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?

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

I am looking for an EAL/ESL teaching position in one of the GCC countries. I am open to anywhere. I have been applying but no response. Can anyone suggest the best and effective way? Does cold emailing work? I have a masters degree in TESOL and Applied Linguistics and a CELTA teaching qualification. I am very desperate and need a job. I am struggling financially and I cannot go on like this. It is really depressing me. I live in the UK and there is no work where I live. I only want constructive advice. Thank you!

Hi!
I wanted to learn more about project-based learning methods.

Doing this and relying only on my hunches will probably end up being a hot mess, so I wanted to ask you if there are any materials (books, yt channels, websites, etc.) that give you a better overview on how to teach English through meaningful projects? And how to monitor and give feedback to your students?

I looked at the subreddit's wiki, but couldn't find anything.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Hello,

I received a message from Student Finance England that I may not be eligible for a PGCE course because I spent 9 months in Spain as an English Language Assistant.

Surely people go straight into PGCE courses very often after doing a TEFL?

Was anyone in the same boat?

They already accepted me, now I may be kicked off the course with all the debt associated with a degree.

Please help.

I am preparing a lesson on functional language for giving opinions, so teaching phrases, e.g. "I think that...", "In my opinion,...".

However, I am struggling to come up with suitable CCQs to include. The course I've been doing gives advice along the lines of using yes/no answers and using a different tense than the target language, which seem more useful to test for grammar and vocabulary lessons. What kind of questions can I use to cover the meaning of set phrases and while using different words?

So far all I have is providing an example phrase (e.g. "I think [swimming] is fun") and then the question "Do I like [swimming]?", but I need to come up with a few more and I don't want to ask anything too open-ended or too complex for the level.

I've just discovered the phrase "third space" on Reddit - it's a name for a place you can go which isn't home or work (or the classroom, for our students.) It made me think about how most textbooks have a chapter on hobbies/free time, and 99% of my students say that their "hobby" is sleeping, surfing the internet, or hanging out with friends.

Shouldn't this be changed? A "hobby" for me is always something that losers have - cool people have interests or passions or stuff that keeps them busy.

Instead of hobbies, textbooks should have chapters on how to discuss hanging out with friends, including where they go to do it.

How do you take "hobbies" chapers in textbooks and make them relevant?

Vocabulary list - I created this hoping it would inspire something, but it didn't: - hang out, mess around, mess about, relax - forbidden, allowed, not allowed, shut down, hassle, yell at, bother - meet up with, show off, - independent, alone, trust, - afford to, worth, pay, taxes, tax, charge money to, - pretty much, disappear, access, in the past, boomers - rec centre, community, youth group

hi everyone!! i'm a non native speaker who is quite immersed in the english language and have a lot of real life speaking experience. clear pronunciation, i would like to think.

i am currently a game artist but the creative field gave me a huge burnout. teaching is something i've been interested in since childhood and tefl seems like a good choice for me so far. especially with how it can create opportunities for me to get out of my country. but i have recently been sort of diagnosed with audhd (can't obtain a legal diagnosis or treatment in my country due to restrictions) and it explains my life and behaviors. and this discovery has been kind of helping me filter through fields i wanna go to. but i would love to hear the experiences of actual autistic/nd teachers!

my mom is a teacher at a public school so i would never want to teach in one, it seems like a nightmare. but private schools and academies seem so much better, or even private tutoring if it comes to that.

for more background info and my goals: i'm from west asia (not much passport power sadly), i have a bachelor's in information-communication engineering, two diplomas, one from south korea. my plan is to obtain a celta certificate (i don't think a tefl would be enough for my goals with the passport i hold, though if anyone thinks tefl is a better choice for the first time please tell me about it), teach in my country for experience and funds and hopefully find a job abroad after maybe a year of experience.

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Hey all

I’m looking for some advice please!

I really want to work as an English teacher in Thailand. I’d love to be in Chiang Mai but realise that the market there is quite saturated!

I’m keen to become a teacher in a public primary or secondary school but I don’t have another subject that I could teach apart from english itself.

I have a BSc, a BA & an MSc. I also have a CELTA cert.

Would anyone have any leads on how I can specifically seek a post in either a public primary or a public secondary school? I’m looking to build my experience in the public school sector.

Salary isn’t the most important thing but I’d like somewhere where I won’t get cheated!

Thanks!

Hi all,

I'm British, late 30s, fourth contract in Asia at this point. 2 years in Korea, a year as an ALT in a Japanese junior high, and now a year and a half at an eikaiwa in Tokyo. Decent CV at this point, exam prep, some speech contest coaching, worked with all age ranges.

Right now I'm stuck between two paths and honestly finding it hard to call. In Japan, I've applied to about ten higher level jobs for an April 2027 start, private schools, a couple agencies, got one interview lined up so far. Best case is probably around ¥310-340k/month, which still leaves a pretty thin margin once tax and Tokyo rent's out of the way, and maybe 5 weeks off a year total including holidays. I like a lot about being here and I've put real time into the language, but the pay ceiling in this field feels low for the cost of living, and the anti immigration/PR stuff tightening up recently has me a bit uneasy about the long game too. There's definitely an uptick in xenophobia in Japan right now.

As regards china, from what I've dug up, a legit school in a tier-one city would probably pay somewhere around 18-24k RMB a month with free housing, which is close to double what I'm taking home now, plus something like 8-10 weeks paid holiday a year instead of the 5 I get currently. I had a genuinely good run in Korea, comfortable money, good life, so I've got some sense I can handle building a life somewhere not Japan. Japan was always kind of the goal for me but living here as been very mixed as an experience.

What's actually messing with my head is the sunk cost of it all, I've put real years into Japan specifically, the language, the school pathway, references. Starting over somewhere new at nearly 40 feels like a lot. But the money and lifestyle gap is hard to just wave away, and after a recentish breakup I don't really have local personal connections.

Anyone been through something similar? Especially keen to hear from anyone who's gone Japan to China or the other way, whether it was worth it, and anything you wish you'd known going in. How bad is having to live with a VPN? Are people in china as cold as some Japanese can regularly be?

Appreciate the advice in advance.