Unable to find a job after graduating, British student goes abroad to teach English

A native teacher's class at a primary school in Ho Chi Minh City

ILLUSTRATION PHOTO OF DAO NGOC THACH

Good salary, less stressful work

A survey by the TEFL Institute (UK) of 1,292 teachers who graduated from the UK and are teaching English abroad showed that more than 30% of them chose to teach English abroad because they faced direct challenges in finding jobs related to their field of study. In addition, 70% of teachers confirmed that they were satisfied with this decision.

"UK graduates are finding the job market saturated with people with degrees in the wrong field and unclear career paths. With a huge investment of time and money but not being able to find a job related to their field of study, they are looking for opportunities in other countries," Rhyan O'Sullivan, CEO of TEFL Academy, explained the survey results to The PIE News .

According to Rhyan O'Sullivan, teaching English abroad offers a good salary, a low-stress schedule, "and it's obvious that people will stay in this job forever." Many survey participants also agreed that flexible working hours, low stress, and a good work-life balance are benefits of teaching English abroad.

It makes sense that the overseas job market is opening up for those with English teaching qualifications, according to Rhyan O'Sullivan. Popular countries for English teachers include Spain, China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. "China alone has over 400 million English learners. And in the Middle East, many teaching contracts include airfare and accommodation," he added.

Vietnam is considered a popular English teaching market for international teachers.

According to Rhyan O'Sullivan, it is not only recent graduates who are pursuing a career in teaching English abroad, but also experienced teachers in the UK. Specifically, about 40% of TEFL Academy graduates have taught in schools in the UK, the report said.

Currently, English teachers who have been certified with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in the UK can demand a higher salary than regular English teachers, up to 40,000 pounds/year (1.2 billion VND).

How is the Vietnamese market evaluated?

According to the TEFL Institute’s online publication TEFL World Factbook 2023, Vietnam’s economy has been growing over the years, notably in the tourism, manufacturing, and information technology sectors. This has expanded opportunities for teaching English in Vietnam, and Vietnamese people are said to be eager to learn to develop their English skills, as well as being receptive.

The three main localities with a need for foreign English teachers are Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Job opportunities range from the private to the public sector, with positions ranging from high schools, universities, English centers to online teaching. The demand for business English is also increasing. The average salary ranges from 1,000-2,000 USD/month (23-45 million VND), TEFL Academy commented.

An English exam preparation class in Ho Chi Minh City

Teachers who want to work in public schools must apply two to three months before the school year, which usually starts in August, the publication said. Most contracts stipulate teaching hours of 20 to 30 hours per week. Some higher-paying positions may offer other benefits, but teachers generally do not have additional benefits included in their teaching contracts.

TEFL Academy also advises foreign teachers to prepare enough money to cover living expenses for 2 months when coming to Vietnam because in reality, they have to pay for their own flights, accommodation, visa fees and health insurance. In addition, many places also require teachers to pay visa fees in advance to ensure the completion of the contract, and this amount will be refunded after the contract ends.

Sharing on the TEFL Academy website, Ms. Alana Redick, an elementary school teacher at a public school in Ho Chi Minh City, said that Vietnam has a great demand for English teachers as the economy booms. "I have a relatively high salary and good benefits because schools are also competing to get the best teachers," the female teacher said.

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