I found the follow example of an early 21st Century TEFL Job ad over at the TurkeyCentral forum and it got me wondering, would any of you work under these conditions? I’ve removed any info that could help you identify the employer. I’d just like you to look at it and tell me what you like/dislike about this offer. How does it differ from the job you have. Does anything here make you think ‘OH MY GOD!’
GENERAL INFORMATION
ABOUT THE SCHOOL XXXX University is one of the foundation universities in Istanbul, Turkey. It has a nice campus overlooking PART OF ISTANBUL. English Preparatory School (EPS) prepares students with the necessary English skills so that they may successfully enter and benefit from the academic studies in the faculties where all instruction is given in English.
LOCATION Istanbul /Turkey
POSITION English Instructor (EFL) (Native Speakers Only)
OPENING DATE June 01, 20XX
CLOSING DATE June 30, 20XX
WORK HOURS 08:00-17:00
SALARY
BA Degree in English (ELT, ELL or Linguistics) $ 1500 + TL 700 (Housing Allowance)
MA Degree in English (ELT, ELL or Linguistics) $ 1700 + TL 700 (Housing Allowance)
BA or MA Degrees in Other Majors (with TEFL or other teaching certificates) $ 1300 + TL 700 (Housing Allowance)
BENEFITS
1. The salary mentioned above is a net salary. The University pays required taxes on behalf of teachers.
2. In addition to the salary, a housing allowance of TL 700 is given to the foreign instructors. Instructors are responsible for finding accommodation but assistance can be given.
3. Insurance through the State Social Security Institution is mandatory for all instructors. This is paid for them by the University.
4. All Instructors are entitled to a three-week paid vacation during the summer.
5. Instructors are given a free return ticket each year to their home country, to be used during their vacation.
BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION
Instructors are employed in English Preparatory School. The courses at EPS are conducted on weekdays between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
Every instructor is required to:
teach a maximum of 22 lessons per week – each lesson lasts 50 minutes
attend level meetings, general staff meetings, workshops, seminars and conferences
supervise and grade examsCONTRACT TERM
Contracts last for one year. They may be extended depending on mutual agreement. It is hoped that we will work with instructors for longer periods of time. Many of our current instructors have been employed for three or more years.
DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES REQUIRED
• All applicants must hold at least an undergraduate degree.
• Graduates of English Language Teaching (ELT), English Language and Literature (ELL) and Linguistics departments are given priority.
• Masters or PhD degrees in these fields are advantageous but not necessary.
• Graduates of departments other than the above mentioned must have a certificate of Teaching English as a Second (or Foreign) Language (TESOL of TEFL).
How does this measure up to what you expect out of a teaching job?
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Judging from your intro tone, it would appear as though you don’t think the conditions offered are fairly good. 22 classes of 50 minutes a week between 8 and 5 doesn’t seem that bad at all. $1500 a month in salary could be good or bad depending on the cost of living. The other things mentioned seem ok, like a free ticket home. In other words, the only downside could be the salary, but you are talking about conditions.
Should someone not like this offer and why?
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Thanks, Jack.
Actually, my tone was purposeful in order to generate interest. I don’t think these conditions are particularly bad, I’d just like to get a gauge of the state of our profession at the start of the 21st Century.
For my part, I wouldn’t list something as a benefit if the organisation were actually breaking the law by not providing it (as with social security in the example). That’s like saying that one of the benefits of the job is that we won’t try to dodge paying money to the government. Gee, thanks!
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I worked in a preparatory department of a private university in Istanbul, could have been this one actually. The job scope was far beyond what’s mentioned. Teaching was more like a really difficult babysitting job of 30 18 year olds. Disciplinary actions were not existent by the administration. The amount of material that was to be covered and its pacing would’ve been nearly impossible even with a studious group. On the other hand, Istanbul is an amazing city!!
From the archives: Would you work in conditions like this? http://t.co/YLDvyXs
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