My name is nick and I am planning on going to vietnam with my girlfriend august and we are wanting to teach english. Neither of us have a university degree but we were planning on getting a tefl course before going. The first question is does it matter which of course we take? And the second question would be how long would it take us to find work in ho chi minh city? If we plan to enter the country with 3000 australian dollars would that be enough money for us to live until 1 of us found a job? And is there anything else that we should take care of before we enter vietnam? I'd like to thank you guys for any and all help! My email is [email protected]
teaching in HCMC with tefl
Welcome to the Saigonist Expat Forum! Anyone is welcome to ask and answer questions here and there's no need to create an account.
Ask anything related to living and working in Saigon or Vietnam. All that I ask in return is that you look at the existing topics and try to help others with any information that you know.
June 11, 2012 - 11:05pm
#1
teaching in HCMC with tefl
July 13, 2012 - 8:58am
#2
$A3000 in HCMC might last 2 people 6-8 weeks living Foreigner style, many VN families struggle now on 3--4 mil VND a month.
July 10, 2012 - 8:16pm
#3
Hello everyone
we are a family of three (1 child 5 years old) my wife ( Australian) with a BA in art a TEOFL DIPLOMA and three years experience in teaching english in italy.
I am an actor who worked for few famous theatre company around the world now teaching football to kids .
we are keen to move to vietnam as europe is going down in to deep dark recession..
I was looking at international school in HCMC where my wife could teach ...any advice for her and for me too.....I could always teach football or work as a clown for kids entertainment ( I have my own routines)....
please help !!!!!
Cheers
Gian and Debbie and little Elvis
July 13, 2012 - 8:52am
#4
My VN wife is a Physics , Maths, Biology teacher here in Central VN, she taught herself English, and now teaches English from home, ( when she is not teaching the other subjects ), from what I can see, they teach straight out of the Eng-Viet books you buy in the Shops, I found out why the little kids always ask you , where are you from?, how old are you?, ( that one freaked me out the 1st couple of times ),and what is your name?
I thought about doing another TEFL course, but think if I wanted to teach English, it wouldn't be necessary out here in the Provinces', I finished 3/4 of one in China a few years ago, ( $500 rip off ), but gave up in frustration, the crap they wanted you to teach, it was like going back to the 18th century, and the online ' support' was no help.
Its the same as these Viet-Anh dictionaries, full of obsolete words, with American spelling of course.
July 10, 2012 - 6:51pm
#5
hello, my name is vicki and i am avery young and healthy 61 yr old woman who is thinking of retiring in vietnam in 4 yrs so was hoping to go there next year and teach english. after researching the many courses i am totally confused and wonder if anyone can give me some advise on what certification is widely acceptable ther, thanks in advance, vicki
June 29, 2012 - 10:10pm
#6
Hi,
I work for a TEFL provider,Online TEFL Courses, and I think it might be quite difficult to get a teaching job without a degree.
In terms of the qualification you do, I would go for a 120-hour as this is the most sought after by employers. Our courses are good quality and are the most accredited in the UK.
Thanks,
Richard
June 30, 2012 - 8:36pm
#7
Since are an online TELF course provider you have an incentive to sell those courses.
In Vietnam, it is definitely possible to get a job without certification of any kind. Having certification will help. You can get the certification after you've arrived in Vietnam.
September 30, 2012 - 9:46am
#8
Tomo,
Please don't be a jerk! Getting a job in Viet Nam without a degree?
-Working at the garment factory as the worker who still needs the high school diploma, especially for the foreign manufacturing.
Standing on the stage to teach English without a degree? are you kidding? Who believe and listen to you? What kinds of school to accept you as the English teacher without a degree?? Come on, please!
September 30, 2012 - 7:03pm
#9
Hey, I'm not trying to be a jerk. Maybe you misunderstood what I was trying to say so let me try again.
I feel bad for the many Vietnamese students and their parents who are paying top DOLLAR to study English taught by foreigners. They are paying a price that should equate to a native English speaker with a relevant university education and teaching certifications. We all hear about how important education is in Vietnam, and we can see how much of the annual income people are willing to pay out for it.
However, the market in Vietnam demands so many English teachers that the schools, perhaps due to greed or lack of oversight, will hire nearly anybody with a white face. This means Europeans from non-English speaking countries (e.g. France, Spain, Eastern European countries) can "stand on stage" as you say and teach English. Parents are happy to pay as long as the teacher's face is white and they are reluctant to pay if they are Asian even if they are Asian-American native English speakers. Many teachers also come from African countries where English is widely spoken although not quite the Hollywood accent that kids are expecting.
Next, there are many teachers who are here on a backpacking holiday or perhaps recently retired from Australia. They don't necessarily have college degrees but they are still in high demand from schools and their students. And I know many who had been working in their home countries (often Australia) for decades before deciding to move to Vietnam. They don't have high school degrees but had been working on docks or in construction making a decent living but the money they can make teaching English combined with the low cost of living makes Vietnam a financially competitive location for them.
If you would like to see this situation improved please leave a suggestion.
September 30, 2012 - 4:27pm
#10
Tom's right, many teach English in the Provinces without any sort of a degree, these schools are just happy to hear what English is really SUPPOSED to sound like, many so called VN English teachers are very hard to understand when they speak English, so what hope do their students have?
September 24, 2012 - 4:44pm
#11
It's also against the law to teach English in Vietnam without a 4-year college degree so his advice is correct and - even with the plugging of his course - better than yours.
September 26, 2012 - 11:49am
#12
Actually, Vietnam is full of English teachers who not only don't have 4-year college degrees, they don't even have 4-year high school degrees. In fact, it's full of teachers who are not even native English speakers.
Anonymous, the law may say things that in practice are completely ignored.
September 30, 2012 - 9:29am
#13
Tomo,
What are you talking about the ENGLISH teacher who "not only don't have 4-year college degrees, they don't even have 4-year high school degrees" (??!)
-I used to be the FORMER English teacher before I moved to US and I HAD to have the degree to teach ENGLISH, even for the lowest level - higher one.
It's depend on where you teach and what degree they require. But, yes, you have to have a degree to qualify. Viet Nam is growing country. Most of the young generation who can speak at least three languages lately such as Vietnamese, English or another one (option) to make more money. I used to work for an American company as import-export specialist in Saigon and taught English in the evening after work. TOEFL is popular course in VN and I believe you need to have the certification to teach.
* are you a native-speaker? check your English grammar before you posted and don't look down the Vietnamese people, Tomo!
October 2, 2012 - 4:24pm
#14
Hi Anonymous,
I am pretty sure you're Vietnamese. So you don't have a white face and you don't speak English natively. That's why you get paid less and the requirements for you to teach English are much more strict. For the people I'm talking about, no degrees are necessary.
Please point out where I made grammatical mistakes.
Also please explain why you think I look down on Vietnamese people.
September 27, 2012 - 3:41pm
#15
Also what may be ' law ' in one Province or city, may not necessarily apply in the next.
June 20, 2012 - 2:25am
#16
I saw your post on the Saigonist and I was wonder=
if you have any information about getting a job without a degree. I am a s=
tudent at UNLV in Nevada, United States and I have my TEFL, but I also don'=
t have my BA yet. I've read in many places that to get a work permit you ne=
ed a BA. I am wondering if you've had any luck finding any jobs without you=
r BA? Also, what do you think the risks are of working without a permit? Ma=
ybe deportation? Anyway, let's chat and share info. I can be reached at 702=
349 7799 or [email protected]
June 19, 2012 - 2:40pm
#17
$3000 AUD is plenty of money to survive for a few months. It will not take you that long to find some teaching work. When you arrive you should chat with other expats that have been here for awhile and are teaching English. They will give you tips, but better yet they can give you contacts at schools. There are plenty of English teachers hanging out in the alleys of the backpacker district (alleys of Pham Ngu Lao).
June 15, 2012 - 4:00am
#18
Thank you quan phi, I will let you know how your information works out.
June 13, 2012 - 9:54am
#19
I give you some famous and popular language school's websites:
http://saigonvina.edu.vn/pages/recruiting-teacher.php
http://www.ilavietnam.com/web/contact-us.html?lang=en
http://www.cleverlearnvietnam.vn/Career/Index.html
http://teachatapollo.com/career
http://www.ama.edu.vn/en/contact.html
http://www.dhspttnn1.edu.vn/lienhe.asp
http://www.flc.edu.vn/home/index.php?language=vi&nv=contact
http://www.cie.edu.vn/en/lien-he.aspx
http://www.shanevn.com/vn/aboutus/index01.html
http://outerspace.edu.vn/lienhe.aspx#
About things to take care before going to Vietnam, I have some info for you:
Store your cash, credit cards, airline tickets and other valuables in a safe place. Most 4-star hotels have in-room safes; otherwise ask the reception to keep your valuable things in their deposit facility.
Always be careful of the belongings you carry with you during your holiday.
Take care of all your valuables. Never leave your bags unattended
Vietnamese dress conservatively. Despite the heat, it’s best not to show off too much skin. If you do, especially girls, you’ll only draw stares from the locals.
Dress discreetly while entering temples and other religious places.
If invited into a home, always remove your shoes at the front door when entering.
Ask for permission when taking a photograph of someone. If they indicate that they do not want you to, then abide by their wishes. DO NOT offer money or push the issue.
Use waterproof sun cream if you plan to spend a good amount of time in the water when you travel to Vietnam.
Change money from a recognized moneychanger.
Indulge in some haggling while buying goods without price tags whenever you go shopping in Vietnam.
Travel with recommend tour agencies. Even if you plan to buy tickets when in country, research your journey a little first on the Internet.
If you need more infomation, don't hesitate to contact me via mail or chat contact in my signature.
Good luck to you,
Quan Phi
Bao Ngoc Hotel
Skype: quan1812
Yahoo: dongquan1812
Mobile: +84 126 468 7799.
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://baongochotel.net
October 7, 2012 - 2:34pm
#20
Vietnamese people may THINK they dress conservative... Women over 20 rock all kinds of goodies here: slits, see-through, wicked cut-outs, stilettos, etc. In that sense, life is good!
October 8, 2012 - 11:32pm
#21
Agreed! I guess there are two sides. Some girls really are conservative, and then there are girls who don't want to be conservative and dress in reaction to all the conservative culture in Vietnam. You can find both really sexy girls as well as ones who dress downright trashy!
June 13, 2012 - 9:45am
#22
Hi Nick,
About question how long it takes you to find work, it depends on your ability and the school you are intend to apply. I recommend you to contact or apply a job in advance (online), lots of foreigner do that. I will send you a list of some famous and popular language school so you can contact them in advance.
About your saving, I think it's enough for you to settle down when finding a job.
There are lots of thing you should take care of before entering to vietnam such as custome, culture and people.
Just feel free to ask people in this forum
Good luck to you,
Quan Phi
Bao Ngoc Hotel
Skype: quan1812
Yahoo: dongquan1812
Mobile: +84 126 468 7799.
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://baongochotel.net
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