Getting Started Teaching ESL in East Asia

8/13/2019 Getting Started Teaching ESL in East Asia

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scla merThe information provided in this guide wasunderstood to be accurate and true at the time ofpublication. Since the date of publication, theinformation may have changed or becomeobsolete. This guide is meant to supplement yourown research on the subject and to help youmake an informed decision. By using this guide orany of the information contained within it you

agree not to hold me liable for any problems orcomplications that arise from your use of thematerial. All of this is just my opinion andinformation I gleaned from years working andtravelling the world.

LnksThere are a few links in here, none of which Iguarantee or personally vouch for. The schoollinks especially are likely to change so dont holdthis eguide as truth when researching a school ora country for your ne!t adventure.

Copyr ghtThis book is a product of my own research andwriting but you may distribute it as you see fit solong as you give me credit. If possible, pleaseprovide a link back to my website "see below# soothers can find me.
http://www.stevensirski.com/


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bout MeI come from a city called Winnipeg, situated inthe middle of the Canadian prairies. It's not a verypopular tourist destination but I still like to think ofit as the Laos of Canada. It's from thesebeginnings that I began my working and travellingaround the world.

I've taught all age groups from South Koreato

Cambodia to Ukraine. In South Korea I taught atan elementary school and had the opportunity tomake a fictional short film titled Coffee and Milk.If you want to see a highly theatrical version of meas an SL teacher, you can view the movie on mywebsite. It is highly fictionali!ed and shouldn't beconstrued as absolute truth about teaching SLabroad.

"fter South Korea, I volunteered for a month inPhnom Penh, Cambodia. #hat was aninteresting e$perience mainly because of thechange of settings% going from the fast&pacedgrowth of South Korea to the poverty&strickenneighbourhoods of Cambodia.

I took a break from teaching SL for a year or so

until I took a trip to my ancestral homelands ofUkrainewhere I taught SL to adults in Kharkiv.

Since then I've continued to work and travel invarious capacities, though not always as an SLteacher. I keep track of developments in the fieldmainly because I still have friends who teach andI'm always thinking about returning to theprofession.

If you have any uestions, concerns, comments,suggestions or simply want to share youre$perience teaching SL abroad, please get in

touch with me through any one of the methodsbelow%

Website: http://www.stevensirski.com

Emai: stevensirski!gmai.com

"witter: !stevensirski
http://www.stevensirski.com/mailto:%[email protected]://twitter.com/stevensirskihttp://www.stevensirski.com/mailto:%[email protected]://twitter.com/stevensirskihttp://www.stevensirski.com/


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efaceI aim to do a few things with this guide. First, Iwant to give you a general introduction to teachingESL abroad, even though the guide is directedtoward East Asia. I've done my best to make thisguide as thorough as I could given the resourcesat my disosal. I think it stands as a goodintroduction to the sub!ect.

"e#t, this guide is written for eole who want togo abroad but hesitate either because of money,safety concerns, or some other common concernamongst first$time travellers. Let me assure you,the most difficult art of the !ourney isn't teachingor adating to your new home. "o, it's givingyourself ermission to go abroad.

Finally, I hoe this guide hels you in making thedecision to go abroad to teach ESL because Ithink it is a worthwhile ursuit. As our worldbecomes more interconnected with the internet, Ibelieve it is imortant to take yourself out of yourcomfort %one and take the time to travel, learn,understand and areciate other cultures aroundthe world. And make some money along the wayto suort yourself. &ey, food isn't free, right

I suggest you go through the book (uickly at first!ust to see what's on offer, then go back and re$read it for more information. )ry not to get caughtu in having to make a decision right away sincethere are lots of otions. *ou might even find thatAsia doesn't even suit you+

ith that, good luck and have fun reading. If youhave any (uestions or concerns, lease get intouch with me through email or )witter.

All the best+

Steve


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ypes of ESL ClassesWhat follows is a very basic breakdown of thetypes of classes you may encounter as an Englishteacher.

SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY

The most common jobs available are teachingelementary, middle school or university students.Many schools will provide you with the textbook to

follow, but its up to you to present the material inan entertaining and appropriate mannerconducive to learning.

CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH

!ont underestimate the strength and benefit ofhaving travelled across the world using onlyEnglish. "nowing a language is one thing, butspeaking it, especially when it comes toexpressing yourself or your ideas, is anotherbeast altogether. #or conversational classes youmight want to read the works of !ale $arnegiewho wrote a lot about public speaking andbuilding confidence as a speaker.

BUSINESS ENGLISH

%n countries that have good English speaking

skills already you might find that you have tonarrow your focus a little bit. &usiness English is apopular choice since these types of Englishlessons may include everything from discussingthe stock market to talking politics or reading andcommenting on the business news.

LANGUAGE COACH

&ecoming a language coach deals mainly withpronunciation, that is, getting your student tomove their mouth muscles in the way in order toreproduce a specific accent, such as the

'merican or &ritish accents. (ome students wantto learn a specific accent because of theirprofession and where they may have to dobusiness. )anguage coaches are often well*versed in linguistics and able to pin point howwords are formed and communicate to theirstudents.

OTHER SPECIALTY

&usiness English falls into this category but ismore highly sought after than other specialtyEnglish classes. %t might happen that the bestmethod to teach your students is through aspeciality, such as art, music, sports, science,academia or some other topic. +ou might not beaware of it but each topic has its own uniue setof English words. %f you already know a


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considerable amount about a certain topic, youmight consider offering English lessons in thatsubject. That way youll be helping your studentwhile staying within your circle of knowledge.


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inding A JobIn addition to more country-specific links providedin the Countries section of this guide, below aresome websites you can use to find a job.

Dave's ESLProbably the foremost resource on teaching ESabroad. !ot only does this website have aconsiderable job board for positions around the

world, it also has an e"tensive forum that you canbrowse through to learn more about your targetdestination. #his is often the first place you needto go to research your potential destination.

ESL Base$ useful website that maintains a database ofEnglish schools around the world. It%s not alwaysup to date but it%s a good beginning.

TEFL Websites&o to the places that can give you a TEFL,CertTESOLor CELTAand they will often helpyou find a job afterward. $t the very least, checkout their websites for some idea of the places thatare hiring. 'or e"ample, BridgeTEFL.comandTEFLonline.com.

Exatblogs.com$n indispensable source of first-hand informationon many countries around the world. #hey listseveral thousand blogs from around world thatare written by people living in those countries. !otravel websites here, just personal informationfrom people with boots on the ground. Someblogs are out of date, but others are still updated.

!uide Boo" ForumsLonel# $lanet's T%orn Treeand Fodor'sbothhave e"tensive forum archives that you can

search through for more information on yourtarget destination. #he archives alone mayanswer a lot of your (uestions, though theinformation may be dated. )ave a look throughand if you have any more (uestions, don%t beafraid to join and post in the forum.

Transitions Abroad$nother long-standing resource for people who

want to work and travel. !ot only do they offer avast array of articles on teaching ES around theworld, they also have links to a number of schoolsin addition to job postings.


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terview TipsSo you've done your research about the country,the company, and about teaching ESL in general,you're ready for your first interview. Some jobsmay require you to be interviewed over Skype.Either way, below are some tips to help youthrough the interview process.

Before the Interview Begins:

Prepare yourself mentally.ake a few deepbreaths and do your best to rela!. "ou're probablynervous, but that's okay, it shows you want tomake an impression.

Block out unnecessary distractions.#lose$acebook and witter, turn off your phone or at

least put it on silent and put it somewhere youcan't see it.

Focus and prepare a few answers in yourhead.%rite down a few questions you'd like toask your potential employer before the interviewbegins. &elying on your memory is a bad ideasince the emotion of being interviewed will takeover and you'll probably forget. $urther, by writing

down your questions, you'll also be able to thinkof some questions your employer might have foryou. %rite down some possible answers so youcan refer to them during the interview ifnecessary.

Dress professionally.Even if you're talking overSkype, the way you dress will boost or hinderyour confidence during the interview. uys,collared shirt, tie and casual pants, though a poloshirt is alright. irls, a nice blouse and skirt, dressor other business attire. (se your best judgmentand err on the side of caution. )any places in

*sia, despite the heat and humidity, require theiremployees to dress in formal business attireevery day.

Resume.)any interviews will be held overSkype or over the phone. +t pays to have a copyof your resume printed off and sitting in front ofyou for your own reference during the interview. +fyou're being interviewed in person, bring a copy

with you to make your employer's life easier incase it's gone walkabout in their office.-

During the Interview:

Speak slowly and clearly, even if yourinterviewer is a native English speaker. yspeaking slowly and clearly, you have time to


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gather your thoughts and speak what you meaninstead of fumbling for something so say.

isten and ask !uestions when pertinent.+nterviews are never one way streets. /ften you

want to interview the employer to see if you likethem and want to work for them.

Don"t forget to ask a#out when you cane$pect to know the company"s decision.hiswill save you a lot of an!iety of waiting aroundand wondering about it.

%fter the Interview:

%fter the interview is over& send a thank youemail to your interviewer thanking them forthe time they took to talk to you a#out the 'o#and reiterating your interest in working forthem.+t goes a long way and sets you out fromthe rest of the crowd.


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efore You GoWhat follows are a few things to think about asyou begin your search for a job or before you jetoff to your new host country.

QUALIFICATIONSIn general, most schools will request proof of auniversity degreewhich means you'll have tobring it with you to prove that you actually havethe piece of paper and not a fake. English andEducation degrees are highly sought after, butthey'll consider anyone with just about anydegree. They will check, so don't think you can goto hailand and get a fake one made up and cashit in. TEFL certificatesare increasingly beingrequested but some schools offer a E!"certificate upon successful completion of a one#

year contract so you might want to consider all ofyour options before committing to any country.$e%t, if you have another degree or certificate ontop of that, such as a CELTA or a Master'sdegree, then you can e%pect to make a little bitmore money.

LANGUAGEIfyou're concerned about the language barrier,you can help yourself by learning some basicphrases, numbers and just how to sound out thealphabet. &uch of the material is already online

for free so you don't have to spend too much.

omniglot.com ( website that acts almost

like a language encyclopedia of sorts. )oodfor familiari*ing yourself with the differentalphabets of the world.

liemoc!a.com !ree online language

practice by way of lessons or language

e%change. lang"#.com# +imilar to livemocha.com, but

emphasis on language e%change andblogging,- which native speakers can thencorrect for you.

Teac! $o%rself ( series of books that

offer lessons for private study. hey oftencome with audio recordings which can helpyou become familiar with the language.

&ISAS&ost schools and programs will help you securethe appropriate visa once they've officially invitedyou and you've accepted their job offer. If,however, you're thinking of going the freelanceroute, understand that unless you secure the


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proper visa and work permit you are breaking thelaw and can face steep penalties, including finesor imprisonment. While I can't endorse thatmethod, some countries make it e%tremely difficultto obtain the proper working papers. uite a few

countries are now offering Working /oliday 0isaswhich are valid for anywhere from three months toa year. Whatever your choice, be sure that youhave the proper visa beforeyou go andunderstand the terms and conditions of your visa.

INSUANCE

hird party insurance is good to have eventhough many employers will include it in yourcontract. he coverage is usually all#inclusive,meaning that it's not just workplace insurance butinsurance for your entire time in the country.1ouble check that to be sure or simply purchasee%tra insurance just to be safe.


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ommon oncernsWHY ASIA?Oneof the great things about Asia is that thedemand for learning English is so great that theyllconsider just about anybody for the job. Japanand South Korea in particular have higherstandards in terms of qualifications. hey havesuch high standards because they pay so !ell.Other places" such as mainland #hina or

$ietnam" have lo!er standards due to the factthat the salaries offered there pale in comparison!ith Japan or South Korea.

Asia is a diverse continent !ith east Asia hostinga large number of countries and cultures in asmall area. here are some similarities amongthem" even in regard to language. %hats neat tolearn about many of the cultures in East Asia istheir historical depth. Although the region hasbeen populated and developed for thousands ofyears" it has only recently seen moderndevelopment and industriali&ation. 'earningEnglish is a part of this moderni&ation as it is oneof the tools needed to !or( in the globalmar(etplace.

And then theres the adventure aspect. )anyfol(s" not just teachers" have re*located tosoutheast Asia and its neighbouring countriesbecause it offers e+otic scenery and adventurousliving for a fraction of the price found in most

%estern countries. %ant to learn ho! to scubadive" hi(e or climb a mountain" coo(, East Asiaoffers a lot to the adventurous fol( in addition toaffordablecheapliving.

RELIGION, CULTURE AND CUSTOMS-ou might find it beneficial to familiari&e yourself!ith the three most prominent religions in East

Asia. hey include #hristianity" uddhism and/slam. After that" #onfucianism plays a huge rolein #hinese culture !hile 0induism permeates the/ndian culture and several other areas" such asali" /ndonesia. 1or your reference /2ve included avery brief description of each religion.

Buddhismased on the teachings of uddha !ho lived

around 344 #. 0e left his family to go mediate inthe mountains and came to understand e+istenceas a cycle of life and death" the main point all of it!as suffering !hich could be escaped byattaining nirvana. uddha returned to society andoffered his (no!ledge for any !ho cared to attaina state of peace and tranquility. he 5alai 'amais revered as the leader of uddhists" but much of


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uddhism involves personal reflection" meditationand tolerance for other people2s beliefs andcustoms regardless of any leader. /t is customary"!hen visiting a uddhist temple" not to point orsho! the bottom of your feet to!ard the statue of

uddha. -ou2ll also find a lot of mon(s !ho arenot allo!ed to come in contact !ith !omen. /f!omen need to give something to a mon(" theyshould place it on the ground in front of them andallo! the mon( to ta(e it by himself.

-ou2ll find uddhism mostly in hailand" but it2salso prominent in )alaysia" South Korea" and

)yanmar 6urma7. One of the most importantcelebrations is uddha2s birthday" !hich usuallyoccurs in )arch. here are several denominationof uddhism" including heravada" )ahayanaand $ajrayana.

Christianit#hristianity is based on the teachings of Jesus!ho is believed to be the Son of 8od. )uch of his

teachings can be found in the ible !hich !as!ritten by his disciples from !hom the 9ope in:ome derives his lineage. Jesus !as crucified atthe age of ;; on charges of treason because heclaimed to be the Son of 8od. /f you2re near the9hilippines for Easter you may !ant to see the8ood 1riday crucifi+ions !here devout follo!ersof #hrist choose to be nailed to a cross for a short

period of time.

#hristianity can be found in just about everycountry in Asia but may belong to subgroups suchas 9rotestants" Anglicans" #atholics" and others.

)ajor holidays include Easter 6in the spring"usually in )arch or April7 and #hristmas 6on5ecember uran./slam dominates the )iddle East and many parts

of Asia" including )alaysia" Singapore" )yanmar6urma7 and much of /ndonesia. )ajor holidaysinclude :amadan" !hich usually ta(es placeduring July and August" but varies !ith thephases of the moon. 5evote )uslims !ill abstainfrom alcohol 6but they2ll smo(e instead7 and noteat por(. 1urther" you2ll notice that )uslim !omen!ill !ear a dudong" a type of headscarf" not to beconfused !ith the burqa" a full body covering

found in the )iddle East. /f you visit a temple" youmay need to !ear long pants and shoes. hereare different denominations of )uslims" the t!omost prominent are the Sunnis and Shi2ites.

C"n#u$ianism#onfucianism is more a system of belief insteadof a religion" though #onfucianist beliefs border


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religion and spirituality. Overall" is an ethical andphilosophical system based on the teachings of#onfucius !ho lived around =44 #. #onfucius isoften quoted by fol(s !ho li(e to readphilosophical discourses. 0o!ever" his basic

tenant !as that you need to be concerned !iththe here and no!" ie" this !orld and the people init" not the gods and the afterlife. he reason forthis is because humans can be taught to progressand enable themselves to learn" gro! and evolve.#onfucianism is found throughout Asia" especiallyin #hina" South Korea" and Japan.

HindusimAn age*old religion that permeates /ndian cultureand parts of SE Asia" most notably ali" /ndonesiaand )alaysia. #onsisting of several layers ofgods and goddesses" the essence of 0induismlies in the manifestation of $ishnu !ho" above all"represents creation in its purest form. henumber of gods and goddesses found in0induism can ma(e your head spin" but it2s

enough to (no! that the people pride themselveson their duties to the gods" !hich means layingout small offerings several times a day to theirhouse*hold god. )en and !omen !ill be requiredto !ear a sarong !hen visiting temples.

here are numerous holidays for 0indus andyou2ll be surprised by !hat goes on in some of

them" namely haipusam" during !hich devoteespierce themselves !ith hoo(s" needles and otherimplements to sho! and test their faith. /n regardto food and drin(" you2ll find many /ndianrestaurants are 0alal" !hich means they don2t

serve alcohol and their food has been prepared ina proper manner appropriate for 0indu believers./n regard to religious observance" 5e!ali iscelebrated by 0indus all over the !orld. 0o!ever"there are so many festivals in the 0indu calendarthat it seems as if there2s no definitive holiday forall 0indus.

his is a very brief and general brea(do!n ofeach religion and / encourage you to do somemore research into each one if only to familiari&eyourself !ith them before you head off to yourne! country. All of this may lead you toe+perience something (no!n as culture shoc(.

CULTURE SHOC%-ou might be !ondering about ho! you2re going

to cope !ith all of the changes that !ill occur in avery short period of time. here !ill even come atime !hen you !onder about your decision totravel abroad. 5on2t !orry" it2s normal. Just abouteverybody !ho has gone abroad either for alonger period of time !ill e+perience !hat2s(no!n as ?culture shoc(.@ his can become aproblem if you2re not ready for it because you !ill


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!onder if it2s you or them. )ost often" you2ll try toblame your host country and its people. 8uess!hat, Seldom they are the problem.

#ulture shoc( li(es to snea( up on you. One day

you2ll be a happy little duc( s!imming around inne! !aters. ut then one day you2ll reali&e thatmaybe the !ater isn2t so clean" or that otherduc(s are coming to the pond and maybe don2tsho! the same decency as you believe you aresho!ing. /t !ill ta(e some time to adjust to yourne! surroundings. #ulture shoc( is one of thereasons you !ant to (eep a journal because then

you2ll be able to analy&e your attitude" thoughtsand emotions over time. Jot do!n !hat you loveand hate about your ne! home. -our job" thepeople around you" your o!n emotions" !hat you!ish !as different" !hat you2d li(e to ta(e home!ith you.

And here2s the biggest (ic(er of it all the badtimes are the ones that you2ll remember years

do!n the road and thin(" ?/t !asn2t that bad.@ /fanything" you2ll thin( that things could2ve been alot !orse. /t2s for this reason that / urge people!ho are feeling uncomfortable in their ne!surroundings to really loo( at !hy they2reunhappy. Bnless you are physically in danger"you can usually !or( through a lot of things.

/ (no! that2s a very brief introduction aboutculture shoc( but it pays to understand a littleabout ho! your emotions !ill change as youmove" and stay" abroad for a !hile.

Co!" let2s discuss teaching.

TEACHING IN GENERAL/n addition to adapting to your ne! surroundingsand getting used to the culture" teaching itself canbe difficult. Some days either you or the (ids!on2t have the energy and things just !on2t cometogether. he process of teaching" ho!ever" isn2t

overly difficult.

1irst" you prepare a class !ith a central theme toget across to the (ids" then you hammer thatmessage home by !ay of an introduction !hereyou give an e+ample of !hat you2re going to try toteach 6and it2s al!ays ?try@7" ne+t an instructionalportion !here you tell the (ids !hat2s actuallygoing on and get them to repeat it" and then you

usually have a game or an activity !here you tryto get the (ids to practice over and over and overagain !hat you2re trying to get across. After all ofthat" you test the (ids to see if they2ve actuallylearned anything !ith a revie!. /f you haven2tfigured out !hat !or(s or not before the revie!"this is !here you2ll find out for sure if the (idsactually learned anything. hat2s teaching a class


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in general.

IS TEACHING ESL LI%E TEACHING IN NORTHAMERICA OR EURO&E?Bnli(e their Corth American and European

counterparts" ho!ever" many ES' teachers donot have the responsibility to pass or failstudents. /t may" ho!ever" depend on your schooland your contract. Some teachers may have tohelp judge competitions for placement intointernational e+change programs. On the otherhand" some teachers rarely have to do muchmore than conduct their regular school*year

classes" a summer and !inter camp" and maybesome special" one*time classes here and there.Other than that" a ne! teacher usually !on2t haveto pass or fail a student in their first year ofteaching ES'.

'OLUNTEER OR &AID?here are different !ays to go about travelling the!orld as an ES' teacher" t!o of the most popular

are to volunteer through a program or get apaying job. he ne+t couple of sections deal !iththe difference bet!een volunteering and finding apaid job.

'"!unt((rin)$olunteering !ill loo( good on your resume. /tsho!s youre not simply motivated by money" but

!illing to help those in need and ta(e yourself outof your comfort &one. )any volunteering positions!ill be in impoverished areas !hich !ill requireyou adapt to a different set of circumstances andpeople.

/f youre nervous about teaching ES' and dont(no! if youll enjoy it" you might !ant to tryvolunteering first. As a volunteer" youre oftenseen more as a caregiver than simply a teacher.)any places focus on your character and ho!you deal !ith people. Although the majority ofyour students !ill want to learn from you" some

might not be interested. 5ifficult children orstudents may simply !al( a!ay from your classand you cant do anything about it. -ou !ont beresponsible for their educational needs or theirfuture. As a volunteer" there arent as manye+pectations and pressures to discipline thestudents for not attending class. Of course they!ill !ant to have fun but" at the end of the day"English is just one of the tools they !ant in orderto improve their livelihoods.

1urther" volunteering doesnt just reflect you as aperson" but your country as !ell. his is importantto bear in mind since your students !ill often havevarious ideas in mind about you and your country"often as a result of !atching movies. -oull soonreali&e ho! your country and its people are


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forget to just go

ISN*T IT HARD TO TEACH WITHOUT%NOWING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE?

Kno!ing a bit of the local language !ill ma(eyour life a lot easier in your day*to*day life" but asfor teaching itself" you2re there to teach Englishand not responsible for translating into the nativelanguage. )any schools prefer you not to (no!the local language because then the (ids have norecourse to an easy translation. he idea is tooffer an immersive class.

0o!ever" South Korean public schools !ill oftenplace you !ith a Korean co*teacher. Bniversities!on2t give you a translator as the (ids !ill beolder and typically already have a grasp of thelanguage. Some private institutions !ill give the(ids a grammar class in their native language"then send them to you so they can practice theirspea(ing s(ills.

WILL I GET ABDUCTED AND SOLD INTOSLA'ERY?he ne!s" in an effort to dra! vie!ers" !ill oftensho! some shoc(ing scenes and offer somescary commentary. %ith a little bit of duediligence" your adventure !ill probably be a lotsafer than you might thin(. E+ercise caution andfollo! your instincts. here !ill be a lot of

emotions simply deciding to goabroad nevermind workingabroad.

here are a fe! countries that run programs torecruit teachers" including S"uth %"r(a, +aan,

andChina. 1urther" there are a fe! reputablerecruiters you can go through !hich gives you ane+tra layer of security.

1inally" if it sounds too good to be true" it probablyis.

WHAT I- I DON*T LI%E IT?

/f you feel li(e quitting / urge you to reconsider.Stay for another !ee( or t!o and ta(e note of!hat you don2t li(e. /s it the people, he money,-our accommodation, Are you having troublema(ing friends, /s it the language barrier or is itsomething you don2t yet understand about theculture, At the end of those t!o !ee(s" analy&eyour notes and determine !hat you can andcannot change. )ost times you2ll be able to !or(

it out. Sometimes" ho!ever" you might have topac( up and leave.

WHAT TEACHING ESL ABROAD CAN ANDCANNOT DO -OR YOU/ve spo(en !ith a fe! fol(s about the prospectsof teaching English abroad. After a fe! minutesits usually apparent that they are concerned


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about t!o things th(ir $ar((r and th( sti)ma "#t(a$hin) a.r"ad. Often" teaching ES' abroad isseen as an ?escape@ from reality" a brea( fromyour career" or !orse" something onlydirectionless" !andering vagabonds do. elo! /2d

li(e to address a fe! more common concernsthat people often have before going abroad.

/n Corth America and the Bnited Kingdom" thereis a greater emphasis placed on building yourcareer over several decades. -ou get aneducation" you find a job" start small and then!or( your !ay up the ladder. hat method of

career development !or(ed best in times !henyou could be sure that the company hiring you!ould hold on to you for a long time even if onlyas a regular employee. 0o!ever" as companiesloo( to save costs" they are hiring morecontractors 6!ho dont receive benefits7 or arecutting bac( their !or( forces and as(ing those!ho remain to do more. So !hat does teachingEnglish offer,

eaching English" ho!ever" can be a career untoitself. /n many countries ES' teachers are no!e+pected to have a university degree AC5 aE1' certificate thus ma(ing them more dynamicand versatile as employees. Although teachingES' is usually done on a contractual" year*by*year basis" many benefits are attached to that

contract. Similar to contract !or( else!here"there is no guarantee your employer !ill rene!your contract. he main benefit of this contractualmethod is that you can visit and live in manyplaces around the !orld" not only adding to your

resume" but to your travel e+perience andpersonal development.

eaching English can help pay for your travelsabroad. /f you decide to just ta(e off" finding a jobas an English teacher can be one of the mostlucrative jobs youll find. hat being the case"unless you actually li(e teaching" it" too" !ill

become ?just a job@ that you do for money" muchli(e all those ?just a job@ jobs bac( home. -oumight have some idea in regard to !hether or notyoure cut out for teaching" and it pays to listen toyour intuition. 0o!ever" you shouldnt completelydismiss the idea either. /t might ma(e a good fitfor a little !hile before you find something else.

1or some people teaching ES' isnt a brea(" its ane! start. 5o those !ho go teach English haveless responsibility than those !ho stay closer tohome, / !ould say no. here might be a changein lifestyle" but no lesspersonalresponsibility.

Just because you go abroad and teach Englishdoesnt change the fact that you need to come up


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!ith some sort of direction in your life" !hatever itmay be. eaching ES' is simply tool to help youlead an interesting life. 'iving and !or(ing abroadadds a little bit of e+citement to your daily lifesince you !ill have to figure out ho! to order

certain items in the local language" ho! to getaround" acclimatise yourself to the !eather" andget used to the local customs.

eaching English can be a lucrative job but youstill have to love it or else youll feel li(e a slave tothe system. One of the main benefits of teachingEnglish abroad is the adventure of !or(ing and

travelling abroad. he first si+ months of your firstteaching contract !ill fly by and youll have ablast. y month seven" youll (no! !hether or notyoull stay in that country. At the end of yourcontract" youll (no! if teaching English is for you.heres nothing saying you cant (eep teachingEnglish abroad" but it doesnt mean you have todo it in the same place. )any places in Asia" suchas South Korea" pay very !ell and have attractivebenefits pac(ages. Other places" such as EasternEurope" dont have the same pay or benefits butoffer a glimpse of a country in transition.

Aside from money" teaching ES' is a privilege.-oull probably learn more about yourself and the!orld than the (ids !ill learn English from you.%hat you offer is hope and a glimpse of the

outside !orld. hats !hy those (ids are learningEnglish any!ay. hey !ant to travel just li(e you.hey have hopes and dreams and by learningEnglish those hopes and dreams become thatmuch more attainable.

Overall" teaching English abroad isnt a fi+ foryour life but one of many opportunities. here is acertain thrill to finding !or( in a foreign countrybut it cant replace personal responsibility forta(ing control of your life and doing !hat you!ant to do. eaching English abroad merelycombines t!o buc(et list chec( mar(s in one

shot.


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untriesWith flights, accommodation, generous salariesand benefits included in many packages, thequestion often becomes, why wouldnt you go?Most contracts are for a year, but some may askyou for a longer commitment. Whether you wantto find an expat community or commingle with thelocals, these places give you a lot of choice andcompensate you well. arger salaries !average of

"#$$$ per month%, however, don&t always meanhigh cost of living.

THE BEST COUNTRIES TO MAKE MONEY

SOUTH KOREA'(he and of the Morning )alm.* +lthough theyounger generation will tell you that they arent

very religious, uddhism and )hristianity arevisible throughout the country which means lotsof temples, but not so many churches for somereason. -ince the orean War wreaked havocacross the nation, many of the temples havebeen restored giving them a very new look.-outh orea has a low cost of living which meansyou can save much more of your paycheque.

/urther, -outh orea&s excellent transportationnetwork means exploring the country or the regionis easy.

(he government runs a special program aimed atrecruiting naive 0nglish speakers into -outhorea. (he EPIK programis contracted out torecruiters and agencies around the world. (hebasic requirement you&ll need for one of these1obs is a university degree, but a (0/ or somesimilar certificate is increasingly being sought. 2fyou&re interested, visit the government site itself athttp://www.epi.go.ror try Tea!h Awa"# I$!.3r%ootpri$t& Re!r'iti$g.

The (e$e)it& of the program include one weekorientation and training, entrance and exit airfare,accommodation, pension and bonuses. 2f youreinterested, theyll even enrol you in oreanlanguage classes so you can hit the bars and chatup some folks. (hose benefits, if you&re interested

and take advantage of them, will prepare you toeither return to your home land and continue asimilar career path or, if the travel bug has reallytaken hold, you&ll have that coveted experience toapply for other parts of the world.
http://www.epik.go.kro/http://www.stevensirski.com/http://www.epik.go.kro/


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***

+APAN4roducers of the cute 5ello itty brand and so

many other popular animation programs, 6apan isone of the first countries that pops into mind whenthinking about teaching 0-. (heir +ETprogrammehas made it easy to go through.Their ,i$ i& http://www.-etprogramme.org.

(his is a 6apanese government7sponsored effortto allure native 0nglish teachers from all over theworld into public schools and offices throughout

6apan. (his is probably the oldest 0nglish7recruiting program !running for over #$ years% andcontinues to be a popular choice among first7time0- teachers.

/urthermore, the +ET program is probably thewidest in scope in terms of accepting 0nglishspeakers. 3ther programs only accept native0nglish speakers but the 60( program aims tobring in any qualified, fluent 0nglish speaker to6apan for a year7long contract.

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TAIAN0arthquakes rock this highly developed nation of

#9 million people. :nfortunately, (aiwan isplagued by unscrupulous businessmen paradingaround as caring private school principals. -omechain schools have a high turnover rate, and thatshould serve as a warning. 5owever, there are

lots of opportunities in (aiwan, particularlyteaching younger kids. +sk around and do yourhomework to make sure you end up with aplacement that will make your visit en1oyable foryourself, your employer, and, most importantly, foryour students. 2ts a bustling country and thepeople are very friendly. +nd since half of theworld is manufactured on this little island, findingWestern amenities isnt a problem.

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IETNAM-teeped in both ancient and modern history,;ietnam is quickly becoming a rising star in thesoutheast +sia 0- circuit. /orming part of the

backpackers trail youll need to talk to a fewdifferent folks to get a sense for what the countryand its people are like. 2f you stick to the touristareas youll have one sort of experience, butmove outside of the tourist areas and youll see awhole different ;ietnam. +lthough most of the 1obsare in the big cities, dont leave out the smallercities during your search.
http://www.jetprogramme.org/http://www.jetprogramme.org/http://www.jetprogramme.org/http://www.stevensirski.com/http://www.jetprogramme.org/http://www.jetprogramme.org/http://www.jetprogramme.org/


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With "@$$Amonth B benefits%, thecoffee is amaCing, and the cost of living is cheap,

;ietnam is rapidly becoming the 'new -outhorea*. Dot only that, teaching in ;ietnam offersyou excellent access to explore neighbouringcountries aos, )ambodia, )hina and manymore.

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HON0 KON00xpensive, but it might be worth it. 5ong ongoffers opportunities for the adventurous soul whowishes to see, experience, and learn all about)hinese culture while earning a generous salary.-ince their schools encourage bilingualism andtrilingualism, 0nglish is big in demand. )loselyconnected with mainland )hina, teaching 0- in

5ong ong gives you a hub from which to explorethe rest of )hina !bearing in mind that most folksneed entry visas to visit mainland )hina%. 5yper7developed and a 'fast* city, you could consider theisland to be 'WesterniCed*. 2n any event, youshouldnt have too much trouble finding thecomforts or necessities of home.

5ong ong has recently 1umped on thebandwagon to lure 0nglish speakers to helpeducate their children. (hough not as establishedas the other government7sponsored programsabove !http://www.e1(.go2.h%, 5ong ong still

needs more 0nglish teachers. 2f its your first timeteaching 0nglish, maybe 5ong ong wouldnt besuch a bad place to start. +s with the aboveprograms, you will need a university degree and a(0/ certificate to improve your chances offinding a 1ob.

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CHINA(he pay in )hina is on the rise. 2t wasnt long agothat you could expect to live comfortably in thecountry but not save much. (hat seems to bechanging. Eoull find memorable experienceswhether you choose to stay in a city or move outinto the country. )hinese students are very well

behaved and disciplined when it comes to theireduction. (hey will respect you and be utterlythrilled !and maybe a bit scared% to have aforeigner teaching them.

-ome )hinese placements have even begunoffering a (0/ certificate upon completion ofyour contract. 5owever, if youre looking for aunique opportunity to teach 0-, 3i&$e"has
http://www.edb.gov.hk/http://www.stevensirski.com/http://www.edb.gov.hk/


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opened up a series of schools focused onlearning 0nglish with the likes of Mickey Mouse,)inderella, and a host of other famous characters.

/inally, if youre not a native 0nglish speaker, yourchances of landing a 1ob here are actually betterbecause of the demand for 0nglish speakers.

SIN0APORE+ democratic, 2slamic city7state, one of theshining stars of +sian growth in the last 9$ years.3nce a backwater island, it&s now one of thebiggest and most successful economies in +sia.2t&s a well7connected transportation hub for +siaand around the world. (he great benefit of-ingapore is that many people speak 0nglisheither as a first or second language. +s a resultthere won&t be much of a language barrier ormuch trouble asking for directions. 5owever,since 0nglish is one of the official languages thislocation might be best suited to teachers who

have some experience. 4ay will be pretty good,around "9$$$ or more a month, but your cost ofliving is considerably more.

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TEACHIN0 ES4 O%% THE BEATEN PATH INASIA

)onsider that the +sian continent has more thantwo billion people and if only #F learn 0nglish,that&s still G$ million people. 2n this section 2 wantto show some of the places that many folks don&tconsider right away, mainly because they don&t

pay as well as some of the other countries alreadylisted. Eoull often be making enough to livecomfortably within the country but may not beable to save very much.

(he requirements for some positions are auniversity degree and a (0/ certificate :(dont let that stop you from looking around andpassing out your resume. (he 1obs often listedonline will have a certain set of requirements but ifyou show up in person, youre better than anemail contact. (hat being the case, some of thecountries below offer (0/ certification either fora cheap price or in combination with your work.

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MYANMAR+s the country moderniCes and opens itself up totourists, people looking to cash in on the influx oftourists will need to learn 0nglish. (he ritish)ouncil runs a school in the country, but there areothers in Eangon and Mandalay. +rranging acontract beforehand can help you secure abusiness visa, which means you can apply for a


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business visa instead of a tourist visa.

+nother option is to 2o,'$teer. Hue to theimpoverished situation of much of the population,

children are abandoned and left to live inorphanages. 2f youre willing to commit to a fewmonths with minimal compensation, teaching inan orphanage could be a good test of your0nglish teaching abilities. 3ne organiCation thatneeds teachers is tea!hm"a$mar.org.

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CAMBO3IA4repare for your heart strings to get pulled in thiscountry as the devastation caused by the 4ol 4otregime came right after the country was bombedduring the ;ietnam war. (he country 1ust couldntcatch a break and the bombs kept falling whileland mines filled the fields. (o this day, land minesare embedded in good farmland causing manygruesome casualties each year.

Warnings aside, )ambodia is a country you willeither love or hate. (he younger generation hasonly heard about the damage done, but the oldergeneration lived through it. +s a result, you mightdetect a difference in attitude toward foreignersamong different age groups. Whats clear,

however, is that the younger generation areoptimistic and eager to improve their situation.3ne of the ways they can do this is by learning0nglish.

2 worked in an orphanage, S%O3A!Sa!ri)i!e%ami,ie& a$1 Orpha$& 3e2e,opme$tA&&o!iatio$%, for three weeks around the hmernew year in +pril. 2 found the kids highly sociableand fun7loving, eager to learn and participate inclass. 2 had a class of about #$ students, rangingfrom G to I. 2 was brought there mainly to teachwhile other volunteers !if there were any% wouldhelp out caring for the kids. 2 went through anagency to get my placement but, as 2 would findout once 2 got to )ambodia, you can find lots ofplaces in need to help simply by asking at yourguesthouse or looking through the classifieds inone of the 0nglish new papers.

-ome folks 2 met went through the Pea!e Corp&,though there are other agencies you can gothrough that often ask for some money so theycan place you. :se your 1udgment, for many ofthese countries an agency can be helpful but notnecessary.

I) "o'5re ,ooi$g to mae mo$e", you can dothat by freelancing or by applying to aninternational school. When 2 was there most
http://www.teachmyanmar.org/http://www.sfoda.org/http://www.peacecorps.gov/http://www.stevensirski.com/http://www.teachmyanmar.org/http://www.sfoda.org/http://www.peacecorps.gov/


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teachers were charging about "$ an hour.

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MA4AYSIA(his mixed uddhist, 2slamic and 5indu country issimilar to (hailand in that there are lots of livableplaces to choose from.

-ome say Malaysia is 'expensive* compared to itsneighbours, but 2 found that it depended on whatyou did. 2f its drinking, yes, Malaysia is more

expensive, but accommodation and activities areall similar in price through (hailand and Malaysia.+gain, it depends on where you want to be, asMalaysia doesnt pop into mind when folks thinkabout -0 +sia. (hat being case, the Malaysiangovernment is revving up its marketing engine toattract businesses and tourists with its 6Ma,a"&iaand i&it Ma,a"&ia 7869campaigns.

With the tropical weather and ease of life amongan eclectic mix of Malay, )hinese and 2ndian,youd be surprised that you could actually find a1ob teaching 0nglish here since so many of itsinhabitants already can speak very well. (heBriti&h Co'$!i,runs a school but there are quitea few private institutes that need 0nglish teacher.3o$5t re&tri!t "o'r&e,) to the mai$,a$1,

however, as orneo can offer a very differentexperience.

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THAI4AN32f theres one place that 1ust about everybodywants to go, its (hailand. (he affordablebloodycheap cost of living combined with gorgeousscenery, Western amenities and adventure travelall contained in one elongated country. (his is(hailand. While reverently holding their ing intheir hearts and minds, they welcome foreignerswith open arms and smiles.

+lthough you can snag contract 1obs with variousprivate institutes and international schools, youcan also find work in smaller towns or areas offthe banana pancake7trail. Jemuneration isntmuch, "$$$Amonth, though some 1obs will offeryou other benefits, but its enough to livecomfortably and en1oy a decent standard of living.(ry a-ar$.!omfor listings.

***

BRUNEI(his small, 2slamic, monarch7controlled country
http://ajarn.com/http://www.stevensirski.com/http://ajarn.com/


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boasts huge reserves of oil and natural gasmaking it one of the richest countries in the world.2ts probably best to see what the recruiters haveto say about working in this country since workvisas and permits can be difficult to obtain without

sponsorship. 2ts not a very big country but thedemand for 0nglish is there and landing a 1obmay depend heavily on your experience andqualifications.

***

IN3ONESIA-preading itself over an almost impossible

number of islands with the fourth largestpopulation in the world, 2ndonesia is divided. (hewest, primarily 2slamic, booms while the east,primarily 5indu, lags behind.

-alaries seem to be increasing every year and theusual benefits are included in the contracts,though the medical system is a little behindWestern standards. -ome employers have beenknown to hold onto foreign teachers passports forthe duration of the contract. 2ndonesia may beone of those countries you want to visit first beforecommitting to any contract.

+aartahas swallowed many of the smaller citiesaround it, which means that although you can finda 1ob in '6akarta,* you might actually be on its

outskirts. +nother popular city for foreigners iYog"aarta, in the centre of 6ava.

Ba,iwas home to a few folks who were working

online for a company called E$g,i&h Tow$.

2f you arent too concerned about making money,there are a few volunteer organiCations that wouldlove to have someone teach a few lessons or stayfor a few months, Seo,ah Me$e$gah Ata&U$gg',a$ CT %o'$1atio$. 2t is based in Me1a$#S'matra.

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PHI4IPPINES5ere&s a country that&s actually producing 0nglishteachers that rival native 0nglish speakers. (hereare two reasons for thisK first, /ilipinos speakproper 0nglish very wellL second, they will work

cheaper than native 0nglish speakers. (ravelthrough south (hailand and you&ll meet anynumber of /ilipinos living there teaching 0nglishfor much less than the native speakers. /urther,the 4hilippines is host to a siCeable online 0nglishprogram taught, of course, by /ilipinos. !3nlineteaching is also something you might want to lookinto after your initial contract teaching abroad.%(he requirements for teaching in the 4hilippines
http://www.englishtown.com/http://smactf.sch.id/http://smactf.sch.id/http://www.stevensirski.com/http://www.englishtown.com/http://smactf.sch.id/http://smactf.sch.id/


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are much like those of other countries in theregion. )ompetition will be tough, however, sincemuch of their population already speak 0nglishwell.

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MON0O4IA-ituated in )entral +sia with a population of about9 million, Mongolia offers landscape, and lots of it.3kay, that&s over7simplifying it. ut the country isstill developing and, as such, doesn&t have asmuch money to offer potential 0- teachers butmakes up for it other ways. (here are volunteeropportunities if you&re interested in going downthat route but 1obs also exist. (he best bet to findemployment in a country like Mongolia is either tovisit the country yourself !not 1ust for 1obopportunities, but to siCe up the country% or do asearch for 0- schools using the Mongolianoogle.

HERE TO 0O NET-o you&ve done a year !maybe more% of teaching0- abroad. What next? :ltimately it&s up to youwhether or not you stay in the 0- career or goback to what you were doing before or, simply, try

something completely different. 2f you want to staywithin the 0- career path, think about other partsof the world you&d like to go !the Middle 0ast hassome of the best salaries available%, or teachingonline either on your own or through a school.+side from that, you could tutor a few studentswhile working another 1ob in your home country.Wherever you decide to go and whatever youdecide to do, 2 hope the possibility of teaching0- has opened your eyes to working andtravelling around the world, both its possibilities,opportunities and pitfalls.


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lanning a ClassIf you're worried that you're not prepared enoughfor entering the classroom, below is a verygeneral class outline. I learned this structure for a1-hour class in South Korea and have used it eversince.

An S! class typically consists of " or # parts$

1) Introduction/Greeting%he introduction gives students a chance at arehearsed section and some free-formconversation practice. %his wor&s for bothyounger and older students.

%he best idea is to establish some sort of routinethat can be followed for every class. or e(ample,a provide a standard )uestion*response$ +ood

morning*afternoon*evening and allow thestudents to give the appropriate response. orstarters, as& about the weather, the time, and theday and date. or older students you may want toas& about obs and what it's li&e living in theircountry. /y doing so you'll be covering a topicfamiliar to the students while learning about yournew home.

%he stronger students usually respond first but ithelps to get the nerves out of the wea&er studentsby as&ing them a few simple )uestions. 0ont drillthem, but show them that its o&ay to spea& up

and ma&e mista&es. %his will help theirconfidence.

2) Development%he development is usually split into two parts,each dealing with one or two of the four basics&ills$ listening, spea&ing, reading, writing. 2ostschools will have a te(tboo& they want you tofollow. 3ou will often be able to use the te(tboo&as a basis for an activity while modifying it slightly.%he typical structure of /4%5 development partsis$

introduce the material

give an e(ample

let the students to try

as& if there are any )uestions and ensure

everyone understand what's e(pected of them give them # minutes to wor& on the e(ercise

and then spend # minutes as&ing students for

their answers. Select both stronger and wea&erstudents, though it pays to let some strongerstudents go first.


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3) Game/ActivityAll students love games if only because it ta&esthe pressure off of the formal learning process.

%he game section often has the following pattern$

introduction of the game

e(ample

e(planation of the rules

play

Splitting the class into two teams is fun because itfosters competition, though ma&e sure you lay

down the rules for misbehaviour. %he last thingyou want is students yelling out answers, hittingeach other 6it happens7, or getting overly e(citedand turning the classroom upside down.

4) ReviewAnother easy part of the class and usually only 8minutes until you can sit down and breathe a sighof relief9 until your ne(t class begins in five

minutes. As& one of the stronger students whatthey learned today, then select a wea&er studentto give an answer.

5) Etra%here are times when you will finish your classearly. As an S! teacher youre e(pected to &eepyour students wor&ing on their nglish s&ills until

the bell rings. If you have e(tra time, it pays tohave a few )uic& games to play. :ord games, thechain letter game, hangman 6&ids !4; thisgame7, or anything that gets the students tal&ingand using their nglish will wor&.


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amesIt's hard to be over-prepared as a teacher andone item you can always fall back on is games.Here are some easy games to use either tocomplement your class plan or if you have extratime at the end of class. These activities can bemodified for all levels of students.

Hangman

Difficulty !eeeeeeeeally easy"ids love Hangman. It's simple# fun# competitiveand# above all# it can be used as a filler for thelast few minutes of class. Divide the class intoteams and have them draws lots to see who goesfirst# second# third# etc. $e sure to lay down somerules for speaking out of turn since things can getout of hand and some students might feel cheatedif they aren't given their proper time to make a

guess. Think of a word and make a series ofdashes corresponding to the number of letters inthe word you've chosen. %o through the &first lineof each team. (or each wrong guess they makeyou draw one more part of the man. !epeat theprocess as necessary to save the guy fromgetting hanged.

Chain AlphabetDifficulty )ase to *edium+tarting at the beginning of the alphabet# askeach student to come up with a word that startswith that letter. To increase the difficult of this

game all you have to do is limit the category toone or two ,fruits# animals# countries# etc..nother way is to use a stop watch and time howlong it takes the class to go through the entirealphabet.

Word ChainDifficulty )asy to *edium$egin with one word and have the students go upto the board to write another word using the lastletter. This game not only utili/es the students'vocabulary# but gives them a chance to practicetheir spelling and writing.

Play a SongDifficulty *edium to Hard0ick a song and find the lyrics. $efore class ,or

1uickly during class# mark out a grid on theboard. 2rite a series of words or sentences bothfrom the song and that are made up. 0lay thesong for the students. t the end of the song# askthem which words or sentences they heard. 3oucan vary the difficulty of this game by usingwords# phrases or complete sentences# 4ust beaware of how much time you have to prepare.


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Depending on the level of your students# you canuse different songs that they may be familiar withor something that may be completely new tothem.

Review CircleDifficulty )asy to HardThe idea is to create a &race track by drawing twocircles or on the board. 0artition the racetrackwith a series of s1uares. In every second or thirds1uare# write down an activity# eg# sing a song#turn around five times# spell a word# look at apicture and make a proper sentence# etc. Dividingthe kids into teams# use different colour pawns foreach time. 5sing a dice# allow each student to rollthe dice and move their team's pawn throughoutthe race track. 3ou can keep score either by thenumber of correct tasks performed or by thenumber of times each team makes it through theboard. This game is best used as a review ofmaterial you've already covered so the studentswill recogni/e some of the cues to the 1uestions

or tasks.

(or many other games# do a search online or findsome teaching books at your library. The gamesneedn't be overly complicated# but it's best if theirdifficulty can be varied for different age levels,that saves you from having to create multipleactivities.


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hank YouThank you very much for reading this guide onteaching ESL abroad. I hope it has served you aremore informed about teaching ESL abroad,especially in East Asia. Asia is a vast continentwith a multitude of opportunities for thoseinterested. As its countries and people step ontothe global stage, even a visit to the continent will

be well worth the effort.

If you have any more uestion, comments orconcerns, please get in touch with me. I do traveluite a bit and, depending on where I am at thetime, it may take some time to get back to you.The best way to reach me is through email,[email protected].

!onsider your reasons for going and for stayingwhere you are. Take your time and research asmuch as you can before you go. "our researchwill help you come to a decision that may help youget through the tough times, and there will besome#

I hope you choose to go. It$ll be an eye%opening

e&perience and will certainly improve your life.

'inally, good luck, stay safe and... ()#
mailto:[email protected]://www.stevensirski.com/mailto:[email protected]

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Getting Started Teaching ESL in East Asia

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