Did you know that approximately 99.5% of expats in Southeast Asia teach English? True statistic that’s entirely made up by me. That statistic may be a figment of my imagination, but a quick jaunt through any expat watering hole will reveal that I’m not too far off. The vast majority of expats are without a doubt English teachers. Why is that?
It’s a job in high demand, it pays extremely well relative to the cost of living, and its requirements are relatively low. And when I say high demand, I mean really, really high demand. Vietnam has been sporting a booming economy the last decade and in turn has created a burgeoning middle class. This newfound wealth has allowed many families to pay top dollar to ensure their children have every advantage afforded to them, including learning a second language.
When a large English school finishes their classes, the sheer volume of parents picking up their kids can cause traffic jams
With that being said, there’s still some of obstacles you’ll need to overcome and insight you’ll need in order to embark on this career. So now that I’ve taken a hiatus from my previous jobs and joined the English-teaching ranks, I can show you the ins and outs of teaching English in Vietnam.
These tips will apply for the standard after-hours English schools, not the fancy international schools or the British Council schools where expats send their kids. These learning centers are where adults, university students, or kids go to learn English when they finish work or their regular schooling and want to learn some English. These schools are where the majority of expats end up working due to their high demand.
I intend to talk about all aspects of teaching here in Vietnam: the good, the bad and the ugly. That means we’re going to be touching on some sensitive subjects when we look at the harsh reality out here. You may not like what I have to say, but its simply how things work in Vietnam.
What do you need?
The following points in order of least to most important are things that range from a major benefit to an absolute necessity.
- Experience
- University degree
- Teaching certificate (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA)
- Native English speaker
- White
That’s a hell of a list right? Few of these items are requirements, but the more you have, the easier it is to get hired. Some items are of course more important than others. Before you wonder what the hell I’m on about, let me elaborate.
Experience
Vietnam has a strong desire for native English speakers so they can hear and learn the accent properly. With the huge youth population in Vietnam and nowhere near enough expats, they’re willing to take more English teachers regardless of experience level. Of course any prior experience will leverage you increased pay and make it easier to find a job, but it’s certainly not a necessity.
Grand opening at yet another English school in Saigon
University Degree
Same rationale as experience but slightly more useful. The more reputable schools will want a university background, but for most occasions, a degree is a plus not a requirement. A degree will expand your options of available schools that you can apply for in your job hunt.
English Teaching Certificate
Now we’ve reached the essentials for teaching in Vietnam. English Teaching Certificates come in many forms from the common TEFL (Teaching English in a Foreign Language) to the prestigious CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).
Vietnamese schools are required by law to have proof that you are a qualified teacher. While there are many schools that are willing to overlook the certificate, these usually aren’t the most reputable schools. If you don’t have a teaching certificate, you’ll still find work, but it may be noticeably harder.
So which certificate do you need? A quick Google search will yield a nauseatingly huge amount of English teaching programs offering to get you certified. The prices of these courses can range anywhere from the thousands of dollars like the CELTA to a measly $40 online class on Groupon. If you’re wondering how a $40 online course can compare to a $2000 class, you’d be right. They’re simply in different leagues for quality. I believe most of the Vietnamese schools out here know this, but simply don’t care.
As far as most schools are concerned, they just need you to provide any proof that you’re a “qualified” teacher. This can be in the form of a $2000 CELTA certification with a dozen hours of real, hands on teaching experience or a middle line TEFL course with half a day of hands on teaching practice or an online TEFL course where you clicked quickly through the slides just to finish.
My training course really helped my job search in Vietnam
It’s all the same out here. Will taking that $40 online TEFL course prepare you for becoming a teacher as well as that $2000 CELTA course with hands on training? Absolutely not. Does that matter in Vietnam? Sadly, not really. Once again, the more reputable schools will ask you for prior experience or if your teaching certificate had any hands-on class time, but most schools only care if you are certified.
The only line in the sand I could even remotely find, is that most schools want your course to be a minimum of 100 hours long. Barring that, it seems they’ll accept almost any form of English Teaching Certificate.
Be a Native English Speaker
I do find it pretty funny that this is without a doubt one of the biggest factors of finding a job out here. Many schools in Vietnam are absolutely craving native accents to better train their students’ proper pronunciation. Having an American, Australian and British accent are absolutely prized among many schools. There are plenty of schools that select their teachers based almost purely on accent.
This isn’t to say that your accent is a free pass. A typical interview will be a simple one on one with HR or the manager, followed by a 30 minute demo the same day or later in the week. As long as you provide a semi-competent demo, and you’re a native speaker, that should get you hired real quick.
Be White
While we’re on the subject of unfair advantages…. Let’s talk about the most important trait of all: being white. Most employers are willing to turn a blind eye to some (or all) of those previously listed “requirements” in exchange for being white. And yes, people here can be that racist.
This is a result of many reasons, the first being that it stems from a long history of idolizing white skin as a sign of wealth and class. White skin is prized among the locals and western foreigners are found particularly pretty with their pale skin.
The second reason comes from the sheer cost of classes. The average Vietnamese makes around 6 million VND ($258) a month. That’s not exactly the highest salary. Then if we take the average cost of an English class with two sessions a week at 1.5 million VND ($64.50) a month, we can see what a sizable dent this would make in the average person’s budget.
This means that most students at these English schools come from predominantly upper class families since they’re the ones that can afford it. Their mindset is more understandable too when you look at what they’re paying for.
If you’re going to shell out this much money for an expensive education, you want the best and you want to show people that you got the best. You didn’t pay all that money for another Vietnamese guy who can’t pronounce the ‘th’ in ‘though’. You want to get the tall, white foreigner who sounds like he’s in the movies.
World Cup at a French bar. Funnily, a good chunk of these folks are either most likely English teachers
It’s a point of pride and a way to show off here in Vietnam. That you’re getting the best. If you’re white and at a smaller, less reputable school, be prepared to be paraded around like a prized stallion at a fair. Never mind that you might be less qualified, don’t know any Vietnamese to aid your beginner class or maybe aren’t even a great teacher. That’s not the point. The point is that school is fancy enough to be able to afford foreign teachers and that’s what the customers want.
I’ve seen eastern European teachers with heavy accents get hired and then forced to tell their students they’re American. I’ve seen excellent African-American teachers with teaching experience and qualifications get inexplicably denied work after a great demo lesson. I even know a South African whose darker complexion made it take months to find work despite his half a decade of experience of teaching in China.
Don’t believe me? Just come out here and see that white privilege at work. You’ll find it’s much easier to get hired than your darker skinned counterparts or that your pay is noticeably higher at many schools than your fellow Vietnamese counterparts.
I’m not trying to demean people or make this a social issue, but these are merely the facts of working out here. It’s something that everyone is going to have to accept, especially if you’re a minority. Be aware of the challenges you’ll face if you work in Vietnam.
I’m a minority, can I still be an English teacher in Vietnam?
Absolutely. After all, I’m a minority and I still found work out here. You just have to realize that it will be harder than your white friends but it’s definitely still doable. Just be prepared for it to take more time. You’ll have to apply at more schools, be a better teacher and simply work harder to earn the job. But hey, if you’re already a minority, there’s a good chance you’re already a bit used to this.
There is a silver lining. While the major drawback is that it’s harder to get a job when you need one, the upside is that when you do get hired, it’s more likely that the particular school is going to be more discerning. A school that hires minorities is more likely to look for quality teachers over white, trophy teachers. There’s a better chance you’ll be treated more fairly, the school will follow more laws, and you’ll have a better teaching experience.
And sadly, the last tip is to whitewash yourself as much as possible. If you tan easily, better whiten up before you board that plane. When you apply for jobs and look like a minority, attach every CV with a color copy of your American passport and you’ll instantly get more call backs. If you’re like me and have an Asian name, better adopt a western name fast. Hell, if you can give yourself blue eyes you should do that too.
Proof that I am indeed a minority (in America)
Anything else I should know?
There’s more things that I’m learning every day, but here are the big tips I can offer:
- Average salary for a western teacher is anywhere from $15 – $25, usually averaging around $18. This probably explains why the classes are so expensive but then again, I doubt any of us would be willing to work for $300 a month. If you get an offer that’s outside of this range, something’s afoot. Everything is negotiable in Vietnam, especially your pay. I recommend not taking anything outside of these bounds and get negotiating (especially if you have teaching experience). These prices are for hourly work and the ball game changes when you start talking about annual salaries.
- As mentioned previously, after a short one on one interview, you’ll almost always have to teach a demo class that day or later on in the week. It’s good to have material prepared for the interview in case you have to demo right away. Classes in Vietnam often fall underneath the ‘communicative’ style of teaching, where the schools want you to get the students involved and talking.
- The government requires that you have a work permit for each school you work at. If you work at three different schools, you’re supposed to have three different work permits. Now many schools don’t follow this process, but the more reputable schools will insist you eventually get a work permit and a business visa. This will allow you to stay for more than a consecutive three months in Vietnam. Of course this whole work permit process costs money, and if you’re a sly negotiator, you may be able to get your school to cover some or all the administrative costs.
- Be prepared to work some weird hours. Unless you’re willing to brave public schools or be qualified and lucky enough to end up in a fancy international school, you’ll be working at after-hours schools. These schools have the bulk of their students when everyone’s off work or out of school.
- Bring all your hard copies of your certificates and diplomas with you! You’ll need these to get notarized and to submit papers with the Vietnamese government.
That’s everything you need to know to get started teaching English in Vietnam!
Until next time.