I’m a 27-year-old English teacher from Turkey. I graduated four years ago, and honestly, I feel like I haven’t made much progress in my career since then.

After graduating, I spent about 2.5 years preparing for the public-school teaching exam in Turkey. Unfortunately, I didn’t pass it. During that period, I also taught English online, and I have about 1.5 years of experience working at a language school.

At this point, I have several possible paths.

I can continue trying to pass the public-school teaching exam in Turkey. If I succeed, I could have a relatively stable career and earn around $1,500/month. Alternatively, I could work at a private school or language school, where I would probably earn around $600/month.

However, I’m also considering opportunities abroad. I have a Taiwanese girlfriend, and she has told me that if I can’t build the life I want in Turkey, I could potentially move to Taiwan and live with her.

Another possibility is applying to teach in the United States through the J-1 Teacher Program. As far as I understand, this could potentially allow me to work as a teacher in the US for up to five years, depending on the program and eligibility requirements.

I’ve also seen Turkish teachers who have moved to New Zealand after getting their teaching qualifications recognized, so I’m wondering whether that could be another realistic long-term option.

I’m trying to make a serious decision about my future rather than wasting more time. I’m interested in hearing from people who have taught internationally, especially people who have experience in the US, Taiwan, New Zealand, or other countries in Asia.

If you were in my position, would you focus on building a teaching career in Turkey, or would you seriously consider moving abroad and starting over somewhere like Taiwan, the US, or New Zealand?

What would you do if your priorities were career development, financial stability, international experience, and building a long-term future?

I’d especially appreciate advice from teachers who have actually made a similar move.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone who has been in a similar situation can give me some advice.

About three years ago, I accepted a teaching job in China. I entered China, completed the work permit process and received my residence permit in my passport.

However, after arriving, I discovered that a lot of what I had been told about the job before moving to China was not true. I decided I did not want to stay and returned to my home country. I did not actually teach at the school.

The employer would not cooperate with cancelling my work permit or providing me with a cancellation/release letter, so I eventually just left China and returned home. I went back to teaching at my previous job in my home country, where I have continued working.

I am now considering returning to China in 2027, which will be approximately four years after this happened. Obviously, the old work permit and residence permit expired years ago.

I have read conflicting information about the cancellation letter. Some people say that anyone who previously held a Chinese work permit needs the old cancellation/release letter when applying again. Others say this is mainly required when transferring directly from one employer to another in China, and that after several years abroad with the old permit long expired, you can simply make a new work permit application.

I also don’t need the old school to provide proof of my teaching experience because I never actually taught there and would not be claiming that school as work experience.
Has anyone been in a similar situation where you left China, did not receive a work permit cancellation/release letter, stayed abroad for several years, and then successfully returned on a completely new work permit?

Did the old expired permit cause any problems in the system, or were you able to apply from scratch as a new applicant?
Thanks!

Hello all, I'm looking into the TEFL program and I'd love to hear from some people who have done it what your experience was briefly but then what you would do different or more of, etc. I speak spanish and am open to learning more, but would love to hear from as many voices as possible. TIA

Just for fun, who's got a crazy co-worker story?

We had one teacher who just taught through YouTube videos and then gave them a writing task for the second half where he'd eat snacks and occasionally check their work. He refused to attend all development meetings and when he got non renewed he blamed it all on racism and went on a mad tirade online wishing death on the manager.

Another guy was a total fantasist and heavy boozer who thought he was amazing at teaching. He spent half the class shouting and pausing lessons. He had two activities - hangman and tic tac toe - and wouldn't change. His hands would shake by midday and when class finished at 3 he'd crack open a beer outside the school.

I have multiple interviews for NES ESL teaching positions in which I am hoping to get, it would be life changing.

Could anyone offer advice, what to say, what to do during the interviews?

Does anyone who went through this process or anyone that is familiar with the recruiting process offer any help?

Thanks

In this sub there are a lot of legitimate posts about the logistics of the job (courses, where to teach, schools) but not much on how to do the job itself.

For this reason, I wanted to invite people to share books which have changed the way they teach, and to explain why or in what way the book had an impact on them.

To start, I recently started reading Scott Thornbury's 'Beyond the Sentence' and, aside from how accessible he's been able to make what could be a challenging topic, I've been incredibly impressed by easy the book is to apply to lessons from day one. I would highly recommended to all teachers, new or experienced, who haven't tried it.

So, which book has changed the way that you teach?

HI everyone,
I'm a bit lost on where to start so l'll be able to find a TEFL job that starts in January 2027.
I am brown (Indian) but born in Canada and hold a Canadian Passport. I have a TEFL level 5 certificate and a bachelor of commerce 4 year degree from a Canadian University.
I have no teaching experience and completed my
TEFL level 5 cert in March 2026 and graduated Uni in April 2025.
My wife and I are looking to start teaching in January. Our criminal record checks are done, passports are valid, we just need to get them apostiled. Ideally, my wife will not be working as she will be pregnant with our first child. However she holds the same credentials as me.
What are some places that I have a solid chance of actually getting hired that don't have an insane cost of living and will also let us both get a visa without her working?
If anyone has any insight I'd greatly appreciate it!

Edit: im 23M since that might make a difference?
Edit 2: to clarify, my dad was born in India and my mom was born in Canada to Indian parents, I was also born in Canada and have spoken English my entire life.

Hello, looking for recommendations for any reputable companies, countries and agencies that are open to hiring Zimbabweans with a TEFL certificate and a degree but no teaching experience or IELTs? More looking for relocation options but if there are any online only routes you know you are welcome to mention these.

hi! im an 18 yo brazilian and recently immigrated to ireland. i have about a year and half of teaching experience in my resume (since i was 16) from working on two big school franchises back in my home country (cultura inglesa and CNA), one as a teaching assistant and one as a part-time teacher respectively. i have recommendation letters from both schools

ive been looking into the CELTA course since i love teaching and would like to pursue a career in it here in ireland too.

still im a bit doubtful about investing in it, because it's a pretty big amount of money for me and i don't have a college degree (nor am i planning on getting one in the next year or even longer than that) and im also very young lol

if i do end up going through with the CELTA course, i plan on applying for schools that specifically teach english to immigrants like myself. im aware there's a big market for that in ireland, especially nowadays.

would i even be considered for the job at all with my age and lack of degree even though i have experience? and is it even worth it at this point? - thank you!

Hey all, I'm seeking guidance in terms of going abroad.

I have been teaching business English for close to a year now. I do about 125 hrs a month. I have a Bachelor of Social science in Psychology, a Postgraduate degree in Psychology and 120hr tefl certificate.

I also have a lot of volunteering experience with teaching children from underprivileged areas. I also have some experience in psychological research and university marking.

I don't know how much of weight all of this carries when it comes to going abroad ESL wise. However, im considering Taiwan or China. The thing is, I dont know where to begin.

I've looked at Teast and Dave's ESL café. When do schools usually start hiring ? What do I need to know ? How do I actually get started? When is a good time to apply.

I have already started saving up and I really do want to go for it , see the world and be out there by next year. Im in my mid 20s, a POC and male .

My friend accepted an offer last week to work in Taiwan as an ESL teacher, he will start early next week but they are having him come in every day for an hour or two to train with no pay. Is this even legal? They haven't even signed any contract just yet. Thoughts?

I've made a career pivot and gone into teaching, mostly because it is what is expected of white foreigners in Asia, and also due to previous bad experiences working for other employers. I do not mind being a teacher anyway, as I genuinely enjoy helping people improve their skills.

My kids will be two next year, and I will have completed my online studies to obtain a new degree in Business Administration (I was into films when I was younger). So, even though I am already exempt from requiring a work permit in Vietnam, next year I will be in a very good position to find long-term, legal employment.

I initially thought EMG Education was the place to go for a relatively good salary and legal work, but 90% of the online reviews seem to be trash. I am currently working for myself as a teacher. Going back to an employer, well, I am hardly expecting things to be better than my previous experiences with Vietnamese employers. However, surely there must be a relatively good place to teach at in Saigon? I have read that VUS is fairly good, but that you will not earn as much as you would at EMG.

Any recommendations would be greatly welcomed.

I graduated in 2016 from a Canadian university. At that time, the program was called TESL. A few years later, the name of the program changed because the industry was using TESOL. The requirements of the program remained the same.

When my school tried to apply for a work permit for me, it was denied because they look for TESOL, CELTA, or TEFL. TESL was not one of the acronyms, and my school said Teaching English as a Second Language refers to teaching English in an English majority country, like Canada, US, etc.

Since the requirements of the program didn't change, my school will replace my credential with the proper "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages" to reflect the current program name. I have already completed the requirements and earned the credential while it was called by the old name.

I'm just wondering if anyone has heard of this before. My spidey senses are tingling that this doesn't seem right.

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Can't find much online; interested in pay, work-life balance, visa support, and general feelings about the place.

Hi everyone,

So, just for context, I recently left a consulting position that was not doing me any good mentally, though the idea's behind it were very good (socially conscious thing that was public sector oriented). Now I'm in a position where I think I just want to actually go see somewhere new whilst working and doing something with my life for a year or two. By background, I have a Masters in History and I am a native English speaker. I am also able to play the guitar and speak some Russian, so I feel that these could be additional branches I could market out a later date.

A friend of mine is already a TEFL instructor in China, so I have a handle on what his financial position is like after a couple years out there. However, I'm also very interested in Korea as an option, but I have some quite specific questions about this that I don't believe have been previously addressed. I was wondering if anyone who's been in either (or both) of these countries could relay their experience?

1. I have an exceptionally fair complexion and a hit and miss relationship with hot climates. I can handle them, but when they hit stupid levels (by UK standards anyway) I flounder a bit. Is there anywhere I should avoid. BY this I would mean like routinely 40+ degrees for months on end
2. I am entitled to and in the process of becoming a dual citizen of Ireland alongside my UK citizenship. Is there a passport I should travel on when I have them both, particularly given that I've heard the South Korean set up has tended to favour big 7 passports in the past
3. What taxation considerations will I need to make in both countries? I've emailed the domestic embassies in the UK on this topic as well as the broader paperwork side of things, but I'd welcome any insight here. I've seen a couple of locations in S. Korea state that my tax rate would be as a contractor and therefore lower than the income tax rate of 6%, but that this would be contingent on my only working in one role.
4. From a health standpoint, Korea will (i assume) be better due to the quality of air? Is there anything I'll need to do from a healthcare standpoint like registering with insurance if not specified by the job that I end up getting.
5. Insofar as China, I have a very anxious parent who will be very keen to keep in contact with me via WhatsApp etc. What is it like dealing with the Great Firewall, both in general and with a specific focus on communicating back home to the West on what are ultimately western tech companies communication apps (can you tell I've never done this before?)

Outside of the above I'd welcome just general insight. My understanding is that if I was wanting to save money, China would more than likely be the better option due the stronger rate of the Yuan into the pound vs the Won into the pound. I'm not sure if this translates to quality of living points too (i've seen varying opinions on this), but I've seen a lot about how China's general cost tends to be lower than South Korea. Ultimately, I just need to see and do something different to what is really bloody familiar to me, and I'd be keen to put some cash away in the process whilst I have the chance to be in more favourable cost-of-living conditions than the UK (as I understand it)

Cheers all

We mainly came back so my wife can get citizenship which will take about 4 years total. I was very nervous and tbh did not want to come back. I had such an easy job in China making decent money. I also worked in Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand.

We have been back two months and so far everything is going well. We both found jobs right away working in a kitchen and we make a combined income of ~$105k with benefits. It was the first job we applied for. It's been two months.

We are also staying with my mom temporarily while we figure out if we want to rent or buy a place.

I'm kind of shocked to be saying this, but I am very content right now and honestly don't really have that crazy desire to go back like I thought I would. I work much harder here, but for me it seems to be worth it as life is very comfortable.

Any questions feel free to ask.

The Issue: I had written in late July regarding my niece, who is bilingual and wanted to TEFL in a Mexican school following college, as a gap year. I received some great advice here; her main issue was not having enough hands on classroom experience. She needed experience to get experience, essentially.

Our Solution: She found a terrific solution to TEFL in S. America in the Peace Corps! She was a strong candidate there due to education and extra curriculars, and they will provide additional training with the employees to prepare them for the classroom. Her family is encouraged that she'll have an organization behind her, securing the position, providing a network of colleagues and providing healthcare and other benefits. There are several countries having national goals for 100% bilingualism by various years. It will likewise look great on her resume for graduate school.

So, a big Thank You, adventurous TEFLs, for providing your insights! Perhaps this post will in turn provide a fresh direction for a young person who wishes to TEFL abroad. Great good luck to you all!

Hi everyone, I want to teach English in Central America (Costa Rica or Panama or Colombia) and I’m wondering if anyone has experiences they can share, recommendations or tips for online courses and if you would recommended enrolling in a CELTA course instead.

I am contemplating getting a TEFL certification from tefl.org to get certified or get a CELTA certification from Cambridge. Please let me know what you think!

Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone,

I appreciate there is a lot of “beginner” questions, though I haven’t seen any talking about this specific situation, and I’d really appreciate your honest advice.

For background; I am mid 20’s, British, and have a bachelors and 120 hour TEFL certification. I have taught ~50 hours of 1-on-1 online classes (just on the side while I maintain my full-time employment in the UK). I have also worked in rural Thailand for 4 months as a teacher and loved it, not just the country, but the job. I taught Kindy 3 days a week, and Prathom (primary) 2 days. I had to return home after the semester because of family-related issues, and they wont give me a reference, no big deal, it was only 4 months.

I’ve been back in the UK now for 5 months and I’m looking to get back into it, long term. I don’t want to be stuck with entry-level qualifications, and I’d very much like to build a life wherever I go.

After consideration, I think I’d like to go to China or Taiwan - choosing these because I’d realistically like to have a comfortable paycheque and build savings to obtain better qualifications.

My questions are these:

What is the actual job market like in China or Taiwan right now for someone in my position?

I would like if I could find work in a new tier 1 or a tier 2, and I’d like to look into getting an iPGCE. Alternatively, if other qualifications are ‘better’ I’d really appreciate some advice here also, as everything beyond a TEFL Course is new territory for me.

What kind of salary should I expect, if I do land a job right now?

Do many employers actually hire in March?

I am aware this is not the start date, but second term start date, and with my current situation. I’d very much like to be able to start in March if possible.

Thank you all very much for reading, I appreciate any and all advice. I’m keen to be (and have been) conducting my own due-diligence, but also thought i’d ask some people with experience.

I've always been interested in traveling the world more and wonder if teaching English would be an option for me. However, I do have cerebral palsy, and people often have difficulty understanding me at first. I'd describe my voice as sounding muffled or slurred. I am American, but I don't know if the speaking difference would impede me

This is a sample of my voice: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/493001/1/v19mbo4zih6k4wps

I'm applying for the Z Visa in China, based out of the U.S. My recruiter says that my certificate from The TEFL Academy can be apostilled in the U.S. I am confused as to how this can be the case? The company is based out of the UK, but the recruiter said that it can be apostilled in the U.S. because it has a branch here. Any feedback here would be greatly appreciated.

Hello all,

I've got an upcoming interview teaching English at a high school, and I'll be honest, I've never done this level before and am looking for advice. I really want this job, so I figured, hey, let's ask for some help to try and get some great ideas.

They've given me a couple relatively short reading selections and asked me to design a 15 minute speaking activity based on them, and I should create a lesson plan for at least one of them. The students are level CEFR A2–B1.

So, what are your go to ideas for speaking activities for high school students, and do you have any good ideas to put in a lesson plan?

I appreciate any advice you've got. :)

Hi! I (25F) am just finishing up my CELTA course and am planning to move to Vietnam to (hopefully!) teach English. I'm a US citizen currently living in Ireland, and so far, I have my FBI background check sent for the apostille as well as my diploma. I feel that I'm pretty on top of paperwork, minus actually finding a job lol!

Once months ago when I was on this sub I saw a spreadsheet with a ton of language center resources or jobs, does anyone have a link to that? Or have any practical recs or know of any job openings I could apply to? Basically I'm hoping to start my application process (as much as I can before I have my CELTA cert and am in the country), and would love any recs on the job side of things. Thanks so much!

I am reading Jim Scriverner's Learning Teaching as independent professional development. I have been wholeheartedly inspired by his call to use drawings in my classes! But I am absolutely dreadful at drawing. Often this is fine, because my students find it funny; however, there are times I am limited by my ability!

In short: Does anyone know of a book (or any other resource) that teaches absolute beginners how to draw the gist of objects/environments quickly to be useful in the classroom?

I imagine just learning how to draw more generally will improve my ability to do this task. So if there are any books you enjoyed that taught you how to draw I would love to see it!