Teaching in Singapore

[ianpants69]

Hi,

Currenly living in Thailand with my wife and child where I teach English and am also studying at university. We have long decided that we do not want to send our daughter to school in Thailand and are sure that relocating to Singapore would be a sensible move.

Can anyone tell me, what are the prospects of finding English teaching work in Singapore for a native speaker with TEFL and experience but as yet no degree?

Is it possible to study in English towards a degree in Singapore, if so can it be done in the evening, what kind of costs are inlvolved?

I would also like to get in touch with anyone in a similar position in Singapore, (ex-pat teacher supporting a family) or indeed prospective employers!

Any other information, good areas to stay / cost of living / visa regs. (I am British + my wife is Indonesian) / good schools and costs, would be greatfully recieved.

Many thanks

Ian

[PhantomX]

Hi
Let me try to address some of your questions.
FIrst of all TEFL by itself is insufficient to get you a teaching job in the state system. For that you will need a degree and a teaching diploma at the local teachers college
Secondly there are language schools that are run on a commercial basis that may hire you just on your TEFL itself but there is no guarantee and tenure is not assured. The fact that you are British might stand you in good stead with some schools but then with a surfeit in supply of caucasians with degrees, tesol included the competition may be stiff. Again the local english landscape being many notches higher than thailand would mean that foreigners studying here may have expectations not very different from the locals who are very much paper driven
Thirdly, yes you can study part time on just about any subject you'd fancy but because all of this is on a commercial basis, it would not be a cheap proposition as there would not be any subisdy available
And lastly, given all the above and the fact that local living costs are much higher than in Thailand, would mean that any exploratory excursion will not be a cheap affair with the risks stacked against you in getting secure employment.
Hope I am not a wet blanket. Singapore can do with people like you who want to make a contribution to the local language learning scene. BUt don't let this douse your enthusiasm. Do come over and find out for yourself if all the above does not deter you. But try a trip alone first before moving lock stock and barrel. I will be most happy to help in any way i can if you require it. You can communicate with me on my PM
All for now

[amnesia]

Hi, I'm myself had a BA in English and experiences teach English to immigrants in my home town but not yet have a TEFL/CELTA certificate.
Do you thing I can try to find any teaching job without it? Thanks in advand. If you not mind let me know more by harum@aol.com

[PhantomX]

Hi, I'm myself had a BA in English and experiences teach English to immigrants in my home town but not yet have a TEFL/CELTA certificate.
Do you thing I can try to find any teaching job without it? Thanks in advand. If you not mind let me know more by harum@aol.com

Read my mail to ianpants
For the state system in Singapore no going past the Ministry of Education requirements which is to have yr teaching diploma in Singapore
TEFL doesnt help and as for yr BA in English it must be from a recognised university website www.moe.gov.sg
Your teching experiences amongst immigrants is really a TEFL thing and is best recognised in a language school context. Singapore TEFL schools are not the most professional and have varying requirements and hire on basis of expediency generally
But u shd do an exploratory trip before moving all your belongings here as it is very costly relocating

[Guest]

Hi Amnesia,

Not to be too rude, but are you sure you hold a BA in English, and are you sure you should really be teaching?

[Accidental guest]

Hi,

Currenly living in Thailand with my wife and child where I teach English and am also studying at university. We have long decided that we do not want to send our daughter to school in Thailand and are sure that relocating to Singapore would be a sensible move.

Can anyone tell me, what are the prospects of finding English teaching work in Singapore for a native speaker with TEFL and experience but as yet no degree?

Is it possible to study in English towards a degree in Singapore, if so can it be done in the evening, what kind of costs are inlvolved?

I would also like to get in touch with anyone in a similar position in Singapore, (ex-pat teacher supporting a family) or indeed prospective employers!

Any other information, good areas to stay / cost of living / visa regs. (I am British + my wife is Indonesian) / good schools and costs, would be greatfully recieved.

Many thanks

Ian

Hi Ian,

As a Singaporean myself, I can offer you a candid comment.

If you would like to teach in any of the local schools here, you would need more than a degree. In fact, if the ministry does not deem your qualifications as sufficient, you are pretty much confined to teaching at the smaller, commercial schools.

On the other hand, you could try your luck as a private tutor.

Is it possible to study in English towards a degree in Singapore? YES! In fact, I was amused when I read this. THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION IN SINGAPORE IS ENGLISH. You shouldn't encounter any problem in that area.

There are plenty of part time and long distance degree courses in Singapore that are able to offer you flexibility in your study curriculum.

On the issue of living areas, if would be good if you could get yourself a cosy flat in the heartlands (We call them hearlands here, not suburbs). This would endow you with a good feel of the local lifestyle and heighten your appreciation of the multi-cultural life we have here in Singapore. The heartlands are not some depressing slums for your information. They are modern and clean areas that are filled with basic amenities and facilities such as grocery shops, food court and swimming pools. Some of the more popular heartland areas have shopping malls as well. And I'm not talking about those mundane 2 storey malls which you find in abundance in say, Australia. These neighbourhood malls are 4 to 5 storeys tall and filled with local and designer goods. Some even have their own cineplexes. So there you go, entertainment just right down the corner. My Japanese friend who came down to visit me last year asked me a question when she saw these malls,"Are we in the city centre?" Well, that goes to show how urbanised those areas seem.


If you are feeling loaded, you can try gunning for an apartment in the city centre. That's going to make your wallet a whole lot lighter. However, you would be close to the city's main shopping areas and nightlife.

[esl teacher too]

hi there,
I am teaching english in SG now to foreign students in a language school. The pay is terrible and the conditions are very poor. You will not have the kind of lifestyle some of the people on this board discuss.

Unfortunately you will have real trouble getting work without your degree. I think it would be a good idea to do in via correspondence in you home country and look for work in SG when it's complete. If you have a couple of years before your daughter starts school, I would think about this seriously. You will not be able to afford internatioanl schools here unless you get work in one - they are very strict though... Fear not, local schools work fine for plenty of foreign kids...