I'm in a small city in Hoa Binh province, which is North west of Hanoi. I have been teaching at the same centre and schools for 5 years - so I have a strong attachment to my students, and genuinely carre about them. I've watched a lot of them grow up!

However, while the work is undemanding, I've ended up filling a more managerial role (for foreign teachers, recruiting, easing transitions, making of materials etc ) that I'm not compensated for. It's also a long work week (28 hours, but I'm so used to all the lessons now I don't have to plan or prepare at all). We make 34mil each a month, and our rent and cost of living is super low being in a small town.

I'm basically torn between moving to a more chilled, higher paying job if possible- preferably in the Da Nang kind of area, as the air pollution isnt as awful there. Or staying here where the job is easy (but boring), perhaps tuning up my other skills and looking at remote work?

My husband and I are honestly considering staying in Vietnam quite long-term, as South Africa doesn't have much to offer for us. So pollution, hourly rate, quality of life is a big consideration!

I basically want to get an idea of what I could expect from a good job offer, as a person with a degree (not in teaching), a tefl, an IELTS 9.0 and 5 years of experience (prekids to adults, and exam prep, all in Vietnam).

Thanks in advance for any insights :) the Facebook pages are wild these days.

Hi! I’ve been tutoring two brothers that are 4 and 5 years old. I go to their house every Thursday right after school for an hour, and I’m running out or ideas. I usually teach older children, and don’t have much experience with this age, so it’s challenging. They’re very young and get bored very easily. Every time I think I have a fun game that they’ll like and will take up time they’ll tell me 5 minutes later they’re bored and want to do something else. I’ve tried coloring activities, the memory game, games with flash card, vocabulary, and other learning games, and they don’t seem to like them. They only want games that don’t resemble anything academic. Look, I get it. They’re very young and in school all day and I come immediately after, so the last thing they want to do is sit down and learn. They have very limited English and speak to me in Spanish 90% of the time even though I respond to them in English. It’s only been a month, but I’m starting to dread this class because they seem bored with all my ideas…. I’m open to any and all suggestions. Thank you!

I'm actually Taiwanese but an American friend asked me this question beceuse he's thinking about going to either Taiwan or China. I recommended him to go to Taiwan because I feel Taiwan is probably more easy to get set up with and live comfortably for foreigners. China just seems....a bit scary? And a big hassle because you need a VPN and stuff like that. I also heard it's hard to get money out of China. He told me that he can make a lot more money in China though.

Was I right in recommending him to go to Taiwan instead? Or am I just too biased? 😅

Hi everyone! I’m interested in getting TEFL certified but I’m wondering if it will fit in with my current lifestyle. Basically I work seasonally from April/May/June to August/September every year.

I’m wondering if there are places/programs with contracts that run October-May ish. Thanks!

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

So little backstory. I'm a musician and I have just finished my music degree. I should have a music teacher job lined up full time in March. I got into music because I wanted to perform and not necessarily teach although I was always going to end up teaching to supplement the performance side.

In my 4 years at music school I discovered how naive I've been and there's been long periods where I've struggled to find performance opportunities which has sucked the ambition out of music for me.

I recently gave myself a break after finishing Uni and travelled around Europe by myself for a month. It's something I am starting the set my heart on. I'd love to spend more time away from home.

Online I've heard teaching English is a great opportunity for a lot of people. I was thinking maybe in a year or two after settling into my new job for a bit this is something worth exploring.

Some questions I'd like to ask everyone.

Is it worth exploring this avenue? My current job is in childcare and my next job from March involves Teaching. Whilst I've been skeptical about whether or not I want to teach Music I would love to explore other areas. I'm not ruling out teaching outside of music and I have plenty of experience already working with young people.

What countries would you recommend? I live in London and I haven't been outside of Europe. If there was anything that would stop me I am a picky eater and I am not a fan of trying local cuisines and stuff. But, I really want to explore the world more. And I have already said- spend quality time away from home.

Any feedback would be great

Hello all,

I'm looking for recommendations for a textbook or series that is aligned to Cambridge's tests, starting from A2 Key for Schools. A series that could carry us beyond A2 Key to the next tests would be ideal.

It is a 1-on-1 class with a 12 year old girl who loves science and sports. She is currently high A1, low A2.

I can stick out any job so I'm not worried about the requirements to stay for a year, but I'd like to find a position that will help me to get there by paying my airfare. Please answer the question I am asking, instead of bullying poor people. It's just weird. Thanks for any advice!

About us:

Me: UK citizen (no eu pass, resident in Spain), CELTA plus lots exp. Cambridge Examiner. Under grad degree Uk.

Her: Spanish citizen, CELTA, some experience. Near C2 level, plans to get it next year. Under grad degree Spain.

We are not married and don't plan on it yet, but would like to spend a year or two abroad before we settle down in Spain.

We are open to options.

I'm looking for a set of LONG videos, audio, or pdfs my students can watch at home, so that when they come to class we can work off this. An hour a week isn't going to be enough to learn English. This is why we need this.

What do you recommend? I've used Brainpop, but the videos are short and the students can't see them at home.

Even just knowing which Paw Patrol episode they've seen would be a start, but how to be professional about that?

Hi everyone, I’m a current senior graduating soon with my bachelors in Finance. I’m currently doing my TEFL course and will be certified before I graduate. I’m stuck between two places Vietnam and Taiwan. Which would you recommend between the two? I have no prior teaching experience. Also what to learn a language and take night classes. Really would like holidays to travel to other countries. Also want people to feel comfortable around me as I am a dark skin woman. Any guidance and thoughts would be much appreciated.

There's a Taiwanese website out there for finding English teaching jobs; 1199.tw or 0110.tw or something like that. Anyone know what it is?

I really don't want to have to take the physical degree with me. But I'm also not certain on a school I want to teach at either. US citizen, looking at probably Vietnam again. I've done the backpacking teaching gig thing, and I rather not have to hustle for every single class again.

Hello, I have a CELTA pass and bachelors in translation and currently completing my masters in translation studies. And I also have the pedagogical formation, C2 English and B1 German. I’d like to do my phd in Germany but to that I need to first relocate there and start working before. The best option looks like using my CELTA but I don’t really know. I’m not an EU citizen so I need to go through all the visa requirements.

It’s much easier to get a visa with a job than a student visa right now. My question is do I have a chance here or should I look for other jobs etc?

I am due to start a PGCE with Sunderland in February.

They've just emailed to say....

'He will not be able to register as an 'international' primary school teacher without delivering maths, English, Science in Hong Kong with current regulations. This is not the case in other countries.'

Does this mean I won't be able to work in (for example) senior schools? Does it totally exclude me from International schools? Or mean I'll just be able to teach English in one?

Any advice appreciated.

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I are exploring the idea of moving to Hong Kong, and I’d love some advice or insights from people with similar experiences.

I have a degree and plan to work as an ESL teacher in Hong Kong. My girlfriend, however, does not have a degree but has extensive childcare experience, including work as a nanny in Australia. She’s a native English speaker (Australian) and loves working with kids.

We’re curious about the following:

1. Are there opportunities for nanny or au pair work in Hong Kong for someone without a formal degree but with solid childcare experience?
2. What’s the best way to navigate visa requirements? For example, would agencies like Babysitter.hk or Rent-A-Mum sponsor her for a visa?
3. Has anyone gone through this process? If so, what challenges or tips would you share?

We’d appreciate any information, especially about balancing our different career paths while moving abroad together. Thanks in advance!

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Had a couple really strange online interviews lately from a couple organizations representing schools in Vietnam.

Had the first interviewer end the interview in less then 5 minutes with a scowl on her face the entire time and said I was the one who was angry in a follow up response asking for feedback (highly strange)

In the most recent interview i had the interviewee was a young woman who couldnt stop from giggling during the interview and was laughing at my demo presentation especially since one of the flashcards was of a popsicle (I guess dirty minds are a universal thing). She had minimal English skills and kept laughing saying she didnt understand what I was saying and things were too difficult -_-

What is the deal with Vietnam? I didnt have this experience with a couple of the larger school chains in the past but they never hire for the major cities from abroad it seems.

Is this just expected behavior for Vietnam? Never experienced this before in a professional setting.

Edit: I would also add im a POC so no idea if that makes a difference.

Hello, in 5 days I will be finishing my CELTA and will be heading back to Turkey in January. I have a Bachelor of Science in teaching chemistry and have taught for 4 years before taking a break to do my CELTA. I have a lot of respect for my ESL teachers, especially in Turkey, and I really wanted to elevate myself. Are there any suggestions you can give me? I want to do some online teaching but I am worried because of my citizenship and overall anxiety with interviews and demo lessons that I won't find a job. Later on I also want to travel and meet new people as well but it's damn near impossible to get a job in the UK or Europe without the right passport. Currently, I am looking at jobs on Linkedin, tefl.org and indeed.org but if you have any suggestions I would really appreciate them. There are some ESL jobs I can do in Turkey but that's my last option because I really don't want to be in Turkey any longer.

Do you know of any language schools that hire teachers during winter for any where from a 1 week-a month like how they do in summer?

I have a term time role that isn’t teaching EFL but I’d like to get back into EFL in some way during breaks and holidays.

Please let me know if you know of any!

I’m planning on moving to Vietnam around February/March time to start teaching. Unfortunately moving out earlier this year to catch the start of the school year wasn’t feasible due to other commitments. My question is, how easy is it to find work outside of peak recruiting months? I’m a native English speaker (British) with a degree and will have a TEFL once I’ve decided whether to study online or in country. No teaching experience but have do have youth work/school engagement experience. Any advice is much appreciated!

Tried to take off a sweater in class and my shirt got stuck to it. Flashed my boobs (with a bra on) for like a full second while I fumbled to fix it. It's a class of fifteen year olds and no one said anything but the boys were giggling afterwards.

Not sure if this is an "incident" and whether I should let my supervisor know. I don't think my centre even has a safeguarding policy.

Has anyone else ever had a wardrobe malfunction this bad? I am so mortified. Please cheer me up.

So I just submitted my assignments for the methodology course unit 4 and 6 and below is what I wrote:

TASK 1 (DONE)

TASK 2 ( ASKED TO REDO AGAIN)

Q: Now think of a production (free) activity you could use during a lesson on the second conditional.

Here is an example:

In pairs, ask the students to discuss what they 'would do if they won the lottery'.

Please think of an activity and do not use the lottery theme and remember that apart from providing an activity, you should also write a few examples of the sentences you think students would use. This is key for your tutor to see that you understand the language needed.

maximum 100 words

MY ANSWER:

The teacher will ask the students to discuss what they "would do if they bought a big house in a city".

The teacher will demonstrate by giving an example sentence and the students will continue the chain story.

This will enhance the creativity which the students would enjoy.

Below are the sentences that students could make during the chain story:

1. If I bought a big house in a city, I would invite all my friends.
2. If I invited all my friends, we would have movie nights in the theatre/movie room.
3. If we had movie nights, I would make something delicious for everyone.

This is what my tutor said below

(Second task, second conditional) As you start off by giving the form away, the sentence-chain activity is too controlled for a free practice/ production task. All sts do is add an "if" clause using the previous student's "would" clause. While this tests the vocabulary around the TL, the "if" and "would" is only used because sts have been told to do so. They need free use of the language and you want them to produce as much as possible, such as a role play. Please could you revise this.

Consider this example. Think of something along the lines of an election campaign for "class president. Set-up a mingling activity, where some sts are candidates and others are the electorate. Encourage the voters to be questioning of the politicians and encourage the "candidates" to try and convince as many as possible. While not every sentence uttered has to have the TL, you can expect quite a few incidences of "what if", "I would" and "what would you do", which indicate sts are able to apply the taught TL.

(General nôte) Here is how I design production activities, which really are tests. First, think of a situation where you would use the target language. Then, design an activity that would force the learner to do the same. Once done, try the activity out and see if it can be done using other forms. If your activity survives all three, then it is likely to be successful. At no stage should you give away the structure or form you are after, as this would defeat the object of production.

Now, what I don't understand is, that if I choose to do a role-play activity, is it expected that I should not use "if" and "would?" then what would be a simple example of the second conditional?

I am studying for my certification at tefl.org. Its a good course. I hope that when i am finnished I will be able to apply for programs to help me find work overseas. Im so tired of living in the same place, I want to meet new people. I hope I do a half way decent job at teaching people english.

Hi all, I have taught online to kids before and will start again soon, there is a computer game I used before that I would like to use again, but I can't find it anywhere. Fairly sure it is Macmillan, but I couldn't find it on their website. It is an interactive game with a customizable monster that roams around a map and there are mini games with grammar and word exercises for very young learners. Does anyone know where I can find it? Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone!

I’m a Vietnamese woman who recently came to Bangkok, Thailand from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with my American boyfriend on a tourist visa. We are hoping to live here. My boyfriend already got a job offer from an international school, but it’s the opposite for me. I’ve been sending job application emails to employers since last month, but I haven’t heard from any of them yet. I feel so demoralized.

For non-native English speakers who got a job here, how did you set yourself apart from other job applicants?

Here’s a bit about myself:

1. I am trilingual (English, Vietnamese, and Chinese).
2. I began my teaching career in February 2023, teaching children aged 4 to 15, and recently, teenagers and adults aged 16 to 30.
3. I have a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in International Tourism and Hospitality Management, a TESOL certificate with a specialization in teaching YLE and IELTS, and an IELTS Academic certificate with a band score of 8.0.
4. I spent 16 years in Singapore.

I was offered a Uni job on Nov 25th. They said they needed to get the rector and HR to approve their decision. How long before I chase them up?

Hi guys, I made a post a few days ago that got insta removed. The mods reapproved it, but by then it won;t have been in people feeds so I got zero responses. Heres the link to the post: https://www.reddit.com/r/TEFL/comments/1h4w863/at_a_crossroads_with_tefl/

I really need some advice so would really appreciate it.

I'm planning a lesson for my Chinese public high school class where students ask each other 'What would you do if you were in charge of the school?' and 'If I were in charge of the school, I would...'. The students are probably around B1 English comprehension. I'm not really confident in how I've brainstormed it so far (particularly the CCQs), though, so I was hoping I could get some advice on it.

First, I want to make sure the students understand the phrase 'in charge of'. This is the part I'm least sure on; I'm thinking that I would show a picture of a school principal with the phrase 'He's in charge of the school.' I would then try to draw out the meaning with the CCQs:

1. 'Is he responsible for the school?' (This feels so awkward to say, and I'm not sure it illuminates the meaning, but it's closest to the definitions of the phrase)
2. 'Does he teach or does he lead the school?' (He leads)
3. Can he tell other people what to do? (Yes)

Then, I'd show a model conversation where the principal asks me 'What would you do if you were in charge of the school?' I try to draw out the meaning:

1. 'Am I really in charge of the school?' (No)
2. 'Is it possible I'll be in charge of the school?' (No/very unlikely)

Finally, I show my response: 'If I were in charge of the school, I would give everyone free ice cream.'

1. 'If I were in charge of the school, could I give people free ice cream?' (Yes)
2. 'But am I in charge of the school? (No)
3. Can I really give people free ice cream? (No)

Again, these don't feel quite 'right' to me, and being a new teacher, I'm bound to make mistakes. If anyone has any insight, I'd love to hear it.

So, I'm finishing my BA in English by April 2025. I really don't wanna jump right back to the Master's track. I'm absolutely burnt out from the college world. Please don't laugh, but I've wanted to be a writer all my life. But college was really grueling (I hardly ever went out), and I could never truly connect with any of my writing projects. So I wanna try adulting for a year or so (and afterwards I'll do my Masters in Creative Writing) and write in peace. A job where I can sustain myself reasonably and have 5-6 hours to write.

Soooo... I thought of teaching! I like children and I like teaching, but I don't want it to be a full time profession atp. I was thinking of getting a TEFL certification, but I was strongly advised to get a CELTA instead. I am really confused about the whole application thing though. I have found this website of International Houses offering CELTA (Is that the right place to look??). Umm, so I am thinking of doing it completely online (I'm from Nepal) and preferably within a month, as full time.

So, my main confusion is: Some countries have schools offering completely online courses and seems ok for my budget. Are these for people from that particular country, or can anyone from anywhere take it. Are there things I need to be cautious about? Alsooo, please tell me if there are more affordable options to get CELTA! I'd also love to hear from teachers who have experienced this life about what they think of my situation. Is my plan absolutely bonkers? Should I be completely rethinking this? I'm a late nights/ early bird person, so I'm fine writing at weird hours - I just need a good job for the next year that won't have all the extra hours of assignments and stuff college meant for us.

tysm for reading!!! Sending tons of love and hugs <3 <3 <3!!!

I really want to teach in Asia for the spring intake but I'm wondering whether I should get my teaching liscence before I go. I have read they can take up to one year. I am trying to escape abusive relationship as well.

I think I could tolerate if for a few more months if the teaching certificate was simple and easy to get.

I am only worried I will have no one to stay with because I don't want to stay with my abuser. That's why I'm trying to figure out whether it would be better to get it before or after. I don't want to regret not getting it when I'm there if it is a big hastle to go back to my home country to get one.