Why TEFL is a Bad Career Choice

[boatboy]

Why TEFL is a Bad Career Choice?
So, you quit your job, packed your bag and took off to a foreign, exotic land to do your Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course? Congratulations! Enjoy, before the reality of the world catches up with you.

Why TEFL is a Bad Career Choice? « Life in the tropics by Marek Lenarcik

[david44]

Funny but true esp the bit about students pretending to learn and no fail culture

[Storekeeper]

The author paints a pretty broad brushed picture that I'm not sure is entirely accurate or fair. He's probably spot on about the stereotypical TEFLer but what about those who pull in 60,000 - 80,000 plus baht a month for a few decades and have Thai wives with good careers?

Nah, for some teaching in Thailand is a fulfilling career and I tip my hat to them.

[RickThai]

I would think most of the younger "TEFLERs" just want to travel and live in different countries for the cultural experience.

I would think that most of the older "TEFLERs" in Thailand are just looking for a way to live in a country where there is plenty of relatively, cheap hookers.

Although, like everything I am sure there are exceptions.

I, myself, have thought about taking a TEFL course, only as a way of doing something positive as I near my life's end. I don't really need a salary and I know my wife would like to spend more time with her family in Thailand as the end of her life nears.

Haven't done it yet, though. Too lazy.

RickThai

[Rural Surin]

Career?

Oh dear.....

[kingwilly]

Nothing wrong with a bit of teaching.

[peterpan]

I tried a bit of teaching for a year, but never cut out for it, got quickly disillusioned when I realized the whole set up was a sham to persuade poor farmers to pay money under the illusion that they were doing something to educate their offspring.

The school only educated them to toe the line.
I and A couple of others got shafted when we quietly expressed our opinion that the school was a set up to make a money so the boss could make money to indulge his passion for molesting young girls at the Karaoke places.


Gone in 60 seconds.

[Bangyai]

Smeg.....the ghost writer pens again !

[barbaro]

TEFL can be a good career (like anything) IF.....

You get good Quals,

Are young enough to start (not "start over")

Spend some time in the Middle East.


I have 3 friends in the Middle East. 1 is married, and 2 are single.

All are happy, make LOTS of tax free income - even though they travel the world on they ample holiday time.

Bad career? If most (not all) stay in Thailand, then, yes.

Good / great carreer? For Westerners in a declining and insecure economy that have quals and go to the M.E. on-and-off? Absolutely.

People that start these threads are the bottom tier EFL teachers.

I made $45 per hour, and had flights, food and hotel paid for as recently as 6 months ago.

Get that in the West.

[peterpan]

^^Who are you referring too? not me I hope, cause Plenty of people know me, and I aint smeg, only been to Bournemouth once, too many old people for me, so got out pronto.

[Zooheekock]

People that start these threads are the bottom tier EFL teachers.

Yes. TEFLing is not the most rewarding of jobs (intellectually or financially) but backpacker-level or unskilled retiree type English teaching in Thailand is really about as shitty as it gets and only an idiot would think that that kind of work is representative of the entire field.

[RickThai]

TEFL can be a good career (like anything) IF.....

You get good Quals,

Are young enough to start (not "start over")

Spend some time in the Middle East.


I have 3 friends in the Middle East. 1 is married, and 2 are single.

All are happy, make LOTS of tax free income - even though they travel the world on they ample holiday time.

Bad career? If most (not all) stay in Thailand, then, yes.

Good / great carreer? For Westerners in a declining and insecure economy that have quals and go to the M.E. on-and-off? Absolutely.

People that start these threads are the bottom tier EFL teachers.

I made $45 per hour, and had flights, food and hotel paid for as recently as 6 months ago.

Get that in the West.

Anyone who is good at anything can make good money in the Mid East, but I believe someone would really have to be really desperate for money to live in most of those places. Kind of like joining the Foreign Legion - last chance and all that IMO.

RickThai

[barbaro]

TEFL can be a good career (like anything) IF.....

You get good Quals,

Are young enough to start (not "start over")

Spend some time in the Middle East.


I have 3 friends in the Middle East. 1 is married, and 2 are single.

All are happy, make LOTS of tax free income - even though they travel the world on they ample holiday time.

Bad career? If most (not all) stay in Thailand, then, yes.

Good / great carreer? For Westerners in a declining and insecure economy that have quals and go to the M.E. on-and-off? Absolutely.

People that start these threads are the bottom tier EFL teachers.

I made $45 per hour, and had flights, food and hotel paid for as recently as 6 months ago.

Get that in the West.

Anyone who is good at anything can make good money in the Mid East, but I believe someone would really have to be really desperate for money to live in most of those places. Kind of like joining the Foreign Legion - last chance and all that IMO.

RickThai

True for many (but not all people).

I do know some EFL teachers, who at about the age of 45 or so realized they were broke. Not a dime.

They went to Saudi. It's the last chance.

Others do it for a goal. Saving for old age of course, investing or buying / investing in a condo.

Definitely about the $$$. And there are sh*te teaching jobs there as well.

But....it works for some.

[Storekeeper]

TEFL can be a good career (like anything) IF.....

You get good Quals,

Are young enough to start (not "start over")

Spend some time in the Middle East.


I have 3 friends in the Middle East. 1 is married, and 2 are single.

All are happy, make LOTS of tax free income - even though they travel the world on they ample holiday time.

Bad career? If most (not all) stay in Thailand, then, yes.

Good / great carreer? For Westerners in a declining and insecure economy that have quals and go to the M.E. on-and-off? Absolutely.

People that start these threads are the bottom tier EFL teachers.

I made $45 per hour, and had flights, food and hotel paid for as recently as 6 months ago.

Get that in the West.

Anyone who is good at anything can make good money in the Mid East, but I believe someone would really have to be really desperate for money to live in most of those places. Kind of like joining the Foreign Legion - last chance and all that IMO.

RickThai

True for many (but not all people).

I do know some EFL teachers, who at about the age of 45 or so realized they were broke. Not a dime.

They went to Saudi. It's the last chance.

Others do it for a goal. Saving for old age of course, investing or buying / investing in a condo.

Definitely about the $$$. And there are sh*te teaching jobs there as well.

But....it works for some.

Do you think you would ever want to teach in the ME? Big negative for me.

[barbaro]

TEFL can be a good career (like anything) IF.....

You get good Quals,

Are young enough to start (not "start over")

Spend some time in the Middle East.


I have 3 friends in the Middle East. 1 is married, and 2 are single.

All are happy, make LOTS of tax free income - even though they travel the world on they ample holiday time.

Bad career? If most (not all) stay in Thailand, then, yes.

Good / great carreer? For Westerners in a declining and insecure economy that have quals and go to the M.E. on-and-off? Absolutely.

People that start these threads are the bottom tier EFL teachers.

I made $45 per hour, and had flights, food and hotel paid for as recently as 6 months ago.

Get that in the West.

Anyone who is good at anything can make good money in the Mid East, but I believe someone would really have to be really desperate for money to live in most of those places. Kind of like joining the Foreign Legion - last chance and all that IMO.

RickThai

True for many (but not all people).

I do know some EFL teachers, who at about the age of 45 or so realized they were broke. Not a dime.

They went to Saudi. It's the last chance.

Others do it for a goal. Saving for old age of course, investing or buying / investing in a condo.

Definitely about the $$$. And there are sh*te teaching jobs there as well.

But....it works for some.

Do you think you would ever want to teach in the ME? Big negative for me.

SK,

You are set. You don't need to work in the M.E.

Hey: I got my credit check today SK and my FICO SCORE IS 811.

Better than 96% of other Americans.

I am out of EFL, but it will call me back.

[Stranger]

From burger flipper to professor. Only in TEFL!

[barbaro]

From burger flipper to professor. Only in TEFL!

I wold not go so far as to call these folks a "professor."

But EFL teacher, yes.

Since the economic downturn started I have noticed more and more Uni grads / MA/MS grads and yes *cough* people with American law degrees teaching EFL.

I have worked with a couple of people who graduated from law school, passed the bar and now teach EFL.

(They never had the common sense to realize these lawyer jobs don't exist and the few that do are cash-only non partner jobs with no benefits.)

That said, less lawyer jobs are a good thing. They don't produce things for society.

[nellyp]

I like my job.

[Rocksteady]

The author paints a pretty broad brushed picture that I'm not sure is entirely accurate or fair. He's probably spot on about the stereotypical TEFLer but what about those who pull in 60,000 - 80,000 plus baht a month for a few decades and have Thai wives with good careers?

Nah, for some teaching in Thailand is a fulfilling career and I tip my hat to them.

I think it all went wrong for the writer when he chose the institution to learn his craft.

SK you are right and there are many out there doing very well while many in the West are either on the street, unemployed, underemployed, dreading the postman with the next bill, living off food stamps/food banks/welfare state, dreading the next round of job cuts/austerity measures, have no chance of paying their mortgage when interest rates rise back to their normal levels, are buggered by student loans and have no chance of even getting a mortgage on a shipping container without the help of the bank of Mum and Dad.

All in all, TEFLing is an easy life which can lead to bigger and better levels if you are willing to go down that road

[Munted]

Very true, even amongst the lowly TEFL crowd there are those who have put themselves forward to escape their crap-ridden Western home life. They have taken a gamble to improve their own lot, and that spirit of self-improvement needs applauding.

[Paddy Whackery]

Very true, even amongst the lowly TEFL crowd there are those who have put themselves forward to escape their crap-ridden Western home life. They have taken a gamble to improve their own lot, and that spirit of self-improvement needs applauding.

I recently was talking with a fellow high school classmate of mine about the world of EFL in various countries. He has a Masters from University and wants to live in a warm climate, in his case, Spain He knows i have an interest in Asia and always wanted to go there. We have other classmates who spent a couple of years EFLing in Japan. Whenever i mention Thailand or Philippines, he says right on cue every time: "Oh yeah - that's where all the child molesters go"... "Sorry", I said interrupting him..."but did somebody just order up a crock of feminist SHITE cos i sure didn't"...I don't know how the poor guy got so pussy whipped. He's not even married.