Teaching English in other countries?

Kirk   Friday, April 08, 2005, 09:59 GMT
This may seem kind of vague but I was just wondering if anyone on this forum had any experience teaching English to nonnative speakers in non-Anglosphere countries. I'm a native speaker from the US in my third year in college and will be graduating next year, and afterwards I would really love to live in another country, experiencing another culture while teaching English.

As part-Swedish-American I've always been interested in Sweden and Swedish (which I'm trying to teach myself now), and would relish the opportunity to live there for a period, actually learn the language as it's spoken, as well as teach English. However, I've read that the job market there can be pretty tight...has anyone taught there? I'm also pretty interested in South Korea--I studied Korean last year, which introduced me to a lot of fascinating cultural aspects about Korea, and while my Korean is still basic, I could at least survive. In contrast with Western Europe, I've read the demand for native-English speakers in S. Korea is really high as compared to the supply, so a job there is almost guaranteed...has anyone taught there? Besides those two countries which stick out in particular in my mind at this point I'd be pretty open to going almost anywhere (as long as I were compensated at least somewhat...I'd love to volunteer and I realize that teaching English isn't necessarily the best bet for paying off student loans, but I'd also like to not be in the hole at the end).

Anyway, thanks for any information you may have, I've done a moderate amount of web research on the topic and the information sometimes just seems overwhelming (while often lacking real substance for what I really want to know) so I was just wondering if anyone here has any experience and/or advice on the subject (and that applies to any aspect of teaching it anywhere, not just Sweden or S. Korea). Thanks :)
Kazoo   Friday, April 08, 2005, 12:20 GMT
I've been living in China for the past 19 months. My wife teaches at an International School here. An International School isn't an ESL school exactly. The students are non-native speakers, but none are actually from China, they come from all over, and there are also a few native speakers. That being said, there is still a lot of ESL training to be done, obviously, the only thing is that it has to be done while teaching a regular North American or European Curriculum.

If you are going to graduate with a BEd, then you may want to look into the international school scene. The compensation and benefits are quite good, especially when compared to just ESL jobs. However, if you don't have a BEd, you can still find a decent, or even well paying job, if you look in the right places. Korea is a great place to work as an ESL teacher, the pay and benefits are always good, and there are lots of jobs. If you really want to work in Korea you can have a job set up and waiting for you before you graduate, guaranteed. I have a friend who taught in Korea for two years. He learned the language and obviously liked it enough to stay for more then one year.

The only down side to living and working in another country, especially in Asia is the cultural differences. These are much more then superficial, and you have to be flexible and able to adjust quickly, or you just wont last. There are a lot of hassles, but the benefits surely outway all of them. You get to experience another culture, and there is nothing in life that compares to it.

About teaching in Sweden. Well, without a Bed you have no chance whatsoever, and even with a BEd you have very little chance, unless you speak Swedish and have a European Union Passport. Getting into the European Union to work is very difficult, as there is a lot of red tape for foreign passport holders. This is to encourage employers to take a Europen Union Passport holder over a 'foreign' passport holder. The only chance you may have of teaching in Sweden would be if you taught in an International School for a number of years(almost no-one starts at an International School in Europe), and applied for a position at an international school in Sweden when a position came available. Realistically, If you had your heart set on Sweden, I think the closest you could get would be the UK. At least there you would be able to realatively easily travel to Sweden. The UK is the one exception to getting into the European Union for a native English speaker. If you have a profession that is in high demand it is possible to get a visa for the UK. They favour Commonwealth citizens, but an American would still have an easy time. Anyway, I hope some of this helps.

Here is a great website for ESL jobs around the world and especially in Korea:

www.eslcafe.com
Erik   Friday, April 08, 2005, 19:27 GMT
Hej or Hei!
I´m from Sweden and I think it´s very good if you visit this page http://www.csn.se/english/default.asp
There you can find out how you shall do and which opportunities you have to start study in Sweden, and if you choose to stay in Sweden then your are welcome to us.
Kirk   Saturday, April 09, 2005, 06:42 GMT
Hej! Thanks for the link!
Mxsmanic   Saturday, April 09, 2005, 15:37 GMT
It all depends on the local market for English instruction and the desirability of the local area as a destination for potential teachers. In Europe, supply can exceed demand, so finding work as an English teacher can be difficult; if one finds it, it is often poorly paid. In much of the Third World, it's much easier to find work and it may pay a lot more, because nobody wants to go to the Third World to teach English.

I teach English in France, and while there are jobs, they pay very, very poorly (minimum wage). The market is always filled with Irish and British EU nationals who decide to teach English to support themselves (not always with success, since the pay is so poor). Americans are more in demand, because there are relatively few of them, and that in turn is the case because it's so hard for Americans to get working papers in France, unless they marry a French person. While schools may welcome American teachers, they will not do the paperwork to obtain work permits for them, so only Americans who can already work legally in the country need apply. From what I've seen, most of the working Americans in ESL are either students or the spouses of French nationals. For all teachers, part-time work is the rule; full-time positions are very rare. Some sort of academic credentials or certification specific to ESL are required by many schools (but not all--Berlitz wants only native speakers, as they provide instruction in their own specific method).