Am I In Heaven? - Teach English In Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an island paradise full of sandy beaches and lush tropical forests. Once you go there, you may get sucked in and never want to leave. The friendly people, the laid back lifestyle and the cultural experience are all good reasons to stay. It may seem too good to be true, but to teach English in Costa Rica is totally possible. Just about anybody can do it!

How To Land A Job

The best, and as far as I know ONLY, way to get a job in Costa Rica is to go in person. Trying to land a job from home just won’t do it. Head down there at the end of the year to get settled, and start your job search in January. That’s the best time to be in the lush, tropical climate anyway, right? Take your resume and whatever references and certificates you have.

Speaking of certificates, you don’t really need any. Costa Rica is a country where a regular college degree, fluent English and a big smile will still land you the job. The important thing is to interview with lots of people and follow up on them. The school year starts in January, so that’s when everybody’s looking for teachers.

The Importance Of Looking Sharp

Costa Rica is a laid back island with beautiful, white beaches. You can just cruise into your interview in your beach clothes with a pina colada in your hand and a smile on your face and your interviewer will hire you on the spot — NOT! Don’t get the wrong idea about Costa Rica!

In Costa Rica, just like most Latin American countries, appearance is very important. You may not have any experience or qualifications, but at the very least you must look good. This means wear a suit, look professional and distinguish yourself from all the vacationers. Your potential employer isn’t on spring break. Remember that this is an interview for a teaching job!

Where Do You Want To Live?

Costa Rica offers lots of variety in its teaching situations. You can be in the rainforest teaching little kids the basics of English, or you can be in the hubbub of San Jose teaching businessmen and living in the city. While the pay in the city is much better, many prefer the more rural locations. There, you have more of a chance to interact with the local culture, and life is laid back and slow paced.

No Habla Espanol?

Don’t be afraid to head off to Costa Rica if you can’t speak any Spanish. Many teachers who go there don’t speak Spanish at first, but it’s not too hard to pick up. Even the most linguistically challenged can get to the point where they can get understand everybody and get where they need to go with a little study and practice. While teachers who head to Japan or Korea find that they have a terrible time trying to learn the language, most teachers in Costa Rica pick it up pretty quickly.

Probably the only downside to teaching in Costa Rica is that the money’s not so good. Even if you have a high paying job in the city, your pay will be more than enough to provide you with extra traveling or party money, but once you head back home the money won’t be worth much. But, who goes there for the money anyway? In Costa Rica, there’s so much more to life.

A Few Facts For Teachers

Taiwan is a small, out of the way country, but for English teachers it can be a great place to work. There are lots of great opportunities for those who want to teach English in Taiwan. And, there is no sign that the demand will be decreasing any time soon. But, what is it really like to live and work in Taiwan?

Living In Taiwan

Of all Asian countries, Taiwan is one of the most cosmopolitan. This means that you can find foreign things (including food!) relatively easily and cheaply. It also means that the population of Taiwan, especially in the capital city Taipei, is more diverse than those of Korea, Japan or China. The Taiwanese are known to be friendly to foreign people. Teachers who have lived in Taiwan have often remarked on how it feels like a community. Unlike Japan, Korea or China, foreigners feel like they can fit in.

Taiwan is a small country. You can actually drive from one end to the other in about the time it would take some people to drive to work. This gives you the sense that it’s a small, tightly knit world.

You also don’t need to bring any winter clothes if you plan to live in Taiwan. It stays warm and sunny all year around.

Making Money

Taiwan offers some of the best pay for English teachers in Asia. The pay is good, but unlike Japan, it’s not terribly expensive to live there. On the other hand, living in Taiwan is a little costlier than in Korea, but many English teachers find Taiwan to be a nicer place to live. In any case, you can definitely teach in Taiwan, have a good time, and come home with a good chunk of money saved.

With an entry level teaching position at a big chain English school, you can expect to make around $20 an hour. You can make much more if you teach in a pre-school or do private lessons. Rent in Taipei can be as low as $300 for a centrally located apartment, and eating out you can expect to pay under $5 a person. Now, go and compare that with Japan!

Working In Taiwan As An English Teacher

The actual work that you will do teaching in Taiwan may be a bit more rigorous than in Korea or Japan. In Korea or Japan, English teachers can get by doing a minimum of hard work, but Taiwanese schools (and parents) expect a bit more from their teachers. This also means that Taiwan can be a more stimulating place for a real English teacher to work. In Japan and Korea, where the big language schools often hand you standard course materials and expect you to basically entertain the students, many of those who want to be real teachers feel stifled and frustrated.

The good news for teachers is that, in Taiwan, you are mostly left to your own devices. Schools usually allow teachers lots of flexibility.

If you are thinking about going overseas to teach English, you should put Taiwan on your list. Check it out yourself and do some research online about teaching English in Taiwan.

Teach English In Europe - The English Teacher’s Dream

Everybody wants to teach English in Europe. Europe is a great place to check out, and for westerners it is much more comfortable than living in Asia or South America. For lots of English teachers, Europe is the dream job. But, how do you go about getting there?

The European Union

It helps you get a job in Europe tremendously if you are a member of the European Union. In most countries, English schools will hire a British citizen over a North American almost always. This is not because of some nasty prejudice, or a preference for British English; it is just easier for them. There is less paperwork and hassle on their end.

That being said, it’s not impossible for North Americans and Australians to get teaching jobs in Europe. It happens everyday. But, you should be aware that it will be a little tougher. The good news is that there is some demand for American English. If you can get your visa paperwork sorted out for yourself, it will make it much easier to get a job, instead of relying on sponsorship from the company. There are also short-term study abroad programs where you can teach in Europe for a few months.

Experience And Qualifications

Europe isn’t like Asia, where you can stroll into the country with fluent English and a big smile and land a job. European schools are pretty demanding about qualifications and teaching experience.

While a Masters degree will help, you don’t necessarily need so much schooling. A TESOL or CELTA certification, that you can get in just a couple of months and for a lower price, will do just fine. Europe is a good destination for experienced career teachers who have already done Asia or South America.

It also helps if you have some real-life experience in the business world. The area of highest demand in Europe is for business English, and in many schools they would rather have an experienced businessperson than an experienced English teacher.

What Kind Of Work Is Available

Like Asia, Europe has it’s private conversation schools, but you won’t see as many of them there. There are also assistant teaching programs like Japan’s JET program in some countries, where you work in the public schools as an assistant teacher. However, for long-term employment, these aren’t very good options.

Most teachers who end up staying in Europe live on private lessons and business classes. Most work with dispatch companies that offer short-term contracts. You might be teaching intensive business English classes, or something along those lines.

Head For The East

The area with the most opportunity for English teachers is Eastern Europe. Countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic have growing economies, and they need English to succeed. These are the countries where there are the most jobs and the least competition, and they are the easiest countries to teach in if you want to get your foot in the door.

If you are looking for teaching jobs in Europe, check out the regular teaching abroad websites. But, also post your resume on regular job sites like Monster.com and Craigslist, because European employers look there as well. It takes a little extra work to get a teaching job in Europe, but every year lots of English teachers make their dreams happen.

Should You Teach English In Korea? How Korea Compares

When I was younger, before I became an English teacher and world traveler, I always thought about going to Japan to teach English. The option to teach English in Korea never crossed my mind. But, things have changed quite a bit, and nowadays Korea may be a better deal than most people realize.

Teaching Opportunities Are Everywhere

First off, Korea has the highest demand for English teachers than anywhere else in Asia. New schools are popping up all the time, and they are always looking for teachers. Seoul is pretty crowded with foreign English teachers, but in cities like Pusan that are rapidly developing, you can pretty much walk into a good teaching job.

Korea is attractive to lots of people because they offer free airfare and accommodation deals. This used to be common practice in Japan, but the money for all that just isn’t there anymore. To go to Korea and teach, you don’t have to save up the bundle of money you need before you head to Japan or Taiwan.

You Might Actually Save Money!

Most people will tell you that Japan is where the big money for teaching is, but Japan is also the most expensive country in Asia to live in. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about people teaching in Japan and having to live in a shoebox-sized apartment in Tokyo.

The Korean Won is not as valuable as the Japanese Yen, but you it’s still pretty viable. Korea is not like China or Thailand, where you can teach English and live like a king, but your whopping salary is just peanuts outside of the country.

In Korea, you can make a decent wage that will allow you to have a bigger house. You can go out to eat, hit the local clubs, and do some traveling. You can do all of this, and even save some money to take home with you. Many would say that Korea is the best deal going.

Beware Of Rip-Offs

One big drawback to teaching in Korea is that there are lots of scams and rip-offs. It is pretty common for schools to hire teachers illegally, or use fake documents. There have been cases where teachers have not been paid, or forced to work ridiculous hours.

It’s really important that you check out the company before you take a job in Korea. Use the Internet and the ESL forums and talk to people who have gone there. There is legal help available, of course. Make sure that everything is legit so you don’t get ripped off.

It’s important everywhere to read your contract carefully and ask all the questions you need answered before taking a job. But, this is especially important in Korea.

Finally, most people who teach English in Korea find Korean people to be very warm and friendly. It is easy to make friends, and major cities have lots of clubs, restaurants and other fun things to do. In Korea, you can teach English, live well, enjoy what the country has to offer, and save a bit to take home with you.

- The English Teacher’s Dream

Everybody wants to teach English in Europe. Europe is a great place to check out, and for westerners it is much more comfortable than living in Asia or South America. For lots of English teachers, Europe is the dream job. But, how do you go about getting there?

The European Union

It helps you get a job in Europe tremendously if you are a member of the European Union. In most countries, English schools will hire a British citizen over a North American almost always. This is not because of some nasty prejudice, or a preference for British English; it is just easier for them. There is less paperwork and hassle on their end.

That being said, it’s not impossible for North Americans and Australians to get teaching jobs in Europe. It happens everyday. But, you should be aware that it will be a little tougher. The good news is that there is some demand for American English. If you can get your visa paperwork sorted out for yourself, it will make it much easier to get a job, instead of relying on sponsorship from the company. There are also short-term study abroad programs where you can teach in Europe for a few months.

Experience And Qualifications

Europe isn’t like Asia, where you can stroll into the country with fluent English and a big smile and land a job. European schools are pretty demanding about qualifications and teaching experience.

While a Masters degree will help, you don’t necessarily need so much schooling. A TESOL or CELTA certification, that you can get in just a couple of months and for a lower price, will do just fine. Europe is a good destination for experienced career teachers who have already done Asia or South America.

It also helps if you have some real-life experience in the business world. The area of highest demand in Europe is for business English, and in many schools they would rather have an experienced businessperson than an experienced English teacher.

What Kind Of Work Is Available

Like Asia, Europe has it’s private conversation schools, but you won’t see as many of them there. There are also assistant teaching programs like Japan’s JET program in some countries, where you work in the public schools as an assistant teacher. However, for long-term employment, these aren’t very good options.

Most teachers who end up staying in Europe live on private lessons and business classes. Most work with dispatch companies that offer short-term contracts. You might be teaching intensive business English classes, or something along those lines.

Head For The East

The area with the most opportunity for English teachers is Eastern Europe. Countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic have growing economies, and they need English to succeed. These are the countries where there are the most jobs and the least competition, and they are the easiest countries to teach in if you want to get your foot in the door.

If you are looking for teaching jobs in Europe, check out the regular teaching abroad websites. But, also post your resume on regular job sites like Monster.com and Craigslist, because European employers look there as well. It takes a little extra work to get a teaching job in Europe, but every year lots of English teachers make their dreams happen.