Asia features

eaching ESL in Asia saved this writer’s life: my teaching salaries over the years have funded a couple of 6-month backpacking sessions in India, a trek to Mount Kailash (deep in the wilds of western Tibet), and a dozen or so 1-month forays through Southeast Asia.

As I neared my 30s, however, I began to panic: I had fallen into a routine that seemed to have no end: teach for a year, save some money, backpack, teach for a year, save some money, backpack…

Luckily, I got out – I scored a couple of writing jobs, honed my design and web skills, and created for myself a media career that is gathering steam with each passing day.

Here is another story of someone who ‘got out’:

Teachers who failed to get out:

In Planet Asia’s experience, those who teach for more than 5 years will have basically sealed themselves off from any other type of work that does not involve a paper hat. In Japan, you’ll find myriad teachers who ‘grabbed too early’ and settled down with a local. Here is a sampling of how they’ve ended up (notice the common thread in each tale of woe):

What’s so bad about teaching English?

Teaching English has very little to do with ‘education.’ In all of the main destinations for teachers( Japan, Korea, China, Thailand), teachers are expected to ‘have fun’ with their students. Natural talkers who enjoy being the center of attention will thrive. Introverts will wilt.

Here is an example:

Teacher: Ok, today, we will talk about hobbies. Yoko, what are your hobbies?
Yoko: Sleeping.
Teacher: Ok, Mr. Nakamura, how about you?
Mr. Nakamura: Nothing special. <looks at teacher with hungry eyes>
Teacher: <looks at watch. Eighty-seven minutes left to go...>

Just ‘teach’, it’s easy!

All across Asia are legions of unqualified halfwits who leech off of the ESL industry by hiring foreign teachers, and then packing their classes with as many students as possible. Things like books, teaching materials, a reasonable curriculum, etc are usually an afterthought.

‘Steve’ taught at Aston English in 2006. During his 2-day orientation training, he was basically told that they expected him to 'ad lib' 2-hour lessons, while being 'fun and exciting'.

“I’m expected to make stuff on the fly, be hilarious, and send students home with hearts of joy and rapidly impoving English. It’s hard, man. That’s why I drink. Two Tsigntaos every night, 10 or so every Saturday.”

Steve also blows off steam by visiting prostitutes. “At least it’s better than working in a donut shop back home.”

A frustrated teacher in hell

"From the first day I entered that ESL school, I've known it to be operated by crooks and attended by so-call "students" who have been cheating their parents by pretending to be interested in learning the English language.

To get the "honor" of addressing the owner of the school is tantamount to acquiring an audience with His Holiness The Pope! Following his initial address of welcome to all foreign staff at the commencement of the term, the man has been a total stranger by appointing native representatives -- most with extremely limited English language ability -- to handle each and every problem that crops up...

Insignificance ... the job doesn't pay much. I've had to remain in this insignificant little apartment on an insignificant little street in an insignificant part of this city. I feel trapped as my thoughts have centered about my failure to have pursued a productive career when I had the chance ... The so-called "students," a plentiful enough batch of monsters, is where I have encountered my most serious difficulties. From day one, they have disobeyed me, mocked me, and made jokes about me behind my back. They have made me feel like the lowest, most insignificant refugee to ever step off the banana boat onto their sacred soil, instead of the foreign specialist I was hired to represent via my education and extensive teaching experience.

As the months have slowly passed, I've realized more and more that I am only one teeny step from the poverty level. Christ! This job doesn't offer at least a financial benefit. Due to my extreme limitation, I've had to remain in this insignificant little apartment on an insignificant little street in an even more insignificant part of this city. I feel trapped as my thoughts -- even my dreams -- have centered about my failure to have pursued a productive career when I had the chance.

My thoughts now shift to my failed marriage, my voluntary abandonment of my only child, and total estrangement from all family ties. I realize now that I have continually dodged my responsibilities by always using my own odd brand of rationale to justify even the most undignified of deeds. HA! Look at me now. I could kick myself squarely in the prostate for having been a horse's ass all my tormented life.

-- full article

Escaping the English teaching trap

Planet Asia got out of the English teaching trap like this:

1. Talked our way into an editor’s job for a near-bankrupt English city magazine in Osaka.
2. Moved on to do academic writing (less work, better pay, but mind-numbing boredom) for a couple of years.
3. Spent a year slumming as a college teacher in China (10 hours of teaching per week, 9am-11:30 am/ 4 times a week) while learning mastery of the Joomla CMS.

In Planet Asia’s experience, there are two primary keys to getting out of the teaching trap:

1. Start your adventure in Asia with a clear end goal in mind.
2. Be humble, smile a lot, and try to ingratiate yourself with people of power.

Here are some other tales of expats who managed to get out, courtesy of Ajarn.com:

Conclusion

Teaching English is a great way to get yourself overseas. However, the work is tough, the students are demanding, the pay is not great, and the conditions can be extremely dodgy.

Thus, if you choose this route, make sure to plan ahead.

Start with a clear goal, and use the bulk of your free time working towards achieving it.

Good luck!