Working as an English Teacher in Vietnam: Advice Please. :)

Please refere below link may be anthing is workout!

https://www.expat.com/en/jobs/asia/viet … acher.html

Vietnam is not a good place to teach English especially for Filipinos. Better you sell coffee in Philippines.

that's so not true, if teachers are good then no worry about finding a good job, but if you are not a professional teacher and just want to come to travel then earn some money, i don't think you will last long... contact me on skype at lkhung2 if you need help. Good luck!

Rspout234 wrote:

Vietnam is not a good place to teach English especially for Filipinos. Better you sell coffee in Philippines.

lkhung wrote:

that's so not true, if teachers are good then no worry about finding a good job, but if you are not a professional teacher and just want to come to travel then earn some money, i don't think you will last long... contact me on skype at lkhung2 if you need help. Good luck!

How do you know it's not true?  The statement "Vietnam is not a good place to teach English"  may or may not be true but with the "especially for Filipinos" makes me agree with Rspout234's opinion. 

I don't agree with your statement that "if teachers are good then no worry about finding a good job" in the sense that this particular case concerns a Filipino.  Why do you think every JOB posting requires a "CV with photos"?  It's so the recruiters can see if they have a "White-face" applicant or not.  She is "asian looking" and will have a tough time finding work at Language Centers/Schools that are looking for "native speakers". 

This is just one of the many articles out there regarding this issue...but this one is written by a Vietnamese newspaper:
http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/page … right.aspx

I say this because not many people like to talk about it, but I'd rather dixiemay know that undertone discrimination does exists and for her to prepare for a tough climb. 

With that said, these are the requirements to even apply as a Teacher...obtained from reading the craiglist ads for Việt Nam.

http://vietnam.craigslist.org/edu/

- TESOL, CELTA, TEFL teaching certificate
- 4 year university degree
- Criminal record history clearance
- health record/clearance

Some want young and active teachers who have a year or more experience in teaching English.  All want native speakers. 

Your best bet is to go ahead and play their game by sending in your photos/passport etc and spam apply to as many ads as you can see.  Hopefully you can land a good job with a decent school/center.

Unfortunately this is true. Vietnamese parents want native speakers (white people). Thats the sad fact. Even my aunt prefers a native speaker talking to my cousins than I do although she never heard me speaking English.
Good Luck!

Great post, THD. I was going to comment on the Market realities driving English teacher selection in Korea, but your Thanh Nien article nailed it.

I hesitate to call it racism, however. So the obverse question must be asked:  How many American schools would hire a Caucasian to teach Chinese? OK, beyond the Ivy League and other top schools with many years of employing Chinese scholars of all ethnicities, how many normal schools would hire a blond haired blue eyed Kelley to teach Mandarin? And the answer is that the Wongs, Chens, and Lees (not the Virginia Lees, Suh) CV's would be placed at the top of the pile.

It is discrimination, but if discrimination in favor of the position, as opposed to against an applicant (i.e., the presumption that a Chinese-American will know more about Chinese culture and language than a non-Chinese American), this it is not per se illegal.

lirelou wrote:

Great post, THD. I was going to comment on the Market realities driving English teacher selection in Korea, but your Thanh Nien article nailed it.

I hesitate to call it racism, however. So the obverse question must be asked:  How many American schools would hire a Caucasian to teach Chinese? OK, beyond the Ivy League and other top schools with many years of employing Chinese scholars of all ethnicities, how many normal schools would hire a blond haired blue eyed Kelley to teach Mandarin? And the answer is that the Wongs, Chens, and Lees (not the Virginia Lees, Suh) CV's would be placed at the top of the pile.

It is discrimination, but if discrimination in favor of the position, as opposed to against an applicant (i.e., the presumption that a Chinese-American will know more about Chinese culture and language than a non-Chinese American), this it is not per se illegal.

Sorry but you can't compare America, with all the progress that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and our Civil Rights movement have made towards social justice to the situation in Asia.  You can't ask the obverse question because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 nullifies racial bias in hiring.  In other words, if a school was caught NOT hiring a qualified blond hair blued eyed Kelley to teach Mandarin, then all blued eyed Kellies can sue the crap out of that school to change it's hiring practices...and have done so.  Asia doesn't have such laws so you can't force behavioral change. 

No human resource personnel in America would put "resumes" (we don't call them CV, the Brits call a resume a CV) of Wongs, Chens, and Lees at the top of a pile simply because their name sounds Chinese.  They would be put on the top of the pile if in the resumes, they listed the qualifications that indicates their knowledge of Mandarin.  If a Kelley shows a PhD in Mandarin, he/she would be on top of the list.  Why does America not require photos on resume submittal and why does Vietnam require them?

Here's another article that is funny to read.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/06 … te.people/

dixiemay wrote:

Hello Everyone,

I am Dixie and I am currently in the Philippines in Bacolod City. I am planning to work as an English teacher in Vietnam and I am currently looking for options. Thus, I'd like to request for your advice regarding working as an English teacher in Vietnam.

What are the requirements that I need to have? Do I need to have TEFL, TESOL etc? I am considering taking TESOL there. Can you recommend good schools? Is finding a teaching job easy? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working there?

I am looking forward and would greatly appreciate your response. Thank you for taking time to read my post.

Sincerely,

Dixie

Changed your mind so quickly?  Not even a "thanks guys, your posts were helpful?"  Good luck in Thailand...hopefully the political unrest will be over by the time you get a job over there.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=328242

dixiemay wrote:

23 December 2013 01:29:17
Advice Needed: English Teaching Jobs for Filipinos in Thailand

Hello there, I am a Filipino and I am currently in the Philippines. I am planning to work as an English teacher in overseas and I am currently looking for options.Thus, I'd like to request for your advice regarding working as an English teacher in Thailand I have a degree in Psychology and I am considering taking TESOL in there. Can you please recommend good schools? Is a Bachelors in Psychology acceptable or do I need to have a degree in Teaching English? Also, is finding a teaching for a Filipino job easy? How are foreign teachers, especially Filipinos treated? Is Thailand a safe place to live/work in? What precautions do I need to take when I live there? What are the advantages and disadvantages in working there? I am looking forward and would greatly appreciate your response. Thank you for taking time to read my message. Sincerely, Dixie

.

You can't ask the obverse question because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 nullifies racial bias in hiring.

You can discriminate in public hiring is there is a valid policy reason for not hiring a minority candidate. It is not common, and it receives the highest agency scrutiny, but it does happen. I did it in 1981 or 82, The unhired candiate filed greivances which were investigated by both an internal and external agency, and then she went to her congressperson. All ended up agreeing that the position I was hiring for was better held by the White male I had chosen. The candidate I did not choose was very highly qualified for any other similar (and perhaps even higher) position within the general community, and I would have gladly hired for any other position. Nuff said.

The letter of the law is exactly what the highest court say it is, nothing more or less.

ps, I call resumes resumes or CVs, depending upon the target audience. CV is used through the commonwealth. Likewise I have neighbours, see colours, but I do call my mates 'guys' instead of blokes. Don't worry, my French is equally atrocious.

Why does America not require photos on resume submittal and why does Vietnam require them?

I can't answer that. From 1980 on the great majority of (military and civilian) jobs I held required a face to face interview. The CV just puts you on the interview list. It doesn't get you the job. But given the dearth of qualified native English teachers in Vietnnam, I can understand how a VC alone might do the trick.

[Moderated: please post this offer in the jobs section pls]

TinaNguyenEduu wrote:

***moderated post***

Is this online teaching?

Dixie

Reading your post i see many errors. Although your english is understandable, i see the mistakes a student studying a seond language makes. It is obvious English is a second language for you.

Brush up on your English grammar and sentence structure.

I'm sure your enthusiasm will be appreciated in the classroom, but understand if you were a parent paying for lessons, you would want the best for your money. Parents are impressed in seeing white faces in a school.

Dixie, i have seen some teacher ads for Philipino teachers teaching English. I wonder if these schools  pay what a native teacher would be paid. Good luck to you.

AlexterBalexter wrote:

Dixie

Reading your post i see many errors. Although your english is understandable, i see the mistakes a student studying a seond language makes. It is obvious English is a second language for you.

Brush up on your English grammar and sentence structure.

I'm sure your enthusiasm will be appreciated in the classroom, but understand if you were a parent paying for lessons, you would want the best for your money. Parents are impressed in seeing white faces in a school.

Dixie, i have seen some teacher ads for Philipino teachers teaching English. I wonder if these schools  pay what a native teacher would be paid. Good luck to you.

It's Filipino, not Philipino. English is a 2nd or even 3rd language for a Filipino.
Dixie would easily get a job in almost any of the 6 English language schools in my city, the parents here are gullible enough to pay the same fees for their child, for a Filipino, ( and other NNES ), as they would for a genuine NES,  ( maybe it's the annoying, exaggerated American accent Filipino's have? ), although she would be lucky to get 1/2 the hourly rate as a NES, ( or even a Dutchman, German, etc, which we also have here ).  They only teach textbook English anyway, they don't have any " real life " western culture experience to share, as older NES have.

I always get that name wrong. Thanks

"maybe it's the annoying, exaggerated American accent".. ha... haha. Please enlighten us all, what sublime accent do you speak with? As far as I am concerned every school I go to I am told the American accent is the easiest to understand. Ever heard a Brit/Scott say "water"? Or an Irish person say... well.... anything?

Zoli954 wrote:

"maybe it's the annoying, exaggerated American accent".. ha... haha. Please enlighten us all, what sublime accent do you speak with? As far as I am concerned every school I go to I am told the American accent is the easiest to understand. Ever heard a Brit/Scott say "water"? Or an Irish person say... well.... anything?

How many Filipino's have you worked with?
They make everyday words sound like swear words, can't becomes,   c,,,t,  horse, becomes whores, as,  becomes ass, to name a few, one day it took me a little while to work out how the kids were going to bring in these see saws for the next class??? , then I saw the Filipino teacher waving a pair of scissors around.
After sitting in on a few of their classes my ears were ringing, I thought it was just me, but some of the VN assistants said the same thing, but a windowless room can have terrible acoustics.
Some of these teachers had been in VN teaching English for up to 5 yrs.

Plus I lived in the Phils for 6 months, was married to a Filipino for 5 yrs, so to me most of them all sound the same.

I think Canadians have the best neutral accents, I do have to agree you about the Irish/Scots, nearly need subtitles when they get a little excited.
We have an Englishman here trying to pass himself off as an Aussie, ( although he lived in Aus for 30 years, he still fails miserably ), the Uni students have great difficulty understanding him, but no problem understanding my Aus/Kiwi accent.

Sadly, I have to agree with the rest who are indicating that it is not a good place for Filipino's to teach English. When I first started looking for teaching jobs here myself I had a Filipino girlfriend. Several schools offered me work at a good wage, but when I asked them about hiring my Filipino girlfriend some of them told me no right up front, others said they would hire her if she spoke good English but her wages would be about 1/2 of mine - yes, you guessed it, I am a white faced American man.
  I'm sorry, but those are the cold, hard facts.

Half your wage is generous. I have worked at numerous centers where the Filipinos made 1/3 what the native speakers got paid; and they did a better job than some of the Natives.

Should of guessed. I have met many  Aussies that think they are God's gift to the planet. But never have I ever met a student who thinks an Australian accent is easier than American. As an American I can hardly differentiate between Canadian and American.

You need to check yourself running around insulting everything that crosses your path. You said you had a girlfriend,  I feel sorry for her having to suffer through your poor and negative attitude. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to give someone a compliment. Yes the Filipinos don't have perfect pronunciation but their knowledge of the language and it's grammar shows. They worked hard at it and I feel ashamed having to read your comments.

I can understand why you'd think it's not a good place for Filipinos to work seeing as they make half or less than a native speaker. However, things to consider is they are making a lot more here than in their native country still. Also, their educations were not as pricy as say someone who went to uni in US, UK, AUS or CAN. Most of the Filipinos I met share a place and still make enough money to save as well as send home. Unfortunately the centers often treat them terribly and that dissapoints me. The overall census I have found is they still find it worthwhile, otherwise they wouldn't be here.

Everyone has missed the most important point . it's the Employers money , and despite what anyone says , they can hire who they damn well want . Full stop .

Hi...this is an old thread,  but still so relevant to the present day.
I sympathise with the Filippinos but can fully understand why the Native speaker finishes up front with the job or the better salary.
To Introduce another angle: my VN wife is an English primary school teacher in a State school with 10 years experience.She is a good teacher. Unfortunately she is an " invited " teacher and she is considered too old to take the exam to become a "regular" State teacher ( she is 52 ).
Her hourly pay is less than a quarter of mine,  being myself an English born whitey foreign teacher . It is also approximately half of what a Filippino might be paid, even in public education. Add to this no holiday pay, and of course no retirement pension.
Sometimes we just have to force a smile and be grateful for what we have...

To find a job, it is not difficult but it is not easy. You should be mentally prepared in advance, and it is best to have a friend who is Vietnam, to be able to guide you to the road to find work.

I can't believe ppl comments here! I'm from PH but there is no way I would accept a job with a different package than the other ppl. White, Yellow or Black whatever I do not care! Somebody say 1/2 of White salary? and make a fuss out it? white your balls! Jesus! I'm working in a Casino and he'll yeah we all treat ppl the SAME!

Easy to find an E teacher job all over VN. No worries, I can even teach E class in US!

Hi!

I've been here in VN for almost 2 years now. I've seen and encountered things and believe it or not, these gentlemen are telling the truth. Racism as other call it but it's the reality and it's happening here in VN. I've known a lot of Filipinos teaching here but only a few survive. Good luck!

LeBron I am in complete shock and aww at the amount of grammar mistakes you have just made. Between missing prepositions, verb subject agreement, word ending/form usage, wrong modal verb, missing possessive, poor vocab choice, using teen text talk abbreviations  on an ESL forum and even a "he'll" instead of "hell"; and lets not forget the unrealistic expectations. You sir are not the Filipinos I was talking about.

As far as unequal pay because of racism? Haha no. Please understand the schools don't determine who gets paid what,the consumer and market determines it. The reason native WHITE teachers get paid more is not because of the schools but the customers. It is the customers that won't pay the same price for Native, Filipino and Vietnamese. Also, you must look at the economy and passport of said teacher. A Vietnamese english teacher makes around 300-600 bucks a month. I made 3k a month as a waiter. Why would I go to vietnam to teach for 300-600 a month? And you can't pay Vietnamese 1800 a month because they'd be making more than doctors and Lawyers. The market would be flooded with English teachers. Noone would have work. Then they'd be working for basically free just to survive or be forced into a career change. I genuinely love the Filipino crowd out here and wished they'd get paid more, but if they raise the pay the market will again flood. I get paid well and I have to reject work every week. I'm up to my neck in it. I live in an amazing coastal town and every centre is dying for more native teachers. It is what the market wants,and the market doesn't have enough. Unfortunately there are plenty of Filipinos and Vietnamese, and if one says they'll take 1700 a month like the whites and the other says tell take 400 a month, guess who they're hiring. It is the sad truth.

Too True!   Reality bites.   All too often where it hurts the most.

It is the market that sets the price.   Determined by what (all)
consumers are willing to pay.  Why the beautiful blonde wins.

Always, but not in all ways.

We get paid what we are prepared to put up with, not our 'real'
value - or our expectations.  And (surprise?) those who not only
put up with the drudgery but get satisfaction from being a help to
EVERYONE (even administration!) with a positive attitude last the
distance, and are rewarded with recognition: the wordless sutra.

Sure, the $ sign is a valid religion for those who value it.  We know.

The rest of us enjoy our life.  Be careful.  You're standing in it.

Oh young fella, I am not here to be lectured but let me educate you. I am not talking grammar or what ever you say.. I just cannot believe about racism.. But i respect your opinion you enjoy it but don't make a fuss out of it. Don't even compare. Enjoy mate

That's OK whatever you think, we all (expat) live the life in VN so I wish everyone to be happy. NO RACIAL DIS!

I love VN people!

try your best (",) , you can get at east 400K an hour and even more.

he Dixie,
i am a teacher in Bien Hoa city. i think, you have lots of opportunities to work as an English teacher in Vietnam especially in HCM city or Bien Hoa city. you can work for schools or English centres. if you arrive in Bien Hoa city and need any help, please contact me at ***