| Answers What quality of life am I to expect?
EF teachers, who take advantage of the housing provided, live in the more affluent areas of the city they work
in. Teachers tend to be grouped together and live relatively close to each other - in some cases in China they may occupy the same block of flats (apartment block). The teaching professional is highly regarded in most of the regions EF operates and this manifests itself in your daily interactions with the community. As eating out is very popular and affordable in almost all EF regions, EF teachers rarely cook for themselves. It is worth noting that some appliances like ovens, for example, are not used as frequently and in some countries will not be available in EF housing. |
How much will I earn? Would I be able to save money?
EF teachers are paid in local currency and earn a salary equivalent to that of a well paid local manager. Their salaries afford a very good standard of living in
the
country and teachers who are frugal and working in some of the quieter towns should be able to save up to half their salary. In practice the majority of our teachers spend their entire monthly wage, usually having several weekends away, as the prime motivation for taking the course is the experience of living and working abroad. Several schools offer a contract completion bonus but this is not uniform - for more information please talk to the Director of Studies during the recruitment process. |
What's it like being a Western woman abroad?
EF English First tends to operate in regions considered to be 'emerging economies' which perhaps have 'more traditional' roles for men and women especially in rural areas. When living abroad one will come into contact with people whose only experience of western life and opinions of western women come from the media, television shows such as Baywatch and Melrose Place are shown weekly. Naturally, these influence the way many people, particularly strangers, interact with us. Most teachers feel comfortable wearing the same clothing that they would wear in their own countries. |
What about the food? Being vegetarian?
EF English First teachers tend to eat a balance of local and western food. It is common to 'splash out' on Western food in a 4 or 5 Star hotel or, in more touristy areas, in Western Restaurants. As EF English First schools are in large urban centres Pizza Hut, MacDonald's and KFC are readily available. In EF regions, local restaurateurs will be familiar with people being vegetarian for religious reasons or, in more touristy areas, from local contact with Westerners.
There
will be occasions where being strictly vegetarian can be difficult particularly as South East Asian Cuisine contains "Shrimp Paste" - vegetarians who eat fish should find it very easy to find suitable food. |
Will I be the only foreigner? How many teachers are there in the school?
EF English First operates in large urban centres where the schools have between 400 and 1,300 students. The norm for some of the smaller schools may be as few as five foreign teachers - these teachers will generally come from the UK, US, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Some larger schools may have up to 20 teachers on full-time contracts. In addition, ex-pats from all walks of life are likely to be in the same town and "hanging out" at the same night spots. For those seeking a more isolated experience, EF English First in Russia, for example, has a few positions where the foreign teacher will be working on their own with local Russian teachers. |
How will I be able to communicate? Are there lessons in the local language?
As you will have learnt from your TEFL course, all instruction in the classroom is in English so the local language will not be needed in this context. EF schools operate an "English only zone" around the school premises and all school staff are competent in English. Part of the local staff's duties are to help teachers with doctor's appointments and if necessary, come along to the appointment to act as a translator. For day-to-day transactions, like shopping, you'll need to pick up some local phrases. Phrasebooks are remarkably cheap - especially if printed in
the
country - and your house-mates are sure to help out in the first few weeks. Teachers are very supportive of each other and new teachers as it wasn't so long ago that they were experiencing the same. Some of the larger schools do lay on free language lessons; the difficulty is often finding a large enough group around the same level which is why not all schools offer the classes. |
How do I get my working papers?
Our recruitment
personnel
will give you instructions for obtaining your visa. You may need to apply and pay for it in advance and be reimbursed on arrival. We will provide the embassy contact details, visa application form and invitation letter from the country itself (if required). |
Can I take a shorter contract?
EF contracts are 12 months in Asia and 9 months in Eastern Europe and Russia. The China schools also offer short 2-month summer contracts to cover the busy period in June and July. |
Who pays for my flight?
Teachers taking up contracts with EF English First will have their flights paid for them. Outbound flights are initially paid by the candidate and reimbursed at a point later in the contract. Upon successful completion of the contract term, candidates are given a flight back to their home country (or if they prefer the cash equivalent). Occasionally, a school may be prepared to loan flight money to a candidate without sufficient funds to pay for the flight. |
Will I be met at the airport?
Yes. A representative from the school will pick you up at the airport and take you to your
accommodation. If you are not too tired, they may also take you to meet key
personnel
at the school as well. |
Will I have to teach children?
Yes. Teachers in all of our schools will have to teach children from 5 years and up. This is valuable experience for your future career. English language teaching to children in non-English speaking countries has grown exponentially in recent years and it is unavoidable in most institutes. |
What's the accommodation like?
Part of EF English First's care package includes a room in shared accommodation. Typically candidates share a flat with one other teacher- due to cultural norms in China these are single sex occupancies. In other regions, like Indonesia, teachers share a house with 2-4 other teachers. These tend to be housed in secured compounds with the school contributing to the cost of neighbourhood security guards, etc. |
What are the hours of work? What other duties do I have to do besides teaching?
EF teachers work a 40-hour week. On average this is 24 contact hours (i.e. delivery classes). There may be some seasonal variation- with busy periods, like the summer, requiring slightly more hours but not in excess of 29 hours in any one week period and not averaging more than 26 hours in one month. Teachers are required to spend the rest of the time planning lessons, attending teacher development seminars, grading achievement tests, placement testing prospective students and other teaching related duties. |
What if I don't like it? Can I transfer?
When taking up a placement in a school, it is necessary for the school to process visas and working papers which are only valid for work in that school. This makes it very difficult to transfer. Candidates deciding that they don't like a given location would have to reimburse the school for the fees that they have invested in them. |
Will I have time to travel at the end of my contract before going home?
Several of our teachers take time out at the end of their contract- quite often before signing up for another contract. The motivating factor for many of our teachers is the experience to be had and this involves travel and really getting to see the country they are posted in. Upon contract completion, teachers are welcome to take the cash equivalent of the return airfare and travel for extended periods before heading home or applying for another position in another EF school or region. |
