Teachers Needed in Quang Ngai, Vietnam

Our school is close to five years old now and has both, foreign and Vietnamese, teachers. Trung Tâm Ngo?i Ng? Toàn C?u, or the "Global English Centre", was founded by the current principal Mrs. Thao to provide the citizens of Quang Ngai and the vicinity with the same opportunity that she has had: to study abroad (Mrs. Thao was the person from Quang Ngai ever who studied abroad on a scholarship).

Currently, we have about 850 students aged between 5 and 17, plus about 30 adults. Every class has three or four 90-minute lessons per week (depending on age): Younger students have two classes with a foreign teacher and two with a Vietnamese teacher, who teaches grammar. Starting at 10th grade, students have three classes per week with a foreign teacher. Some students also get additional individual training and help from our teachers and staff. The classes are relatively small at about 10-14 students each. For grades 1 and 2, the foreign teachers often get a Vietnamese assistant who speaks some English. We just started offering preschool classes.

Our 13 foreign teachers are between 23 and 65 years old. Currently, we have four teachers/interns from the Philippines, three from Germany, two from the U.S. and one from each: the U.K., New Zealand, South Africa and Serbia. In November 2015, we moved to our new school, which is one of the spiffiest in south central Vietnam.

We are looking for native speakers from all over the world, but we especially welcome applications from natives of the U.K., since we are using various Cambridge tests as yardsticks (Starters, Movers, Flyers, etc.), and many of our 10-to-12-grade students aim at taking the IELTS test. However, other nationalities and qualified non-native speakers with appropriate training and excellent oral language skills will certainly be considered.

You need at least a Bachelor’s degree to legally work as a teacher in Vietnam. Needless to say, a higher degree in the field (TESOL, Linguistics, ECE or Special Education) would increase your chances of employment. We offer a supportive working environment in which you are encouraged to be creative. Our work hours are different from ordinary schools, though; they mostly range from 13:30 to 20:40 (Mon to Fri) and 8-11:00 and 14-19:00/20:40 on weekends. You’ll be required to teach up to 20 90-minute classes distributed over six days per week. Your day off will likely be during the week (and not on weekends).

Our ideal candidate has a college degree in a relevant field (English Language Teaching, ECE, etc.) and a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate, plus some experience, but we also consider applications from outside the field.

The starting salary is US$ 1,050 per month for fairly experienced applicants with a Master’s degree (native speakers) and US$ 850 for inexperienced candidates holding a Bachelor’s degree obtained in a program where the language of instruction was English. The pay may not seem much, but keep in mind that you won’t have to pay rent, that you only need about 160 to 250 dollars per month to live well here in Quang Ngai, and that a thousand bucks per month puts you well within the upper ten percent income bracket in Vietnam.

Applicants should have proof in hand that attests their ability to teach English as a foreign language. If you start working here without a TESOL/TEFL certificate, the local authorities will require you to finish an online course during the first six months of your stay. Contracts are typically for one year and renewable provided satisfactory performance. Should you decide to stay with us for another year, your salary may increase by 5, 10 or even 20 per cent. As I have briefly mentioned, work compensation also includes accommodation (but not utilities). We completed our teachers’ residence in Jan 2016; it is actually one wing of the u-shaped school. In other words, you’d live at the school but since classes typically don’t start until 14:00 it is quiet during the mornings on which you don't have to work.

We also accept applications for internships (which will be paid substantially less, however: we will pay for the flight, but you'd earn only about 200 dollars a month). The spots for interns are limited to four per year (as per government regulations).

Here's what the position demands in a nutshell:
Responsibilities:
- Teaching the required hours,
- Managing the classroom so that is is conducive to learning,
- A kind, professional demeanor (which needs to extend into town),
- Taking part in meetings (there will be only a few), and
- Developing curriculum and exercises conducive to students' success.

Skills and attitudes needed:
- Ability and interest to teach English to students aged between 5 and 14,
- Flexibility and ability to improvise,
- Sensitivity to students' needs,
- Dedication to students' success,
- Patience and a sense of humor.

To apply please submit:
1) a concise letter of motivation in an email (3 paragraphs) that addresses how your specific experiences, qualifications, and interests fit our needs. Please state your motivation to work for us and why you like the idea of coming to Quang Ngai—in other words, please submit a letter that indicates that you have read the job ad. Emails with nothing else but a CV attached will be ignored).
2) A one-page CV/resume that concisely lists relevant qualifications and experiences (attached to the same email),
3) an electronic copy of your degree(s) and TESOL certificate.
4) One reference (name, position, phone number) who we could contact.

Please submit to ToanCauHiring@gmail.com

Please include a phone number/Skype ID and tell us where you reside at the moment. Ideally, include a link to a video of you teaching. If you have committed somewhere else until sometime in the near future, please don’t hesitate to apply. We pretty much hire year ‘round.

Some additional notes (compiled after some hiring experience):

- Quang Ngai is not a place for people who are addicted to fun; you need to be able to amuse yourself. Your colleagues are nice, fun-loving people, however. We party and go on trips together. If you like the idea of living in the ‘real Vietnam’ (and not in some expats’ enclave where the same topics and petty complaints about VN are being rehashed daily), Quang Ngai is the place to be. If you can’t live without Western food, on the other hand, look elsewhere. In other words, make sure that you’re willing to come to Quang Ngai (and look up where it is:
we've had candidates who, after a lengthy email/interview process, realized that they didn't want to live in QN).

- Proficient non-native speakers may apply, but keep in mind that we already have eight non- native speakers out of 13 teachers. In other words, you need to have excellent qualifications and must build a convincing case (in addition, we may ask you to submit a speaking sample).

- We are very unlikely to hire couples, and there is no international school here (so you can’t bring your children).

- Don’t apply if you “love Hoi An”. Hoi An is 100 km away, hard to get to, and Quang Ngai is pretty much the antithesis of Hoi An. QN is a somewhat quaint provincial town of 121,000 people that closes down after 22:00. There are no Pizzerias or Western style bars here (but tons of nice coffee shops, decent street food, and one night-club). There are also small places on the street where you can hang out and drink beer after 10 pm.

- We are looking for people who want and who are able to teach Vietnamese children. Don’t just tout your advertising skills or your Business English teaching experience that you garnered when you taught CEOs at some large company. Please match your experiences to our needs.

- Don't apply if it is not enough money for you, and don't write telling me that the money wouldn't be enough for you.

- Here's the test: Imagine yourself in provincial Vietnam, teaching 30 hours six days a week, often in the evening until 8:40p.m. If you think this is not for you, don’t apply. If you can see yourself doing that, however, you will be rewarded with working at a brand-new, well-equipped school, housing, a proper contract, a prospect for the future, more money that you can possibly spend in Quang Ngai, a bunch of fun colleagues, the chance to sleep in on five days a week, warm weather year ‘round, a beach 30 minutes away, bucolic countryside, decent food, and appreciation rivaling that of rock stars.