Hello Everybody! I was not born in the US but have lived in...

No, you won’t be able to teach in Europe without an EU passport. I believe you can teach in the eastern block. But sadly you are not a native speaker and the schools won’t even interview you. I have been doing this years and I have seen the results of people who are certified but not native speakers. They simply don’t get hired.

Hi. I have been teaching in Japan,Korea,Thailand,China and now Vietnam for eleven years straight with out going back yet to Florida, U.S.A. where I was born. I hope you will believe me when I say you have a very good chance of being hired still as I have seen some schools in Asia that state on their requirements....a native speaker born in the U.S. or Canada OR a non native speaker of English that has lived in an English speaking nation at least 10 or more years......I can see from your letter you more than qualify on that part. Have you been to Dave’s ESL website? The site is an extra feather in your cap with Serious Teachers already being one of the best sites for teachers serious of finding employment. Good luck.

I just wanted to add that if you do come to Vietnam then do not take some of the very low offers of some schools that hire what they call as back packers for $6 an hour. I have lived in Vietnam for three years now with my wife (Vietnamese) and daughter 1.5 years old. Look around as can find teaching jobs with schools and or companies for $12-$30 an hour.

Hello Iolanda!

You can get an online certificate in as little as 10 days with tutor support through ITTT for approximately $250 total. I also read here the Serious Teachers.com offers online TESOL Certificates, so I’d check them out too.
Many places broad (not sure about Spain or Italy) want the CELTA Certificate. In the states, it is only given at certain locations and in Europe. That cost can run you up to $4000. However, you can get a Tourist Visa and come to Thailand for as little as $200 for a hotel, the course in Chiang Mai is only four weeks long and inexpensive. You can Google it online.

You forgot to mention. where were you born? Romania?

Many jobs for China and Taiwan state that an ESL Certificate is perferred but not necessary in some cases. Korea will hire you without a TESOL.

My wife and I are both ESL teachers. She is Romanian 57 years old. She went to the United States at the age of 22, so she still has an eastern European accent.We have been doing ESL teaching for 5 years. We have taught several places in China, Venezuela, Hungary, and Ethiopia. In fact, she is teaching in China now. Besides her there are two native Brits teachers. The students complained that they do not understand the Brits so now she got assigned of of the Brits classes. All she has is a Romanian college degree an associates from an American college, and a CELTA certificate. I hope that puts your mind at ease.

Iolanda,
I am currently in Italy searching for a job as an ESL teacher and so far, every place where I went to apply for job requires as one of the top requirements that the teacher to be native English speakers. The employers that I talked to seemed to be uncomprimisable in this regard, however, with your qualifications, you still might be able to get hired. On a separate note, the economy in Italy is very bad and in the last couple of days it has been getting worse. I would not moove to Italy unless I have a secure job waiting for me.

Hi - I,ve taught in China and Spain - You will find no problem in either country - Rumania is E.U. now -
Most teachers are barely qualified - You,ve plenty!

I teach in Thailand. The 7th grade teacher in my school is Romanian.

I think you have an excellent chance. However, coming to an EU country is tricky. Make sure you have a willing sponsor / employer that will work with you to get your working papers first. I would make this part of my contract to avoid empty promises. Good luck!

YES!! you can. Suggest Asia - there is a lot more respect for experience and maturity. Your extensive background is likely to get you past the native speaker hurdle. However - bear in mind that Italy and Spain are likely to require an EU passport. I would certainly try for Costa Rica. They seem to be looking for teachers a great deal of the time. Emphasis on your *multiple* subject ability. Best of luck!

I was born in Budapest, Hungary but grew up and lived in Chicago (USA) for five decades. My wife was born in Timisoara. Right now I am teaching at Eötvös Loránd University here in Budapest. My wife is in Shenyang, China teaching English at a technical college. China is a good place to be lots of jobs there and the money is not too bad. I made more money in China than I do here in Budapest.I am looking for something different when my contract ends next spring. We are thinking about Vietnam or Malaysia. Any thoughts or insights? What are the job situation and salaries like?

Hi Iolanda

I have worked with two Romanian ladies in previous jobs.

I was a Director of Studies in Bangkok and hired a Romanian lady part-time to teach on some courses and she proved to be an excellent teacher and popular with the students. This year I worked in Oman and one of my colleagues at Colleges of Applied Sciences was another Romanian lady, who again, was a great teacher and liked by the students.

From what i remember about working in both Spain and Italy, often the best way to get hired is to visit language schools and universities and submit a CV. Working freelance, you can build up your hours over time. Of course, this would be a risk, given the expense of relocating and having no guarantee of securing employment.

Good luck.

Hi Iolanda,

Those who’ve expressed possibilities in Oman are right. You might have a good chance of being hired for the Colleges of Technology. Your credentials and background sound good, though you won’t be paid the same salaries as a trained native speaker I would think. Make sure you insist on the other benefits though, such as housing or a good housing allowance, as rents have greatly increased in Muscat and other parts of Oman in the last 3 years. Make sure you check this all out before accepting any offer. Muscat, Nizwa, Rustak and Sohar would be good places to teach, though Muscat is the only metropolitan city, but Nizwa and Sohar are not far from the capital, and there is good bus service to and from these cities. Good luck.

Also, Iolanda, you could try Turkey, though the salaries are often much lower than in Oman. Still, Turkey is a lovely country with great people. I enjoyed working and living there for many reasons and miss it a great deal.