A Guide To Teaching English In Southeast Asia
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There is no doubt that teaching abroad is a life-changing experience.
For backpackers and fellow nomads, it is one way to continually fund your travels, become a part of an ex-pat community and create a life in a country you love.
Working overseas is not without its challenges.
There is a lot to navigate and some big decisions to be made before you start, but that’s the fun part, and I am here to help you.
Finding A Teaching Job
If you are looking for a teaching job, here are a few suggestions:
SEARCH ONLINE
Search reputable job search engines online for upcoming offers. You can start by searching for schools online and visiting their website directly. Then check the 'career' section for available positions.
APPLY IN PERSON
If you are already in the location you would like to work, you can ask for reputable schools or start applying for places directly via their website or email.
Most major cities have a well-known English tutorial school or International School, which is popular.
If you have travelled and fallen in love with a particular location, directly applying for schools should yield results. Many schools will offer a trial or probationary period for 1-3 months.
CONNECT WITH OTHERS
Talk to other travellers and join online social groups for teaching jobs abroad or meet up with other ex-pats in the area. There are many online groups on Facebook for Teachers and English Teachers.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Apply for jobs that suit your credentials and level of experience. Consider your previous work experience and references. If you receive a response and are out of the country, the faculty should offer an online interview to discuss the role and communicate their expected start date.
It is commonly said that finding a job is easier when you have already arrived though I think all things are possible with research.
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
If successful, a contract should be emailed out for you to consider the position with a time frame for commencement, salary, working hours and expectations.
Do your background research on the school and the location, including the cost of living, transport etc. and make sure you are comfortable relocating to this area before you sign a contract.
If the contract states that visa fees are covered, read the fine print, as many schools will request that this payment be refunded if you exit the contract before the end date.
CERTIFICATIONS
Apply to complete a TEFL course online or in-country and allow the company to assist you with job opportunities once you are certified.
TESOL, TEFL, and CELTA courses are often in-country and provide you with confidence, skills and training. This will help you when you need to do demonstration lessons, plan lessons and manage a classroom.
Preparation and time management are crucial for teaching, regardless of age. Courses can equip you with vital skills for your classroom.
Vietnam is one of the leading destinations in Southeast Asia for English teaching positions and TEFL Certifications. Ninja Teacher Academy offers an Online TEFL Course and an in-country Vietnam TEFL Course centrally located in Ho Chi Minh City. Ninja Teacher Academy offers a 4-week internationally accredited program which has helped thousands of students start teaching abroad.
Cost Of Living Abroad
One of the major attractions of working in Southeast Asia is the lower cost of living. Great value for money, cheap airfares, and street food; yes, it’s amazing how far your dollar can go. However, there is a difference between travelling/visiting and relocating to a destination.
For example:
Street food is cheap, but you won’t be buying it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, so you will need a larger food budget to make meals at home and to buy lunch at work. Coffee, drinks, fresh produce; it adds up.
Backpacker hostels won’t work long-term. You will eventually need a home base. You will need to allow for the cost of rent and furniture.
Public transport is not always an option depending on where you live and work. You may need to allow for the cost of buying a scooter or paying for taxis/a driver.
Consider the costs of other lifestyle choices like gym memberships, shopping and entertainment, utilities, phone bills, health insurance etc.
SALARY
In Southeast Asia, you usually receive your salary every month. A teacher’s wage might not cover your lifestyle so consider where and how you want to live before accepting a job.
I worked as a teacher in both the mega city of Bangkok and the rural town of Siem Reap and experienced very different living costs. My money went much further in Cambodia, but my salary was higher in Bangkok. It is a personal choice depending on how you spend your free time.
RENT
If you are signing a rental contract, you will likely need a deposit and an upfront payment to secure the contract (four weeks bond plus two weeks in advance). Most accommodation will come furnished, but this is not always the case. Depending on your contract, the school may provide or subsidise your housing.
VISA
Research the visa situation; will you be required to pay for the visa?
Check the cost of transferring from a tourist to a work visa, such as the flights and accommodation needed to travel out of the country to process the visa in a neighbouring country.
I held a tourist visa for Thailand and had to pay the costs of travel out from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the hotel for two nights, all expenses and the return flight; however, my company paid the fee for the work permit for one year.
BANKING
Your salary will usually go directly into a local bank account.
If you need to send money overseas, you can use Wise or Western Union.
Always have a backup bank card or an account that can be used overseas in an emergency.
ELECTRONICS
Updating electronics and the basic cost of any repairs or maintenance (laptop, chargers, camera, phone). The cost of importing items from overseas.
WEATHER
Southeast Asia mostly experiences tropical weather with two major dry and wet seasons. So, you must prepare for monsoon rains, heat waves, and unexpected weather events.
A rain cover for your backpack is a must-have when working and commuting around the city. It can also get cold in the mountains, so pack accordingly.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is an absolute must.
I use SafetyWing Travel Insurance because it is designed for digital nomads and backpackers.
Nomad Insurance by SafetyWing
In Country Information
PASSPORT
Do you have at least one year remaining on your passport? If not, you may want to renew or add pages at the embassy to reduce costs or problems associated with an expired passport mid-contract.
Visas and passports are your responsibility, and work permits may not be accepted if you have less than a year remaining on your current passport.
LANGUAGE
Spend time investing in learning the local language and check out some of the language schools in your area.
Language schools often have evening classes to take after work and run monthly programs. Don’t have time to go to class? Try an online language app.
HOLIDAYS
Make the most of the paid holidays and travel around the country or to nearby countries. Check the public holidays, National holidays, and long weekends ahead of time to avoid paying peak travel prices for flights.
Teachers will have their holidays and days off organised in advance for the school year, and they should be clearly outlined in your work contract.
COMMUTE
To maintain your work contract, it will be essential to arrange a way to commute to and from work on time.
It is a good idea to trial the different forms of transport to compare the time frame and the costs involved. Meet up and share the costs of transport with other teachers.
Consider the amount of time you want to invest in communicating to work each day. When I lived in Bangkok, I was on the 6:00 am train just to get to work on time because I lived in the city but worked in an out-city suburb. I spent 3 hours on public transport each day.
In Siem Reap, I lived down the road from the school, walked ten minutes to work, and could go home on my lunch break. There is no right or wrong, but you should consider it when choosing your school/location.
LOCATION
Find out what is on offer in your area before signing a rental contract to ensure you are happy with the location.
Check for a local market, mall, gym, restaurants, cafes, train and bus station, health clinic, and pharmacy and make sure you have enough food options close to home for nights when you work late.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Consider the working hours and what you think you can manage.
Teaching full-time from Monday to Friday is the standard expectation if you work at any public or international school. English teachers who work at language centres, Universities, or tutors online will have different work hours and expectations.
VOLUNTEER
Volunteer work in the community can provide you with valuable insight into what type of work you might want to do. Be sure to check out responsible volunteer projects only.
Final Thoughts
Teaching abroad is one of the best things I ever did. Not only did I make wonderful friends and find community in the cities I worked, but I knew the time and energy I put into my work was of value. The students are incredibly grateful for their teachers, and overall it’s a challenging but rewarding experience.
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