Teacher
- 2018-03-29
The same happened in China, Korea, Thailand and India several decades ago in a highly unregulated industry like ESL. An ESL industry with such a large sector of useless language mills, run by greedy and incompetent providers, will attract the kind of backpackers and other folks calling themselves "teachers" while in reality they are not.The locals are absolutely right in looking at these folks with utter disgust. Also locals in the respective home countries where these "teachers" come from would do if such things happened there. Right they are!
I also would feel utter disgust!
Due to the lack of learning in the classroom, the party poverty tourism behavior of backpackers becoming teachers, and the fact that many leave their positions on short notice after a month, English teachers are looked at with utter disgust by locals.
Vietnam probably has the worst ESL jobs in Asia. The market has been flooded with backpackers and people opening illegal schools in their homes.
Schools advertise 25 dollars an hour but in reality you will make 12 dollars an hour or less. You will need a motorcycle to travel to different locations between classes. Often you will be expected to teach for one hour in the morning and one in the evening and spend 1-3 hours travelling. Contracts never have 2 consecutive days off and state working hours as 7am to 10pm.
The market is getting worse due to 18-24-year-old backpackers that are not native speakers or are and are just inexperienced. Schools love to hire young white pretty teachers. Playing silly games, singing dancing and playing a guitar are popular
.
It does not matter if you are from France, Spain, or Egypt.
Due to the lack of learning in the classroom, the party poverty tourism behavior of backpackers becoming teachers, and the fact that many leave their positions on short notice after a month, English teachers are looked at with utter disgust by locals.
The EFL industry in Vietnam is only getting worse and the salary and working conditions are appalling. Teaching English is a playboy drunk backpacker’s summer job now and the schools encourage it!
So if you want to work in Vietnam just don’t bother to make an effort. its just a party job for travelers trying to have fun and extend a holiday.