Idk how accurate this is. If it is true I really don’t see the points doing TEFL anywhere other than Asia. It looks like such a bad deal in Europe.
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The teacher I worked with started in Prague. He said the money was nice, but the students are complete sphincters.
I wanted to go to Armenia, or former YU, return to the motherland, and from what I heard is that in Armenia and Bosnia, ESL is not really a thing.They do teach English, just not a rush to get everyone learning it. They have bigger issues to deal with. However, in Serbia, since Serbia is trying so damned hard to get into the EU, it was once a booming business. But now, taxi drivers are opening schools, and there is “one on every corner” so the competition has driven the wages down.
I was surprised about Korea. I always thought they were top-dog in East Asia as far as money went. Singapore is another surprise, since -AFAIWT- English is taught natively there. And the housing…Holy Cow!
Well I think Korea would be the best money-wise as you get free housing and a free flight.
Singapore probably has very very very few demand, as people all speak English there.
My pay in Korea was the equivalent of 100k NTD. Now in Taiwan I’m making a bit more than 60k NTD. Luckily, I have a lot of savings, cost of living is lower here, and money isn’t my main motivator, so it doesn’t bother me too much. But… it bothers me a bit. However, one disturbing trend there is pay is not only stagnant in Korea, but its dropping. Lower birth rate and job market overwhelmed by too many foreigners. My old university colleagues in Seoul got an ultimatum recently; accept a 20% pay cut, or resign. So maybe in the end we’ll all be getting paid the same peanuts anyway.
Hi Andrew, thank you very much. That means a lot. I appreciate it.
There is a super cutie at a 711 who works there. She is so nice, has been smiling at me when I go over there and past there. I might ask her out when I get a job.
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I am assuming you are a (Homo) Europaeus albese (i.e. Caucasian) right?
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/06/29/china.rent.white.people/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm81z9L5qEE
Apparently it still a thing.
Just need to find the correct company.
You are half right 
. My my dad is Caucasian but my mom is Hispanic and Native American.
On a serious note, a recent couchsurfer at my flatmate room getting a teaching gig in Taichung in just a few days.
She’s white American with TEFL certificate from Thailand (getting it while on holiday there).
Also have a Vietnamese-origin Quebecian French-native speaker who get English teaching gig due to her Canadian passport. (so I would assume race play lesser factor for teaching application, but nationality more important).
I tried to apply teaching once (I didn’t know back then I didn’t qualify due to my nationality and more important my heavily accented Engwish… think Elmer Fudd talking Singlish with David Beckham squeaky voice… I realize it much later when I try to tape my voice), and it didn’t get anywhere.
I feel that teaching gig could get (rather) easily, as long as you have the right qualification (and passport).
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Gender and youth are two big factors for English teaching …blonde hair it’s when can you start?
I got that when I was applying for online teaching jobs in the mainland. Darn this racial ambiguity
I like his choice. A girl that works a very difficult job - 711 is hectic.
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Kind of reminds me of this…
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Green Ocelet, don’t despair; it took me 32 years to find out what I really, really want to do in life and I’ve just taken the first steps into that new world.
Maybe think about what you’re really interested in life. Is there some way you could work in that field, even if only tangentially? Maybe becoming a BJJ instructor with your own school is far away, but what about working for a company that makes BJJ gis? There’s all kind of opportunities, it’s just about figuring out where they are.
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He is already, as we say in Spanish: echao pa’lante. He has already given that big step forward. Of course, it is scary heading into the unknows, it is dark and he cannot find his way. But things have a way of working out in the end. Just keep trucking…
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I don’t know you personally and forgive me if I’m way off the mark as I can only go by what I’ve read from you. Idk what kind of bad situation you left to come here but I can tell you from my own personal experience and other people’s experiences that I’ve heard. I moved a couple times in hopes of changing my situation by changing location, surroundings, people, but one constant is always me. I ran into many of the same problems I tried to leave behind because of my own personality traits and habits.
Maybe that’s something you should take a look at because it sounds like you run into similar problems and from what I’ve read you’re all over the place unsure of direction and not committed completely to anything and over think and panic. Again, I can be completely wrong. I don’t know you at all, but from what I read it seems like maybe you should “complain” a bit or be assertive and more sure the way you say you don’t do. If you want something, you might have to ask and be direct. For example I moved back here and I taught as well to get started while doing many other projects on the side. But before I went into a class room I made sure they prepared me. That means I asked to shadow a couple times before I went in out of my own time. Kids can be sharks when it comes to uncertain teachers that they know they can push around. And if I was a kid reading your thoughts here I would have ate you alive when I was younger. Just some thoughts, hopefully I’m not too far off the mark and can bring some issues into perspective.
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That is a really good idea Super Fire. I think it is really neat that you figure out what you wanted to do. Honestly 
Honestly, I would love to be a BJJ instructor, but in Taipei every school has an instructor. I have a friend who runs an academy in Xiamen, and he asked me if I wanted to teach there, but I really do like Taiwan. I love Jiu-Jitsu, and playing guard is honestly one of the most fun things in the world, but I am somewhat of a dork too. I really like math and science, I was thinking of one day, in the not too far future, going to grad school for science. That is why a lot of the people here had perspectives that were really helpful, it helped me sort out what was needed to be done.
Andrew, you are definitely right. I have let being indecisive lead to make bad decisions. I am going to be more decisive like you said and be sure about things. Thank you for the story too, I liked reading it, and it is helpful and relatable.
Again, feel free to take me up on the offer to grab some food, my treat, I know you’ve been eating some cheap lunch boxes to survive haha. I’m flying back from vacation now. I’m at least least glad you reached out some way to people. I know at certain points of my life I was in a really bad place where I had to reach out. I honestly think you’ll be ok, 3 bad months is really not that long in a grand scale of things and hard times are going to pass and things have a way of working out if you just keep pushing forward. Just don’t be so harsh on yourself, we can be our worst critics.
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Graphic design is a skill that’s undervalued in Taiwan. Try advertising on the freelancer sites. They charge a pretty hefty commission, but if you’re good at your job you should be able to earn enough to tide you over while you’re resident in Taiwan.
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Thank you Andrew, and also that is great advice.