>do ESL/traveling in Asia for a few years >come home 2

>>949152
>but going back would be admitting defeat

Says who? Nobody will think so apart from you I bet

>also tfw not born in an English speaking country so you'll never land a decent ESL job ;__;

I want you Anglospherians to know how lucky you are to have such opportunities

>decent major from a decent uno
>women's studies associate degree from a community college

Seriously though the US job market is a disaster for recent grads. ESL is pretty much the only way I've seen for me to travel and also have a job for when I graduate. Otherwise I'm screwed.

>>949152
> always wanted to do esl training
> couldn't justify it because of attractive job offers after graduation
> economy goes to shit, no more offers
ESL it is baby.

How did you get certified?

>>949163
there's a pretty rough class divide that I think most people are not aware of. lower class people, the bottom 50%, see english work and see a job that lets them travel that pays better than anything they'll EVER get in their lives.

the top 50%, or aspirational middle class, sees ESL as a dead end job with shit pay, uncompensated relocation, a pain in the ass, which adds nothing to their career.

It's VERY easy to tell a poster's background by how they react to posts about how "good" esl is by this metric.

>>949152

Yeah I had a friend who ran off to Asia to teach English right after we graduated. She got bored of it and came back and she's an an "office manager" now in flyover country USA because her ESL job is basically a black mark on her resume. She can barely afford to take time off at all, and I'm making low six figures and I fly around the world as part of my job.

It's a shame, we went to a good school, she was smart, and she could have done something with her life, but when she left she was sounding like your average /trv/ poster worrying about losing her soul.

Sometimes young people just freak out at the idea of responsibility and they make bad decisions.

>>949315
Wait people go abroad do ESL and look for a job instead of coming back and going to grad school?

>>949152

>graduated 6 months ago
>was split between ESL in China and pursuing my dream job
>decided to stay and pursue

think about getting my TEFL certification and jumping a plane to China every day...

should I just go to China now and do ESL for a couple of years and come back to pursue the career when I'm ready?

>>949308
Yeah, and most ESL teachers are somewhat insecure. There will be a lot of people that smirk at your salary. If that is the tip elf thing that bothers you then don't even consider it. If you seriously dgaf what other people think it can be a great career.

You don't know if you like Asia until you have lived there a few years though. If you decide you hate it after 3 years you are kind of fucked because your experience is going to be linked with Asia one way or another forever.

and no it doesn't look good on a resume unless your future job is ESL or somehow relevant to the country you taught in

>>949352
Pretty much what this guy said. I lucked out when it came to teaching with my TEFL certificate abroad. I was in school pursuing an Elementary Education degree (don't hate, I love working with children) and found a program in my area that offered a TEFL certificate so I jumped on it.

After graduating I jumped on the first plane out of my state and I ended up in Thailand teaching English to about 50 kids in total ranging from 6-11. It was amazing and it even looked good on my resume to school districts back in the state because the school in Thailand I taught at was a highly rated school. They liked that I have experience with English learners and now I teach 3rd grade in which I have 11 English language learners. (10 Mexican, 1 Korean).

>>949349
You have to just follow your gut on these things. I did ESL for 4 years and it was amazing, the best part was the freedom and living like a minor rock star and dating girls out of my league.

I'm back in the UK now and culture shock: I am just Average Joe.

>>949389

why'd you decide to go back to the UK?

i'm currently teaching english at a public school in south korea. some days i consider my future, and what life will be like for me after i return to america. i really want to avoid OP's current situation, because that just sounds depressing as hell... and i love living and working in asia...

i'll probably just stay in asia forever, boys. i've got it good here. how feasible do you all think it is to save up, get a masters and start teaching at the university level in one of the asian countries?

>>949391
I guess I bought into the negative stigma/hate for ESL teachers especially ones who are older. I wanted to prove to myself I'm going to hack it at home and not be still teaching age 30+

We'll see how it works out but I'm slowly building a new life in London.

>>949427

What's so good about London? If you're miserable there, why not go back to doing what you enjoy?

People jab at ESL teachers all the time, but it takes a determined mind to leave your old life behind and learn a new skill set to survive in a foreign land. And if you make a living doing it, I think it's downright admirable.

And plus it's a God damn adventure. What will you look back on more fondly in your twilight years? Toiling at a menial desk job in London or being a teacher (a noble profession if of itself) in Asia?

How do so many people teach ESL?
Do you even have to have an english degree?

>>949367
>10 Mexican
must be disappointing aver teaching Asian masterrace

>>949308
I consider myself upper middle class, albeit not from an English speaking country. But having the possibility to work in another country without having to specialize in one field is a pretty good possibility.

>>949315
>Being a square = doing something with your life
>Following your dreams = making bad decisions

Wtf are you doing here m8

>>949565

An angry hick from Mississippi was asking me the same question in the Iceland thread. On /trv/ there's only One True Way and everyone else is wrong.

>>949568
It's like in physics: looking out into the stars, all observers perceive they are at the dead center of the universe.

>>949315
>her ESL job is basically a black mark on her resume

To judge life experiences based solely on "how good they look on a resume" is a very bad idea, IMO. I had that mentality when I was in school and it left me burnt out and depressed. I think you gotta live for yourself, and if you can do that with confidence, other people--the right people--will be impressed.

>be britbong
>apply for three jobs
>get three interviews
>get two offers

Such is life in the caliphate of the united kingdom.

What are you guys doing wrong when you apply/interview?

>>949152
Yeah ESL is more retirement plan. 40+ Just so I won't be bored.

>>949601
The old ESL teachers are just sad. Most students except for the even older ones don't want them either.

>>949599
we have shitty degrees. (I'm canadian but same shit.)

I miss travelling. When I was in eastern europe i could sleep with 9/10s no problem, effortlessly. Come back to Canada and the girls are on average ugly as shit (in this city anyway) and they all think they're queens, it's absurd.

>applied for job in east Germany, if i don't get my life is ruined.

>>949664
that's what you get for living in winnipeg

>>949664
>tfw can double or triple my income the second I get bored because I majored in CS.

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>>949669
okay there buddy

>>949152
Hey so is ESL in Japan dead? All signs seem to point to China and Korea, I mean is it really that bad there or what?

>>949315
>2015
>Judging others because they didn't do what you did

Who is worse, the person who tried and did something they wanted to, or the person who judges and makes assumptions about others?

>>949394
>how feasible do you all think it is to save up, get a masters and start teaching at the university level

That's pretty much what all full time ESL teachers do once they decide they want to stay. Get higher qualifications and secure a higher paying teaching job.

The big problem is whether you can stay in the country or get residency. Depends on where you are in the world. Good luck anon.

>>949724
It's not dead, it is just harder to secure a good job there. Japan has raised their standards requiring a bachelor degree and tefl/celta certification. Basically all the shit teachers were weeded out.

Pay is still higher than China and Korea as well.

Is there any demand for native english speaking science teachers? I have a degree in chemistry (able to teach any science though) and experience teaching in the states, where I've found I prefer teaching science to english.

Would a certification still be required/advisable?

Polish guy here, would i be able to do ESL if i got degree in English philology? (Basically studying english in all it's aspects, from pronounciation to grammar and vocab, 3 years)

I don't know how they look at non native english speakers, or if it even is significant.

I'm in China but not teaching English, I'm teaching Spanish at a uni. Although i realise it's not my dream job i see my situation is not the same as some English teachers i know.

I have a shitty degree in a country with terrible rates of unemployment, if i was back home it would be likely for me to be unemployed. Originally i came to learn Chinese, now after three years I'm fluent and hold the second highest hsk level,which might be useful in the future. In Spain it actually would look good on your cv to have been teaching abroad since not so many people do it. I teach at a public university so my working conditions are better, i have almost four months paid holidays a year,which has allowed me to travel to amazing places, which is my main target.

I'm still thinking about what to do next year... Ideally i would like to move somewhere else, more competitive place like Singapore but i have no idea... Sometimes I'm tempted to stay... Others i want to go back to Spain...

>>949834
What part of Spain are you from?
How do you treat people who go to Spain and go all >muh ancestry?
I hold a spanish passport and wanted to go there to work for a year or go for school

>>949841

I'm from Madrid...

It depends a lot where you're from. But anyway, young people are fleeing Spain because the lack of jobs. You probably don't want to be here

>>949845
Well both of my grandmothers are from Spain, Sevilla and Logroño, I'm actually from Mexico and people there always say they are pure spanish blood when they aren't.

I know the situation is dire but I would only be spending a year there before going back to school.

>>949834
Fellow Spaniard here, how did you land the job? i'm assuming you have a degree in hispanic philology?

>>949813
I forgot to mention, I'm asking mostly about Korea and Vietnam. Hearing about other places would be helpful too though

>>949724
I applied for jobs in Japan a few times with no luck. Definitely a lot harder to get a job and working visa there than it is for other countries.

China is the easiest on the up but there is a big gulf between the good jobs and bad jobs. I saw some offers that are 4000-5000 RMB in third rate cities... that would suck IMO. I managed to get a very well paying gig in Beijing but I had 3 years of experience.

Korea seems to be fading a bit... the salaries seem to have stagnated (or got worse), hours are longer, the market is more saturated. I was there 4 years ago and had a good gig but I think it's harder to find those kind of gigs now.

Taiwan is the dark horse country but was my favorite. There aren't dozens of new jobs every day but it also doesn't attract so many teachers. Most teachers there seem to have some experience before going there so it might be harder for a newbie.

>>949492
The ESL route is not a bad one. I'm not dissing it really.

I was miserable when I first moved back into my parents home in <small city>. Then I moved to London and it's been a lot better. If I get a job I'll be all set... I'm getting interviews and am getting close so I gotta keep plugging away. Too early to give up yet.

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>>949152

>tfw I chose to stay in the UK to save up for a mortgage, instead of going back to Japan to teach english where I had previously done a working holiday and loved it.

I know I made the right choice, but now I have a shitty part-time office job living back with the parents stuck in the middle of the country where I know nobody.

Tell me I'm doing the right thing.

>>949861
What do you consider a "good" job in korea?

>>949152

Why would any one live in a western country today?

>>949890

You...are not doing the right thing.

>>949890
You shouldn't need to be "told" that. Do what you want, it's your life and you won't live twice. Your current situation sounds like the type of BS suited for mousy little jobsworths like Gareth from The Office.

Are you Gareth?

If no, find something better.

>>949901
>>949903

I'll stay in this job for at least 9 months, that's my original contract anyway.

Then I might just move somewhere completely random, like London or something. Just to be in a city and actually live life again.

Or just go fuck it, and sign up with an eikawa, and head back to Japan, and start enjoying life once more.

>>949747

It's hardly judgemental to say someone hates their job and is frustrated with the outcome of their decisions. You sound like one of those self-righteous Real Travellers who can't admit that they view travel as a status symbol worth fucking up their life over. Did you take out $5000 in credit card debt to go backpacking with your friends?

>>949389
Where did you go? Just curious.

I'm 25 and I've been thinking of doing ESl for a 3-5 year period: go to spain for a year (no certificate required), then south america (probably panama) and/or South Korea for 1-2 years each, allowing time to do continental travels.

I don't really get why people knock the idea because of salary or career prospects. I know a few languages and could think of this as a potential career, but let's get real: people want to do this because it is a great and unique way to travel, not because of how much you'll make or how it looks on your resume. Some of us are more concerned with life experiences and education than currency and status.

>>949499
>english degree
it depends on the qualifications expected by the country. I haven't done it but have read quite a bit. Some people do it with a high school diploma, others with a university degree. Often times you'll need an (accredited) certification.

>>949643
College educated. Will be abroad any way with wife. I can also apply for an international school. Hell, I could find work in my field.but actually like teaching/mentoring, which I've done on the side for years. I figure ESL was an easy way to that. Or traditional teachers looked at differently. Ehy are ild ESLs viewed as sad ?

>>949992
They're not, there's just a contingent of shitposters who go after ESL and try to make them feel bad.

>be Canadian
>Education Degree
>graduate with rewards, references, job offers
>leave to Thailand anyways because I can actually save money there, get out of the cold, and work out/box in peace without all the political crap that comes with the job here
>also wouldn't even be able to move out in Canada on a teacher's salary because of the stupid taxes

I'll come back in a few years once I am up the pay scale and I can move to BC or some shit.

>>950001
>teaching in bc
where did you get your degree bro, how hard was it

>>949999
A lot of people do view them as sad. I was an English major in college so it's nothing new to me. People view a liberal arts major as a wandering idiot most of the time. So the attitude towards ESL teachers is similar to the attitude of a womans studies or english major in college. You have to get over that if it's what you want to do, because the stigma isn't going anywhere. Imagine you are an ESL teacher in Bolivia and you go to a party there to meet other expats. Most of the other people there have engineering, nursing, diplomatic, international bullshit they are doing, or they are "saving the world" working for an NGO. Some of them will see you as their peer, others will be douchebags that can't stand the idea of sharing experiences with you. International travel and interacting with the locals is supposed to be some elite thing, and you just kind of stumbled into it (in their opinion). Your pay will probably be less too. That's just the reality of it.

On the other hand if you don't let this hurt your self esteem and act halfway normal it won't even phase you. You will also probably be more immersed in the culture than other expats because you will be at the mercy of your employer and you will be at the middle/lower middle class rung of the social ladder in the country you teach in. The fake face of the country will go away and you will see it for what it really is.

>>950009
Sorry, but it just isn't true. Most expats aren't going to look down their noses at ESL teachers. The roaming day traders and professional sex tourists might, but the engineers, altruists and travel bloggers generally don't care as long as you're not an asshole (like the day traders and professional sex tourists).

>>949999

Ehhh... The stigma and stereotype surrounding ESL teachers is that they failed back home, so they went abroad because they have no other choice. The older the ESL teacher, the bigger a failure he is perceived as.

Most ESL teachers I've met while abroad are "outcasts" in same way or form. Then again, anybody who strays off the beaten path is considered an outsider by "normal" society.

>>949964
>"She can barely afford to take time off"
>"I fly around the world as part of my job"
>"she could have done something with her life"

Implying that's not judgemental. That poster sounds buttmad since he keeps comparing himself to her situation.

>>950012
More don't hold that stereotype than do. In general most people at a party would be interested in hearing stories and talking about traveling when they meet someone who went ESL, or found any reason to live or work overseas.

Traveling to most people is exciting and exotic, it doesn't really matter how or why you did it.

If there really is a bottom bitch among travelers it's not ESL, it's WWOFers.

But the reality is that most expats don't like hierarchy and cliques, that's part of why they are expats.

>>950014
I'm glad you've had good experiences. However, you hardly speak for the entire human race.
In developed Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea, the natives view the average ESL teacher as a joke.

>>950020
I'm sorry you have had bad experiences, but you hardly speak for the entire human race.

The vast majority of people, no matter what country they are from view ESL teachers as people who went to another country to teach English.

>>950020
>>950021
The vast majority of people have likely never heard of ESL teachers.

>>950020
And yet they pay to have these joke white faces entertain their children.

I have a friend who went South Korea to teach ESL and they treated him so badly he became a professor at a University in Seoul.

>>950103
first of all that makes no sense, you need to elaborate

second do you know which company?

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>>950198
>first of all that makes no sense, you need to elaborate
American detected.

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>>950199

>>950198
I was being funny because a previous anon said that in Korea, ESL teachers are treated like shit which isn't really true.

I don't remember what company he went with, but he had a great time and decided to stay. He's on a motorcycle tour around SEA right now, helping newer ESL teachers with their curriculum building.

I'm actually headed over there after the summer to hang out with him and some other expat friends and do some SEA touring of my own.

What will you do when the TEFL market crashes by 2017 or so?

The market is already oversaturated. I was turned down for 29 TEFL jobs already.

>>950226
what countires?

>>950258
14 so far

1. China
2. Korea
3. Japan
4. India
5. Bangladesh
6. Borneo
7. Vietnam
8. Hong Kong
9. Uruguay
10. Sumatra
11. Peru
12. Bangladesh
13. Macau
14. Marshall Islands

>>950262
wow, did they give you any reasons why they denied you also are you in these countries while aplying?

>>950263
some of them because I spent some time in jail for CP possession (it was just lolis) and others no.

>>950258
>teaches English
>doesn't know when to use "which" instead of "what"

This is why you people are the laughing stock of expat communities

>>950262
Borneo and Sumatra aren't countries you fucking pedophile loser

>>950007

Alberta.

Ed Degree is a fucking joke, if you aren't braindead you will get straight A's while laughing at everyone complaining about the work around you.

It wasn't my first choice, just couldn't afford my first which would have been a lot harder so I breezed through this and I can still help people out in my own way.

Huge LOL at the salaries in Canada though, what a joke as well as the class sizes and school politics unless you get into a private school teaching.

>>950267

>pretends to know shit about English on a Cambodian poster wall
>forgets that English constantly evolves and changes word meanings and forms
>if it was up to you we would all be talking and writing like in King Alfreds Preface

Tip top lel. I love hearing idiots talk about proper English. The only way I can understand it is Public School English.

>>950281

>oh shit he caught my grammar error, don't wanna look like an idiot so I better spout some shit about "English is always evolving XD"

>>950021

lol no. Keep deluding yourself kid, and enjoy never getting respect again in your life :-)

>>950267
I'm not an English teacher you cunt I'm a fucking random dude on trv

>>950265

looool are you serious? There is no crash, you're just a pedo. You don't deserve to come within 10 feet of children for the rest of your life.

>>950283
Oh no, some insecure little boy on the internet doesn't respect me, whatever will I do?

(BTW, I'm not even an ESL teacher, I'm a commercial photographer who /trv/s and knows a lot current and former ESLs)

>>950285
No, he isn't serious.

It saddens me that /trv/ is so bad at spotting bait.

>>950289
/trv/ is even worse at thinking non-bait is bait

>>950300
Poe's Law springs eternal. I personally go through a cycle of mostly good posts, then about a day every month I go full retard with "Montreal or Toronto" tier shitposting.

>who am I kidding? I shitpost all day everyday.

>>950301
Are you fucking shitting me?


Montreal, all day every day.

>dat classic French Continental cooking

>>950350
Fool, Montreal is a French Pittsburgh. Toronto is master race, Canadian New York reporting in.