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Skateboarding => Travel Guide => Topic started by: sexualhelon on March 13, 2014, 07:39:04 AM
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If so, where and what was your experience like? I've taught English in Poland and also Serbia but lately I'm thinking about trying out somewhere in Asia - particularly China - or South America.
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I teach English in Shanghai. I work for the Walt Disney Company. it pays super well and I have lots of time to skate in a city where they don't think that skateboarding is a juvenile activity. I've had a great time here for the last year and 2 months and plan on staying for a while.
-Nick
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I was about to do it then I read this book.
http://www.amazon.com/English-Teacher-Teaching-Abroad-Edition-ebook/dp/B004SOYD70 (http://www.amazon.com/English-Teacher-Teaching-Abroad-Edition-ebook/dp/B004SOYD70)
It's short as fuck and hilarious. I definitely recommend it if you are thinking about it or if you are already out there.
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Oh, rad. Where are you from originally and how's life comparatively in Shanghai? I've got a few offers so far in China but they're all in smaller cities like Shanxi. Just started browsing job boards a few days ago.
Haha I'll have to check that book out. Seems interesting and the guy probably has a similar outlook to me on TEFL.
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I'm from Fresno, California. Living here is like living in any big city, the only difference to me is that I have to point at pictures when I go to McDonalds. Its super rad to skate here, they don't care at all about you skating on anything. Most of the time, the locals stand and stare trying to figure out what i'm doing. Shoot a PM my way and I can get you a job with Disney English. It pays better than all the other EFL jobs and its easy to talk them into placing you in Shanghai.
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I was about to do it then I read this book.
http://www.amazon.com/English-Teacher-Teaching-Abroad-Edition-ebook/dp/B004SOYD70 (http://www.amazon.com/English-Teacher-Teaching-Abroad-Edition-ebook/dp/B004SOYD70)
It's short as fuck and hilarious. I definitely recommend it if you are thinking about it or if you are already out there.
Just read that book, scoped out English Teacher X's blog, and sent him an e-mail. Grand stuff.
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Expand Quote
I was about to do it then I read this book.
http://www.amazon.com/English-Teacher-Teaching-Abroad-Edition-ebook/dp/B004SOYD70 (http://www.amazon.com/English-Teacher-Teaching-Abroad-Edition-ebook/dp/B004SOYD70)
It's short as fuck and hilarious. I definitely recommend it if you are thinking about it or if you are already out there.
Just read that book, scoped out English Teacher X's blog, and sent him an e-mail. Grand stuff.
Glad to hear it! So tell me...how many foreign sweethearts have used and abused you? ;)
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My experience teaching in Moscow was pretty great, possibly too great, because I can hardly stand Vancouver now. Made good money, there were endless opportunities for entertainment - every weekend I went to a new art gallery, museum, ballet, etc. Skate scene was super friendly and the spots were great. The work wasn't bad considering I hate working, and it provided the opportunities mentioned. I could see getting jaded in the long term though, I only did 6 months because I returned here to do my MSc.
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I just began my second year here in Guangzhou China. I love it. I like the country, the language, people food etc. Being a skater I am super lucky that I am able to have a wide circle of friends. Most foreigners here end up clicking up with just other foreigners. Thanks to skateboarding I am able to branch outside the ex-pat circles. I've met some people who love it, hate it and just learn to live with it. check out eslcafe.com for job leads - the companies put job listings. I have a college degree and a TEFL- i just went online and applied for jobs and got a few offers. There some other threads I've started as well as other posters on here. HOpe this info helps.
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If so, where and what was your experience like? I've taught English in Poland and also Serbia but lately I'm thinking about trying out somewhere in Asia - particularly China - or South America.
I taught English in Poland too. Where were you? I was in Poznan and it was such an amazing experience.
Wanted to keep doing the teaching thing but make a bit more money so ended up in Korea as I already had a friend here . Been here the last 2 years and its been awesome. Some things at my job were not ideal like the clueless and incompetent managers. You seriously would not believe some of the decisions they make....
apart from that things are great.
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If so, where and what was your experience like? I've taught English in Poland and also Serbia but lately I'm thinking about trying out somewhere in Asia - particularly China - or South America.
I taught English in Poland too. Where were you? I was in Poznan and it was such an amazing experience.
Wanted to keep doing the teaching thing but make a bit more money so ended up in Korea as I already had a friend here . Been here the last 2 years and its been awesome. Some things at my job were not ideal like the clueless and incompetent managers. You seriously would not believe some of the decisions they make....
apart from that things are great.
ha i'd love to hear more about this..i've had some interesting experiences with this too.
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i have: great when you're 21, not so much when you're 35 :'(
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How is it not great when you're 35? I can see how in the long run it might drag you down having done it for so many years - just banging broads, partying, and roaming about the globe. The trajectory definitely makes it hard for you to ever settle down. Chasing poon in foreign lands is something most men aren't cut out for past a certain point but then a select few do it for life. Have you ever heard of RooshV or Naughty Nomad? I know Roosh used to be decent friends with English Teacher X but said the guy had a coming of age existential crisis which caused them to lose touch with each other.
I've been all over Poland, visited every country in Europe actually, but was teaching in Krakow. At least in Poland and parts of Eastern Europe you only really get paid enough to live. It's a good life - I personally love the culture, the women....everything really, but most people teaching there aren't saving any money. This is why I was considering China, South Korea, or somewhere in Russia myself. I'm not too terribly into Asian girls but living in China seems like the most unique experience as far as things being completely foreign. Speaking of Guangzhou, I was actually debating between whether I'd want to go there, Nanjing, or stick to my big city ways in Shanghai or Beijing. It's either that or Moscow for me.
I'm in NYC right now though and am working a pretty casual job at the moment while I look around for something worth sticking around for. My girlfriend's Austrian and she's going to do an internship in either Barcelona, Hamburg, or London for 3 months come may. Waiting to see how that pans out as I could see myself living in Europe for a bit and she was wanting to travel around for a bit afterwards. Time will tell...
Oh and with management in those English schools, some recruiters will be straight up honest with you and say, "this school is looking for an "IWB". Aka - interactive white boy. There may be some shitty error in some shitty english book and staff member may argue with you that importanter is a word.
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Old skate buddy of mine went to Vietnam to teach english, haven't heard from him since.. This was 4-5 years ago
Do you need to know Polish to teach in Poland? I don't even know where to start, but it seems like anyone can do it.. Can any standard 6 foot white dude teach English overseas? What are the best countries?
I would go for Uruguay or Argentina before Europe, anyone have experience there?
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Hey guys, I'm just wondering what your qualifications were to be hired for these jobs. Do employers look for college graduates with full fancy english degrees or relatively inexperienced newbies? I'm just wondering cause i'm looking into the job myself and want to know.
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Your friend in Vietnam probably had this yearning lust, this undying compassion, to secretly live life as a Kathoey. He didn't feel that his friends and family back home would ever accept it so he told them he was going to teach English in Vietnam then cut off contact.
Of course you need to know Polish to teach English as a foreign language in Poland. As a matter of fact, to teach English as a foreign language in any country you have to speak the native language.
The "best" countries is literally as vague as your personal preference of the entire globe. Do you like borsch, varenyky, vodka, and Russian women? Well my good sir, Russia just may be the place for you. Do you like Peking duck, Baijiu, and Asian women? Maybe give China a shot.
As far as the easiest, you don't "have" to have a degree or even tefl/celta to teach English in China, Russia, some countries in South America, and few other various countries I'm sure I'm forgetting. If you do have a degree then the world is pretty well your oyster but parts of China, South Korea, Japan, and the Middle East tend to pay the best along with other benefits. Obviously any experience, relative degrees, and teaching certificates will give you the upper hand.
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Your friend in Vietnam probably had this yearning lust, this undying compassion, to secretly live life as a Kathoey. He didn't feel that his friends and family back home would ever accept it so he told them he was going to teach English in Vietnam then cut off contact.
Of course you need to know Polish to teach English as a foreign language in Poland. As a matter of fact, to teach English as a foreign language in any country you have to speak the native language.
The "best" countries is literally as vague as your personal preference of the entire globe. Do you like borsch, varenyky, vodka, and Russian women? Well my good sir, Russia just may be the place for you. Do you like Peking duck, Baijiu, and Asian women? Maybe give China a shot.
As far as the easiest, you don't "have" to have a degree or even tefl/celta to teach English in China, Russia, some countries in South America, and few other various countries I'm sure I'm forgetting. If you do have a degree then the world is pretty well your oyster but parts of China, South Korea, Japan, and the Middle East tend to pay the best along with other benefits. Obviously any experience, relative degrees, and teaching certificates will give you the upper hand.
In my experience here in CHina I've ran into some folks who have little or no qualifications versus some people who have a degree and a TEFL. Like sexalhelon said it for sure helps a lot more to get a variety of offers and better pay with more qualifications and experience you have.
If you get the chance do it! It's probably the most amazing thing in my life. I was here for one term (11 months) and I just began my second one!
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Where are you originally from, fulfillthedream?
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How is it not great when you're 35?
different strokes for different folks i guess?
(hence why i don't do it at 35)
i just don't see it as much of a career unless you end up working in a university.
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Old skate buddy of mine went to Vietnam to teach english, haven't heard from him since.. This was 4-5 years ago
Do you need to know Polish to teach in Poland? I don't even know where to start, but it seems like anyone can do it.. Can any standard 6 foot white dude teach English overseas? What are the best countries?
I would go for Uruguay or Argentina before Europe, anyone have experience there?
I don't think that you necessarily need to be able to speak Polish. From experience I can say that it is easier to speak the students' language. You might be able to understand the special problems people might have larning English.
I taught English to German and Danish students and am able to speak both languages since forever. I could spot different problems in both countries, which made it easier to arrange the lessons.
The language isn't the only thing you teach. You do also teach in cultural perspective, Intercultural Competence etc. So it might be a good idea to know something about the country you are teaching in.
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I thaught English
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I did it in France for 9 months as an english teaching assistant in a french highschool. You had to have 3 semesters of college level french to qualify. It was amazing. Most of my classes had no oversight. Just do whatever I want. Which can be hard coming up with stuff on your own but is also way easier. I gave no homework and no tests.
I was living a pretty poor existence for the first half but then once I started getting my government checks (all young poor students and workers get them? thank you france.) I ended up saving enough for my return flight and a couple thousand extra.
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I was being sarcastic with Tracer...
Really, hardly any countries require you to be at any certain level of fluency in the native language. You're there to teach English and English is the language most every other country learns for the sake of communication when traveling abroad so you "should" be able to get by on it. If a Turkish person and a Japanese person meet in India what language do you think they'd most likely use to communicate? English. The most daunting place I've been in that regard has probably been Russia/Ukraine. There's definitely people who don't speak English or understand a damn thing you're saying and on top of that everything is in Cyrillic. That's where it gets tricky - different language, different alphabet.
But obviously if you are a native English speaker wanting to teach English in Poland who also speaks Polish you'll be one damn hot commodity.
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I just signed a contract to teach for a year 1 hour outside of Seoul. Will be arriving mid-late April. Anybody in Korea? Would be nice to meet some slap approved woodpushers in advance. Was gona post on Daves esl asking, but I figured I would get some longboarder replying or just some random dude that doesn't skate skate.
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In Colombia now, been all over South America teaching at bilingual schools. Teach first grade now which I thought I'd hate but in fact love. Hanging out with six-year-olds is just non-stop silly time. We make up games and go insane and just rage all day.
I'd agree that it changes as you get older, get married, etc., but it can be a good change. I've got lots of time now to write books, skate and translate for extra $, whereas when I was in my 20's I spent every extra second I had trying to sample exotic pussies.
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I just signed a contract to teach for a year 1 hour outside of Seoul. Will be arriving mid-late April. Anybody in Korea? Would be nice to meet some slap approved woodpushers in advance. Was gona post on Daves esl asking, but I figured I would get some longboarder replying or just some random dude that doesn't skate skate.
GadNZ, who posted above, is in Seoul. Hit him up.
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In Colombia now, been all over South America teaching at bilingual schools. Teach first grade now which I thought I'd hate but in fact love. Hanging out with six-year-olds is just non-stop silly time. We make up games and go insane and just rage all day.
I'd agree that it changes as you get older, get married, etc., but it can be a good change. I've got lots of time now to write books, skate and translate for extra $, whereas when I was in my 20's I spent every extra second I had trying to sample exotic pussies.
indeed it does. i am 27 and single. missed studying abroad in uni due to a girlfriend i had.. all my cousins/bro-in law told me that this is the best time to do shit like this..
the only money you really need is enough to survive 2 months in which ever country you're teaching in. you usually get paid AFTER your first month of working.
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Ay fulfill the dream, or anyone else who's been to China, how's Guangzhou in comparison to Beijing? I've narrowed it down to one of these two cities. Guangzhou seems cool in terms of better weather, proximity to HK/SE Asia, and cost of living but I'm curious how it is in terms of culture, things to do, and the expat community compared to Beijing?
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Who did those of you teaching abroad contract out through?
Private entities? Educational facilities? Others?
I've been looking more into this as a possibility & want to get the ball rolling soon.
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Your best bet for the most part is going through job boards like eslcafe.com. Decide on a region and cruise through esl job boards looking for opportunities there. You can also post your resume on those sites but you might get contacted by some seedy recruiters. There's not really huge worldwide contractors but someone might be able to tell you their recruiter through, say, South Korea.
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Your best bet for the most part is going through job boards like eslcafe.com. Decide on a region and cruise through esl job boards looking for opportunities there. You can also post your resume on those sites but you might get contacted by some seedy recruiters. There's not really huge worldwide contractors but someone might be able to tell you their recruiter through, say, South Korea.
Good looks on the eslcafe tip, thanks mate!
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Taught in Japan for 12 plus years. You will need a degree to get a Junior / Senior High school position (which should include many paid holidays). There is also the JET scheme, which pays well but you don't have much control over where they put you.
Currently teaching as a NET in Hong Kong, great conditions. You will need a degree and teaching qualification from your own country though.
It would be good to take a CELTA or TESOL certificate. Although it only takes 6 weeks it will help separate you from others and lead to better jobs. Although the course is pretty tough...
The British Council always seemed to have decent looking positions, never worked for them though.
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Ay fulfill the dream, or anyone else who's been to China, how's Guangzhou in comparison to Beijing? I've narrowed it down to one of these two cities. Guangzhou seems cool in terms of better weather, proximity to HK/SE Asia, and cost of living but I'm curious how it is in terms of culture, things to do, and the expat community compared to Beijing?�
i havent had a chance to check out Beijing yet but I know Guangzhou is a newer city so Beijing would have more expats. THe rent in GZ is pretty decent. There alot of various foreigners here as well as a lot of people from all over China.
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Ay fulfill the dream, or anyone else who's been to China, how's Guangzhou in comparison to Beijing? I've narrowed it down to one of these two cities. Guangzhou seems cool in terms of better weather, proximity to HK/SE Asia, and cost of living but I'm curious how it is in terms of culture, things to do, and the expat community compared to Beijing?
Speaking as someone who hasn't been yet, but knows a decent amount about China...Beijing is much more cosmopolitan with more live bands and westernish culture especially around universities, but the pollution is not to be taken lightly. Guangzhou I don't know a whole lot about but has a reputation in China for being a bit more dangerous, which probably won't concern you compared to other cities you lived in, and of course that better weather comes with humidity too. More Florida than California. Have you considered Chengdu?
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I've definitely looked into the pollution factor - looks like no other. I had this really good offer from a school in Shanxi then watched the vice episodes on mining there - no bueno. Although that could provide the opportunity for a good photography project I imagine I'd feel quite isolated.
Is it normal for these schools in China to not actually video Skype interview you? I've had a couple ask me to be online at a certain time then we just IM. Chengdu seems like it could be cool - seems to be a lot of demand for English teachers there at the moment. Guangzhou seems to potentially be the happy medium between Beijing and Shanghai along with having the pro of being closer to Southeast Asia + Hong Kong. When Chinese people freak out about the dangers of Guangzhou I find it kind of amusing because I've definitely been to extremely fucking sketchy places - A la actually kidnapped in Mexico once.
This one school offered 12,000 CHY for 35 hours a week, apartment paid for but with 1 flatmate, in the ChangYang District of Beijing. That seems sort of far out though. Another school offered me 6000 CHY in Beijing, city center apartment, and only working 25 hours a week. Both of these offers seem a bit subpar though, however, I don't have a degree and only TEFOL with prior teaching experience. This is actually why I'm looking between China and Russia because they seem to pay the best without having the visa restriction of a degree.
Oh and I'm originally from Mississippi along with having spent plenty of time in Southeast Asia so I definitely know about the harshness of humidity.
Students age : 3-12 years old
classes sides: 1 on 1 tutoring and small group (5-8 students in one class)
Schedule : Mon. Tue. off
Wed. to Fri. 2:30-7:30pm
Weekends : 8:30am to 6:30pm
Salary : 13000---17000 monthly
House allowance or Free apartment
Medical insurance
Year end bonus
Performance bonus
Provide working visa
Paid holiday
Travel in China
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To the Pals who are currently teaching in China or have done so in the past, I have some questions.
Is it normal to work weekends over there?
For someone with 2+ years ESL experience and with good references how much should they expect to get paid?
How much do ya`ll save a month after expenses and entertainment ?
thanks in advance .
Currently in my last week of teaching in Korea after 2 years. The thought of going back home isnt really settling well so highly considering this China thing.
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China's definitely an odd one when it comes to teaching English. Some schools will try and hardball you with deals through Skype IM'ing because they don't speak English well enough to video chat. It's pretty obvious they're using google translate which can be pretty funny sometimes.
The lowest offer I've seen is 6000 CHY which seems quite low compared to the other offers out there. With your qualifications I'd say you should be making at least 10,000 CHY if not a bit more. They're probably going to judge you more based on your certificates/degree over references though. As to saving while living there, someone else will have to answer that question for you. I think the basic answer is that if you're living like the locals live, shopping like the locals shop, then you can save most of your salary. As you know, they usually pay for your accommodation.
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I've definitely looked into the pollution factor - looks like no other. I had this really good offer from a school in Shanxi then watched the vice episodes on mining there - no bueno. Although that could provide the opportunity for a good photography project I imagine I'd feel quite isolated.
Is it normal for these schools in China to not actually video Skype interview you? I've had a couple ask me to be online at a certain time then we just IM. Chengdu seems like it could be cool - seems to be a lot of demand for English teachers there at the moment. Guangzhou seems to potentially be the happy medium between Beijing and Shanghai along with having the pro of being closer to Southeast Asia + Hong Kong. When Chinese people freak out about the dangers of Guangzhou I find it kind of amusing because I've definitely been to extremely fucking sketchy places - A la actually kidnapped in Mexico once.
This one school offered 12,000 CHY for 35 hours a week, apartment paid for but with 1 flatmate, in the ChangYang District of Beijing. That seems sort of far out though. Another school offered me 6000 CHY in Beijing, city center apartment, and only working 25 hours a week. Both of these offers seem a bit subpar though, however, I don't have a degree and only TEFOL with prior teaching experience. This is actually why I'm looking between China and Russia because they seem to pay the best without having the visa restriction of a degree.
Oh and I'm originally from Mississippi along with having spent plenty of time in Southeast Asia so I definitely know about the harshness of humidity.
Students age : 3-12 years old
classes sides: 1 on 1 tutoring and small group (5-8 students in one class)
Schedule : Mon. Tue. off
Wed. to Fri. 2:30-7:30pm
Weekends : 8:30am to 6:30pm
Salary : 13000---17000 monthly
House allowance or Free apartment
Medical insurance
Year end bonus
Performance bonus
Provide working visa
Paid holiday
Travel in China
Guy I know people clearing 60k a year in Uruguay and Argentina. SA pays for people with experience. The benefits you mention sound great but that's nothing on stone cold cash. SOUTH AMERICA is the place to teach stop chinking around in Asia
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Yeah, Tracer? Definitely not true. Care to cite your sources?
http://www.gooverseas.com/blog/esl-teacher-salaries-9-countries-where-youll-make-bank (http://www.gooverseas.com/blog/esl-teacher-salaries-9-countries-where-youll-make-bank)
Don't see any country in South America on there at all....
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Yeah, Tracer? Definitely not true. Care to cite your sources?
http://www.gooverseas.com/blog/esl-teacher-salaries-9-countries-where-youll-make-bank (http://www.gooverseas.com/blog/esl-teacher-salaries-9-countries-where-youll-make-bank)
Don't see any country in South America on there at all....
Don't even pull this shit on me, both are upstart countries demanding English. You can get a second job you know instead of working 25 hours a week
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I've definitely looked into the pollution factor - looks like no other. I had this really good offer from a school in Shanxi then watched the vice episodes on mining there - no bueno. Although that could provide the opportunity for a good photography project I imagine I'd feel quite isolated.
Is it normal for these schools in China to not actually video Skype interview you? I've had a couple ask me to be online at a certain time then we just IM. Chengdu seems like it could be cool - seems to be a lot of demand for English teachers there at the moment. Guangzhou seems to potentially be the happy medium between Beijing and Shanghai along with having the pro of being closer to Southeast Asia + Hong Kong. When Chinese people freak out about the dangers of Guangzhou I find it kind of amusing because I've definitely been to extremely fucking sketchy places - A la actually kidnapped in Mexico once.
This one school offered 12,000 CHY for 35 hours a week, apartment paid for but with 1 flatmate, in the ChangYang District of Beijing. That seems sort of far out though. Another school offered me 6000 CHY in Beijing, city center apartment, and only working 25 hours a week. Both of these offers seem a bit subpar though, however, I don't have a degree and only TEFOL with prior teaching experience. This is actually why I'm looking between China and Russia because they seem to pay the best without having the visa restriction of a degree.
Oh and I'm originally from Mississippi along with having spent plenty of time in Southeast Asia so I definitely know about the harshness of humidity.
Students age : 3-12 years old
classes sides: 1 on 1 tutoring and small group (5-8 students in one class)
Schedule : Mon. Tue. off
Wed. to Fri. 2:30-7:30pm
Weekends : 8:30am to 6:30pm
Salary : 13000---17000 monthly
House allowance or Free apartment
Medical insurance
Year end bonus
Performance bonus
Provide working visa
Paid holiday
Travel in China
I highly doubt South America is matching Asia at the present. Either way, teachers will clear that in Asia too. Really, thinking about money too much is stupid because the experience is way more important. Go where you feel will be good for you.
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i don't think it's possible to make 60K/year us$ solely from english teaching..
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Not in an English conversation school, but private schools and universities, I'd think it is.
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sorry for the stupid question but how or where do you go to do this? I'm tired of working shitty jobs and this sounds something that i would like to try. I've tried looking online but most of the websites seem shady.
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I mentioned one of the more popular, better one's in an earlier post. If you're thinking China then I could recommend schools/programs.
Out of curiosity, what's the working situation here that you're trying to get out of?
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sorry for the stupid question but how or where do you go to do this? I'm tired of working shitty jobs and this sounds something that i would like to try. I've tried looking online but most of the websites seem shady.
you sound like the prefect candidate for the job ::)
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sorry for the stupid question but how or where do you go to do this? I'm tired of working shitty jobs and this sounds something that i would like to try. I've tried looking online but most of the websites seem shady.
eslcafe.com .. theres a few threads with all the info about this already..
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I'm 39, thinking about moving to Hanoi this fall for a simpler life and cheaper living. I'll probably try to get a part time esl job when I get there, although being Asian American is a disadvantage I hear. I only have an Associates, but I'm pretty sure I could still get something, even if it's on the lower paying ($12 hour) end.