Over the last few years Mike Pickles has received many questions about teaching English in Korea. He has prepared this unofficial guide to give teachers basic information on the background of teaching English here so that they can be better informed before committing themselves to any particular job.

Unfortunately some people come to Korea under contract, with promises of generous salaries, bonuses and other perks, only to find themselves in tenuous situations, often lacking funds to return home. Bear in mind at this early stage that your embassy, by regulation, cannot enter into any case, conduct an investigation, nor act as a lawyer in legal or contractual mishaps experienced. Additionally, they can neither investigate nor certify employers. It is up to each individual to evaluate potential employers before signing a contract. Here are some important things for you to consider:

OVERVIEW

Many foreigners have enjoyed their teaching experiences in Korea; others have encountered problems. The key to happy and fruitful employment as a language instructor in Korea is to be employed by a reputable school and to negotiate a well-written contract before leaving home. I advise anyone considering accepting an English teaching job in Korea to carefully review the terms of the contract regarding working and living conditions. It would also be useful to ask for references from people familiar with the institution, especially former employees.

The KOTESOL teacher’s association is a good source for up-to-date information on teaching in Korea. Information about this group can be found in the section entitled ‘SOURCES OF INFORMATION.’

TYPES OF ESL POSITIONS AVAILABLE IN KOREA

Many English teachers work in language institutes (a “hagwon” in Korean). There are, though, jobs available in several types of institutions:

- private foreign language institutes (hagwons)
- corporate in-house language programs
- university language institutes- university academic departments
- government / private research centers
- editing / public relations, advertising companies
- private teaching / informal classes

HAGWONS:

Private language institutes are found all over Korea. Some institutes are well-known with many branches while others are small and short-lived. The ESL market in Korea is extremely competitive and many institutes fail. Most hagwons employ a number of instructors for conversation and occasionally for writing classes. The typical employee can expect to work 20 to 30 hours per week. The majority of classes are conducted early in the morning and in the evening, so many instructors have free time in the afternoons. Most classes have between 10 and 25 students. Pupils may be grade school or college students, or businessmen who are contemplating overseas assignments. Some of the better institutes will provide housing for instructors. The average salary is currently about 1.5 million won per month (US $ 1,850).

PRIVATE BUSINESS PROGRAMS:

Most large corporate groups (a “chaebol” in Korean) have their own in-house programs. The typical instructor can expect to teach more than 30 hours per week, teaching all day from early in the morning to late at night. Most are intensive residential programs where the students study for three to six months. Some employers provide full benefits including housing, but the teacher might be required to either live on campus or commute long distances from Seoul. The average salary for these institutes is currently between 1.5 to 2 million won per month (US $ 1,850 to US $ 2,500).

UNIVERSITY USCISTITUTES:

The major universities in Seoul, as well as some of the provincial universities, operate foreign language institutes. Some pupils are university students, but the majority are businesspeople. These institutes tend to have the highest hiring standards in Korea; most instructors have MA degrees in TESOL, as well as years of teaching experience. The pay, status and benefits offered by these institutes are among the best in Korea. As a result there is very low turnover.

UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS:

Most universities in Korea employ full-time English conversation instructors. University classes tend to be large, with little personal contact with the students. Most instructors teach between ten and 15 hours a week. Academic standards in Korean universities tend to be somewhat lax. Leftist, nationalistic and sometimes anti-American attitudes may prevail among some students. Most universities in Seoul do not provide housing, and some do not provide the benefits required by law. Monthly salaries currently tend to run about 1 million won (US $ 1,300) per month, with three to four months of paid vacation per year.

Provincial universities generally provide better housing, working conditions and salaries, and tend to treat foreign instructors as part of the faculty. The better working conditions, however, should be balanced against the cultural isolation that you as a foreigner may encounter living in the Korean countryside.

GOVERNMENT / RESEARCH USCISTITUTES:

Many government agencies and some private companies operate research institutes. Most of these institutes hire foreigners who have degrees in the humanities, economics or business administration as full-time editors. Editors proofread correspondence and research publications, write speeches, and occasionally teach. Most institutes pay quite well, and some provide housing. Because these institutes tend to be government-run or closely affiliated with powerful corporate groups, their instructors seldom experience problems in obtaining work visas.

EDITING / PR / MEDIA:

Quite a few public relations and advertising companies in Korea hire foreigners to work as copy editors, and occasionally as teachers. These positions are very hard to obtain as they are quite popular with the resident English-teaching community. There are also opportunities to appear on television programs, movies and radio. Most of these positions pay quite well and some provide housing assistance.

KORETTA / EPIK KOREAN GOVERNMENT PROGRAM:

This relatively new, Korea-wide, government-sponsored program places native speakers in every school district in Korea and presents a unique opportunity for the adventurous to live far from tourist routes and population centers. While recruiting and training appear to be performed quite professionally, teachers’ living and working experiences vary considerably. Some are welcomed with open arms and treated extremely well. Others, arriving in areas where the program has been forced upon reluctant, underfunded schools, are not wanted and this is made clear to them from the beginning. Housing, benefits, reliability of pay, and access to ombudsmen is steadily improving, but still has a long way to go.

PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT:

Many full-time English teachers teach part-time as well, either at another institute or with privately-arranged classes. Extra-contractual private instruction is illegal; however many English teachers do take private students. Part-time instruction at a second institute is legal only with permission from the sponsoring institute and Korean immigration authorities. Private students pay more per hour, but some instructors have found it hard to maintain long-term private classes. One should arrange for private lesson fees to be paid prior to each class. Teachers are personally responsible for any violations of Korean teaching and immigration law they might commit.

EMPLOYMENT VISAS

In order to work legally in Korea, one must first obtain the appropriate employment visa. The Korean government tightly controls visa issuance for employment, and sometimes teachers have been unable to obtain visas. A person who wants to work in Korea must obtain their visa outside Korea. You can, however, come to Korea on a tourist visa, obtain sponsorship documents, and apply for the visa in a nearby country. Depending on the job and other factors, it can take between one week and two months to obtain the appropriate visa. A teacher arriving in Korea with a teaching visa must register with Korean Immigration and obtain a residence certificate and re-entry permit within 90 days of entry.

Note also that employers, on behalf of Korean government agencies processing your case, may briefly need your passport for visa or permit purposes. Despite what some employers may tell you, you are not required to hand over your passport to your employer for the duration of your stay. It is your passport; keep it yourself!

Korean Immigration offices require the same documentation that was used to obtain the visa, so one should make plenty of copies. Your embassy should have a complete listing of the various visa categories and fees, as well as contact information for Korean Immigration offices and for Korean consulates in your home country. Visa categories and fees may change from time to time, so they should always be confirmed with Immigration or a consulate.

Most English instructors are granted either an E-2 visa (conversation instructor), an E-1 visa (professor at educational institution higher than a junior college), or an E-5 visa (professional employment with a public relations firm or corporation). Dependents of diplomats stationed in Seoul can work as English teachers by obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This can be handled through your embassy personnel office. An individual who is married to a Korean citizen can also acquire permanent residency and the right to work under the F-2 category.

REQUIRED FORMS

In order to obtain both the visa and the residence permit (which must be obtained within 90 days of entry) the following documents must be submitted to either a Korean consulate or the Korean Immigration office:

1. sponsorship guarantee form (notarized) (shin won pojunso)

2. contract, not less than one year and not more than two years (ko young kyeyakso)

3. certificate of employment (chaejik junmyungso)These documents are supplied by the employer and should be arranged one month in advance to allow for mistakes and other mishaps.

In addition, the authorities will probably require the following:

4. statement of purpose
5. resume
6. driver’s license-size photos
7. original of college diploma plus copies
8. transcripts

The Ministry of Education, which also must approve the visa and the residence permit, requires English teachers to register at your embassy and to submit embassy-notarized copies of their resumes with their applications for residence permits. Registration at your embassy can be accomplished quickly. Notarial services cost $10 per document, payable in either dollars or won.

CHANGING EMPLOYERS

Korean Immigration must approve changes in employment. This is accomplished through leaving Korea and entering under a new visa with a new sponsor. Changing one’s employer while in Korea is quite difficult and requires written consent of the original sponsor. Even with such consent, many teachers have found it nearly impossible to effect such a change while in Korea, and some have even been arrested and deported for overstaying their original visas while still involved in trying to change employers within the country.

LEGAL WARNING!

Some foreigners have run into serious legal problems with Korean Immigration because they either work as English teachers while in Korea on tourist visas or they accept part-time employment or private classes without obtaining the proper permission. Violation of Korean immigration laws can result in severe penalties including imprisonment, fines of up to 100,000 won ($120) for each day of overstay, or deportation with a ban on re-entry for up to two years. It’s your responsibility to understand local laws and to obey them.

If you violate Korean visa laws, your embassy can’t assist you other than to provide you with a list of attorneys.

CONTRACTS

THE NATURE OF CONTRACTS IN KOREA:

Foreign instructors in Korea do occasionally have contract disputes with their employers. In the Korean context, a contract is simply a rough working agreement, subject to change depending upon the circumstances. Most Koreans do not view deviations from a contract as a breach of contract, and few Koreans would consider taking an employer to court over a contract dispute.

Instead, Koreans tend to view contracts as always being flexible and subject to further negotiation. Culturally, the written contract is not the real contract; the unwritten, oral agreement that one has with one’s employer is the real contract. However, many employers will view a contract violation by a foreign worker as serious, and will renege on verbal promises if they feel they can. Any contract should be signed with these factors in mind.

THE BASIC FEATURES OF MOST TEACHING CONTRACTS:

Contracts for teaching positions should include provisions for the following: salary, housing, tickets home, working hours, class size, severance pay, taxes, and medical insurance. If these items are not included, one should negotiate until they are. Information on these topics is given below. When in doubt, ask; get it in writing, and remember that only the Korean-language version of the contract is legally binding in Korea.

SALARIES:

Most contracts provide for either a set monthly salary, or for a salary based on the number of hours taught. In any event, a guaranteed monthly remuneration should be included in the contract. Payment dates, methods, and currency should be specified in advance.

HOUSING:

The fact is, few contracts provide for housing in Seoul. This can be a serious problem as housing in Seoul is among the most expensive in the world. Housing options include key money (yearly deposit), monthly rent, shared housing, dormitories, lodging houses, and inns. If your institute does not provide housing, it should at least be able to help you in finding housing, and in negotiating the appropriate rent and utility payments. Teachers who have been promised housing might want to request photos, floorplans or furniture inventories in advance. Koreans have very different ideas of what ‘western’ and ‘furnished’ housing mean. ‘Furnished’ might only mean a linoleum floor and a 2-burner stove. ‘Western’ usually just means an apartment with an indoor bath. Koreans measure housing space in ‘pyong’. One pyong is approximately 36 square feet. Pyong measurements usually include the front porch, utility room, etc. Monthly rents can run from U.S. $1500 to U.S. $4000 for a modest apartment.

THE KEY MONEY SYSTEM (CHUNSEE):

Key money (chunsee) is a year’s rent paid in advance; with no monthly rent payment. At the end of the contract period, the renter receives the chunsee back without interest. Chunsee can be risky because property ownership may change in the middle of the contract period, or the owner may simply decide that the foreigner is in no position to fight for the chunsee. One can reduce this risk by having the employer agree to pay the chunsee. Chunsee payments run from a minimum of 20 million won (US $ 24,000) for a studio in a less desirable part of town to 500 million won (US $ 650,000) for a small apartment in one of the richer neighborhoods.

Wolsee is a variation of chunsee. The renter pays a certain amount per month plus an initial deposit which he receives back when he moves out. The same caveats apply as with chunsee.

DORMITORIES, LODGING HOUSES (HASUK) AND INNS (YOKWANS):

Yonsei, Ewha, Seoul, Hanyang, Konkuk, and Hankook Universities all have dormitory accommodations available. In addition, the Korea Research Foundation runs an International House for foreign students. Sometimes these dormitories can accommodate foreign instructors, but they usually only accommodate their own regular faculty. Shared housing is a popular alternative, but be careful in choosing roommates and spell out financial arrangements in advance.

Lodging houses (hasuk) are popular with young Koreans in college or just starting out in their professional careers. Single rooms run about US $ 500 per month, and include Korean-style breakfast and dinner, and sometimes include laundry service. The disadvantage is the lack of privacy.

Another option is staying with a local family. This can be an excellent opportunity to experience Korean life and culture, but again the lack of privacy can be a disadvantage. Most instructors who live in such homestays eventually move into more private accommodations.

Finally, some people rent rooms in yokwans (inns) on a monthly basis. This is similar to staying in a lodging house, at about the same cost with no food provided, but offers far less security and less privacy as well. Some yokwans cater to short-term clients and criminals, so staying in a yokwan may cause some Koreans to treat you with a lack of respect.

TICKETS HOME:

Some institutes promise to provide tickets home upon completion of a contract or to reimburse teachers for the trip to Korea. One should be aware that sometimes this commitment is not honored. Consider requesting an open-ended round trip ticket in advance.

WORKING HOURS:

Most institutes require foreign instructors to teach five to six hours per day, Monday to Friday, and some also ask instructors to teach Saturday morning as well. Universities will usually require 10 to 15 hours per week plus participation in student activities such as editing school newspapers. Research centers usually require 40 hours per week, with occasional uncompensated overtime. Saturday morning is a normal part of the Korean work week. Teachers may have to teach early morning or late evening classes to accommodate working students.

CLASS SIZE:

This is usually not spelled out in the contract. Private institutes usually have classes of between 10 to 20 students, while universities can have as many as 100 students in a class.

SEVERANCE PAY (Taechikum):

It is a good idea to broach this subject early in your employment, and to be prepared to meet resistance. By Korean law, discussed below, all full-time employees, Korean or foreign, are entitled to receive severance pay of one month’s salary for each year of employment. Employers cannot ask you to waive this, nor can they get around it by employing you on an 11-month contract. However, Korean courts have ruled that unless a Hakwon instructor actually TEACHES 40 or more hours per week, as spelled out contractually, he is NOT ‘full-time’ and is NOT eligible for severance pay.

The Ministry of Labor has jurisdiction over severance pay matters. The Severance Pay Division can be reached at (02) 503-9727. The Ministry of Labor’s general number is (02) 500-5543/5544. The International Labor Policy Division of the Ministry of Labor (Tel: 02-504-7338) may, at your request, call employers to remind them of their legal obligations. The Ministry of Education may, at your request, call employers to remind them of their legal obligations. If you have exhausted all other avenues and feel that you need to take legal action, your embassy can hopefully provide you with a list of local attorneys.

Severance pay rights are covered by the Labor Standards Act of the Korean Legal Code. English language translations of the Code are available at the Kyobo Bookstore. The key provisions of the Labor Standards Act as they relate to severance pay include the following:

Article 28: (Retirement Allowance System) 1) An employer shall establish a system by which average wage of not less than thirty days per year for each consecutive year employed shall be paid as retirement allowance to a retired employee. Provided, however, that this shall not apply in cases in where the period of employment is less than one year.

Article 5: (Equal Treatment) No employer may include any discrimination in the terms of labor conditions because of nationality, religion or social status.

Article 10 (Scope of Application) stipulates that the act applies to all enterprises except small family businesses, domestic servants, and those exempted by Presidential decree.

KOREAN TAXES:

Most foreign employees are required to pay Korean income taxes, which are generally withheld and paid by the employer. Teachers working for colleges or universities are sometimes entitled to an exemption from paying Korean taxes for up to two years, depending on your nationality.

The Tax Office maintains a list of institutes that are tax exempt. This provision applies only to teachers employed at universities, research centers, or university-operated institutes. (Teachers at hakwons and at private companies have to pay taxes.) The General Affairs section of the university or research center should be able to apply for the exemption. If the institute wrongly withholds taxes, it is required to pay a refund.

For guidance on these matters contact the Korean Tax Office, as they have been helpful in arranging compliance with these provisions. They also publish an English language Income Tax Guide for Foreigners. This guidebook comes out in April of each year, and is available free from any tax office. The Korean tax year runs from May 31 to the following May 1, with May income estimated. In most instances, one’s employer files the appropriate tax forms, but if they do not file, the individual must do so.

If you believe that your employer is not complying with Korean tax laws, your first step should be to discuss the matter with him or her. If that does not work, you should discuss the matter with the Korean Tax Office, International Taxation Division, 397-1346/7, or the nearest Korean Tax Office. If the problem is still not solved, you may wish to get legal help.

PENSION PROGRAM:

Foreigners living in Korea are required to pay into the national pension plan, just as foreigners living in the U.S. must pay into Social Security. No mechanism exists at present for refund of these payments, although an agreement between the two countries may be negotiated within a few years.

MEDICAL INSURANCE:

Foreign instructors are entitled to Korean medical insurance through their employer. This should be clarified at the time of acceptance of employment. Employers often buy the minimum policy required, which provides about 400,000 won (about $500) worth of coverage. Those desiring more coverage should negotiate with their employers or buy their own.

Medical care in Korea is generally good, but, while not as expensive as in the United States, can still be costly. Many practitioners and hospitals will not accept overseas health insurance, and may require payment before treatment. It is therefore very important for individuals to make sure that insurance or funds are available in case medical care is needed. Your embassy should maintain a list of English-speaking medical and dental care providers in Korea, as well as a list of insurers willing to write policies for foreigners residing in Korea.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

In Korea, English-teaching jobs are filled either through word of mouth or through advertisements in the local English newspapers. Occasionally, the better institutes will hire through advertisements in the TESOL Newsletter, or at job booths at TESOL conferences. They also occasionally advertise through college placement offices and newspapers in the United States and the UK.

RECRUITING AND PLACEMENT SERVICES:

Most English teachers hired from the United States of the UK do not get their jobs directly through the institute where they work. Instead, they are recruited by a placement service. The US embassy in particular has received complaints about a number of recruiters. Those considering working in Korea should deal with recruiters carefully: many of them do not know at which hagwon in which area of Korea the teacher will be placed; very few of them, to our knowledge, will accept responsibility for a placement that is contrary to the original terms of agreement or contract. Prospective teachers should keep all of the advice in this publication in mind when discussing employment terms with a recruiter.

Once you arrive in Korea it is a good idea to subscribe to one of the local English language newspapers, The Korea Herald or The Korea Times. Both are published daily except Mondays, and cost 7,000 won per month. Both are available in Seoul at some street newsstands, but outside of Seoul are generally only available through subscription. The Herald can be contacted at 727-0404, fax 727-0677, and The Times at 724-2828, fax 723-1623. Overseas subscriptions are available.

KOREAN YELLOW PAGES, OTHER DIRECTORIES:

The Korean Yellow Pages is a very useful English-language phone directory. It is available at most larger bookstores. These stores also sell other business directories. These directories contain a wealth of information, including addresses and phone numbers for universities and Korean government offices. The Korean Research Foundation publishes a pamphlet on studying in Korea that contains information on all the universities in the country.

KOTESOL:

KOTESOL is an independent, national affiliate of TESOL, an organization of teachers of English to students of other languages. KOTESOL was founded in 1992 as the union of two separate national organizations. KOTESOL is a not-for-profit organization established to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among English teachers in Korea.

KOTESOL has active chapters in Seoul, Taejon, Pusan, Taegu, Kyongju and Chongbuk province. Chapters hold individual monthly meetings, and sponsor educational activities in their areas, as well as participate in an annual conference in October. The Seoul chapter meets on the third Saturday of every month. The time, date, place and topic are announced in the local English newspapers about a week prior to the scheduled meeting. For, more up-to-date information, contact other English teachers.

CULTURAL PITFALLS

DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS:

Many types of people teach English in Korea. Some are professionally trained with degrees in TESOL; some hold graduate degrees in other disciplines and teach in Korea because they want to experience another culture; some teach English while doing other things, such as research; some teach while looking for other jobs; some are merely seeking any kind of work to help pay school bills; some are just passing through.

Teachers have differing expectations. They bring their own unique perspectives to their jobs, as well as their own individual reactions to new circumstances. Some expect to be revered and are shocked when they are not; others expect to make a lot of money but later find they actually earn about what a unionized bus driver in Seoul does; some expect to receive a large Western-style house and are disappointed to find themselves living in a modest room. Some teachers have been dismayed to find that their rooms were not air conditioned, and that they would have to work on their birthdays. Having realistic expectations and a flexible attitude prior to starting employment as a teacher in Korea will help prepare you for the inevitable stress and possible disappointment you may encounter.

SHORT-TERM USCISTITUTES:

The Korean ESL market is extremely competitive. There are over 100,000 institutes of all types in Korea, most of them small-scale, marginal operations. Due to the competitive nature of the ESL business in Korea, many institutes do not survive long. They open their doors, hire the first foreigner they can find, advertise, teach for a month or so, lose money and close. Most of these cannot and will not pay their teachers for work performed, or for contract-specified repatriation, leaving teachers broke and stranded.

FOREIGNERS ARE NOT KOREAN:

Korean society in general makes a great distinction between one’s inner circle of family, friends and business colleagues, and outsiders. One should always treat one’s inner circle with complete respect and courtesy, while one treats strangers with indifference. Korea is not an egalitarian society; one is either of a higher or a lower status than other people. How do foreigners fit into this scheme? The simple answer is – they don’t. Foreigners are completely off the scope.

In recent years, less than 10 percent of Koreans traveled abroad, most often on group tours with other Koreans, or on business trips. Even now, with outbound tourism high, most Korean travelers still visit only friends, relatives or Korean neighborhoods, or travel in groups of other Koreans. Thus, Korean society remains very inwardly focused. For most Koreans, foreigners exist only as stereotypes, and are not always liked. Living in Korea as a foreigner requires patience and fortitude. Many foreigners have found Koreans can be quite friendly and warm, but a foreigner will seldom be accepted as part of the inner circle; he will almost always be an outsider looking in.

SOCIAL STATUS OF TEACHERS:

Teachers are usually treated with great respect in Korea. However, it is also important to exhibit the kind of personal qualities and behavior that help maintain that respect. A foreign teacher who does disrespectful things, such as dressing or behaving too casually or informally, or losing his temper with a boss he considers unreasonable, would be held in great disdain by most Koreans, and runs the risk of getting into serious trouble with both his employer and the Korean Immigration Office. In other words, one should always present a mature, discreet, dignified and respectful manner. As a foreigner in Korea you will be highly visible, and you may find living here to be like living in a fish bowl, with everyone around you watching what you do with great interest. Remember that Korean society is more conservative in many ways than American society, and abide by local norms.

THE ESL PROFESSION IS NOT CONSIDERED PROFESSIONAL BY SOME KOREANS:

By and large, Koreans do not think teaching ESL is a professional occupation. In fact, many believe any native speaker will do. This of course is based partially on reality – many ESL instructors in Korea have not had any professional training.

KOREAN BOSSES:

Korean society is extremely hierarchical. The boss is the boss; he is never questioned or criticized. The same mistreatment you may feel you have received from him is probably not limited to his foreign employees. He probably reneges on contracts and makes ‘unreasonable’ demands of his Korean employees, too. As a result, one should be careful in how one deals with one’s employer. When discussing issues that might become difficult, one should make sure not to lose one’s temper, raise one’s voice, or speak in less than respectful language.

LACK OF CLEAR COMMUNICATION:

Neither Korean society nor language is very precise. Many things are left unsaid, but still are understood. Of course, foreigners often do not understand. It is important that one understand what is expected and what is required up front, and that any misunderstanding be solved early on. Otherwise problems may develop.

ADAPTING TO KOREAN SOCIETY

CULTURE SHOCK:

When first arriving in a country, one is usually excited and eager for new experiences. After a while, the newness wears off, and homesickness begins. Do not judge yourself too severely at this point. It happens to everyone. “I will never understand this place. I want some real food, some real friends, a real apartment. Why do Koreans do X?”

There is hope and it is usually just a matter of time. As you continue to cope with the realities of living here, you begin to take things for granted which used to annoy you. Life becomes pleasant enough that you no longer care about the inconveniences. You suddenly find that you like kimchi. You realize your students are interesting people to know, that helping them improve their English just adds to that interest; you begin to understand your boss who was such a pain when you came; you make a few good friends who are willing to show you the Korea outside of the foreigner’s community, you begin to try and learn some Korean and use it. There are many foreigners in Korea who have come to and remain at this point, – not so much assimilated, but a part of the country in their own niche here, and who want to spend a long time in Korea.

For many others, however, the feeling eventually comes that it is time to leave. With luck you will realize it before it affects your life too deeply. It is time to leave when you begin to be negative about the country and its people. When you no longer want to go to work; when you dislike your students; when you become irritated with everything and everyone and have angry discussions with others of like mind, it is time to go.

HOW YOUR EMBASSY CAN HELP

Just to reiterate, your embassy, by regulation, cannot enter into any case, conduct any investigation, or act as a lawyer for any personal mishap or employment dispute experienced. They can’t investigate, certify, or vouch for employers. It is up to each individual to evaluate an employer before signing a contract, and to use common sense when traveling this far, including keeping sufficient funds available to return home should the situation become untenable.

Good luck!

About the Author

Mike Pickles (BA, BEd, MEd) has been teaching for 14 years in Canada, twice in South America and once in Africa. He is also the founder and owner of “Educate & Motivate Seminars”, delivering educational and motivational seminars and workshops.

He is currently teaching in Nunavut, Northern Canada with his beautiful, supportive fiancée Krista and their wonderful, three year old son Sebastian.

It’s hardly difficult to see Thailand’s appeal, claims Emma Foers, what with its gorgeous beaches, buzzing cities and fantastic food – but just in case you need a little persuading as to how amazing TEFLing there would be, check out these seven reasons to teach in Thailand:

1) Enthusiastic kids

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that your students will be calm and attentive. However, they will be enthusiastic, raucous and desperate to learn! Once you’ve learnt how to calm the classroom chaos, you’ll find the teaching to be fun, challenging and very rewarding – and if it all gets too much, there’ll always be plenty of local teachers on hand to help you.

2) Weekend trips

Forget a quick shopping trip, teaching in Thailand means you can take your weekends to a whole new level! Take a sleeper train to Chiang Mai, in the heart of Thailand’s hill country; relax on one of the southern Thai islands; get lost in local night markets… the list goes on!

3) Rock-bottom living costs

Thailand is an amazingly cheap place to live, especially when it comes to going out and enjoying yourself! A slap-up meal in a Thai restaurant costs just 250 baht (around £5/$7), and with beers costing 60 baht (around £1/$1.80), there’s no need to save that big night out just for paydays!

4) Friendly people

It’s not difficult to see why some people refer to Thailand as the ‘Land of Smiles’ – everyone seems to walk around with one permanently glued to their face! People here will go out of their way to make sure you get settled in and looked after – great if you’re new in town!

5) Parties!

When you think of calm, serene Thailand, you usually don’t think of the parties that go on, but the country certainly has a hedonistic side. Take the infamous Full Moon Parties on Kho Pha Ngan that take place every month – imagine 20,000 revellers packing out a beach, buckets full of booze and dozens of soundsystems pumping out great music until the sun comes up.

6) Street food

Take a journey of discovery through the street food stalls of Bangkok (or any other large Thai city) and you’ll be able to sample everything from deep-fried flowers to pad thai. Street food in Thailand is fresh, cheap and fabulously cooked – lots of vendors specialise in particular dishes, so ask them what they’d recommend and enjoy!

7) Temples

If you’re a culture junkie, you’ll love Thailand, with a massive 40,717 temples scattered across this beautiful country. Immerse yourself in their tranquil atmosphere, clear your mind and prepare yourself for your students’ next onslaught!

So, are you ready to head to Thailand? Are you teaching in Thailand at the minute? What do you think the best reason to teach there is?

About the Author

Teaching English abroad, says Emma, is the perfect opportunity for any English speaker to explore the world: as long as you’re a fluent English speaker, a TEFL course is your ticket to the journey of your life.

By Creztor Tessel

If you are thinking of moving to Taiwan to teach English, you might be surprised at just what kind of qualifications are required. Teaching English doesn’t actually require any special kind of degree or papers. Many people make the assumption that TEFL or similar degrees are required to teach English. While this may be the case for some work, the majority of teaching work in Taiwan does not require a TEFL or similar degree. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider getting your any extra teaching qualifications, but there is no need to do this before you come make the move to being an English teacher overseas. There are two main requirements for teaching English in Taiwan. These are that you hold the correct kind of degree and you are a native English speaker from one of English speaking countries determined by the government.

The main requirement is that you hold a three or four year degree. Does this have to be an education or similar teaching degree? No, it doesn’t. Any standard Bachelor’s degree is acceptable. You do not have had to major in teaching or anything at all related to education. Provided you have a Bachelor’s degree in any field, you meet the first main requirement of being able to teach English. It is quite common to meet teachers who have psychology, engineering, arts and many other non-education related degrees. This basic requirement of a bachelor’s degree only applies to cram schools where the majority of foreign English teachers are employed.

Beyond having a three or four year degree, it is also required that English teachers are from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom and are a native English speaker. As long as you were born in any one of these countries then you meet this basic requirement before you are allowed to teach. With this requirement met, you are legally allowed to teach in cram schools throughout the island. However, if you plan on working in universities, you may find that your nationality is not important but you will be forced to provide extra educational certificates beyond that of a Bachelor’s degree.

Teaching English in Taiwan is very simple as long as you meet the above requirements. There are many foreign teachers who hold degrees in areas that are not related to education or teaching at all. Provided you hold a standard three or four year Bachelor’s degree, you will have no difficulty finding work in the thousands of cram schools throughout the island. In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree you will also need to be from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom. This ensures that you are a native English speaker and this satisfies one of the requirements to be a foreign teacher. With these two requirements met, you will have no difficulty finding work in cram schools. However, keep in mind that public schools and universities do have slightly stricter regulations for English teachers.

About the Author

If you want to know more teaching English in Taiwan, suggests Creztor, find out the truth about it from someone who has personally experienced it, so you can without making the common mistakes most people do.

By Will Pearson

For too long Singapore has been dominated by its larger cousins in the global market for TEFL/ESL destinations. It is natural to head to Thailand and Vietnam, completing ignoring this inspiring compact island. No more should the Lion City just be a refuge to teachers from Thailand looking for some civilisation while on a holiday break. Lucrative TEFL/ESL opportunities exist that allow teachers to save and provide for a lifestyle teachers in Thailand and Vietnam can only dream of. Salaries are high, classes involve mostly adults, and schedules are usually done in blocks – all highly rated in any TEFL/ESL job.

Singapore has a lot to offer which other countries don’t. Firstly, in the region of South East Asia, TEFL/ESL salaries far outstrip those of neighbouring countries. Teachers can expect to start at USD 2500 a month, most likely beating the USD 3000 mark. While the cost of accommodation may seem high on this small island, other costs such as transport and food are incredibly cheap when compared to the Europe, and even the US. This provides for a very comfortable lifestyle indeed, where teachers can experience the world famous diverse cuisine, spend money travelling, and of course save.

The job search in Singapore is undeniably best done on the ground when you get there. This is convenient as Singapore is a major international flight hub, and visitors from native English speaking countries can enter freely for stays between 30 – 90 days. While arriving with nothing may worry some teachers on a shoe-string budget, it is important to remember that unlike Japan, costs are low, and the market isn’t already saturated by other English teachers in the same boat. Some jobs are advertised online, mainly on TEFL.com and ESL Cafe’s international job board. However, these may not necessarily be the best deals, and the on the ground job search allows you to negotiate an all round better deal.

Who will employ you when you get there? For an island with a population of around 4 million people, Singapore has a high density of Educational colleges and private institutes. There is a palpable feeling in the air of everyone trying to better themselves. This means business and money to the TEFL/ESL teacher. A CELTA/Trinity TESOL candidate’s best bet, like elsewhere in the world, is to contact the major private language chains; Berlitz, The British Council, Cambridge Institute, GEOS, Linguaphone, Shines Education, Wall Street Institute and many more that are dotted along Orchard Road. Job opportunities can also be had in the Straits Times online job classifieds at st701.com. The benefits of turning up on the spot are obvious; it will look like you’re in it for the long(ish) haul, you can impress with a professional appearance and demeanour, and more importantly, you can negotiate your salary with your future employer.

It will please many aspiring applicants to know that TEFL/ESL job seekers in Singapore don’t necessarily need certification in CELTA/Trinity TESOL, although it will drag down your salary. More important is having a recognised, three year degree, which the government requires for immigration purposes. Don’t let this worry you though. Obtaining the necessary Employment Pass is a very simple process, merely requiring some forms to be filled in. This can be done in Singapore and you don’t have to leave the country to complete the process at a High Commission of theirs. It may be of interest to note that if you earn above SGD 4000 a month, you don’t need to undergo a medical examination.

Who will you teach is an often underestimated question and it is very important to note that teachers are extremely unlikely to be actually teaching native Singaporeans. Having been a colony of the United Kingdom until 1963, and having English as the official language, means English is very well established there. This may not be reflected in standards of local English, but for the most part, this is dealt with by the government during a child’s education. You are far more likely to be teaching (in quantity order from my experience) mainland Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Filipino, Japanese, Thai, and even Burmese citizens. This provides for a very enjoyable experience because, more than likely, you’ll have multilingual classes to teach. Furthermore it may be exciting to note that Singapore has far less kids’ classes than the rest of Asia. Naturally, this is due to the fact that English is the language of class in state schools.

Moving on from just the aspect of work, Singapore as a destination for expats, offers a very comfortable tropical lifestyle. The weather is characterised by two distinct seasons; wet and dry, and every day is hot! The vast majority of schools will employ air conditioning though to make the teaching experience far more comfortable. Singapore is renowned for its multi-ethnic cuisine. The real joy of living there is being able to choose from Chinese, Malaysian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and European cuisine every day. Food is incredibly cheap, with amazing outdoor (but covered!) food courts providing for a fiesta of food to brighten any day. Fresh fruit juices and exotic cut fruits at rock bottom prices will make you feel great.

Accommodation on the island is where serious thought must be considered. Occupying a relatively small island with 4 million people naturally means rents are high – far higher than neighbouring countries. The vast majority of people occupy an apartment in a block of flats. These come in two levels of quality; HDB (a form of public housing provided by the government) and condominiums (high quality private apartments, usually but not always, with shared facilities like swimming pools, gyms etc). HDB flats are generally older and of lower quality (and sometimes without air con), but are of course cheaper. Condos can be anything from satisfactory to breathtaking. Rents for HDB flats start at around SGD 800 a month, with condominiums starting at around SGD 1500. Obviously, costs depend on a lot of factors, location being a major one. My own private recommendation would be to look for a refurbished HDB flat, rather than a cheaper, lower quality condo. I would also strongly dissuade anyone from seeking an apartment around the long Geylang Road, being the red light district, as it is extremely seedy.

In terms of cultural and leisure activities Singapore has somewhat to offer. Firstly, let’s deal with the common derisory remark that Singapore is one large shopping mall. This is true to an extent, and there are very many malls. This will obviously be music to the ears of those who like shopping, and potentially nightmarish for those who don’t. Sampling new food at food courts and restaurants is a very special Singapore experience, as is exploring the different quarters; Chinese, Indian, Malay, Korean, and Thai. The centre of the island is still virgin jungle and ideal for trekking, most notably Bukit Timah and Macritichie Reservoir Park being the most authentic jungle. Beaches are OK in Singapore, but the sheer amount of large boats out in the harbour may discourage you from swimming. An array of smaller islands around it are also great for exploring; particularly Kusu, Ubin, Lazarus and haunted Hantu. The island resort of Sentosa is usually very busy and a bit overrated in my opinion for leisure and entertainment.

In conclusion, for an aspiring teacher looking for a place to start, or for an experienced one seeking a fresh start, I would strongly recommend Singapore. Reasons of income, food, and climate make this a very attractive destination for TEFL/ESL. Flexible immigration makes this a good place to make your TEFL/ESL debut, while the above factors make the city a great place to linger for a few years. Singapore offers enough of the great things about Asia while low on the downsides that make other countries harder to live in such as crime, pollution, begging/touting. So, when considering Asia as an English teaching destination, don’t rule out the Lion City.

About the Author

Will Pearson taught in Singapore from 2007 to 2009 at Shines Education and the Cambridge Institute. After completing his stint there, he returned to the United Kingdom to devote his time to developing supplementary TEFL/ESL materials. In October 2009 he set up www.handouthub.com; a site where English teachers can subscribe to download photocopiable TEFL handouts and ESL worksheets for use in their classes. Will currently lives in Madrid, Spain.

By Richard J Graham

Live in Japan and ever dreamed of having your own company? Rather than working for the big chain schools and making them rich, why not work on your own financial future and start your own private English school. It’s easier than you think.

But there are so many schools out there, it’s too crowded and it’s too difficult to get new students, you may say.

Whilst Japan might not have the immediate growth potential of China, Korea or even language teaching in US, and there is so much more competition, it is still a hugely positive and as yet still untapped market. For example:

* Kids Lessons: With the recent comments from the Education Minister, compulsory English in Elementary School has been delayed for a least a year, probably two and maybe longer if the current Prime Minister stays in power. This has taken away a huge, free, competitor.

* Adults Classes: Every time I sit in a coffee shop I can almost guarantee that the conversation of at least one group around me will turn to “I’d like to speak English”, and invariably ends with “But it’s so scary approaching a school”. These are usually women in their 20s or 30s who don’t have to, but would like to learn English in a casual, relaxed way. Where are the easy-to-walk-in-to-for-just-a-chat-about-joining schools?

* Silver Eikaiwa: There’s a huge market of “silver” (the Japanese word of the moment!) retirees with cash to spend and a thirst for travel. How many silver courses are there out there?

For the actual mechanics of setting up a business there are hundreds of books and websites, just do a quick google search.. What you then need is the best product (i.e. really good lessons), fantastic service and great pricing. That’s not to say building your own school is super easy, but it’s almost always worthwhile. Finding other teachers is very tough, but if you’re happy to be the main teacher yourself, you’ll have a very viable business set up in no time. Advertising is easy; it will all be word of mouth from super satisfied students.

Pricing is a big part of it, and that’s where the art and magic is. You’ll always have customers who say “That’s too expensive” or “Why don’t you do everything for free?”. In most cases those customers wouldn’t buy the product even if it was free. But look at those women in the coffee shop talking about wanting to learn English. If you ask them they may say they can’t afford lessons maybe, but they are sat there sipping 400 yen cappuccinos that only cost 50 yen to make! The key is the extras that you give. At Starbucks you don’t pay for the coffee, you pay for the ambience, the artwork, the music, the sofas and the Wi-fi. AND they also have the best coffee in town. You need both.

I’ve seen some pictures of schools on the net and as an adult learner some of them would make me run a mile (bright white lighting, straight boring desks) and some of them just look so inviting that I’d sign up for lessons just to enjoy the atmosphere!

You just have to make sure that if you charge XXXX for a lesson, the student walks away with XXXX + alpha worth of value. It’s the extras, the smiles, the lollipops for adult learners (not for kids anymore sadly!), the interesting artwork on the walls, the personal attention, the music in the lobby, the jokes, the atmosphere that make this extra bonus.

Japan’s a great place to be, teaching can be a great way to make a good income and unlike selling arms to Africa or anything like that, you’re always making a difference in the World, you just have to decide how big you want it to be.

About the author

For all your teaching ideas, supplies and even online training videos see the author’s website at www.GenkiEnglish.net

Ajay Shringi discusses the benefits of getting certified when teaching in China.

China is one of those places that has always led a very sheltered life. It has, for a very long time, held on to its native traditions and cultures, guarding it jealously from outside influences. But, if there’s one thing about the Chinese, it’s their fierce competitiveness. They just cannot abide to be second best. As a result, the country has been seeing a continual period of industrial and financial boom. But that has not prevented the Chinese from looking for more. In fact, the emerging middle class is hungrier than ever before to make their impact on the world.

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In the last few years, the Internet has been causing a mini-revolution in China. In IT, the Chinese have found one more bastion which they have been actively cultivating and expanding. It is in the context of this technological globalization that the importance of English dawned on the Chinese. They understood that in order to have the edge in the era of the Internet, they just cannot afford to ignore English. Not just that, most of the demands for cyber activity came from European markets and the American markets. That made English a necessity for survival in cyberspace.

All these factors have contributed to people from the middle class developing an intense craving to learn English and impart quality English training to their children. They are even willing to provide expensive private tuition to their children so they can be equipped to handle the needs that arise in the future.

Due to this unabated eagerness to learn English, many academic institutes are having a difficult time filling vacancies for English teachers. Thus, they turn to foreign recruitment agencies to fill the posts. Mind you, most of these institutes want native speakers and are therefore turning to markets in the US and UK.

As a direct result of the demand, many institutes are now offering TESOL courses in China itself. By taking a course located in China, students have many advantages. First, they are able to see the way of life in China firsthand even while they study. Thus, they are able to break through the cultural barrier much before they are ready to hunt for a job. Students can also explore various job options independently while they reside in China.

Most centers have their institutes in Beijing itself. Beijing is a huge melting pot of culture and politics. The living environment is good despite what the media seeks to tell you. It is a large city with all the modern conveniences that people look for.

TESOL certification can help students find attractive job opportunities in China.

About the Author

The author is involved in International TESOL Teacher Training, an organisation that provides high quality tesol China certification courses.

David Keating explains the thinking behind Jakarta’s ‘Aim for English’ language school.

Both learning and using the English language have now become a major part of the lives of many Indonesians. From a young age children begin learning English at schools, meaning the majority of Indonesians who complete formal school education have at least a basic grasp of the fundamentals of the language.

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Increasingly, families are recognizing that children who take language education one step further are getting a ‘head start’ on their peers when it comes to higher education and the employment market. From an early age, some modern Indonesian families (especially those in the big cities) incorporate English into the daily lives of their children through family conversation and after-school language classes. The result of this upsurge in demand for language education has been an increasing number of language schools, and nowhere can this trend better be seen than in Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta.

A bewildering variety of English language courses are on offer for Jakarta’s youth, from ‘private’ classes with individual teachers to the array of different types of programs offered by the multitude of commercial language schools in the city. There are now English courses aimed at people from all walks of life, and for an array of different purposes:

Academic English, Business English, IELTS preparation, General English, Conversation, TOEFL preparation, writing classes, business communication, ESP(English for specific purposes)… the list goes on…

2 questions will be addressed here:

1.What are students looking for in a Jakarta language school
2.Where can all of their needs be met?

What are students looking for in a Jakarta language school?

Formal market research, combined with extensive personal investigation, has shown that the 5 highest ranking factors in choosing a language school in Jakarta are as follows (1=most important, 5=least important):

1.Experienced, fun teachers.
2.Range of support services and facilities
3.Comfortable learning environment
4.Reasonable price
5.Close to home/office

Where can all of the students’ needs be met?

With so many schools and so many teachers, Jakarta already caters for each of the above mentioned factors. However, very few institutions are able to offer them all and more besides. The new player on the language school scene in Jakarta is ‘Aim for English’, a small Manggarai-based centre offering ‘the personal touch’, as well as courses, services and facilities currently unparalleled in Indonesia.

Innovative language solutions

1.Experienced, fun teachers.

Aim for English (Aim) has teachers from Indonesia and from English-speaking countries. They all have several things in common: – Internationally recognized qualifications, years of experience of teaching English to Indonesians, and genuine passion for the English language and teaching. Unlike some less reputable language schools, Aim’s native-speakers are ‘here to stay’ (they’re not glorified backpackers with a job).

Teacher training and development is a continual process at Aim, and all staff strive for perfection.

1.Range of support services and facilities & 3. Comfortable learning environment
Aim’s facilities really help it stand out from the crowd. Their approach is to go ‘hi-tech’, implementing ‘Smart’ touch-screen white boards in classrooms and MP3-based listening activities. Gone are the days of cassettes and chalk boards; listening activities are now controlled by the white board and piped out via 5.1 digital surround-sound speakers.

Aim’s custom-designed interior creates a modern, bright stimulating place to relax or study. Walk through the door off Jalan Padang into an air-conditioned lounge-café, featuring a computer section, a library, and plenty of places to sit in comfort and read a newspaper with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Once enrolled, students have access to Aim’s free wireless internet service, providing a hi-speed broadband connection in all communal areas and class rooms.

Also worthy of note is Aim’s one-of-a-kind ‘e-notice board’. The owners of Aim have done away with the traditional cork pin-boards, and now have a giant projector-screen display on the café wall. This is a portal for all of the latest news, special events, offers, schedules and messages. This innovative solution is part of Aim’s drive to save paper. Other strategies are: emailing homework to students, reusing paper, and recycling used paper. This environmentally-friendly policy helps to keep students’ fees as reasonable as possible.

2.Close to home/office

Geographically, Aim really is at the heart of the city. You only have to look as far as ‘Google! Earth’ Aim is right under the marker for ‘Jakarta’!

There’s convenient access for the residential areas of Jakarta, as well as the main central office districts of Sudirman and Kuningan.
Aim’s classes are small (usually 6-8 students), so students receive plenty of personal attention. Out of class, students can contact teachers via email or sms 7 days per week, and teachers make themselves available for casual conversation in the café as often as possible.

Aim also features an impartial ‘Overseas Study Information Centre’, where students can find out about overseas study, get help with applications, and receive advice on the complicated enrollment and student visa process

So finally it seems like people looking for a quality language course which delivers ‘the personal touch’ (while embracing the future) can find what they’re looking for in the heart of Jakarta. www.aimjakarta.com has details of staff, courses, facilities and current special offers.
Look for the forum too; it’s a chance for anyone to get free online advice from the English language experts.

Contact: [email protected] for more information.

About the author

David Keating is a senior English teacher with several years of first-hand experience in the Indonesian language education industry.

Groshan Fabiola gives a brief intro into teaching English Asian style.

Teaching English in Asia has become very popular among native English speakers from the United States and Canada. These are in fact the residents generally preferred by Asian employers in their numerous job offerings for teachers of English as a second language. Employment anywhere abroad is not guaranteed with just a strong knowledge of English, despite the fact that this language has become international over the past years. However, teaching is Asia is possible with nothing but the solid knowledge that most native English speakers possess. The only prerequisite is a university degree in any subject, but there are times when a lot of enthusiasm will do.

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Teaching in Asia is possible both in public and in private language institutions, as well as self employed. The problem with the privately-run institutions is that their main focus is maximization of profits, which makes educational standards rather low. This makes work as a private tutor more lucrative. However, this type of employment requires considerable market experiences, as well as suitable premises for your work.

Teaching in Asia comes with many advantages, and many of those who apply for an ESL job in Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, etc. mostly appreciate salaries and the possibility of increasing their income through private tutoring. The change of scenery is also regarded as interesting, though there are times when the resistance to innovation makes local people have a rather racist attitude. But new arrivals are likely to face problems anywhere around the world, and teaching in Asia is no exception. However, these obstacles can be overcome with tact and perseverance.

Those with no experience whatsoever are most likely to find that teaching in Asia comes with a big challenge, which is getting shy students to speak in class. But this is again an obstacle that can be overcome, because teachers all over the world are faced with this problem, and the most efficient solution seems to be making your classes fun and encouraging students the vocabulary the already possess, however limited.

Teaching in Asia has experienced a remarkable explosion in the past few years, with China demanding a constant flow of native speakers from Western countries. China is the hungriest Asian nation as far as the English language is concerned. There are many ESL job postings for China on the Internet, because the demand for English instructors is a huge one, with more and more people wishing to provide their children with a good education and send them for private tuition.

Requirements for teaching in Asia are not very stringent. A university degree often suffices and teaching experience is seldom required, as this counts for higher training levels. Each of the Asian countries eager to bring in native speakers of English as instructors has its own advantages. For instance, in Japan considerable financial rewards can come with this type of employment, but the competition is fierce. In Indonesia, foreign teachers who are willing to sign a contract and have experience in teaching English as a second language can get up to ten times the local salary. In Korea, the competition for ESL jobs is not as acute as in Japan, and with the demand outstripping the supply by far, getting a job as a teacher in this country is quite easy.

Regardless of the difficulties that may occur, which are not specific of these nations but of working and living in a foreign country, teaching in Asia can turn out to be a pleasant and unforgettable experience if you make an educated choice.

About the author

If you are looking for more information about ESL jobs or to learn about teaching in Asia, Groshan Fabiola suggests visiting TEFL jobs.

Gregory Mavrides explodes the myths on teaching English in China.

Teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in China is big business. Reports indicate that EFL is a 10-billion yuan (USD $1.4 billion) business and that the industry made a 700 million yuan (USD $9,800,000) profit in Beijing alone. It is estimated that of the 37 billion yuan derived annually from book sales in China, EFL-related materials constituted no less than 25 percent of the total market (Qiang and Wolff, 2004, p. 1). This ever-growing market of English language education in China has resulted in a massive recruitment drive of approximately 100,000 foreign teachers per year (People’s Daily Online, 2006) and, in 2006, it was estimated that more than 150,000 foreign experts were employed in China, recruited primarily from Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States (China Daily, 2006).

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With so much money at stake, the Internet has experienced a burgeoning of China EFL-related websites all vying for the prospective foreign teacher’s attention and, ultimately, business. A Google search on the terms “teaching English in China” returns over 6.4 million results of websites run by Chinese recruiters, private English language schools, and veteran foreign teachers hoping to get in on all the action.

All these sites have one thing in common: They all glamorize teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) as a viable way to travel abroad and experience all the exotic mysteries and adventure China has to offer. Virtually every native English speaker with white skin between the ages of 18 and 60 is provided with “expert advice” about where and how to apply, and is presented with enticing advertisements for jobs, guides, manuals, travel gear and books, and just about anything else the traffic will bear.

The truth of the matter is that although some Westerners actually thrive as foreign English teachers in China, most do not. Obviously, if everyone who ventured off to China to teach oral English decided to stay, the need and competition for new recruits every year wouldn’t be as great and fierce as they currently are.

This article presents essential information that every prospective Westerner should carefully consider before making the life-altering decision to move to China for the purpose of teaching English as a foreign language. It is written by an American doctor and professor of psychology who has lived and worked in China since August 2003, and it contains valuable information adapted from the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China, written by the same author.

The Question of English in China

While the need for proficient English language skills among China’s 1.3 billion people might appear obvious to some, in reality, it is a highly debatable issue.

Chinese is the most commonly spoken language in the world today. It is estimated that there are 873 million native speakers of Chinese as opposed to only 343 million native speakers of English (NVTC, 2007). The vast majority of Chinese will never utter even one word of English after passing their comprehensive English examinations and graduating from college. A few will need to read materials written in English as part of their job function and far fewer than that will occasionally need to send an e-mail in English, but most will never need English to function effectively in their day-to-day lives—and Chinese students know this.

There is a small percentage of Chinese students, particularly those who come from affluent families, who have dreams of studying abroad and they will need a relatively high level of English language skills if they are to succeed. A few have aspirations of working at the front desk of an international 5-star hotel and others hope to find employment in jointly-owned Western-Chinese companies that may require the daily use of English—but most will return to their second and third tier cities working for the government or private Chinese enterprises where virtually no one uses or can communicate in English.

What most prospective foreign teachers do not realize is that English as a foreign language holds a very low position within China’s educational system. Students who score well on their national college entrance exam (the Gao Kao) will be assigned to or choose majors in the hard sciences or technological fields that support China’s 1978 economic reform movement referred to as the Four Modernizations, i.e., agriculture, industry, technology and defense. Fields of study in the humanities, including foreign language, are assigned to those students who scored too poorly on the college entrance exam to be admitted into the far more lucrative and desirable academic majors.

The bottom line is that most students simply do not see a clear association between proficient English language skills and direct future benefits. They look at their very successful fathers and the vast majority of China’s national political leaders who cannot speak a single word of English and wonder why they have to take extra classes in oral English with a foreign teacher when they are already studying English with Chinese teachers who, unlike their Western counterparts, can actually help them pass their proficiency exams.

If English as an academic discipline is so devalued in China and if the actual need for English language skills is questionable at best, why then does China need so many foreign English teachers?

The De-professionalization of English Teaching in China

The nearly insatiable need for foreign English teachers in China can be explained by two phenomena: one involving the public sector and the other involving the private sector. First, China’s Ministry of Education promulgated a highly contested and bitterly resented national requirement that states all students of foreign language must be exposed to a native speaker. However, China’s national labor laws prohibit any employer from hiring a foreigner for a position that can be filled by a Chinese national. So, in order to reconcile the two conflicting policies, the teaching of English in China was compartmentalized into two broad areas: professional and lay. The professional certified Chinese English teachers are assigned courses in grammar, reading, and writing, and the lay uncertified and often less educated foreign teachers help facilitate the practice of speaking and listening skills. Thus, although the State Administration for Foreign Expert Affairs (SAFEA) recommends a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and two years of field-related work experience, in reality, the vast majority of foreign English teachers in China have neither, because neither are necessary to help students practice their speaking and listening skills. The truth of the matter is any native speaker who is friendly, extremely patient, and enjoys children can do it successfully.

The second explanation lies in the fact that private English language schools absolutely need white faces in the school in order to attract customers. Despite the highly debatable reality of the situation, Chinese parents (as well as most foreign English teachers) firmly believe that good English language skills will afford their children both an academic and financial advantage later on in life. Consequently, many will drag their children to private English language schools when they are as young as four-years old, often at great personal financial sacrifice. In order to attract Westerners into China, school owners must offer their foreign teachers up to four times what they are paying their certified Chinese teachers, and the added business expense is hardly appreciated. There isn’t one Chinese school owner or administrator who wouldn’t immediately replace every single one of his culturally-alien and costly foreign English teachers with a much less expensive and, often, better educated Chinese English teacher if he knew doing so wouldn’t cost him his business.

The Truth About Housing and the Myth of the “Comfortable” Salary

China maintains something of a schizophrenogenic relationship with its foreign English teachers. On one hand they are needed to satisfy a national educational requirement or to stay in business. On the other hand, they are deeply resented for it. This resentment is expressed in a variety of ways, both obvious and subtle.

In the vast majority of cases, the housing afforded to foreign English teachers is inferior even by middle-class Chinese standards. It is typically an 800 sq. ft. (or smaller) apartment that is usually in varying states of disrepair, undecorated, starkly furnished with a cheap, rock-hard “mattress,” and a 2-range countertop propane gas stove and a mini-refrigerator for a kitchen. The bathroom consists of a Western toilet, a cold-water sink with a water heater and shower head attached to the wall that is often not separated from the rest of the bathroom inside a shower stall. Requests for repairs or necessary improvements are almost always ignored or endlessly delayed in the hope that the foreign teacher will simply incur the expenses himself.

Outside of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, salaries for foreign teachers typically range from RMB3,800 to 6,000 (US$551 to $870) with an average of about 4500 yuan (US$653) per month for 14 to 20 hours of face-to-face teaching per week (depending on qualifications, location and school type). The reality is that this salary can only be considered as adequate, as opposed to comfortable, if the foreign teacher is able to live like a Chinese. Those who buy amenities like cell phones and Western DVD players, choose to eat at 4- and 5-star hotel restaurants for a culinary respite from cheap Chinese food, and otherwise try to replicate a quality of life they enjoyed back home will not be able to do so on 4500 yuan per month. The vast majority of foreign English teachers in China engage in outside part-time contract work in order to supplement their base monthly incomes.

So, Is There Any Good News?

In the context of students who, for the most part, could accurately be described as unmotivated to learn English, an educational role that is devalued and de-professionalized, managerial and collegial environments that are dismissive and resentful, and a remuneration package that is just barely adequate, does it make sense for anyone to teach English in China? Actually, as it turns out, it does for those who comprise one of two specific sociodemographic groups and go into it well-informed and with their eyes wide open.

Westerners who report the greatest degree of satisfaction with their decision to teach English in China comprise recent college graduates who are seeking a short-term adventure before resuming their normal lives back home and early retirees who already enjoyed a successful career, have some money in the bank, and are looking to stretch their savings and pensions in an Asian country. Those who report the least amount of satisfaction as foreign English teachers in China are Westerners between the ages of 30 to 50 who moved to China as a perceived forced choice as a result of having mismanaged their lives back home.

Western professors on sabbatical and certified primary and secondary school teachers—who are looking for a short-term teaching assignment—should only consider Project 211 universities and international schools, respectively.

Having just written this, there are some middle-aged Westerners who are able to beat the odds and do, in fact, carve out lives for themselves that are better now in China than they were before. Typically these are men who managed to acclimate to the vast cultural differences relatively quickly, married a Chinese national, can speak some Chinese, and now consider China to be their new home.

This article is just a brief preview of just some of the essential information contained in the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China. If you are seriously considering moving to China to teach English, you owe it to yourself to read that guide.

Notes

- China Daily. (2006, April 4). Number of foreigners working in China soars. People’s Daily Online. Retrieved November 14, 2007 from http://english.people.com.cn/200604/04/eng20060404_255781.html

- National Virtual Translation Center (2008). Languages of the World. Retrieved January 23, 2009 from http:// www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/november/worldlanguages.htm.

- People’s Daily (2006, May 23). China to recruit foreign experts through Internet. People’s Daily Online. Retrieved February 23, 2008 from http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200605/23/eng20060523_267892.html

- Qiang, N. & Wolff, M. (2004). EFL/ESL Teaching in China: Questions, Questions, Questions. Paper presented at the Sixth International Symposium on Applied Linguistics and Language.

About the author

Dr. Gregory Mavrides is an American psychoanalyst who has been working in China as a professor and mental health consultant since August 2003. He is the author of the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China.

by David Cox

Six o’clock on a winter morning. The temperature bottoming out at around -20 C. A tall, not altogether awake Englishman makes his way to work through the dawn streets of Seoul; just another chancer wanting to teach English and taste a bit more of what the world’s got to offer. The tall Englishman trudges on. He walks past a pile of vomit. A little further on, there’s a drunken man peeing in the street. A wolf howls in the distance. Okay, forget the last part; I made that up. To be honest, teaching English in Korea isn’t that bad. There will be trials, though, of patience and endurance. So be warned. And be prepared. And you might just be pleased you came.

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You will chose between teaching kids or adults. I chose adults. Either way, most of the work is with private institutes called hogwans. They don’t enjoy a great reputation. Most of the hogwans offer similar deals. I chose to work for ELS who, together with Pagoda, rank as the largest and longest established institute chains in Korea. The pay and conditions aren’t any better than those offered by smaller hogwans, but they do have a track record of keeping their promises.

A lot of fresh young graduates come to Seoul with no previous job experience in their own countries, let alone abroad, and certainly not much idea of how to teach. My advice is do yourself a big favour by taking a TESOL certificate course. There are so many things to get used to when you come to Korea. Having taken a teaching course, at least the classroom won’t seem such an unfamiliar place.

As a rule, Korean adult students are respectful and quite responsive. Having worked with teenagers in Europe, I’m certainly not complaining. Some teachers have a problem with their students’ opinions, and class dynamics (especially male / female relationships) that seem dictated by Korea’s own idiosyncratic version of Confucianism – but these are merely elements of the culture you’ve come to explore in the first place. An open mind and the willingness to accept other viewpoints will not only help you survive, they’ll enable you to get the most out of your experience.

Your salary will be about 2 million won (£1000) a month. Some kind of help – depending on the type of contract – is usually given in finding and subsidising accommodation. Most teachers need to borrow key money (a large refundable deposit) from their employers. Flats in Korea are typically a lot smaller than most Westerners are used to. As a single person, you should be able to find a place for about 600,000 won a month (excluding key money). You ought to be able to live reasonably well and still save money.

A meal in a cheap Korean restaurant will cost around 4000 won. There’s also plenty of Western food available, but you’ll pay more for it: for example, 17,000 won for a large pizza, or around 30,000 won for a two course meal in a TGI Fridays style restaurant. Working in Seoul, you’ll find plenty of bars and clubs, catering to all tastes and pockets. Expect to pay upwards of 2000 won for a glass of beer. Public transport – trains and buses – are cheap and efficient. Don’t bother buying a car; there’s no point.

The cities themselves, by Western standards, don’t have much to offer in terms of aesthetic beauty or personal space. If it’s fresh air, and room to swing a cat, you’re after, you’ll have to get out into the countryside which, as far as Korea is concerned, means hiking up a mountain. Korea is brimful of mountains. Most areas are accessible by public transport. One problem you might encounter, even in the countryside, is heavy traffic. On certain weekends and public holidays, it seems as if the whole nation has the same collective idea of getting away from it all.

You’ll soon discover, in your role of teacher, there’s little point bringing up the question: What do you do in your free time? Sleeping is the most common reply; time being the rarest of all commodities in Korea. You’ll quickly learn to empathise with the locals, especially when required to work early mornings or late evenings, or both. If your employer gives you more than 10 days holiday a year, think yourself lucky. If he (bosses are invariably men) gives you more than three days in a row, you might even want to consider saying thank you. It’s a good idea to choose a contract with the option of a month’s unpaid leave.

If you’re after an easy life, don’t bother coming to Korea. You’ll hate it. And it will end up hating you. What you’ll discover, if you arrive with that open mind I mentioned earlier, is something more difficult to pin down. You’ll live through something you’ve never experienced before. You’ll make the kind of friends, have the kind of conversations, stumble upon the kind of ideas, eat the kind of food, drink the kind of drinks, even get pissed off for the kind of reasons. you’ve never come across before. Character building is how my dad would describe it.

Six o’clock on a summer evening. The temperature slipping from its afternoon peak of 35 C. The tall, weary Englishman heaves his bags onto the conveyor, picks up his boarding card, and walks away towards passport control; just another chancer heading home, having tasted a bit more of what the world’s got to offer. The tall Englishman sits down in the air-conditioned departure lounge, suddenly cool, comfortable and with time on his hands. He thinks of the past year, of what he’s done, of all the people he’s promised to keep in touch with. Let’s just say that he neither planned nor imagined beforehand most of what actually happened during his stay in Seoul. But he wouldn’t change it now. Not for the world.

About the Author

David Cox has worked as a teacher and Academic director for around three years for ELS and is currently employed as a teacher by the British Council in Seoul.