A student, B2+, needs to get the C1 title before January. He wants to do Aptis as he is familiar with it.

Need to know how likely this is with 1.5h of classes per week and 3-4h of self study.

Any recommendations on materials to check and use?

I am heavily experienced in Cambridge.

Any advice is welcome.

Hi everyone,

I am a US citizen with over 10 years of teaching experience currently looking to relocate to Hong Kong for a Primary English teaching position. I hold a non-English Bachelor's degree and a 120-hour TEFL certificate.

I am trying to map out my strategy and would appreciate some insight into the current hiring reality:

1. Centralized EDB NET Scheme & the English Major Rule: I understand that the Education Bureau has strictly tightened entry criteria for new primary NETs, requiring an undergraduate degree majoring in English (or an English-focused higher degree). Given that my Bachelor's is in a completely unrelated subject, is it correct that I am automatically disqualified from the centralized direct-hire EDB scheme?
2. Alternative Routes (NET Grant vs. International vs. Private Schools): Since the centralized pool might be locked out, how viable is my profile (unrelated BA + TEFL + 10+ years experience) for securing a visa and a solid package via third-party NET Grant agencies, local private schools, or International Schools?
3. The Online PGCE + Deferred Practicum Strategy: It is a big investment but do you guys think this might be necessary to strengthen my profile and secure a teaching job in Hong Kong?

I am fully determined to make this transition and am absolutely willing to invest in a PGCE if it is the necessary tool to unlock the market and secure a competitive salary tier. Any insight would be incredibly appreciated!

Sorry if this is a stupid question. Mostly doing this to assure my parent's fears. For context I was part of the CELTA EC English language centre before it went bankrupt, still working on the refund. I was wondering if this course: https://www.languagepointtraining.com/online-trinity-cert-tesol is good and legit.

Thanks for thos who answer in advance.

I was not born in Canada but I lived there for over 15 years. English is my second language, I'm bilingual.

I already finished my TEFL, and my university degree is from Canada.

Some people I know who teach english in Vietnam had to do C2 because English is not the official language in their countries. Do I also need to do that ?

Hello,
My partner and I are considering moving from Australia to Singapore to live close to parents. I am a full time professional who will get an Employment pass. My wife is a Elicos (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) teacher who is Celta qualified. My worry is after moving what if she struggles to find schools/employers who are willing to apply for a work permit for her. How common is it for international / language schools to give a job to foreign teachers and also apply for their work permit? Any feedback will be really appreciated.

Hello all,

I have recently changed careers to teaching ESL so although I’m older, I’m fairly inexperienced.

I’m currently working in Central Asia. The school I’m at has just opened (a little over a month ago) and is using a curriculum that is new to the students and way above every grade level’s ability. I am REALLY STRUGGLING and honestly at a loss for what to do.

Part of me wants to give up and just go home (I’m also dealing with tons of other problems - landlord, water, allergy, social, family, you name it, the list goes on and on…) but most of me wants to stay and figure it out! I really love the students and feel like I’m massively failing them sometimes.

At the moment it just feels absolutely impossible to get all of the students at the level they need to be to complete the required textbooks for this school year.

Any advice at all is greatly appreciated.

Thank you all so much, y’all are truly inspirational.

Hi everyone! This is my first year teaching kindergarten, I've taught elementary and secondary for 3 years and have taught JHS before as well, but I've never taught in a formal school setting where a Christmas event takes place. Just for context, I'm Mexican teaching in Mexico.

I was asked by my principal to prepare the K1 (3yo), K2 (4yo) and K3 (5yo) children with Christmas carols for the Christmas event. I've never taught a song before, let alone work with very young children. I was thinking of Deck the Halls for K1, Jingle Bells for K2 and Joy to the World for K3. She told me the previous teacher would start in October to have enough time to prepare them with the pronunciation. Any advice and help is very much appreciated!!

I work in hospitality, specifically in training and development and I heard there are business ESL classes etc. this is kind of my goal, I don’t know how realistic it is. I’m curious, what have you been able to do with your certs? I was looking into TESOL.

Also, in a relationship with someone from South America, part of me getting a cert for this would be to work internationally if I had to move there after we get married.

Tia!

recently applied for a fubright but in the likely case that that doesn't work out, i'd like to apply for other ways to get paid to teach english in brazil. i have a bachelor's degree and a tefl certificate from a community college. i've fallen in love with brazil and would liek to live and work there for some amount of time (don't worry, i know salaries and different and living in brazil is different than visiting. i'm incredibly aware of this lol). anyone know of any programs that could match what i'm looking for?

As the title states, I’d like to try teaching in China but I’m really only qualified to teach kindergarten. I have a bachelors in IT and my TEFL and a few years doing engineering for my government but no direct teaching experience.

I’d like to work towards and actual teaching license soon but first I’d like to know anyone’s journey with using kindergarten as a stepping stone.

I'm currently an EPIK teacher working at a public elementary school in Korea. I'm from the United States, and I'm planning to teach English in China after completing two years with EPIK. I've been teaching for 6 months so far.

I have a few questions:

1. How difficult is the application and visa process when applying from Korea? I know I have to get a criminal background check but, how do I obtain that exactly in Korea? I've got my apostille diploma and TEFL certificate covered.
2. When should I start applying for teaching jobs in China? Is it okay to start applying in the middle of my EPIK contract? I know China has different hiring seasons, and applying during peak recruitment periods can increase my chances of getting hired. Would schools in China be willing to hire me several months in advance and wait until my contract in Korea ends before I relocate? Or would it be better to start applying closer to February, when my contract is about to end?
3. For Epik teachers, the agency that we applied with meet us at the airport and take us to orientation and then from orientation, our coteachers take us to our accommodation and schools. In china, since there is no orientation or agency and we have to go through multiple hiring agents, who will meet us at the airport?

What else do I need to know to ensure a smooth transition?

Thanks in advance for any advice! :)

Basically what the title says. I’ve been doing private tutoring for the last 3 years, and it has been fine, but you’re depending too much on other people. People cancel last minute, and I don’t get paid for school holidays. I do make more hourly though, and there’s more flexibility.

I moved to a different city recently, and I started tutoring here a month ago. I was recently offered a full time job at a language school. I know the conditions aren’t always great at language schools, but I already work there part time. I get paid holidays including summer holidays when I’m not working, and the boss is a really awesome person. It’s more financial stability. It seems like an obvious decision, but I feel bad canceling all the tutoring classes now in October, and kind of leaving people hanging. (I live in a very small city, and there are no other native teachers). It would not be possible to do both. I felt pretty confident about my decision to leave the tutoring, and then I got a message this morning from a mother telling me her daughter said I was “the best English teacher she ever had.”

I know I should do what’s best for me, but I hate letting other people down. Plus I’m in a new city, and I don’t want to get the reputation of being “unreliable.” On the other hand, people don’t think about me when they cancel their class an hour ahead of time several times a month, so I shouldn’t care as much either.

What would you do?

Howdy.
My husband is Mexican, I am American and we live in the states. We would like to move to Guanajuato, where my husband is from. I am an elementary teacher, and I hold a M.Ed in elementary education. I am also ESL certified (not sure if that matters here). Does anyone have any insight? I was wondering if I should get a TESOL or CELTA certificate? From my research CELTA sounds like the way to go, but I wasn’t sure if my teaching experience and degree/certs made me look better or not. Thank you for any help!

I've found that while textbook exercises can be helpful, students don't always get the opportunity to practice what they've learned in real conversations with native speakers. On top of that, everyday conversations with friends and family can be quite different from the situations and dialogues covered in textbooks and other learning materials. What resources do you use for real-life speaking practice with native speakers?

I've been in Taiwan for a few months now working at a cram school. I am honestly quite disappointed with Taiwan and find China to be a much more fun and interesting place (I have been there 6 times). The vacation time and salary in China is also a lot better, so I'm currently sitting here wondering why I'm still in Taiwan. I know that now is a good hiring season for jobs in China, so I want to start looking. I have a bachelor's degree and a TEFL but neither are apostilled yet.

1. Is the work visa hard to get and would I be able to apply from Taiwan? Or would I have to fly home?

2. One of the reasons I ended up going to Taiwan is because a lot of the China jobs seemed untrustworthy and a bit scammy. What are good places to look for trustworthy jobs?

I’ll be heading to China soon to see if moving there aligns with my future goals. I’m currently finishing my master’s degree in TESOL and have worked in my state’s public school system for two and a half years. My roles have been in special education and more recently, pre-K.

My ideal workplace would be a university, but I feel that might not be very realistic. I also know it depends on the city. I’m adopted, and I’m worried I might face discrimination for not being the “ideal” American.

I’d really like to hear about the experiences of other teachers or expats. Please be kind.

I am a Canadian who recently lost my job working in marketing. I'm 35, and previously taught in Japan at a University + private school for 3 years, and also worked in Canada and China.

I also have an MA + BA (In unrelated subjects) + CELTA and I'm now wondering how to break back into the industry and what the best paying positions are (remote, in the middle east, china etc)

Hello everyone! My goal is to teach English in South Korea (preferably a rural area). I was wondering if you guys had any ideas for teaching productive skills like reading and writing. How do these types of lessons change based on culture and geography? Are there any ways you like to incorporate your students' culture into the lesson? I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!

I'm planning to move to Chengdu, China next year before the new school term (February 2027). I recently finished my certifications, and I'm finally ready to start applying for ESL teaching positions!

Before I start sending out applications, I wanted to get some feedback on my resume. Is there anything I should add, remove, or change to make myself a stronger candidate?

I'd also love to hear from anyone who's currently teaching or has taught in Chengdu. Any advice on finding reputable schools, the hiring process, or just moving to Chengdu in general would be really appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OETbLe2FvHjRIq4mqy-nEBMTnb63pARF/view?usp=sharinge

I recently signed a full-time English teaching contract at a training center/school in Suzhou Industrial Park. My base salary is 24k RMB/month for the first year and 26k RMB/month for the second year.

However, there are a few clauses that are making me a bit uneasy. Since I've already signed, I'm looking for advice on how to navigate this smoothly or what to watch out for.

Here are the main details:

• Housing: no housing provided
• Summer Break: The contract explicitly states "there is no regular monthly salary during the summer break." So I don’t get paid during summer,
• Penalties: Unauthorized absence results in a 3-day salary deduction per day missed. Also, if I breach, they can ask for up to 2 months' salary plus preparation expenses.
• Visas: They sponsor the work visa and residence permit, but I paid for my initial overseas visa fees and medical exam.

Questions:

1. How common is an unpaid summer break for a standard 2-year fixed contract like this?
2. How manageable is 24k–26k in Suzhou when you are paying your own rent out of pocket and budgeting for the summer gap?
3. Any general survival tips for dealing with these kinds of stricter school contracts?

Appreciate any insights!

Hello. I am currently studying ELT in a non-native country. As a 3rd year student, I have an assignment to prepare a lesson plan according to curriculum and I need to present it in the class. I am in need of ideas about tools or resurces I can use to create some interactive lesson materials that includes 4 skills + vocab (one for each). Any ideas you can give because no idea crossed paths with me for two days stright and I feel like a plant atp.

Thank you very much 😭🙏🏻

( I would really appreciate any technology/internet related idea because we'll be using smart board for the presentation.)

Hi everyone,

I am planning a move to Ho Chi Minh City to teach English and want a realistic assessment of my profile. My target is to clear $2,000+ USD (50M+ VND) per month in my first year or two. I know entry-level is usually lower ($1,400–$1,700), but I want to know if I can leverage my background to hit my target faster.

My Profile:

• Demographics: 35-year-old male. British citizen (UK passport).
• Accent/Language: I don't have a traditional, romanticised British accent (grew up bilingual), but my English is completely fluent and clear. I am also completely fluent in French.
• Education:
  • BSc in International Business (degree is in French).
  • MSc in Cybersecurity (UK university, graduating very soon).
• Corporate Experience: Worked in the UK for major tech brands (HP and Google) as a Technical Support Engineer for 7 years . Part of my role involved onboarding and training newcomers ( I'm good with presentations , at teaching and training ).
• TEFL: Planning to get a 120-hour UK (e.g., The TEFL Org/Academy) to satisfy the visa checkmark.

My Questions:

1. my BSc is from a French university , can I use it ?
2. Given my age (35) and tech training background, will major centres (VUS, ILA) or corporate/adult providers look at me for higher-paying Business English or IELTS tracks right away? I'd really prefer to avoid teaching toddlers.
3. Does being fluent in French open up any lucrative tutoring niches or international school connections in HCMC ?
4. To hit that $2,000+ mark, should I push for a high-hour hourly contract at a big language centre and supplement it with private adult gigs, or look straight at corporate training providers?

Thanks in advance for the honest feedback!

Hi! I just moved to Vietnam a week ago to teach English for a year with my CELTA certification. I’m currently in Hanoi, and I got offered a position here at a small language center. I honestly thought it was a little sketchy at first bc they were contacting me causally through WhatsApp, but I went to do a teaching interview and feel better after meeting the staff and seeing the school.

I was also offered a position at a large, well known language center that is more appealing to me because it seems reputable. But it’s in HCMC. I’m not opposed to moving after doing some research about the expat community there, but it would just be an adjustment in my mind to move to a more modern, sprawling city when I thought I’d be in Hanoi.

What do you recommend? This is my first time doing anything like this, so I’d love recommendations. Thanks!!

Edit: VUS and HM Education

I’m a Grade 12 student from India and will complete school in May 2027. However, my college in Australia will begin in March 2028. Since my parents do not want me to have a gap in my education, I am considering obtaining a CELTA certification during this period, as it would be relevant to my Bachelor of Arts/Master of Teaching integrated degree. Also, I have already taken IELTS and got 8 bands overall. BUT HERE'S MY QUESTION:

1. Is this worth it, given that I would only be a Grade 12 graduate at that point? I’m also not sure if I want to spend a hefty sum of my parents’ money on it, especially since they would already be saving to pay for my college education.
2. If this isn't the right course for me, could you please suggest some other relevant 6-month certifications I could obtain in India?