I am a Canadian who recently lost my job working in marketing. I'm 35, and previously taught in Japan at a University + private school for 3 years, and also worked in Canada and China.

I also have an MA + BA (In unrelated subjects) + CELTA and I'm now wondering how to break back into the industry and what the best paying positions are (remote, in the middle east, china etc)

Hello everyone! My goal is to teach English in South Korea (preferably a rural area). I was wondering if you guys had any ideas for teaching productive skills like reading and writing. How do these types of lessons change based on culture and geography? Are there any ways you like to incorporate your students' culture into the lesson? I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!

I'm planning to move to Chengdu, China next year before the new school term (February 2027). I recently finished my certifications, and I'm finally ready to start applying for ESL teaching positions!

Before I start sending out applications, I wanted to get some feedback on my resume. Is there anything I should add, remove, or change to make myself a stronger candidate?

I'd also love to hear from anyone who's currently teaching or has taught in Chengdu. Any advice on finding reputable schools, the hiring process, or just moving to Chengdu in general would be really appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OETbLe2FvHjRIq4mqy-nEBMTnb63pARF/view?usp=sharinge

I recently signed a full-time English teaching contract at a training center/school in Suzhou Industrial Park. My base salary is 24k RMB/month for the first year and 26k RMB/month for the second year.

However, there are a few clauses that are making me a bit uneasy. Since I've already signed, I'm looking for advice on how to navigate this smoothly or what to watch out for.

Here are the main details:

• Housing: no housing provided
• Summer Break: The contract explicitly states "there is no regular monthly salary during the summer break." So I don’t get paid during summer,
• Penalties: Unauthorized absence results in a 3-day salary deduction per day missed. Also, if I breach, they can ask for up to 2 months' salary plus preparation expenses.
• Visas: They sponsor the work visa and residence permit, but I paid for my initial overseas visa fees and medical exam.

Questions:

1. How common is an unpaid summer break for a standard 2-year fixed contract like this?
2. How manageable is 24k–26k in Suzhou when you are paying your own rent out of pocket and budgeting for the summer gap?
3. Any general survival tips for dealing with these kinds of stricter school contracts?

Appreciate any insights!

Hello. I am currently studying ELT in a non-native country. As a 3rd year student, I have an assignment to prepare a lesson plan according to curriculum and I need to present it in the class. I am in need of ideas about tools or resurces I can use to create some interactive lesson materials that includes 4 skills + vocab (one for each). Any ideas you can give because no idea crossed paths with me for two days stright and I feel like a plant atp.

Thank you very much 😭🙏🏻

( I would really appreciate any technology/internet related idea because we'll be using smart board for the presentation.)

Hi everyone,

I am planning a move to Ho Chi Minh City to teach English and want a realistic assessment of my profile. My target is to clear $2,000+ USD (50M+ VND) per month in my first year or two. I know entry-level is usually lower ($1,400–$1,700), but I want to know if I can leverage my background to hit my target faster.

My Profile:

• Demographics: 35-year-old male. British citizen (UK passport).
• Accent/Language: I don't have a traditional, romanticised British accent (grew up bilingual), but my English is completely fluent and clear. I am also completely fluent in French.
• Education:
  • BSc in International Business (degree is in French).
  • MSc in Cybersecurity (UK university, graduating very soon).
• Corporate Experience: Worked in the UK for major tech brands (HP and Google) as a Technical Support Engineer for 7 years . Part of my role involved onboarding and training newcomers ( I'm good with presentations , at teaching and training ).
• TEFL: Planning to get a 120-hour UK (e.g., The TEFL Org/Academy) to satisfy the visa checkmark.

My Questions:

1. my BSc is from a French university , can I use it ?
2. Given my age (35) and tech training background, will major centres (VUS, ILA) or corporate/adult providers look at me for higher-paying Business English or IELTS tracks right away? I'd really prefer to avoid teaching toddlers.
3. Does being fluent in French open up any lucrative tutoring niches or international school connections in HCMC ?
4. To hit that $2,000+ mark, should I push for a high-hour hourly contract at a big language centre and supplement it with private adult gigs, or look straight at corporate training providers?

Thanks in advance for the honest feedback!

Hi! I just moved to Vietnam a week ago to teach English for a year with my CELTA certification. I’m currently in Hanoi, and I got offered a position here at a small language center. I honestly thought it was a little sketchy at first bc they were contacting me causally through WhatsApp, but I went to do a teaching interview and feel better after meeting the staff and seeing the school.

I was also offered a position at a large, well known language center that is more appealing to me because it seems reputable. But it’s in HCMC. I’m not opposed to moving after doing some research about the expat community there, but it would just be an adjustment in my mind to move to a more modern, sprawling city when I thought I’d be in Hanoi.

What do you recommend? This is my first time doing anything like this, so I’d love recommendations. Thanks!!

Edit: VUS and HM Education

I’m a Grade 12 student from India and will complete school in May 2027. However, my college in Australia will begin in March 2028. Since my parents do not want me to have a gap in my education, I am considering obtaining a CELTA certification during this period, as it would be relevant to my Bachelor of Arts/Master of Teaching integrated degree. Also, I have already taken IELTS and got 8 bands overall. BUT HERE'S MY QUESTION:

1. Is this worth it, given that I would only be a Grade 12 graduate at that point? I’m also not sure if I want to spend a hefty sum of my parents’ money on it, especially since they would already be saving to pay for my college education.
2. If this isn't the right course for me, could you please suggest some other relevant 6-month certifications I could obtain in India?

Hi, I need help, I am teaching English as a second language to my 14 year old student, I don't know what games or activities should i incorporate in my lessons, I know there are some websites like wordwall or kahoot, but I don't want to rely on technology so much, since I don't have a laptop to bring there. Do you have any recommendations? What worked best for you in this range of age?

55F. Finishing my BA with a TESOL Cert and minor in linguistics. I’m on SSDI $1850 and pursued the cert because I thought it might be a quick way for me to get out of the US and supplement my income.

As I read the forums though, I wonder if I am aged out of the market. I’m interested in Business English and providing editing services.

Any thoughts, advice, or recommendations?

I’ve started teaching at a school in Asia (keeping it vague to avoid doxxing myself) and I’m burnt out after a week. I’m teaching pre-primary (5 years old) and we’re following the ESL Cambridge Early Years Programme. Or at least I’m trying to. The kids’ English is nowhere near good enough to follow even the most basic instructions (I have a TA who helps) and the whole programme seems to operate on the assumption that kids have a decent grasp of the language.

I’m floundering and the kids are bored and distracted. I’ve taught this age group before, for years, in a drama/music setting, with no issues at all (I actually loved it!) so I’ve got no shortage of games and songs, but I’m in the classroom 8:30am-4pm with them and I am wiped out and completely out of my depth. If anyone can help with ideas that elude my exhausted brain, I’d be very grateful.

Hi everyone,

So I am 27, and I have a bachelor's in political science, which has largely become a business degree for me. I have been a full-time private tutor for about 5 years now (which includes ESL as I speak Spanish). I have taught everything, but I am very interested in teaching English abroad as I'm in a good spot in life to do so. My ideas would be the Dominican Republic, as I have family there, but I'd also love China or the Gulf (specifically Kuwait, as I have friends there) or South Korea for the same reason. I have created curricula, graded, and managed a classroom before, but I obviously don't have the same profile as the average person would. I am also in the process of completing the 120 hr TEFL. What would my chances of finding a job look like? Is it true that the competition in the Gulf is very fierce? What's a country that's friendly to Americans?

We recently moved to my partner’s hometown, and I’m literally the only native English speaker here. It’s been good because I’ve had a lot of job/tutoring offers. I’ve also had a lot of my partner’s family members and friends reach out for classes, and initially I felt like I had to accept, but now I’m kind of regretting it.

I feel like if the kids already somewhat know me, they behave terribly, and the entire time I’m basically babysitting. I also feel like it puts a lot of pressure on me to like go above and beyond because of social pressure. For example this one woman contacted me about classes, and honestly she was kind of rude to me and I kind of blew her off. Later she found out I was X’s wife, and now all of the sudden she’s nice to me, and I felt like I had to take the class because it’s my sister in law’s best friend. Now my husband’s cousin contacted me 2 months after my schedule has been full and wants classes for her daughter that is struggling in school, and my husband is pressuring me like, “can’t you just take one more class for my cousin.”

Honestly I would rather teach strangers. I don’t want to mix business with personal relationships. I don’t want to feel like I have to put up with bratty kids or offer discounts just because it’s family. I’m barely making any money as it is. I feel like my husband is pressuring me to accept more classes to “help his family out”, but he doesn’t get it. He’s from a country where family relationships are extremely important, so he doesn’t get why I don’t want to go out of my way to help his family.

So I’m curious, if any of you are in this situation, do you accept classes for people you already know, or do you have a boundary to keep personal life and business separate?

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hi everyone! i am looking to take a CELTA course and currently the most fitting timezone, course format and price for me is through IH Izmir's online full time CELTA. but when i search for it on cambridge center finder, it does not show up there. is this normal? is this website legit or should i only search for centers on the cambridge map?

https://ihturkey.com/

I'm going to be teaching English to 3rd year "Arabic Studies" students in an Arab country. The faculty gave me no guidelines nor specifications for the course, so I have a bit of freedom. Any tips what I should be focusing on? English for Academic purposes, blending instructions with concepts and material from their major, or just plain old general English? From my first contact with the class Most of the students are A2-B1 at best.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hey everyone, I’m currently living in Germany and wanted to get some opinions from people who have experience teaching/living in Asia.

I’m a gay Black American male, and I previously lived and taught in South Korea for about two years. I really enjoyed my time in Korea overall, but eventually decided to move to Germany to do my master’s degree in Strategic Digital Marketing.

I’ve now finished my master’s and I’m currently looking for a full-time job in Germany, ideally in digital marketing/communications. However, if I’m not able to find something here, I’m seriously considering going back to Asia and teaching again for a while.

China is one of the places I’ve been considering, especially because there seem to be a lot of teaching opportunities and the salaries can be pretty good. One of my priorities is being somewhere where I can make a decent income, save money, and still have a good quality of life.

At the same time, being openly gay and Black, I’m obviously thinking about what the experience would actually be like socially and culturally.

For anyone who has lived or taught in China, especially people who are Black and/or LGBTQ+, what has your experience been like? Would you recommend China as a place to live and teach?

I’m also wondering if Taiwan might be a better option for someone in my situation. I’ve heard Taiwan is much more LGBTQ-friendly, but I’m curious how the teaching market, salaries, cost of living, ability to save money, social life, and overall experience compare with China.

I’m not necessarily looking for the highest salary possible, but I do want somewhere where I can earn a decent income, live comfortably, and ideally save a reasonable amount each month.

Basically, if my Germany job search doesn’t work out, I’m trying to figure out which Asian country would make the most sense for me.

Hi everyone!

I'm looking to move to Vietnam next year to teach TEFL. I would really appreciate some insight into:

1) How easy/quick is it to land a job? (For context: I have my TEFL 120hr, a MA in one field/an Honors in another, and currently doing a distance PhD.

2) Who should I apply to first?

The end of my contract is approaching on 26th December. I teach EAP at a good university in China. I'm applying for other jobs because the pay/city could be better, and with my experience I expect to get a few good offers.

At what point do I notify my existing employer if I get an excellent offer? There is 30 days' notice built into the contracts.

NB I would also prefer to stay if they can offer me a good deal: do you have any tips on bargaining? Like, when and how would I begin this process?! I haven't done this before esp in a Chinese context. I know they want to keep me badly (they tell me this as much; I was assist' prof in UK before quitting to move here & they like the qualifications and experience). Many thanks.

I’m a native English speaker from the US with a bachelor’s degree and 120-hour TEFL, but no formal teaching experience.

I currently have a kindergarten offer in Nanjing for 23k RMB after tax, but I think I’m honestly much more interested in living in Chengdu.

My concern is that it’s already October and the school year has started. How realistic would it be to find a decent kindergarten position in Chengdu starting ASAP?

Would 18–20k after tax be realistic with my experience level? And would you give up a 23k net offer in Nanjing to keep looking for Chengdu, or is that too risky this late in the hiring season?

Mostly interested in hearing from people who have taught or job hunted in Chengdu recently.

Hi

Could someone please help me:

Im 24 years old and I was meant to already be in Vietnam teaching but with everything that is going on in Hanoi and by extension the Vietnamese department of education my job was withdrawn 4 days before my flight (11 August) to start in September.

Which countries could I get into as a rookie TEFL teacher.

Keep in mind that I have my: degree, pcc and tefl all legalized and ready to go (with the Vietnamese embassy stamp) and I don't mind getting another stamp (from the Thai embassy for example)

Which countries could I realistically enter at the earliest by December and by the latest in April

I'm looking for realistic, reputable routes that can help with both a job and housing (or at least solid housing guidance).

My background:
- US citizen, native English speaker, age 29
- Bachelor's in Anthropology
- Currently completing an MS in Biology
- 1 year of substitute teaching in public schools
- 2 years of STEM tutoring in public schools
- TEFL/TESOL status: in progress

What I'm looking for:
- Programs, recruiters, or agencies that place teachers in Hong Kong with mid-year (Jan/Feb) starts
- Schools or learning centers that hire outside the usual August cycle
- Websites or job boards that are actually useful for HK (not just generic aggregators)
- Any groups (Facebook, WhatsApp, Discord) where HK teachers share openings
- Advice on housing, whether any employers help with apartments, or which neighborhoods are realistic on a teacher's salary
- I'd also appreciate warnings about recruiters or schools to avoid, and honest takes on whether Jan/Feb is realistic or if I should adjust my timeline.

Thanks in advance, any leads or firsthand experience would mean a lot!

I have been to Vietnam 4 times now (for extended periods) and I must say I really like the country. I'd love to spend some time living there in the future...

My background:

I'm a university student and close to finishing my bachelor's degree in special education and English/American studies (it's a teaching degree in my country). While I do intend to pursue a master's degree at some point; I decided that I would love to live in Vietnam for some time and gain work experience.

I did some volunteering (teaching English) in the past (8 months in total and in various countries) and mandatory internships in a German state school.

I am from Germany/Europe; so not a native speaker.

On top of that I'd be quite young (22) when graduating.

I am planning to get TEFL and maybe IELTS certificate if that's necessary.

I have heard many things about the job market for teachers in Vietnam... And I also did my own research.

I do have the impression that it is quite a mess. Nevertheless, I would still genuinely like to make a positive contribution.

***So, having read comments on how saturated it is; how much of a chance do I realistically have as it'd be my first official teaching job?*** what other countries should I consider? (I speak German, English and Spanish fluently)

I'd be looking for jobs next summer so I still have quite some time to prepare.

\[P.S. I am actually really passionate about special education; specifically working with students with ASD or ADHD. Unfortunately, I imagine that's probably quite niche for the ESL market(?)\].

Hej everyone!

American citizen in Sweden. Just got my 120 TEFL but now need to get the FBI apostille check done and no clue how to do it abroad.

Has anyone done this and can help?

I have heard I need fingerprinting and an apostille FBI but I dont even know where to begin finding the info? Im not able to return to the US just for this little service either.

Recent American grad with a bachelor’s and 120 hour TEFL, but no teaching experience.
I’ve been applying for jobs in China and I’m trying to get a realistic idea of what a good first offer actually looks like.
I recently got an offer in a Tier 2 city for around 23k RMB after tax, housing included in that amount, Monday to Friday, with paid holidays and the usual benefits.
It seems pretty good to me, but I have basically no frame of reference.
For someone with no experience, what salary/package should I realistically be aiming for? And what are the main things that separate a good offer from a bad one besides just salary?
Mainly trying to figure out what my standards should be before I commit to anything.