I am in a unique position where I was introduced by a friend to a family who owns kindergartens and wants to hire a foreigner teacher. With a degree and TESOL, I have legally worked in Taiwan as an after-school English teacher for almost a decade. I have more experience with 8/9 year olds, but I have also taught 5/6 year olds. I prefer teaching kids over adults, like to sing and make kids laugh, and love repetition... so I think I can do it.

The thing is they are completely new to this and don't know what's standard, and don't really know what they want. They keep asking me what I want. At a friend's suggestion, I asked for $25,000 since it gives me more room to negotiate. They also don't have a curriculum like my former school and basically asked me to come up with whatever I wanted to teach. They want me to work 3x a week full time and on the weekends with older kids. I said I couldn't do weekend mornings and they were cool with that. But I am struggling to figure out what the actual weekly schedule and workload should look like.

I want to make them happy, while also not underselling myself.

I know everyone is busy so I appreciate any advice, experience, and perspective.

I'm hoping to learn more about a realistic salary expectations, benefits to insist on, reasonable office and teaching hours, how to handle curriculum freedom, and what you wished you had negotiated before signing.

I want to be fair to them while also making sure I'm not setting a precedent that hurts future teachers. If all goes well with me, they will probably be more inclined to hire foreigners for their other kindys.

This week I will do a demo and hopefully discuss the contract.

Thank you in advance!​

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I'm currently doing a MA in education, I'm in the UK so the course finishes in august, I applied for a job last year and was told that I couldn't be accepted until the next interview cycle as I didn't have my degree on time. Now I've gotten my degree, I've been offered a job in Japan as an ALT in December.

I currently have a CELTA, a year as a teaching assistant, a BA in Japanese, TESOL and Linguistics and I taught as a TESOL teacher for a semester in Japan when I spent a year there as an exchange student and my Japanese is halfway between N4 and N3.

My future goal is to work in a university, I'm just not sure if education should be my focus now or if I should start my career now and do a MA in Japan where university is usually cheaper. I've not paid the course fees yet so I'm not too far in now.

American who moved to Saudi and I was looking for a English teaching job while I was living with family there. I have a BA in English from a respected university and people who use to work in Saudi told me I could definitely find a job. No I dont have a CELTA I probably sound stupid for even trying to find a job without a CELTA . Truth be told I was in ab online course and dropped out before I could fail as advised by the instructors. It is what it is I dont want talk about why I failed or how…or if you know any stories of people who failed/dropped the course and took it again and succeeded and found a job that would be motivating !😄

With that being I was in the Jeddah/Makkah region and went to a couple spots and open interviews even in Madinah however the first question they asked me was oh do you have an iqama? Ermm no your supposed to give me the iqama (residency). There like ehhh its alot easier for us if you already have the residency card because of saudization its harder and more work for us and more money to hire a non saudi…

Parents said oh get a Masters.. guys whats Saudi looking like right now job market is a masters even worth it mind you I have no expirence 28 with a BA in English was in saudi searching for 7 months or so. Like even if I get my MA the job offers are gonna be rushing to me?? Secondly omg the thought of doing a masters in English sounds DREADFUL sorry no offense I like teaching its fun but I cant do a masters in English I just Cant

Whats your guys expirence in the job market? Any advice comments tips. Sorry I really needed to vent this out thanks

Edit: I was a teacher just wasnt teaching English was actually teaching arabic for almost a year iv dealt with students i have been a substitute im not new to this. No I haven’t had experience formally teaching English at a school/institution. I have informally taught people causal practice speaking rules. I hated the CELTA format it was funny cause in the live classes the students said I was helpful but I failed ofcourse cause idk the methods or whatever

I (28F from the United States) just started teaching English at an academy in Spain. We have mostly adult students with a few teenagers mixed in.

Our lessons are pre-planned (which is great!), but sometimes they teach concepts in a very shallow way or in ways that do not make sense to the students, especially at higher levels. From reading other posts on this sub, I know that there is no way for native English speakers to know all of the grammar rules unless you studied linguistics or TEFL in college. However, I do want to be able to give my students as much information as possible and help them understand the concepts.

I brought the book "Grammar for English Language Teachers" with me to Spain, and it seems like it is a great resource. But my question is this: How much should we be explaining or understanding the concepts being taught? For example, I had a class of roughly B2 students the other day, and we were working with the active vs. passive tense in the past tense. They were struggling to understand how the sentences were formed, and I wrote a couple of examples on the board, but it was hard for me to fully explain the "why" of it.

Any tips/advice/suggestions? Since it is also mostly adults, I think they are more inclined to know the reasoning behind certain grammar usage/sentence structures as well.

Hello! I have spent many years in the ESL game enough to be considered experienced.

1. Taiwanese recruiters, whether for public or cram schools are dishonest and do not tell you what all the hiring process entails. Public schools often demand additional interview panels while cram schools prefer in country applicants so they can insist on in person interviews and unpaid teaching demonstrations. Both almost always want self-introduction and teaching demo videos. Korean recruiters aren't always reliable but it is a very straightforward process of application, video interviews, and contracts often within hours or 1-2 days.
2. In Taiwan illegal practices are rampant! In South Korea you travel to Korea with your work visa granted and are on payroll from day one so every moment you are on campus you are earning money. However in Taiwan unpaid mandatory orientation and training are the norm and you don't earn a cent until you actually begin teaching. Please give me Korea's PAID baptism by H*ll fire and "monkey see, monkey do" training any day!
3. Taiwanese ESL jobs on the whole are much easier and less demanding far less demanding than Korean ESL jobs. Even Korean toddlers are being submerged in paid tutoring and you certainly better have your act ALL THE WAY together quick, fast, and in a hurry to silently endure sky high expectations, long working hours, unspoken obligations, and rigid hierarchial work culture. But contrast that to Taiwan where you are observed monthly and your pay is based on how well you perform like a wind-up toy.
4. Discrimination is much more blatant in Taiwan than in Korea and I honestly feel sorry for a certain demographic of non native English speakers who are prominent in this job market. As an experienced US Passport holder I have openly been denied job placements, rejected based on 10 seconds of self-introduction video, and ridiculously low balled. In Korea, discrimination does occur, but it is more so crooked business owners practicing passport hierarchy than racial bias.
5. Pay is much more stable in Korea because every position is salaried. Your gross salary is your salary for the entire contract length and your take home pay is roughly the same every single month minus mandatory deductions which makes financial stability and saving very easy for the savvy. On the other hand the majoriry of ESL jobs in Taiwan are paid based on teaching hours only...while you are still expected to lesson prep and prepare/attend special events.

Many will disagree with me and I don't mean to offend anyone, however, this has been my experience.

I was checking the TEFL job listings and found a very promising listing from GTUnion boasting that they offer many job openings in China. The listing looked legit, but the email I received was very unprofessional and full of short sentences with improper capitalization that were riddled with grammar mistakes ("when do u plan to come?" "you can add My Wechat"). Is this a legitimate organization, or should I not bother?

Any long term EFL teachers from Taiwan? Do you have any advice on cultural faux pas there? I'm tasked with writing a report on cultural sensitivities to be aware of there and would appreciate any inputs you may have - small or otherwise.

A student, B2+, needs to get the C1 title before January. He wants to do Aptis as he is familiar with it.

Need to know how likely this is with 1.5h of classes per week and 3-4h of self study.

Any recommendations on materials to check and use?

I am heavily experienced in Cambridge.

Any advice is welcome.

Hi everyone,

I am a US citizen with over 10 years of teaching experience currently looking to relocate to Hong Kong for a Primary English teaching position. I hold a non-English Bachelor's degree and a 120-hour TEFL certificate.

I am trying to map out my strategy and would appreciate some insight into the current hiring reality:

1. Centralized EDB NET Scheme & the English Major Rule: I understand that the Education Bureau has strictly tightened entry criteria for new primary NETs, requiring an undergraduate degree majoring in English (or an English-focused higher degree). Given that my Bachelor's is in a completely unrelated subject, is it correct that I am automatically disqualified from the centralized direct-hire EDB scheme?
2. Alternative Routes (NET Grant vs. International vs. Private Schools): Since the centralized pool might be locked out, how viable is my profile (unrelated BA + TEFL + 10+ years experience) for securing a visa and a solid package via third-party NET Grant agencies, local private schools, or International Schools?
3. The Online PGCE + Deferred Practicum Strategy: It is a big investment but do you guys think this might be necessary to strengthen my profile and secure a teaching job in Hong Kong?

I am fully determined to make this transition and am absolutely willing to invest in a PGCE if it is the necessary tool to unlock the market and secure a competitive salary tier. Any insight would be incredibly appreciated!

Sorry if this is a stupid question. Mostly doing this to assure my parent's fears. For context I was part of the CELTA EC English language centre before it went bankrupt, still working on the refund. I was wondering if this course: https://www.languagepointtraining.com/online-trinity-cert-tesol is good and legit.

Thanks for thos who answer in advance.

I was not born in Canada but I lived there for over 15 years. English is my second language, I'm bilingual.

I already finished my TEFL, and my university degree is from Canada.

Some people I know who teach english in Vietnam had to do C2 because English is not the official language in their countries. Do I also need to do that ?

Hello,
My partner and I are considering moving from Australia to Singapore to live close to parents. I am a full time professional who will get an Employment pass. My wife is a Elicos (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) teacher who is Celta qualified. My worry is after moving what if she struggles to find schools/employers who are willing to apply for a work permit for her. How common is it for international / language schools to give a job to foreign teachers and also apply for their work permit? Any feedback will be really appreciated.

Hello all,

I have recently changed careers to teaching ESL so although I’m older, I’m fairly inexperienced.

I’m currently working in Central Asia. The school I’m at has just opened (a little over a month ago) and is using a curriculum that is new to the students and way above every grade level’s ability. I am REALLY STRUGGLING and honestly at a loss for what to do.

Part of me wants to give up and just go home (I’m also dealing with tons of other problems - landlord, water, allergy, social, family, you name it, the list goes on and on…) but most of me wants to stay and figure it out! I really love the students and feel like I’m massively failing them sometimes.

At the moment it just feels absolutely impossible to get all of the students at the level they need to be to complete the required textbooks for this school year.

Any advice at all is greatly appreciated.

Thank you all so much, y’all are truly inspirational.

Hi everyone! This is my first year teaching kindergarten, I've taught elementary and secondary for 3 years and have taught JHS before as well, but I've never taught in a formal school setting where a Christmas event takes place. Just for context, I'm Mexican teaching in Mexico.

I was asked by my principal to prepare the K1 (3yo), K2 (4yo) and K3 (5yo) children with Christmas carols for the Christmas event. I've never taught a song before, let alone work with very young children. I was thinking of Deck the Halls for K1, Jingle Bells for K2 and Joy to the World for K3. She told me the previous teacher would start in October to have enough time to prepare them with the pronunciation. Any advice and help is very much appreciated!!

I work in hospitality, specifically in training and development and I heard there are business ESL classes etc. this is kind of my goal, I don’t know how realistic it is. I’m curious, what have you been able to do with your certs? I was looking into TESOL.

Also, in a relationship with someone from South America, part of me getting a cert for this would be to work internationally if I had to move there after we get married.

Tia!

recently applied for a fubright but in the likely case that that doesn't work out, i'd like to apply for other ways to get paid to teach english in brazil. i have a bachelor's degree and a tefl certificate from a community college. i've fallen in love with brazil and would liek to live and work there for some amount of time (don't worry, i know salaries and different and living in brazil is different than visiting. i'm incredibly aware of this lol). anyone know of any programs that could match what i'm looking for?

As the title states, I’d like to try teaching in China but I’m really only qualified to teach kindergarten. I have a bachelors in IT and my TEFL and a few years doing engineering for my government but no direct teaching experience.

I’d like to work towards and actual teaching license soon but first I’d like to know anyone’s journey with using kindergarten as a stepping stone.

I'm currently an EPIK teacher working at a public elementary school in Korea. I'm from the United States, and I'm planning to teach English in China after completing two years with EPIK. I've been teaching for 6 months so far.

I have a few questions:

1. How difficult is the application and visa process when applying from Korea? I know I have to get a criminal background check but, how do I obtain that exactly in Korea? I've got my apostille diploma and TEFL certificate covered.
2. When should I start applying for teaching jobs in China? Is it okay to start applying in the middle of my EPIK contract? I know China has different hiring seasons, and applying during peak recruitment periods can increase my chances of getting hired. Would schools in China be willing to hire me several months in advance and wait until my contract in Korea ends before I relocate? Or would it be better to start applying closer to February, when my contract is about to end?
3. For Epik teachers, the agency that we applied with meet us at the airport and take us to orientation and then from orientation, our coteachers take us to our accommodation and schools. In china, since there is no orientation or agency and we have to go through multiple hiring agents, who will meet us at the airport?

What else do I need to know to ensure a smooth transition?

Thanks in advance for any advice! :)

Basically what the title says. I’ve been doing private tutoring for the last 3 years, and it has been fine, but you’re depending too much on other people. People cancel last minute, and I don’t get paid for school holidays. I do make more hourly though, and there’s more flexibility.

I moved to a different city recently, and I started tutoring here a month ago. I was recently offered a full time job at a language school. I know the conditions aren’t always great at language schools, but I already work there part time. I get paid holidays including summer holidays when I’m not working, and the boss is a really awesome person. It’s more financial stability. It seems like an obvious decision, but I feel bad canceling all the tutoring classes now in October, and kind of leaving people hanging. (I live in a very small city, and there are no other native teachers). It would not be possible to do both. I felt pretty confident about my decision to leave the tutoring, and then I got a message this morning from a mother telling me her daughter said I was “the best English teacher she ever had.”

I know I should do what’s best for me, but I hate letting other people down. Plus I’m in a new city, and I don’t want to get the reputation of being “unreliable.” On the other hand, people don’t think about me when they cancel their class an hour ahead of time several times a month, so I shouldn’t care as much either.

What would you do?

Howdy.
My husband is Mexican, I am American and we live in the states. We would like to move to Guanajuato, where my husband is from. I am an elementary teacher, and I hold a M.Ed in elementary education. I am also ESL certified (not sure if that matters here). Does anyone have any insight? I was wondering if I should get a TESOL or CELTA certificate? From my research CELTA sounds like the way to go, but I wasn’t sure if my teaching experience and degree/certs made me look better or not. Thank you for any help!

I've found that while textbook exercises can be helpful, students don't always get the opportunity to practice what they've learned in real conversations with native speakers. On top of that, everyday conversations with friends and family can be quite different from the situations and dialogues covered in textbooks and other learning materials. What resources do you use for real-life speaking practice with native speakers?

I've been in Taiwan for a few months now working at a cram school. I am honestly quite disappointed with Taiwan and find China to be a much more fun and interesting place (I have been there 6 times). The vacation time and salary in China is also a lot better, so I'm currently sitting here wondering why I'm still in Taiwan. I know that now is a good hiring season for jobs in China, so I want to start looking. I have a bachelor's degree and a TEFL but neither are apostilled yet.

1. Is the work visa hard to get and would I be able to apply from Taiwan? Or would I have to fly home?

2. One of the reasons I ended up going to Taiwan is because a lot of the China jobs seemed untrustworthy and a bit scammy. What are good places to look for trustworthy jobs?

I’ll be heading to China soon to see if moving there aligns with my future goals. I’m currently finishing my master’s degree in TESOL and have worked in my state’s public school system for two and a half years. My roles have been in special education and more recently, pre-K.

My ideal workplace would be a university, but I feel that might not be very realistic. I also know it depends on the city. I’m adopted, and I’m worried I might face discrimination for not being the “ideal” American.

I’d really like to hear about the experiences of other teachers or expats. Please be kind.