[Kwisatz]

I taught English in Tokyo, Japan for a year, and Bangkok, Thailand for another year. If anyone needs specific info on either place let me know. Teaching English was an excellent choice for me.

[Alpharius]

I'm currently teaching in a city close to Qingdao in China. I lucked out and landed at the best school in town by far. Paid for western style 2 br apartment (this place is almost as big as my duplex I was living in back in the states), $1200US/month, free Chinese lessons provided by the school (they suck, but it's nice to have some scheduled conversation time), and I only work 25 hours/week.

You don't need a degree to work here if you just show up at a school with a travel visa. Typically they'll take you on at least part time. A couple guys I know are here without a degree. Hell, one guy I know who works in this city spent some serious time in jail back home before coming here. They won't actively recruit people who don't have degrees, but once you're here they won't turn you away.

[freshcream]

(01-05-2013 07:29 AM)Osiris Wrote:  

I'm currently teaching in a city close to Qingdao in China. I lucked out and landed at the best school in town by far. Paid for western style 2 br apartment (this place is almost as big as my duplex I was living in back in the states), $1200US/month, free Chinese lessons provided by the school (they suck, but it's nice to have some scheduled conversation time), and I only work 25 hours/week.

You don't need a degree to work here if you just show up at a school with a travel visa. Typically they'll take you on at least part time. A couple guys I know are here without a degree. Hell, one guy I know who works in this city spent some serious time in jail back home before coming here. They won't actively recruit people who don't have degrees, but once you're here they won't turn you away.

Could you get me a job there?

[jdreise]

Does anyone have experience teaching standardized tests like the SAT or GMAT abroad?

I've been teaching the SAT English sections on Saturdays here in SoCal for the last three months and doing some private, self-advertised SAT tutoring. At this point my lesson plans are pretty well-developed and I know the material.

While this has turned into a very lucrative side gig for me here, I'm just wondering what the demand and hourly rate for this kind of specialized knowledge is abroad.

Any info?

[MidWest]

I would love to do this in Mexico sometime in the future. But I heard the pay is shitty.

[presidentcarter]

Any extra money to be made teaching Business English if you have actual work experience in addition to business undergrad degrees and possibly a Celta (coming from someone who has 4 years in corporate banking/insurance)?

[presidentcarter]

dupe

[RichieP]

(02-05-2013 05:41 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  

Any extra money to be made teaching Business English if you have actual work experience in addition to business undergrad degrees and possibly a Celta (coming from someone who has 4 years in corporate banking/insurance)?

lol with that experience you could probably teach business in Asia. I'm only half joking... universities in places even like Taiwan will take graduates / ppl with masters and let them teach at university if you come up with a decent research proposal. Where's you'd need a PhD and 5 years experience to do that in the West.

[Screwston]

Is it possible to get an English teaching job somewhere without a college degree if you get a TEFL or CELTA certificate? Born and raised in America with English being your first language. It seems like it's real competitive to.

Did anyone actually take the leap after this thread or in the past few years? What happened Speakeasy?

[LEMONed IScream]

How does it work for guys that are not native speakers? I can speak it perfectly anyway, and english grammar is quite easy, so , it would be another career prospect ^^

[InternationPlayboy]

(03-24-2013 06:17 PM)houston Wrote:  

Is it possible to get an English teaching job somewhere without a college degree if you get a TEFL or CELTA certificate? Born and raised in America with English being your first language. It seems like it's real competitive to.

Did anyone actually take the leap after this thread or in the past few years? What happened Speakeasy?

For sure, in South American, but you'll get paid shit. You can make decent money in Sao Paulo. I'm not real sure about other parts of South America, but I'm positive that in Brazil you don't need a college degree. You'll probably make about $8 an hour outside of Sao Paulo. I've heard of friends making about $15 an hour in Sao Paulo, which isn't a bad wage. Yeah it's pretty expensive for South America, but $15 an hour is definitely livable. Hell, when I was there 3 years ago my boys were renting out a 2 bedroom apartment for $800 a month in one of the nicest areas of town.

[OGNorCal707]

I was thinking of making a teaching English abroad thread, but considering this one already exists, I figure I may as well post here. I am really starting to think that I may want to try my hand at this in the next year or two. The countries that I am most interested in are Japan, Brazil, Mexico, or maybe a wildcard like Poland or Croatia.

It sounds like Kwisatz and some other members have taught in Japan, can one of you guys break down Japan with some details, like how you got the job, where you got it, how much it paid, hours per week, etc....

Also I know at least a couple guys have also taught in Brazil any info on that front, aside from those countries I mentioned are there any other countries that are good overall for teaching English? My criteria are as follows: access/ease of hot women, quality of life, cost of living, and pay.

I met a German guy who claimed her got paid the equivalent of $18 Euros to teach English and German for 90 minutes in some city outside of D.F. in Mexico and he really seemed to love it, unfortunately I never got any details on how he acquired the job.

Some of my other main questions are does one need some kind of certificate to get teaching jobs like TEFL or whatever the other one is? I have a college degree from a U.S. university, but can get the proper certificates if they are needed. Also, once one decides to take the plunge and gets the teaching certificate, how do you go about finding jobs, is it as easy as typing a search in google, or do you need pre-existing contacts, are there legit sites you can use to line up jobs?

Lastly, I have a misdeameanor charge on my record I am hoping to get expunged at the end of my probation in another year, if I can't get it expunged or it pops up on background searches, could this disqualify me or hurt my chances for employment. I've already heard Korea won't hire anyone with any criminal charges on their record, but I don't really care for Korean culture anyway so I guess that's not a big loss there.

Thanks for any specific info guys.

[Brosemite]

(03-24-2013 06:50 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(03-24-2013 06:17 PM)houston Wrote:  

Is it possible to get an English teaching job somewhere without a college degree if you get a TEFL or CELTA certificate? Born and raised in America with English being your first language. It seems like it's real competitive to.

Did anyone actually take the leap after this thread or in the past few years? What happened Speakeasy?

For sure, in South American, but you'll get paid shit. You can make decent money in Sao Paulo. I'm not real sure about other parts of South America, but I'm positive that in Brazil you don't need a college degree. You'll probably make about $8 an hour outside of Sao Paulo. I've heard of friends making about $15 an hour in Sao Paulo, which isn't a bad wage. Yeah it's pretty expensive for South America, but $15 an hour is definitely livable. Hell, when I was there 3 years ago my boys were renting out a 2 bedroom apartment for $800 a month in one of the nicest areas of town.

Thanks for that insight. I actually got an offer to teach English in Jundiai, which is a small town north of Sao Paulo for about $12-15 USD per hour 30-40 hours a week last May through friends.

My friend also said some wages can top out at $25.00-$50.00 USD per hour in Sao Paulo city but of course rent is much higher there...though Easy Quarto always has good deals for rent even in the bigger cities.

[InternationPlayboy]

Yeah, compartoapto also should have some good deals on rent. I spent a couple weeks in a small town north of Sao Paulo and actually had a great time. My Brazilian friend who grew up there brought me, so I had an "in", but I had a great time. I was looking on a map, and Jundiai probably wouldn't be that bad. It's in between Sao Paulo and Campinas. Campinas is sort of a University city. It is known to have many beautiful girls. I spent a couple days there and I can attest to seeing many beautiful girls there, but didn't spend enough time there to bust out a data sheet, I didn't even go out at night. Just went to a mall both times, and there was definitely nice talent. We actually had a group of 3 girls follow us through the mall and finally they built up the courage to ask for a picture with us. They were good looking too, just young, 16 and 17 years old.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Just out of curiosity and this is mainly addressed to those on the ground teaching overseas or who have taught not so long ago:

What is the interest in the local population to learn other languages like say French, Portuguese, Italian or Spanish? I'd be mainly interested to hear about China, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Poland and Colombia. Is there a big demand in those countries for the above mentioned languages? And if yes, are they being met adequately at a competitive price? I'm not so much interested in going teaching (although I'm sure it could be very fun) but more in a business aspect as I would entertain the idea of partnering up with potential investors/friends to open a language school in one of these countries.

Appreciate all the intel you guys could drop!

Cheers.

[bacon]

@OGNORCAL707
From my understanding countries like Japan, S Korea, Taiwan and Vietnan require a backround check so teaching there would be difficult.

[Brosemite]

(03-24-2013 08:29 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Just out of curiosity and this is mainly addressed to those on the ground teaching overseas or who have taught not so long ago:

What is the interest in the local population to learn other languages like say French, Portuguese, Italian or Spanish? I'd be mainly interested to hear about China, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Poland and Colombia. Is there a big demand in those countries for the above mentioned languages? And if yes, are they being met adequately at a competitive price? I'm not so much interested in going teaching (although I'm sure it could be very fun) but more in a business aspect as I would entertain the idea of partnering up with potential investors/friends to open a language school in one of these countries.

Appreciate all the intel you guys could drop!

Cheers.

I didn't get specific details but my contacts in a local Portuguese speaking group here in North Texas said that the Chinese students/business people that move to Brazil for immersion take classes in Macau beforehand for a year or two. I didn't overhear what institution or through what means, but this is something that's going on with all this business occurring Brazil and Asian markets nowadays.

I know there is some interest in China for Spanish..I'm sure for business reasons, but word on the block is these are people that are crazy about Real Madrid and FC Barcelona too & that might be a motivator to learn the language for that purpose. A Spanish chick from my past wanted to actually teach in China but being a vegetarian prevented her from doing so.

In Poland, Spanish enrollment is pretty high in Lodz, Wroclaw, Poznan, and Warsaw at competitive pricing. I also know some gals in Katowice taking classes there as this is in the process of overtaking German as the third language in Poland now. I'm familiar with some Polish guys that have spent considerable time doing Erasmus studies in Madrid too as there are many easyjet/ryan air flights between Polish & Spanish cities.

[InternationPlayboy]

(03-24-2013 09:19 PM)yb13 Wrote:  

I didn't get specific details but my contacts in a local Portuguese speaking group here in North Texas said that the Chinese students/business people that move to Brazil for immersion take classes in Macau beforehand for a year or two. I didn't overhear what institution or through what means, but this is something that's going on with all this business occurring Brazil and Asian markets nowadays.

The reason they probably go to Macau to learn Portuguese is because Portuguese is an official language of Macau.

[Brosemite]

(03-24-2013 09:49 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(03-24-2013 09:19 PM)yb13 Wrote:  

I didn't get specific details but my contacts in a local Portuguese speaking group here in North Texas said that the Chinese students/business people that move to Brazil for immersion take classes in Macau beforehand for a year or two. I didn't overhear what institution or through what means, but this is something that's going on with all this business occurring Brazil and Asian markets nowadays.

The reason they probably go to Macau to learn Portuguese is because Portuguese is an official language of Macau.

Most def. I think the studies might already be subsidized by Chinese businesses or the government already.

[LEMONed IScream]

Macau was borrowed by the chinese to us for like 450 years or so! So yeah ^^ We gave it back in 1999, it has some of our influence still of course.

[Belize King]

(03-24-2013 06:17 PM)houston Wrote:  

Is it possible to get an English teaching job somewhere without a college degree if you get a TEFL or CELTA certificate? Born and raised in America with English being your first language. It seems like it's real competitive to.

Did anyone actually take the leap after this thread or in the past few years? What happened Speakeasy?

Im looking for a teaching job right now in Thailand. The hiring season is now till May because school is out until May 17th. It seems that you need a degree to teach at schools but the lanuage school you can get away without one. But you will need a cert. Getting a cert would be best by doing it locally. You get 120 hours of classroom time and 8 hours of actual teaching. Most of the certs go for 1100-1500 usd. I plan on taking one in Samui next month probably. I will probably miss getting hired but I can wait until October.

Also if you arent interested in BKK then you can get away with not having a degree. Most people use teaching as a springboard to get a "real" job in BKK. If you teach here for 6 months and network, you should be able to land something else. I am looking into working for a security contractor that handles the embassey. No Thai needed and the pay is pretty good.

Here in Thailand you are looking at 1200-1600. They dont pay for your apartment out here. As long as you are from a western country you are good. They love Americans because its hard to understand the Brits, Aussies etc. I remember talking to an Aussie in Samui for 30 minutes and didnt know what the fuck we were talking about. He was a teacher haha. I have a few websites for Thai leads. Craigslist can be fishy.

I would say if you are from a western country, have a degree, and a cert then you will have a job by November. They usually want a photo and need you to be here. If you suit up and look the part you will be hired. Omce hired most schools will pay for your working visa. That is a hassle. If heard my buddy had to go to Mayla to get his for some reason.

1200 in Thailand is great. You can find a one bedroom for about 250. Close to the BTS, pool, and gym. Most places are about 400-600 tho. I know of places for less than 200. Stick to the street food and you can ball out every weekend with no problem. Alot of expats dont cook. They just eat street food everyday. Public trans is cheap. If you dont live in BKK then you money goes alot longer.

[Bacchus]

I taught English in Brazil for a year. I don't have any TEFL or CELTA certification either. Just a college degree. The pay wasn't much, but then again I didn't really work much either (25 hours per week). I could afford a gym membership, drinks at the bar, and motel rooms. But I didn't save anything.

I had to go through a lot (including a background check) to get my visa, so having a criminal record would probably hurt your chances of doing anything official. There's always the option of going somewhere and contacting schools once you've landed and hustling to get clients. That's rough though, and you'd need some language skills from the beginning. The benefit of having an official arrangement is that you will have more advanced students. In my first semester I taught in English only because I had students who already knew some English. Only in my second semester as a teacher did I have basic classes where I needed to speak Portuguese to the class.

Teaching English was never something I intended to do for more than a year, but I have no regrets about doing it. One of the better decisions in my life.

[Screwston]

I wonder exactly what the background check picks up for a visa? Felonies? Misdemeanors? Traffic tickets? I can't imagine it's any different than a background check a non-government employer does when you're hired.

[Brosemite]

(03-24-2013 11:15 PM)Bacchus Wrote:  

I taught English in Brazil for a year. I don't have any TEFL or CELTA certification either. Just a college degree. The pay wasn't much, but then again I didn't really work much either (25 hours per week). I could afford a gym membership, drinks at the bar, and motel rooms. But I didn't save anything.

I had to go through a lot (including a background check) to get my visa, so having a criminal record would probably hurt your chances of doing anything official. There's always the option of going somewhere and contacting schools once you've landed and hustling to get clients. That's rough though, and you'd need some language skills from the beginning. The benefit of having an official arrangement is that you will have more advanced students. In my first semester I taught in English only because I had students who already knew some English. Only in my second semester as a teacher did I have basic classes where I needed to speak Portuguese to the class.

Teaching English was never something I intended to do for more than a year, but I have no regrets about doing it. One of the better decisions in my life.

In which city did you teach by the way? Did you get your Visa before or after getting in Brazil? Thx for that insight!

[OGNorCal707]

(03-24-2013 11:15 PM)Bacchus Wrote:  

I taught English in Brazil for a year. I don't have any TEFL or CELTA certification either. Just a college degree. The pay wasn't much, but then again I didn't really work much either (25 hours per week). I could afford a gym membership, drinks at the bar, and motel rooms. But I didn't save anything.

I had to go through a lot (including a background check) to get my visa, so having a criminal record would probably hurt your chances of doing anything official. There's always the option of going somewhere and contacting schools once you've landed and hustling to get clients. That's rough though, and you'd need some language skills from the beginning. The benefit of having an official arrangement is that you will have more advanced students. In my first semester I taught in English only because I had students who already knew some English. Only in my second semester as a teacher did I have basic classes where I needed to speak Portuguese to the class.

Teaching English was never something I intended to do for more than a year, but I have no regrets about doing it. One of the better decisions in my life.

Thanks for the reply, it sounds like you landed your job before arriving to Brazil and were able to get your work visa situation all sorted out. How did you go about getting your visa and how did you end up landing your job, a pre-existing contact, a website, etc.?

I'm kind of wondering the same thing as Houston, I have a low level misdemeanor charge, so I wonder if that would be enough to be disqualified, as usually it's not a big deal for employment here in the U.S.

It sounds like you weren't paid much there in Brazil, but were you able to at least break even on expenses, or did you end up dipping into money you saved before moving there? Also, could you have gotten more work easily like maybe another 10-15 hours a week to increase your income?

Basically I figure as long as I can break even on expenses while living a comfortable lifestyle (apartment, gym membership, eating out, drinking 1-3 times a week, cell phone, etc.), than that is all I need. Ideally I would rent my house out here for the cost of the monthly payment, which for one year would get roughly $10,000 of principal paid down on the house. At most I could swing for maybe $500 extra dollars a month out of my pre-existing savings, plus another $2,000-3,000 to spend on travel in the country or area.

Thanks for any more info.