Teaching English Abroad 1: How to Find a Position in Asia

Okay, so you've run into an ad on Craigslist or on your favorite job-finding service, and now you're dreaming of a grand new life in a foreign country. Is this too good to be true? No! In fact, for the adventurous job-seeker, it can be the ideal opportunity. You probably won't get rich, but you can live rent-free and enjoy eating out every night on your local salary. If that sounds like fun, and you don't mind dealing with language barriers and the possible adventure of using a toilet (see my other article, Going to China? Ten Things You Need to Know) then read ahead. It's important to be careful when finding a job abroad: stories of success abound, but so do horror stories. You don't want to be telling your friends about your long foreign nightmare. If you follow these simple rules, you can make a great living working in Asia.

1. Know What You Need.

The credentials you need to teach abroad vary from place to place, and they're also different for different age levels. For example, in some locations, you'll need an ESL degree and two years of experience; in others, you'll need a certificate and a high school diploma. One of the very common requirements is a college degree, any college degree. It isn't the same everywhere. Some private schools will take anyone who can speak a sentence in English, but what are the conditions like? Know before you go. If anyone tells you they have a job for you that doesn't require the legal credentials, be suspicious - working illegally can be dangerous. Which leads to:

2. Don't Work on a Tourist Visa (Usually.)

Some schools will tell you - "Oh, just buy a tourist visa, and when you come over, you can get it changed." People have been sent to jail for this. It's illegal. Do you really want to rely on the idea that the corrupt local officials will see things your way? It's not black-and-white in China; occasionally schools will have their own particular relationship with the authorities, and that can be a unique process. If they tell you it's normal, make sure you talk to multiple foreign teachers who've worked for them, and get every detail worked out before you proceed. If you can't get answers you're 100% certain about, avoid.

3. Ask Questions About Working Hours

I applied at one school that advertised "28 hours per week" - and it turned out to mean 40 lesson periods, each 40 minutes long! Make sure you get the actual number of lesson-hours, not just hours measured in minutes. Ask if there are office hours, and what the schedule is.

Korea, according to my research, can tend towards over-long hours and split schedules - for example, some hagwons (private language schools) put teachers to work 6 AM-10 AM, then 2 PM-6 PM, which can be a grueling schedule for the unsuspecting American. Taiwan can also reportedly be pretty intense. Read the small print!

4. Sort Out Your Contract And Salary First

Exchange rates and currency values vary between countries. A good way to understand better what that figure actually means is to go to XE.com and look up the current value of a salary amount. For example, I earned 7000 RMB per month as an English teacher in Yangzhou, and my salary in American dollars was equivalent to $900-1000 per month over the course of my stay. That may not sound like much, but by living frugally, I was able to keep my Portland apartment, pay my monthly expenses in China, and save up enough to take a trip to Thailand during the school holiday.

That leads me to a second part of this guideline: find out what your benefits will do for you! The school put me up in a reconverted dorm apartment, meaning I had only to pay for food, necessities, and transportation costs for the duration of my appointment. In some areas, this arrangement is usual; in others, you may have to find your own local housing. What seems like a high salary might be worth a lot less if you have to spend it on difficult negotiations with local landlords.

In all cases, there's usually a standard for foreign teachers in the area. Learn what that standard is, and know whether your own contract deviates from it.

5. Learn How to Live Locally (Or Not)

Do you need American comfort food every day? You can still teach abroad, but your costs will be higher! Find out what the local standard is, and decide what you need. It's up to you to make sure you're situated in a location where it's possible to live happily. For example, if you're a loner, or don't mind intense language barriers, small-town China might be for you; but if you crave contact with other foreigners, and China is your target, you should stick to Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu and other large cities.

In general, remember: the cost of living is usually lower in smaller cities, but large cities have amenities that you as a foreigner might enjoy.

6. Use Online Resources

Don't just take the first job posting you run across on Craigslist or in your local paper. Remember, they're probably advertising because they're desperate - and while that might just be a sign of high demand, maybe it means they don't treat their teachers well. Be careful, and RESEARCH. Research your employer and the local conditions before you take the next step. Compare and contrast different employers and programs before signing on. And never cave to time pressure; make sure you know it's the right decision before you fly forward.

7.Use Dave's ESL Cafe

This website has job posting boards: one for China, one for Korea and one for the rest of the world. It also has discussion forums. Create an account and log in, and lurk for a while. The people on the forums might bite, but they know what they're talking about. Many of them have been abroad for years on end. Sometimes they seem enthusiastic, sometimes bitter.

Reading the discussions there helped me decide on a country for my own teaching position: the teachers in China all seemed bitter about things I didn't mind too much (pollution, crowds and corruption), while the concerns of the teachers in Korea were about problems I didn't want to deal with (too-long hours, difficulty in finding vegetarian food, unfriendly bosses.)

Best of luck to the job-seeker - and remember, it's a huge world out there!

Next time: How to stay safe.