Teaching overseas: Is it more trouble than it's worth?

Question

Greetings,I just joined this group because I've been applying to ESL schools in various parts of Europe. I have just been given an offer to teach at an ESL school in Belgium and now I am wondering if it's worth the trouble. Does anybody know anything about teaching there? I have heard a lot of horror stories about traveling and teaching English, but I'm wondering if it's as bad as people say. Anybody can find the ad for the job I'm being offered on www.eslpositions.com. It's brief, but it sounds nice. Any advice would be appreciated.Thanks,Brinton

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Greetings, I just joined this group because I've been applying to ESL schools in various parts of Europe. I have ... the ad for the job I'm being offered onwww.eslpositions.com. It's brief, but it sounds nice. Any advice would be appreciated.[/nq]Why don't you just stay at home with a nice cup of tea then? I spent six months in the 1980s teaching for inlingua (sic) in Brussels, wacky city and a nice place to live. In a career which has included various overseas stints as an EFL teacher I've been conned and exploited (very briefly) on occasion. I've also spent years stuck in offices doing conventional jobs in my own country and being thoroughly miserable.

If you're a Brit, then, fergoodnessakes, Belgium's not exactly Outer Mongolia, is it? You can be there in about two hours on the train. If you're coming from outside Europe, well, I suppose that's a bit more daunting, and there are visa issues too, but we're mostly harmless. Otherwise if this particular job is ******, there wouldn't be a problem walking into another one in the same town. DC

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Greetings, I just joined this group because I've been applying to ESL schools in various parts of Europe. I have ... the ad for the job I'm being offered onwww.eslpositions.com. It's brief, but it sounds nice. Any advice would be appreciated.[/nq]
PS. What's your level of qualification as an EF/SL teacher? DC

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Greetings, I just joined this group because I've been applying to ESL schools in various parts of Europe. I have ... for the job I'm being offered onwww.eslpositions.com. It's brief, but it sounds nice. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Brinton[/nq]
PPS Are we talking about the *** job? I've got some qualms about their methodology, but would you feel worried about taking an IT job with Microsoft?
There aren't many hours, are you going to be able to live on that?

Is there anyone there?
DC

Usenet · Answer

Yeah, I've heard some bad things about the big "B", but they are in so many countries. Can all of the schools be that bad? I don't know much about their methodogy. It sounded like it might be fun. Maybe I'll find something with more hours. How about this one in Turkey:

http://www.eslpositions.com/Europe.html
do you know anything about working there? By the way, I'm American so it is quite a haul.
Cheers,
Brinton

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Yeah, I've heard some bad things about the big "B", but they are in so many countries. Can all of ... Turkey: http://www.eslpositions.com/Europe.html do you know anything about working there? By the way, I'm American so it is quite a haul.[/nq]
Just quickly as I'm actually posting from class as my students do a test... I've never heard anything about *** being dodgy employers as such, but like several of the larger chains they've traditonally taught using their own patent methodology, which may or may not be any good, but the experience of working for them won't give you much in the way of transferable skills as a teacher. The story used to be that they had microphones in each teaching room so that the Director of Studes could monitor that the teachers were sticking to the party line.Despite the fact that there's a very nice Turkish lady sitting about ten feet from me, I'm not sure that Turkey would be high on my list of countries for a slightly apprehensive first time overseas teacher, though I've known lots of people who've taught there and loved it (nearest I've been to Turkey is seeing it across the water from various Greek islands). I don't think you're any more likely to be ripped off there than anywhere else, but if you've not worked outside the US before, don't underestimate the difficulty and strain of getting used to living and working in a culture where you don't speak the language and don't know how things work.

I've been doing this stuff for a long time but even I found it a bit of a struggle working in Italy a year or so back with no Italian (at least, not when I arrived) - and for me, Italy feels a lot more similar to my home country that the USA does, despite the different language. Worst moment was getting to the supermarket checkout, checking all my goods through... and realising my wallet was back at the flat and there wasn't a word I could say to explain why I couldn't pay.

As a rule, the more qualified you are, the less likely you are to be ripped off. BUT... are you set on Europe? If not, being a Language Assistant in Japan is a very good bet, and although in the UK we're now aware Japan is not as safe is people thought following the murder of a young British teacher there a month or so back, you aren't going to be ripped off by one of the big groups like Shane or Nova, and will get useful experience. Check out their websites, and TEFL.com is a very useful resource for jobs and information. Keep us informed! DC

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Yeah, I've heard some bad things about the big "B", but they are in so many countries. Can all of ... do you know anything about working there? By the way, I'm American so it is quite a haul. Cheers, Brinton[/nq]
As you're American, why not try teaching ESL closer to home?

Lots of ESL jobs in Mexico.
You'd get some basic experience. Learn whether you really like teaching, etc.
I'm Canadian. Taught ESL in Chihuahua and loved it.

Best part was I drove there and was able to use
my car there.

Teaching overseas: Is it more trouble than it's worth?

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