Living Off an ESL Salary

You want to teach ESL abroad, but are afraid the diminished salary won't afford you the comforts you enjoy back home with your current salary? I'm speaking to those of you who want to get out of your dead-end job, or take a year before transition to a new career, or someone that just needs a change/adventure. 

Or perhaps it is the equivalent or maybe even more than your current salary, but you are afraid that you may not be able to live comfortably on your own at an ESL salary. Now, I'm talking to the recent grad who has been living at home or on loan/parent funded apartments at school. 

Well this is where my BA in Economics finally comes in handy. I am going to show you how you can be sure, or not, that you will be able to live comfortably on your foreign salary. 

First you need to realize intrinsically is, wherever you will be teaching, unless its through Fulbright or something similar, you will be paid in a foreign currency. 

Ok so wow, I could make 2.1M KRW a month teaching in Korea. Plop that amount in a currency converter to see what it is in USD anddddd its about $1,8750/month or about $24,500 a year. That's basically a $11/ hour full-time job back home. Yeah... I made more than that an hour working part-time undergrad internships. 

But wait. Its not that simple.

As you may, or may not have known, simple monetary conversions do not really paint the full portrait when it comes to the comparability of a salaries across different economies and markets. You need to think about the scale of the economy and market in which you will be living in. Think Eurotrip. Different currencies have different purchasing power in their own markets and other economies. 

You can do some rough research on Numbeo. Search your home country against a foreign country and you will be able to see comparable prices between your domestic currency and foreign currency for certain goods like utilities or milk.

 For example, in most countries, items likes Levis will be a lot more expensive while things like healthcare and transportation are usually significantly lower. 

However, that is a lot of information to take in while still trying to keep a clear perspective on how your foreign salary will be compared to a domestic salary back at homr. Wouldn't it be great if you could see what your foreign salary is comparable to, as if you were living at home in your country?

Well you can with some simple math. You see there is something in Economics called PPP (Purchasing Power Parity), or...

"An Economic theory that estimates the amount of adjustment needed on the exchange rate between countries in order for the exchange to be equivalent to each currency's purchasing power".

Purchasing power is the keyword, or what your foreign salary can buy you in that foreign economy. You might get paid less when you convert your foreign salary back to your domestic currency, but it might be able to buy just as much as you would with a higher, domestic salary. 

So using the concept of PPP you can calculate how much your foreign salary is in domestic dollars, incorporating not only the exchange rate, but how much you actually make relative to your domestic market.

Color Coded PPI -2003*

How? Well let's review. We said in our example that you can make 2.1M KRW a month teaching in Korea.  That's a year salary of 27,300,000 KRW a year (I incorporated the extra month bonus you are given after completion of the contract, so 2.1M*13 instead of 12 for anyone that is checking my math). 

Ok so what is that in USD? Roughly $24,500 a year. Again, a perhaps laughable amount back home. But wait, now we have to incorporate the PPP. But how?

Go back on Numbeo to compare the CLI (Cost of Living Index) of your home country and the one you are looking to teach in. You will find in the the extreme right column the (LPPI) "Local Purchasing Power Index", a derivative of the PPP. 

Take the LPPI of the country you are interested in, say Korea, which is 102.13, and divide it by your domestic country's LPPI, for example; US = 136.50.
Subtract your answer from 100%. 

Mathematically it will look like this:

100% - (Foreign LPPI / Domestic LPPI)

...or 

100% - (102.13 / 136.50) = 0.25, or 25%. 

Now you apply your percentage answer, in this case 25%, to your domestic salary you derived from your foreign currency conversion. 

27,300,000 KRW = $24,500 (roughly). 

So $24,500 * 0.25 = $6,125. 

Add the product to the original domestic salary to your LPPI compensated salary and you get a total of $30,125/year in foreign purchasing power.

$24,500 + $6,125 = $30,125 

In other words, you may be making $24,500 USD, but in the Korean economy  it'll be like making $30,125 which is your AAS (Adjusted Abroad Salary). 

But is doesn't stop there. The Korean salary is tax free for US citizens for the first 2 years. So while all your friends back home are watching about 20% of their salary disappear to the gov, you are spared. 

$30,124 * 0.20 =$ 6,025

That means you'll be keeping another $6k a year that everyone back home is not. Add it to your domestic compensated salary so you can relate to what your salary would really be like back home before taxes. That comes to...

$36,150. 

There is one more perk. Because $36,150 is not an amazing salary, I would certainly not want to move out of my parents house on that alone. However, in Korea, and many ESL countries, your housing is provided... for free. 

In my home city of Philadelphia, on average, rent for a studio apartment per month costs roughly $450/month. 

So,

$450 * 12 = $5,400

That's $5,400/year that you are not paying that your friends are if they are living alone.

So add that to your compensated salary and you get....

$41,550! Which is your AAGI (Adjusted Abroad Gross Income) before taxes, compensated for variables like free housing and tax exemptions, and PPP/LPPI. Different from the AAS because we include all other variables like rent and tax. 

The cost for a car, and all composite expenses (which you will not own) will cancel out from the lower price of public transportation, so that doesn't come into the calculations, at least usually.

So $41,550 is what your 27,300,000 KRW is really worth in Korea. Even though the 27,300,000 KRW only converts to $24,500.

Amazing right? Yes, but there is something you need to remember. Just because it may feel like you're making $41,550 in Korea, when/if you come home, at the end of the day, you still only made $24,500 back in the US. 

Not only that, but you need to remember that this is your AAGI (Adjusted Abroad Gross Income), as if you were paying rent and taxes domestically. Which means for the $41,550 to be relevant, you need to think in terms that this is your gross salary (before taxes), and you are deciding to rent a studio apartment for it to hold any comparison to your domestic economy.

 hat's how you have to think about this new income you have calculated. Is it a financially sound number back home for this kind of lifestyle?

Moreover, if you come home, and want to come home with some money, save a decent amount, because here, $24,500 is still not a lot of money. 

Remember though, this is the compensated salary for THIS example. You need to do that math yourself to see what yours will be. If you are unsure or would like help calculating your adjusted salary, leave a comment and I will try my best to help you. 

Cheers

How to get Your EPIK NOA/Contract

Ok so you have decided that you are going to officially apply to EPIK (English Program in Korea) to become an ESL Teacher. There are two intakes for teachers in EPIK. August which is the most popular, and February. I applied to the August intake, which I would suggest beginning as early as 6 months in advance, in February. I say this because EPIK fills the best positions on the first-come-first-served basis. 

There are two things you immediately have to do once you decide you are serious about applying to EPIK; get a recruiter, and start getting the paperwork together. 

Recruiter

Why a recruiter? It is almost impossible to apply to EPIK (correctly) without one if you've never worked in Korea before. Just trust me on this, it will save you headaches, and they essentially provide a free service as they get their profit from commission from the Korean Government per student they place. That being said, any recruiter that asks for any payment other than some money to cover the shipping and apostille of your documents is a scam. I only spent about $120 on this. 

My particular recruiter was EduCon, who was great! I highly recommend them. More about them in another post though. 

Ok you got a recruiter, and if you haven't already started collecting your paperwork, then they are going to tell you to immediately start.  

Paperwork? Yes, you need some serious documents to work in Korea. Firstly, you'll need a FBI criminal background check.

Background Check

You will not get hired if you have anything on this record. Anything. Even a DUI, except for in NJ where a DUI is not considered a crime, but a traffic offence. S if you have one from NJ, just don't bring it up and you'll be fine. 

Visit the FBI website, and print out the appropriate forms. Make sure you order the background check through the FBI and not one of the expedited private companies listed on the website.  I ordered two, just in case, and there is a small fee for each one, I believe around $30. 

You will also need to visit your local police station to get your fingerprints taken to send in with the other forms. Your local police should provide this service for free, but you can go to a private company and pay around $50 if you want. Be sure to bring the Federal print form, as your local police will only have state forms. Put your prints in a plastic baggy so that they don't smudge.

Start the background check process ASAP, as it can take up to two months to be mailed back. To make sure the FBI has received your request, call them four weeks after you mail it in and they will give you an estimate as to when you can expect your documentation back. After you receive your clean background check, either you, or your recruiter will have it sent to be apostilled at the federal level. 

Korea won't accept the background check if it is more than 6 months old at the time of application, so be sure to factor that into your timetable. 

Now that was just the first set of paperwork you need to send off. 

Diploma/Expected

Now if you already have a degree in a discipline, request get a copy of it, as you will need to send an original to Korea. If you have not graduated yet, but will in time for the August or February intake, you must send an official Letter of Expected Graduation/Good Standing, which must be hand-signed. Also you will need to mail out your sealed official transcripts. If you have not completed your degree yet, you need to send your incomplete official sealed transcript as a place holder. 

Letters of Rec.

You will also need at least two letters of recommendation. They must have a letterhead, be hand-signed, and follow a format specific to EPIK's requests. Your recruiter should provide you with a sample to send to the recommender. Be sure to send the original letters, as they must be hand-signed and not photocopied, just as the letter of expected graduation. 

Application 

Now you have to do the actual application. There are many specific guidelines written on the application, be sure to follow them and ask your recruiter if you have any questions. They should double check it to be sure everything is filled out correctly. The application required a passport sized photo of yourself (smile and look happy, they want to hire energetic-happy people). The application will also ask some question that are flat-out illegal here in the states; eye colour  weight, height, vegetarian or not, alcohol consumption, ect. No one says it, but it is true EPIK discriminates based on some of these questions. They will straight up say no, or at least be hesitant if you are a vegetarian. 

The application also requires a full lesson plan, so be prepared to crank one out. It will also ask which cities you would be interested in and what age level. Talk to your recruiter about this and see what they suggest for your particular interests. The application is usually due April 1st of each year, so be sure you leave yourself enough time to complete it. 

Interview 
Great, now you sent in all the essential preliminary documents. Your interview is next. I will go in depth about the interview in another post, but be prepared to be up very late for it. Anywhere from 8pm-4am, or later. You'll find out if you passed a day or two later, and if you did, you got the green light for the next couple of weeks/months until EPIK sorts out where you will be going. 

Finalization 
You have been kicking around since you passed the interview and now you need to take the final steps. This is the time you need to send in the real documents to replace the place holders (Letters of Expected Graduation/Good Standing and official sealed incomplete transcripts). During this time you will also receive your official placement, via email. Congrats this means almost nothing can go wrong at this point. 

Making it Official
You go to the mailbox one day and open a large envelope, out of it falls your contract, information pamphlet, and your NOA (Notice of Arrival). These are the official documents saying that, yes, you are official going to Korea and EPIK cannot go back on their choice to hire you. That is unless you kill some babies, fail to get your visa, or decide to not sign the contract. 

Now is the time to get serious about moving and taking up your new job. You need to apply for your E-2 visa, which you cannot do until you receive your NOA, so try to do this immediately after getting it, and try to do it in person. It cost $45.  

The NOA usually does not arrive until just a month before you are expected in country, so you might have a lot to do if you have been procrastinating like I did. I still needed to register with the IRS to claim tax exemption, get some clothes, even buy the luggage to put the clothes into. But its all very exciting.

After you get all that outta the way, book your flight, your recruiter may/should help with that. They will, or at least should, recommend you arrive a day earlier than EPIK suggest. Your recruiter should help you find a hotel in the airport with some of the other EPIK teachers so that you can shower and sleep (not together, unless you want to) before orientation. Trust me, you do not want to go right from the plane, to a shuttle bus, to orientation without a break. Its just to much. 

But that's a quick run down of what to expect if you want to get a contract with EPIK. Each stage has a lot more detail, but I just wanted to give a brief overview for you without getting lost in detail. Hope it helped. 

Cheers. 

The People You Meet in CELTA

Girl, I'm so interested in that piece of paper...

You sent your payment in and are getting ready to immerse yourself into the CELTA craziness. If you got to this stage, you know that its a small course. Max of 12. You may also be aware that these 12 people are the only people you will interact with for 120+ hours since the CELTA will be your life for the next month.

Ok. So?

The CELTA draws a large variety of people from a butt load of different backgrounds, locations, ages, and personalities. Because of the high variation, it is inevitable you will meet a lot of people you never thought you would meet, or perhaps wish you didn't. That sounded harsh. I actually met a few people I know I will stay in touch with for years to come.

Womp

As with any small, intimate group you are forced to interact with for an extended period of time, personalities will have a greater probablity of crashing. 

You will walk into the first day of class, take a look around and if you are anything like me, immediately beginning eyeing the people up. I mean its human nature. But hey, this is a new experience and you are ready to be open minded. You toss around that crumpled piece of paper the instructor made, awkwardly introducing each other. You think to yourself, "-s/he is hot  -fuck that guy  -nice catch dipshit". 

These could be your first thoughts, but they will change. You will find first impressions can, and do change. 

The next step is splitting the class in half, 6-6. These 5 other Celtoids you were randomly grouped with will become your 'family' for the next month, like it or not. You will interact with the others, but will spend 75% of your time with these 5. And don't think it ends after class, you will have to be in contact with these people on average 10 hours a day. Usually an hour before and after class; fighting over the copier, determining who is doing what lesson plan, or trying to fix your resub assignments together.

In my experience, there were a few macro-stereotypes I found in my class. These weren't exclusively in my 5, but the entire 12. 

The 'Lifetimer'. This guy started teaching ESL ages ago. He has a heap load of experience and can really teach, you might even think he is better than the instructor, and he very well could be. Either way, the instructor will give him a hard time. No one can be this good because this is the CELTA and you can't be good if you don't have a CELTA. He will be held to a stricter standard and everything he does will be evaluated with scrutiny. He's a cool guy though, and was one the people you will remain in contact with. Plus he's got some good maryjane hookups. Anyway, even if you don't like him, he is still a good resource about the ESL world, and may even help you find a job. Plus he will have a shit ton of good stories, if you are willing to listen. 

The Old Eccentric Guy. Don't confuse him the with Lifetimer. He may have dabbled in ESL but he has had a few other careers. Some you don't even find out about till the end of the course. You kinda want to stay away because he's not your age or just a bit socially awkward. Even so, he is always a good laugh. He has somehow been to more countries than the Lifetimer and is most likely married to a foreigner. 

God's Child. Jesus. Wait maybe I shouldn't use that. Whatever, this girl is too nice, but also retarded. She's also possible a vegetarian or vegan. She wants to spread the English language because its the Christian Language... You know, because Hebrew, Greek, or Latin weren't some of the first. Religion is a touchy subject, and you should know I am not a religious man, but when God's Child admits to the class that the world is only 6,000 years old and dinosaurs and people lived together, she starts to lose your respect. 

The Socially Awkward One. Just a weird person, but not Eccentric Guy weird. At least Eccentric Guy is entertaining and mysterious. The Socially Awkward One is impenetrable to social clues and very uncomfortable in social situations. He can't teach for crap and probably never will be able too. He is an extreme stereotype who mostly likely does not exist in most CELTA courses. He will be the very small minority that does not pass the CELTA. 

Pot/Bar/Sexpat Guy. He's whatever. He's a good time, likes to party, is younger, and does ok in the course... minus some outrageous comments. He will most likely try to organize a class party the first weekend and hit on all the girls in the course, even God's Child. He either wants a career change because 'My job right now isn't working out and imma get outta here' or, 'Hey, I just graduated, I'm down to kick around in another country for a bit and party my face off'. You'll find him at the bar or smoking up during the lunch break, but somehow pull off a decent lesson plan. You'll stay in touch with him because you know he'll always being doing some crazy shit. 

The Quiet Normal Person. That's it. They are quiet, normal, just don't like to talk a lot. You don't mind small talk with them, and they don't either. They're good people, but its hard to get to know them as they keep to themselves. 

That One Person You Hate. This person can't be described because everyone hates different kinds of people, but most likely, you will dislike someone. You won't know who it is until you get into the course, but they will most likely be there. It may even be one of the people I listed above, multiple people, or hopefully, no one at all. My advice. Put on a good face, let them use the copier before you unless absolutely necessary. Just don't gossip, it may interfere with your relations with the others. Wait till after the course to blog about them ;) 

Certificates in ESL

If you want to work in some backwater country for a shady school and low pay, you don't have to worry about any kind of certification to teach ESL. I know people who went to Thailand or something with just a highschool diploma or a BA in Psychology, but it didn't work out well for them.

However, if you want some decent pay, in a decent school and county, I would suggest getting some kind of certification. I would heed this advice even if you hold some sort of (advance)degree in a related field. I know a few friends with MATEFLs (which is a Masters degree in TEFL), whom admit it was largely theoretical and did not prepare them adequately to actually teach (think theoretical mathematics vs engineering). 

That being said, there is a difference between a degree and a certification. A degree is usually a lot broader and theoretical, earned over a long(er) period of time. A certifications is usually very intense and practical and shows a potential employer you have the motivation and specific skills to teach ESL. 

The good news is that a related degree without a certification will most certainly get you a job, but a certification will surely give you a pay raise as well as an advantage over the competition. It may even qualify you for an admin position.

But I just keep saying 'certification' which is pretty vague and not very helpful to you. So I am going to give a quick rundown of the different certifications in ESL you can get... or stay away from. 

Let's start with what you should stay away from. 

Anything online. No. Just no. This includes pure online courses as well as hybrid courses. These are not reputable, even though they have sparkly websites with tons of completely 'valid' testimonials. Some will promise that they are 120 credits or hours or guaranteed job placement. Don't fall for it. Some examples are Oxford Seminar, and TEFLonline. 

100% in-person courses are usually reputable. The best certifications are usually administered by well known universities that are at least 120 hours programs with 6 hours of observed teaching practice. They are usually labeled as certificates in TEFL or TESOL. Some vocational or county schools offer these, but I would try to stay away from them and look for a "name brand" university that offers a cert. If you find a program through one of these options, make sure it has at least 6 hours of observed teaching practice. Employers will want to see this, and it is usually listed on the certificate. 

The best, and I use "best" to say that they are the most reputable certifications, are both from England. They are the CELTA (Certification in English Language Teaching to Adults) and the Trinity CertTESOL. 

The CELTA is administered through University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) and in my opinion is the best entry level ESL certificate. You can take the course at Cambridge, but that can be very expensive. In North America, it is most commonly administered through private language institutes. To my knowledge there is only one US university that offers the CELTA -The University of Texas at Austin, which is where I earned my CELTA. Its a great program. Upon completion, you will also receive a TEFL cert. from the University of Texas for the price of just the CELTA. Check out the program here.  

The CELTA cost about $2,000-$2,500 and takes 4 weeks to complete, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Its very intense and you will live, eat, and breathe the CELTA for the 4 weeks. There is however, a less intense course that usually takes 8 weeks to complete, but these are less common. 

The Trinity CertTESOL is in my opinion the second best entry level certification you can get. It is administered through the Trinity College of London. It is very similar to the CELTA; it is an intensive 4 weeks course and cost about the same. Why I say its second best then is because it lacks some 'street cred' and the Cambridge name. Some people claim it is inferior to the CELTA because it does not include a input session of identifying learning styles, but from everything I have heard and read, it is equally as reputable, at least in Europe. The reason I say equal in Europe is because the CertTESOL is only offered in a few locations, namely; Barcelona, Prague, Kerala (India), London, and Cadiz, and has not been approved/accredited by any other TEFL organizations outside of Europe like the CELTA has. 

There are a host of other more advanced certifications you can get after you get the CELTA or CertTESOL, but they require a pre-requisite of one of the two to enroll in. 

My suggestion, get the CELTA, or at least a university certificate in TEFL/TESOL before you begin teaching. 

ESL in Europe: Americans Need Not Apply

"Europe! OMG let's teach English in Paris/Barcelona/Rome/Munich/London."

Are you American? You are? Well forget teaching anywhere in (Western) Europe, at least anywhere worthwhile.

It is essentially impossible to teach in the EU and that's why I said Western Europe.  If you are lucky enough to be approved by the EU and a school, it will still take about 1/2 a year, as well as the addition of various/expensive documents payments + flights & housing. 

Just except it. If you are American, but not an ESL superstar with a PhD and/or Delta + 5 years experience, its not gonna happen. Unless you marry-in, which is still a hard process.

"Whatever, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about".

Maybe I don't, but when I originally became interested in ESL, I wanted to teach in Western Europe. I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. Its pretty much a economic thing. Most of Western Europe is part of the EU, and therefore hire only citizens of any industry from other EU states to protect their shared economies. The EU member states are listed below. 

Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, The Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

EU Member States in Blue 

My suggestions are as followed if you still want to teach in Western Europe:

1. Russia. Not geographically "western" but still a good option for a European experience, especially because you could easily travel to more western countries. Its the biggest hub in Europe that still has a good market for American teachers. However, beware, Russia is infamous for sketchy pay and swindling schools. 

2. Just apply to a school in the EU anyway (refer to the above list of EU states). Tell them upfront you will afford all extra cost accrued from the special visa processing. You'll also most likely be hit with extra taxes and stipulations. This also depends on the EU member state and school. In countries that allow it, the International House will hire Americans if you are willing to pay the cost. Errr, I believe International House Poland allow this...

3. Try (Western) European countries not in the EU. Some of which you probably never even heard of. But even these countries are hard to break into, for two reasons. One is that they still prefer UK/Irish teachers over American because it is easier to culturally identify with their European kin. Secondly, most inhabitants already speak English so well that they only want uber-qualified teachers (PhDs/DELTA +Teaching License). I believe this is the case for Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, ect. The EU non-member states are listed below. 

Non-EU States in Not Green

Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Moldova, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Vatican City, Russia, Ukraine. 

4. Asia/SA/Africa. Forget Europe and set your sights on somewhere different. This is what happened to me. I asked myself (googled), "What's the highest paying country, that is well-developed where I can teach English?" I found S.Korea. If you follow my blog, you'd know I work for EPIK and you can read all about that in my other posts. But I have plenty of friends who decided their best option was SA. As for Africa, I don't personally know anyone that decided to teach there, but I am sure there is a market. 

How I Fell into ESL

When I decided to get into ESL, I was a college senior at Rutgers, The State University of NJ. I was 21 years old, and about to graduate with a BA in Economics. Originally, I was a Biology major, and was sent to Finland for two months to do ecology research for the University of Helsinki. Living abroad was awesome, and I didn't mind being away from my family/friends, or exploring a new culture. 

During my last semester, my job prospects were par. The jobs relevant to my Economics degree were of mediocre salary, and none were a particular good launching pad for a career. So I thought why not look abroad for a Economics job since I loved living in Finland so much. There were some, but then I stumbled upon the ESL industry and started reading Dave's ESL Cafe. 

"Wait, I can make money, with my innate ability to speak English?"

I decided this would be a funner, less stressful job than crunching numbers for some firm. Now I am beginning to think it may not be, more on that later though. 

My parents were pissed that I was showing so much interest in moving abroad to teach, saying it was just a whim. So to prove them I was serious, I gave up the awesome Spring Break trip I had been saving up for, and put it all towards paying for the necessary paperwork to begin applying to ESL jobs and getting the correct certifications.

I am originally from New Jersey, but made my way to Austin, Texas, to complete my CELTA and ESL Teacher Training Program from the University of Texas with my Spring Break money. 

A program that's still running and that I highly recommend. It can be found here.

With my entry level qualifications, I decided to apply to the EPIK program in Korea and landed a job in Daegu, Korea. 

So basically, I am a 22 year old guy who kinda just fell into ESL. 

Cheers