Messages by Danilo

I believe a vast majority of job postings which specify "Native Speakers only" on this site is discriminatory. That's what many ESL/EFL Teachers (both native and non-native speakers)are voicing out against on several LinkedIn ESL teachers' forums. I don't know about US (and other countries') labour laws but since discriminatory hiring practices like these are illegal under Canadian labour laws, I think TESOL Canada is bound by the same labour laws so must distance themselves from such recruitment practices. It is irrelevant whether the jobs are in Canada or in Timbuktu, Mali.

Below, please find 'some' helpful tips if you want to work overseas. As I am in China, most contents are based on my Chinese experience.

1) Do not over-expect. Your employment will provide for your basic needs. Satisfaction and happiness is up to you.

2) Check you motivation for going abroad. It is desirable that there is a balance between self and the love of teaching. I have seen some who take teaching just to support their 'wandering' lifestyle and they were never happy or fulfilled. Only those who look at teaching as joy and fun will benefit the most. Those who wake up in the morning and think of the day's teaching activity as a chore will never be happy.

3) Most training centres (Aston, Disney, Cambridge, etc) have complete set of teaching materials. Don't let this make you too reliant and impede your creativity. These schools usually require you to teach all four skills; reading, listening, writing and speaking.

3) Most public schools require you to teach only Spoken English. The other skills are taught by local English teachers including verey good grammar instructions. These schools usually provide you with a textbook with which to relate your speaking lessons.

4) Some schools provide you with a local teaching partner, some don't. It is my personal preference to have no local partner.

5) Employment packages will always be larger and more attractive in major metropolitan area. However; standard of living could also be very high. Also mobility (traffic) may be more challenging. Be especially descriminating when choosing heavily industrialized cities. Air pollution may pose a health risk.

6) China has so many holidays and usually foreigners on contract are not paid. One particular holiday is Spring Festival / Chinese New Year. Most schools give their foreign teachers at least one month unpaid holiday. Some could go as much as two entire months.

7) Exercise professionalism when dealing with employers, school admin and co-teachers. You may need their references when you decide to change employers.

10) When you get an employment offer, do your homework. Get as much information about the city from the internet or from the hiring agency. Ask as many questions as you want. Look up the company on the internet...some of them are on a blacklist.

11) One of the most important book you must make sure you have is 'English is Stupid' by Judy Thompson.

Good job Matt, good job. I choose to send you this through your post or email because I just want others to know it too. Generally China is a great place to work. Great difference in terms of student's attitudes. As I've always said, there's always the temptation to go to big metropolitan cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou (Canton), etc. However, there's a joke here about Guangzhou: "Everybody in Guangzhou gets robbed". A good friend of mine insisted he needs to move to a big(ger) city so he chose Guangzhou where he got an offer immediately. Just got news two days ago that since mid-February, he'd been robbed twice. No details provided. That's once every 2 months!

Also I want to know how was the interview with Faye? She's a great person. I will continue to help her find more teachers too. If you chose to work with her, that would be great. However, if you want other options, my new employer is also in desperate need of foreign English teachers...mostly for Sichuan province.

Hi, we need help! I am teaching here in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, PRC. My contract with my employer is expiring and at this time I have already received 17 job offers with China plus 1 in Korea and 1 in Azerbaijan. China is truly desperate for English teachers. The schools and hiring companies that know us are asking if we know of foreign teachers who are available even if they can only teach part-time (if not available full-time). All graduates or would be graduates from Global TESOL are welcome to contact me through my yahoo email: dovilleis@yahoo.ca for available jobs not only in Sichuan province but also in Shandong Province, Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province, Henan Province, etc. I got an offer for Jiangsu and the recruiter is a very nice lady who had been pleading for me to go there since February... I find it hard to say 'No' but I think I prefer to stay in Mianyang so instead of just saying 'No' to her, I want to introduce somebody to her as my replacement. The best part of working here are the "overwhelming opportunities" to work on the side for extra income. My income last March was more than doubled my basic full-time salary because of what I call "working on the side".

Hi Matt, it's amazing to know you have Middle Eastern roots. A former co-worker in Toronto was from Iraq... her father was Iraqi and her mother an Armenian...we became great friends.

Matt, if you wish you can also send your resume to me through my yahoo email. It's dovilleis@yahoo.ca. That way if anything good comes up I can consult with you first if you want it. This new company I am working for will focus mainly in Sichuan province...adjacent to Tibet. My boss introduced me to the visa officer at dinner an hour ago. He is in charge of issuing working visa here in our city.

Matt, if you are not yet on LinkedIn, please join and identify yourself as one in Education Management. There are several forums which are really valuable in connecting with your fellow ESL teachers. You can ask for help for any ESL teaching related issues and the more experienced out there in the field will be more than willing to help.

Matt, do what you have to do because the right job is waiting for you out there. You are much better off with all those credentials than many (of us)

Once you are inside the country of your choice, opportunities are endless. Individuals, private language schools and businesses will hear about you and pretty soon you will have your hands full of offers for income 'on the side' which can even be more than your regular pay.

In all these countries you have mentioned; the culture is different from the West. In the West, you talk business then you become friends. In Asia and the Middle East, building relationships is the most important thing if you have to succeed. I would not be surprised if you get dinner invitations every night of the week because that's how they do it. Their friendship is genuine unlike in the West where your friendship may be misconstrued as driven
by ulterior motives for personal material gains.

Ooooppps, I mean "she has to pay for HER own internet!!! I was thinking about the other teacher in-between. Sorry!

Hi Donald,
I am glad you are happy with Sunny. I used to read forums with 'not-so-favourable' words re Sunny but those were several years ago. I have not read any new ones. Actually, one of my fellow teachers moved from Sunny to MARS (I did not investigate as to his reasons). I also have a good friend who have been with Sunny and he is quite satisfied although Sunny generally don't allow their employees to earn extra from teaching part-time on the side. Being discreet about it is they key. A former fellow teacher from MARS moved to Sunny and I believe she is okay although she has to pay for his own internet and a part of her hydro bills.

Hi Matt, Congratulations! With such credentials, employers will race to employ you. Here's one thing; when they say 2 years or 1 year teaching experience, they don't always mean 'classroom' teaching. There are times when getting involved in staff training and/or mentoring will suffice.

I've been following ESL teachers' employment trends in various regions of the world and I know employers in the Middle East are very good payers. If Dubai gets quite picky, why not try Turkey? or Morocco? These 2 just happened to be two of my target countries. Or Israel? Although from my observation, it is difficult to have savings in Israel...their standard of living is quite high.

During the Spring Festival holidays here in China, I got an offer from South Korea. I applied for a position in Hainan (island) China but got an offer for South Korea instead. The system in Korea could be tricky at times; some employers pay you by 'class hours' (meaning 60 minutes) instead of 'per class' which is between 40 and 45 minutes. If your classes are 40 minutes long, that means you have not completed one class hour. Also South Korean employers will really make you work like a horse and that had been a turn off by many. I am not trying to dissuade you...I just want you to make sure you understand and agree with every little detail you read on the contract before signing it.

As for the Middle East, one concern is the student interest and study habits. I don't know with you but I am very particular about it. I can't comfortably (and get inspired) teach a class when students show disinterest. In the Middle East, you are usually teaching students from wealthy families (well, almost all of them are) and therefore undersandably (in general) there is not much motivation to study hard among students.

But, we all have different ways of coping up with such situations. So as you can see, there are also a lot of satisfied ESL teachers who are working there. Keep trying. Once you're there, you'll be surprised at how rewarding this job is.