20 hours a weeks and network/tutor/look for other opportunities in my spare time.

Post: #564

(06-05-2016 10:20 PM)Suban Shelvey Wrote:  I just completed my TEFL. Next stop is China, I'm leaning towards going to Hangzhou at this stage. I plan to work say 20 hours a weeks and network/tutor/look for other opportunities in my spare time.

If you're looking to teach English, I wouldn't recommend Hangzhou, the weather sucks. That said, if you do go there, let me know if you have any questions.

Post: #565

I'm new to ESL and teaching. I have some experience with one-on-one tutoring and training centers from when I first came to China around 3 years ago, but not much. I'd like to start teaching high school or university ages. How can I get my feet wet and become better prepared for this age group?

I've thought about teaching in a university for a semester or two. From the research I've done, most high school and university jobs in China don't really seem to give a shit about the quality of teacher-- they just want you to show up to class and be the token white face for the school. However, the caveat is the pay is pathetically low in most of these 'universities', so ideally you'd want to be working in a tier 2 or tier 3 city.

This is actually comical because training centers and kindergartens are extremely picky in the teachers they hire, and they are absolutely humiliating and miserable, tiring jobs.

Anyway, that's one of the many reasons why I'd like to break away from those types of gigs and teach older ages. I figure I can start out and learn how to handle older students by teaching university in some backwater town that won't be able to replace me easily. Or apply for a job at a training center only aimed at teens and adults. Any suggestions?

Post: #566

(06-06-2016 07:20 AM)Mr. Scumbag Wrote:  I'm new to ESL and teaching. I have some experience with one-on-one tutoring and training centers from when I first came to China around 3 years ago, but not much. I'd like to start teaching high school or university ages. How can I get my feet wet and become better prepared for this age group?

I've thought about teaching in a university for a semester or two. From the research I've done, most high school and university jobs in China don't really seem to give a shit about the quality of teacher-- they just want you to show up to class and be the token white face for the school. However, the caveat is the pay is pathetically low in most of these 'universities', so ideally you'd want to be working in a tier 2 or tier 3 city.

This is actually comical because training centers and kindergartens are extremely picky in the teachers they hire, and they are absolutely humiliating and miserable, tiring jobs.

Anyway, that's one of the many reasons why I'd like to break away from those types of gigs and teach older ages. I figure I can start out and learn how to handle older students by teaching university in some backwater town that won't be able to replace me easily. Or apply for a job at a training center only aimed at teens and adults. Any suggestions?

I've gone with my own happy medium. I specialize in teaching kids, but I do so on my own terms. I work with non-English venues (like art schools), to offer fun, play-based English classes and fill up the rest of my schedule with private clients in their homes.

My income comes from so many sources that if I have an issue with one client, it's terribly easy to walk away.

I can definitely support your interest in avoiding training centers and kindergartens, for the reasons that you have stated.

However, keep in mind that teaching at a low paying university will not necessarily get you better paying gigs in the future. There isn't much of a high end market here, outside of test-prep.

The real income opportunities are in doing freelance like I do, where the hourly pay is high. It's up to you to fill an entire schedule, but if you do, then you will be swimming in cash.

I earn around $50USD (300 RMB per hour) doing private classes in homes and a little more than that doing group classes at educational venues. But I do my own marketing as well and my own pitches when I meet clients, so there's a bit of effort involved.

If you visit Beijing at some point, I can show you the specifics of what I do, which sets me apart from the competition and gives me a real edge.

Post: #567

HOW TO FORM YOUR OWN GROUP ENGLISH CLASSES

As soon as you have some experienece and confidence teaching English, consider forming your own groups. If you can pull this off, the pay per class will be better than you can make teaching privates or recruiter-referred company classes.

The main challenge is getting students, and the best way to do that is to have a wide social network. Friends will recommend friends, and so on. (Your actual friends do not make good students for a variety of reasons.) A shitty teacher with lots of contacts and who is gregarious and upbeat (not me) will outperform others, whatever their training and competence may be.

Charge by the month or for a package of classes, payment up front. Allow one missed session per package. Offer a bonus class for referrals.

Go after professionals with intermediate English who need to improve their English to move up in their company and/or work internationally. Students between about age 25 and 35 will be early enough in their career that they still want to advance, but not so young that they can't see where their career is headed yet. I screen students via email where I give them a short English quiz just to make sure they're more or less at the right level to benefit from the kind of teaching I do. (No beginners, no advanced students.) You can also screen prospective students before or after class with a quick getting-to-know-you interview in English.

I hold classes in a centrally located cafe that is convenient for me. It should be a place where you won't be bothered by waiters or other patrons, not too noisy. Four or five students in a group is a good size for both you and them. I supplement the group session with email homework that is based on any points we touched on during the group session. I try not to spend too much time preparing the homework. It consists mostly of feedback/corrections made during the session, plus a related follow-up activity. Even if your students don't do the homework, it subjectively adds value in their mind. I also let students ask me English questions via messaging between sessions. Some do, some don't. I may text them a mini-quiz between sessions as well: Which is correct? A or B. These take me almost no time to prepare and answer. I have several students whose companies offer them free onsite group English classes, but they prefer the privacy and personal touch that a native-speaking, freelance teacher can offer. They are literally paying for something that they could get for free elsewhere.

If you're interested in this kind of teaching, google "Dogme" (ending in "e", not "a"). This approach works well when teaching professionals who already have a base in English, however imperfect, and who want to focus on developing their speaking skills. Conversation practice serves as the springboard for giving a spontaneous mini-lesson on a grammar point related to an error just heard, a false cognate, pronunciation issue, etc.). No textbook is used. I use small portable whiteboards that fit in my bag, index cards and post-it notes.

The main challenge, aside from getting students, is the schedule. Since professionals are busy, especially during the workday, non-company group classes are really only practical on weekends or weeknights. That puts a natural limit on how much you can grow this.

These are things that have worked for me in the country and city where I teach. Local conditions vary, obviously.

Post: #568

(05-15-2016 01:06 PM)Nitro Wrote:  My question is, considering the discriminatory nature of couuntries like China, where even White men get dragged through shit, how does a Black man play this game with the intention of coming out ahead, generally speaking? Any minorities working abroad, whether it's in China or not? I don't have any prospects in America, nor do I have any formal education. I simply seek to use TEFL as a springboard to help me be able to at least live on my own on 20 hour weeks while the rest of my time I continue to build my body and business. I don't care about the women nor nightlife. I'm focused on creating independence.

That said, connections and other knowledge are important so can anyone give me any advice, especially as it pertains to minorities since we know we can't play the game the same way?

How much schooling do you have?

This may not be the answer you want to hear but without at least a two year degree I don't see any prospects for landing a legit English teaching gig in Asia. The demand is there but the standards for every country are only going up.

If you asked them, I think the folks who run a successful business here and who've gotten an education would tell you that the latter was much easier. Manage that and you can definitely get a teaching job in Asia and live on your own.

Post: #569

I've noticed a lot of the high-paying quality teaching jobs in China are now requiring a teaching license and at least two years related teaching experience.

Looks like the Middle Kingdom is finally starting to crack down on fraudulent teachers and demanding real ones now. lol

Post: #570

(08-23-2016 09:01 PM)Mr. Scumbag Wrote:  I've noticed a lot of the high-paying quality teaching jobs in China are now requiring a teaching license and at least two years related teaching experience.

Looks like the Middle Kingdom is finally starting to crack down on fraudulent teachers and demanding real ones now. lol

They've also stopped giving expert (z) visas to non-native speakers.

Post: #571

(08-23-2016 09:01 PM)Mr. Scumbag Wrote:  I've noticed a lot of the high-paying quality teaching jobs in China are now requiring a teaching license and at least two years related teaching experience.

Looks like the Middle Kingdom is finally starting to crack down on fraudulent teachers and demanding real ones now. lol

The requirements depend on visa bureau that is issuing the Z-visa.

Z-visas are not an "expert" visa. "Foreign expert" is one classification of Z-visa holder. Some teachers are "foreigner experts," some are not. It depends on which bureau service the employer goes through to get Z-visas for its employees.

A visa bureau can be national or regional. So, the requirements for a z-visa can vary somewhat from region to region. Also, a teacher working in Beijing with a nationally issued visa may have had to meet different requirements than a teacher with a visa through the local Beijing visa bureau.

In major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, the requirements for visas are getting stricter (although they are not always strictly enforced, such as there are often no degree verification). Also, for better jobs with better pay, the employers requirements might be even stricter than what is required for the visa.

In less developed cities, the requirements for visas may be lower and your typical employer just wants a white face and won't pay above a certain budgeted amount, regardless of the teacher's abilities or qualifications.

Post: #572

No good money unless you are in an elite international school. Great social opportunities though. I did this for a decade in Europe.

Post: #573

(09-16-2016 07:37 PM)Half Century Wrote:  No good money unless you are in an elite international school. Great social opportunities though. I did this for a decade in Europe.

I don't work at an elite private school and I earn more money teaching English than my compatriots at elite private schools.

What are you talking about?

Post: #574

(08-23-2016 09:01 PM)Mr. Scumbag Wrote:  I've noticed a lot of the high-paying quality teaching jobs in China are now requiring a teaching license and at least two years related teaching experience.

Looks like the Middle Kingdom is finally starting to crack down on fraudulent teachers and demanding real ones now. lol

In China there are two worlds: the top tier, international cities such as Shanghai and Beijing and then there are the rest. Most want to work in the international cities so officials and school heads can be very picky. China is so vast though and its needs for education and training so strong that it can't have high standards everywhere. Many people start out in second tier or even third tier cities and then eventually move to the top tier ones. Top tier ones are usually more fun but don't provide as good a cash flow.

Post: #575

Long thread so someone may have already noted these points but:

1. If you want to teach ESL take a look at Taiwan. Much nicer to live here than in the PRC. Less pollution, better food sources, far better medical, people are friendlier, lots of attractive young women. Top tier cities in China though are culturally more vibrant and international. Relatively easy to get a job teaching English outside of Taipei. With some experience you can move into Taipei but you might be able to find a job in Taipei right off the bat. English teaching jobs pay better here on average than they do in China but they usually don't include accommodation, as far as I know. Teachers I know outside of Taipei save around 1000 USD a month. Given COL differences, that is the equivalence of saving 3K in the US. Not a lot but teaching for the most part isn't a get rich scheme. Have to keep in mind that if you want to move back to the US eventually you'll be behind the curve on savings but OK if you stay outside the country.

2. In general, ESL teachers are the migrant day labor of the teaching and training professions. At least 80% of the time they are just viewed as an interchangeable commodity that can easily be replaced. Best to use ESL as a springboard into some other training or some other work. Some teachers go freelance, as some have noted here, some move into management or sales positions that pay better then transfer to non ESL companies and make more money. However, some get nice, easy gigs at universities and stay there long-term.