Travel Goals

1. Climb to Everest Base Camp.
2. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
3. Learn to Scuba Dive.
4. Visit every continent.
5. See the Galapagos Islands.
6. Sail down the Amazon River.
7. Climb Ayer's Rock.
8. Ride the Trans-Siberian.
9. Go into space.
10. Go wild at La Tomintina.
11. See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji.
12. Gaze at Borobudor.
13. Visit the Pyramids
14. Safari in East Africa.
15. Go to the World Cup!
16. See Machu Picchu.
17. Join the Century Club.
18. Visit Antarctica.
19. Do development work.
20. See Petra Jordan.
21. Backpack the Eastern Block.
22. See the Northern Lights.
23. Vegas Baby! Vegas!
24. Greek Island hop.
25. Cycle Tuscany.
26. Visit India.
27. Lounge in the Seychelles.
28. See Morocco.
29. Oktoberfest!
30. Caravan across the Sahara.
31. Visit Tibet.
32. Fly first class.
33. Go to Israel.
34. Carnival!!!!
35. Mardi Gras!
36. Cannes Film Festival.
37. Sundance Film Festival.
38. Eat a sushi meal at NOBU
39. Pacific Island hop.
40. Spend a night in the Ice Hotel.
41. See Glacier National Park.

Learn a Foreign Language

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Part One one of this series dealt with the various types of job a teacher can get while Part Two dealt with the qualifications needed to be a teacher. In part three, we’ll begin to discuss the places teachers can work. We’ll start with Asia, the hotbed of ESL activity.

Korea. This country is at the top of the heap. ESL jobs in Korea pay over $2,400 USD (or more) a month and come with a free round trip air ticket, free housing, 50% medical, and a one month bonus at the end of the contract. With a little experience or a little luck, you might also land a job paying closer to $3,000 USD a month. Cost of living varies greatly but on average you can get by on $1,000 or less a month as long as your Ouzo intake is kept under control. On average, a teacher walks away with around $20,000 USD after one year.

Working conditions, like anywhere you teach English, can be really great or really bad. Sometimes you’ll find employers who will try to cheat you, apartments won’t be as described, air ticket reimbursement could be slow, etc etc. However, Korea has a pretty good labor board that allows you to complain and get some justice if things don’t go right. Keep in mind though Korean culture is pretty serious and you’ll be expected to work hard and long hours. Sick days aren’t liberally given. Vacations are hard to get. However, Korea is filled with a lot of young expats and Seoul has a vibrant nightlife. You may work hard but you will have the ability to play even harder.

The country recently changed their visa rules and have made the application process more time consuming. Teachers now need to be interviewed in their home country, go through a criminal background check, and pass a physical. For more information on visas, visit this web page.

Japan. Salaries in Japan tend to be pretty uniform throughout the country. Typically, most people earn about 280,000 Yen a month (about $2,800 USD). Sometimes one can find a job for 300,000 yen or if you have been in Japan longer, a little more. Though that may sound good, living expenses are not usually covered and the high cost of living in Japan, especially in Tokyo, can eat up 50% of your monthly salary. However, living standards are pretty high, jobs are pretty stable, and Japan has a lot of culture to offer. Tokyo is an exciting place. You can save a lot of money here if you are frugal but not like you can in Korea.

Work conditions are pretty good and companies tend to be more honest than in other parts of Asia. There tends to be a lot of private tutoring available, especially in rural areas where foreigners aren’t as abundant. Keep in mind that the language school, NOVA, collapsed at the end of last year so there is a glut of teachers around. Social life, especially in the big cities, is vibrant and Japan offers a lot to offer.

The visa rules in this country are pretty standard. You need to be sponsored by a company in order to obtain a work visa and permit. Note that the visa is company specific and it’s illegal to have a second job. For more information, visit the Japanese government’s web page here.

Taiwan. This country is like a richer China. The pay is pretty good and the jobs in high demand. The average salary is about 50,000 NT a month (roughly a little over $2,000 dollars). You get some of the perks of Korea but for the most part you are on your own. Typically, perks extend to an apartment and completion bonus.

Taiwan, like China, is pretty loose about hiring and firing. They’ll do a lot to get the teachers there and when they don’t like them, they fire them without warning. You lack the protections you get in places like Japan or Korea. However, whereas Korea can be a “cold” country, Taiwan is pretty friendly and once you can overcome the culture barrier, you’ll find the country pretty great and the nightlife, especially in Taipei, pretty robust.

Visas here are also pretty standard and teaching on the side is also technically illegal. For more information, visit the this web page.

Thailand. The average salary here is about 50,000 baht a month ($1,800 USD). If you land a job at one of the international schools or do corporate training, you can earn over 100,000 baht. However, even on 50,000 baht, you’ll have plenty to live on. A Thai lifestyle costs about 10,000 baht a month and, unless you are a serious partier, you can live a western/Thai lifestyle for about 20,000. However, Thailand has a pretty active social life and it’s easy to spend a lot more. Schools here to do not provide any perks- no airfare, no free room, and, generally, no completion bonus.

Companies here are pretty easy. The biggest issue is that you will have very rude bosses and the hours they promised might not appear. Since the whole system is pretty unregulated and Thais are very “whatever” about everything, you’ll find that companies just go with the flow. You’ll be expected to work hard but what’s more important to many of these schools (especially the language schools) is return business. Expect to act as a baby sister a lot and not a teacher. As long as people are happy, no one really cares if they learned English or not.

In order to get a visa and work permit here, you must be sponsored by a company. However, it should be noted that a larger percentage of teachers do not have proper work visas. Thailand’s visa system allows for easy border runs. One could effectively live there forever on a tourist visa. The system is constantly changing and a headache but because of its ease and the legal red tape, many companies will drag their feet on getting you the work visa.

For more information, visit the Thai government’s web page here.

China. Typically, salaries tend to be very low (around 6,000 yuan a month). However, if you live in one of the big cities and work hard you can earn a lot and, given the low cost of living, can save quite a bit. The going rate for a teacher is 150 Yuan an hour in Beijing ($21 USD). That’s not too bad. If you can fill your work week, you can earn and save a lot. However, once you leave the big cities, salaries and working conditions drop drastically. Typically, you will earn about 1/3rd of what you could in the big cities. Though living expenses will be lower, don’t expect to save much. You’ll also be one of the few foreigners around but it would give you a chance to see and experience rural China.

Chinese companies can be pretty unscrupulous. Hiring and firing at random, benefits not given, apartments not looking like they promised. Things in China operate on an informal relationship system meaning while laws are there, what’s more important is who you know (and who you bribed.) If teachers work for companies in good favor with the officials, things are easy. If you work for a company who isn’t, things can be hard. Get on the wrong side of someone who’s “connected” and you’ll find your life hell.

However, since China is now the “it” place, there are a lot of people there and it’s an exciting time. You’ll find a lot of young expats, a willing population, and a culture steeped in history. ESL is all about dealing with bullshit and there is a lot in China but if you are flexible, you can have a wonderful time.

Until recently, Chinese visas were not that difficult to get or change. However, in light of the recent violence in Tibet and the upcoming Olympics, the Chinese government has cracked down on issuing and renewing visas. Whereas before you could get away with working on a tourist visa, now it is very risky. Moreover, many westerners are having problem renewing their visas. Don’t risk it- follow the rules.

For more information, visit the Chinese government’s page here.

The Rest (Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia)

At the bottom of it all are the other Asian countries. These countries require little in terms of experience or credentials and offer the lowest salary ranges. The jobs are fairly easy and simple. Since not many applicants go there, they are also pretty readily available. Experiences in each country vary but most people go to these countries for the people and not the rewards. In these countries, you’ll find low wages and no perks but the benefits of the society you are in outweigh everything else.

For more visa information, check out these web pages:

Vietnam (lots of red tape)
Indonesia (even more red tape)
Cambodia (Easy!) - You can just buy a multi-entry, business visa when you are in the country!
Malaysia (Standard)

For more information on each country, check out the boards at Dave’s ESL cafe.

And a note on Singapore.

Singapore expects a lot of their teachers. They have great education system and are proud of it. There are a lot of expats in the country as it is a major financial and business hub for the world. You’ll need at least $3,500 SGD per month as rents are fast rising in this ever growing metropolis. The going rate for teaching is about $30-60 SGD an hour.

Singapore is a strict society but it is slowly (very slowly) opening up and there is a nightlife there. You’ll find Singapore a multi-cultural nation with people from all corners of the globe and all walks of life.

Visa rules are standard issue here. Work permit is required and there’s no “under the table” work going on. Singapore is a strict country all around. For more information, this page is a good resource.

12 Responses to “Teaching English Overseas, part 3”

1. John C on May 20th, 2008 2:36 pm

   A good resource for info is Daveseslcafe.com

2. Paul Simons on May 20th, 2008 3:00 pm

   I came across this site via Stumble Upon….Enjoy travel stories.

3. Sherrie on May 20th, 2008 3:52 pm

   With Korea you do have to be careful though, schools change the rules quite quickly, and it is not unheard of to go in on Monday to find the school is going under. But then with Nova in Japan the same thing happened!

   Both Japan (The JET program) and Korea (I dont know the name) offer sweet government contracts in schools. but they are competitive, take the full year to apply to, and bind you to full year contracts. However JET pays after taxes, and often gives you housing as well! the best way to work in Japan I think.

4. stevo on May 20th, 2008 10:49 pm

   You might have things a little backwards about China. In big cities you can make more, but you also spend a lot more. With access to western food and conveniences your pay rapidly disappears. If you’re in a small town there are less ways to spend your money and living is drastically cheaper.

   Big cities are very competitive and cut-throat when it comes to finding jobs. Beijing? Shanghai? Forget about it.

   Some training center play fast and lose with regulations. A teacher’s best bet is to work for an organization that is licensed by the government. There aren’t that many that can legally issue work visas. You can say Chinese businesses are unscrupulous, but in more than three years the only people that have screwed me over have been other westerners.

   Great series, Matt.

5. Nomadic Matt on May 21st, 2008 1:53 am

   Well, it’s no doubt that you will spend more. But it is possible to save a lot too. It really depends on the person. I like to speak in generalities since everyone is different. Once I adpoted a semi-western lifestyle in Thailand, my savings went way down. But if I stayed on a thai lifestyle, it would have been easy to save a lot.

   Based on the math I’ve done, it’s quite possible to save a lot if you live a local lifestyle. But you are right, go western and forget about it!

6. backpakker on May 21st, 2008 8:05 am

   interesting series..well,Im just curious to know about India ?
   Lakshmi

7. Christine Gilbert on May 21st, 2008 2:05 pm

   Hey Matt, Great post!

   When I was in college, there was this company selling this information for $50 in a little 100 page book. And you’re giving it away for free! (Plus I don’t know how good that other info was in commparison).

   You should make it into an e-book!

8. Teaching English Abroad, Part 4 : Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site on June 13th, 2008 5:13 pm

   [...] One, we talked about the various jobs you can get. In Part Two, we discussed what you need, and in Part Three, we discussed teaching in [...]

9. Eric on June 26th, 2008 8:59 am

   Hey Matt, Eric here, your buddy in the Air Force and stationed in Japan… Great article, very informative! I’ve picked up teaching English as a part time job here, simply because it pays so well and is a great way to network.

10. jj on July 14th, 2008 10:22 am

    Just came across your site while searching for images of “teach english.”

    thought i should mention that your “”ESL _English as a Second Language” sign is misspelled. It’s “LanGUAGE” not “langauge”

11. Lillie on July 29th, 2008 5:30 pm

    This is a really helpful site! Thanks for putting all this information together.

    I had a question though: about Korea. Does you (or anybody else that wants to chime in) know the names of one or a few high quality teaching organizations- basically, what are the Korean equivelents of JET?

    Thanks~

12. Abi on October 30th, 2008 6:42 pm

    hey! there was a lot of useful info in these articles, so thanks!

    i just have a couple of questions and I was hoping someone would be able to help me out.

    I’m a university student right now, and I’ve done 3 years but still got another 2 to go. I’ve got a certificate in TEFL as well. I’m finding that a lot of places seem to want a degree, but you mentioned that you met people who had no college experience at all.
    What would be the best way for me to get a job? Should I just go out there and try and find a job once I’m there? Or are there any particular countries where it would be easier to get a job without a degree?

    I appreciate any feedback! Thanks!

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