Moving to Singapore to work for "I Can Read" Program

[akprestage]

Hello,
I am a 23/f from the US that is moving to Singapore in late December to work for the "I Can Read: Singapore" Program...I will be teaching reading and writing to children ages 5-8. I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this program good or bad. Since the only people I have talked to are the recruiters for the company, I would love to know what anyone else thinks of the program, or just working as a teacher in Singapore in general. Any information or comments would be great!

Regards,
Anna

[ksl]

Hello,
I am a 23/f from the US that is moving to Singapore in late December to work for the "I Can Read: Singapore" Program...I will be teaching reading and writing to children ages 5-8. I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this program good or bad. Since the only people I have talked to are the recruiters for the company, I would love to know what anyone else thinks of the program, or just working as a teacher in Singapore in general. Any information or comments would be great!

Regards,
Anna

I'm from the UK, my daughter also attends I can read, though it is supposed to be native UK English and not American. There are several teachers from the the USA.

As a parent it would concern me, if I am paying for British English and getting Americanised, I find it quite disturbing, just like Singaporean teachers trying to teach my daughter English when they cannot pronounce the words correctly themselves.

I have no wish to offend you, I just wish to point out the facts. I think the school was established by Australians.

As school performance goes, they have a good position in the market place. One teacher i know from UK was getting 4500$ for 20 hrs, classroom work, and prep and marking was done at home. I have nothing bad to say about I can read, because my daughter has improved a great deal over the last 3 years and is an A level student in primary, thanks to I can read.

American is also okay, as long as she doesn't mix the two languages, it's either one or the other!

So best wishes on your new position and I'm sure you will enjoy it here!

[akprestage]

Thank you very much for your response! I understand your concerns definitely...I'm honestly not sure how the cirriculum is divided in order to accomodate British vs. American. I was told that the lesson plans are basically already made for me, so I'm sure they have addressed those issues.

I'm glad to know someone who speaks highly of the program! Other than my research and communication with the recruitment officers, I havent known any direct opinions of it. I really appreciate your feedback!

Thanks again!

[averywest]

Send me a message so I can email you. I am a current ICR teacher, American. I would like to get in touch and can explain the program to you. I am also looking for new accommodation so that might also be something we could discuss.

[akprestage]

My email is [email protected]

I would love to get any information you can give me! What area are you working in?

Looking forward to hearing from you!!

[revhappy]

..

[asee010]

In reply to Anna (akprestage):

Hi, my name is Angie, im from New Zealand. I just saw the ad for teachers for I Can Read in Singapore and it seems to good to be true! $4500SNGD a month! That's more than i could make in NZ in 2 months.

So I'd like to know how the job is going for you and if it lived up to your expectations. Is the work tiresome/repetitive? Do you have to work long hours? Do you get much support from your employers? Did they help you find a place to live? And any other nasty surprises.

Look forward to hearing from you, and hey, if i decide to apply and get the job, maybe il see you soon!

Kind regards
Angie

[to0tL3]

Hi there,
I'm currently looking for native english speakers to teach English part-time at an education centre in Singapore.

do drop me an email at [email protected] if any of you are interested. thanks!

rgds.

[Uncle Gweilo]

To averywest:

I know your post is approaching twelve months old, but I have seen several listings for ICR on an ESL website I subscribe to. Either ICR is expanding rapidly- and their website seems to suggest this- or there are other issues requiring the Company to be looking to recruit new teachers on a fairly regular basis.

The thought of only SGD 4500 a month can be dealt with- I live quite spartanly, could live in Singers as a "local" and am single- but I am interested in your experiences at ICR.

If you could please e-mail me and we can hopefully set up a dialogue.
hubblegarry at hotmail dot com

Thanking you in anticipation,

Garry a.k.a. Uncle Gweilo

[Uncle Gweilo]

In reply to Anna (akprestage):

Hi, my name is Angie, im from New Zealand. I just saw the ad for teachers for I Can Read in Singapore and it seems to good to be true! $4500SNGD a month! That's more than i could make in NZ in 2 months.

Kind regards
Angie

SGD 4,500 is roughly AUD 41,000 p.a. Not a good salary in Australia, but probably is in NZ (NZD 52+K). Singapore's taxation is a lot lower than Australia's and probably New Zealand's, but living expenses are also a lot higher. Can you imagine having to stump up over NZD 120,000 for a Toyota Corolla? That's what they cost in Singapore. Rents are also high if you don't live in an HDB flat.

[Little M]

$4500 is not a bad pay in Singapore actually. The cost of food is comparable to Australia. Housing is the about the same, a condo apartment would cost about the same as a house in Sydney. Foreigners are not allowed to buy the gov subsidized HDBs, you would have to settled with condo. You are also not allowed to buy landed properties. If you don't mind, you can just rent a room for about $500(HDB)-$1K+(condo) or rent a whole unit for about $1K+(HDB) to a few K for a condo unit.

As for car, it is not a necessity. The public transport system here is wayyyy better then in Aust.

Hope this helps

[sundaymorningstaple]

$4500 is highly do-able in Singapore if you are Single and semi-frugal. There are many families here that make do with less than than and have 2 or 3 children. However, they do have the benefit of HDB housing of which when coupled with HDB Loans to pay for them over a 30 year period at very attractive rates, does give them a leg up. If you are not adverse to sharing you can do with under 1K for housing. Or you can probably find an HDB 3 room flat (2 BR) for 1500/mo. You could conceivably save up to around 2K/mo or even more dependent on your personal lifestyle.

sms

[chococat]

Wow, it's surprising to see such ignorance coming from teachers!

Okay, that's a bit harsh, I know, considering the differences are minor. I don't mean to insult, but I wish every English teacher would commit to having a reference guide that concisely explains the differences in formal and informal usage. They are out there and are very helpful!

Regarding "British English" vs the English spoken in former colonies and/or international business cultures...there are a few significant differences in grammar and spelling that all English teachers should be aware of.

Broader difference exist in idioms, colloquial expressions, and vocabulary--but they usually aren't relevant when teaching formal usage and some are not important at all when teaching children, rather than young adults with global business in their chosen career path.

And lest anyone talk trash about American English's inferiority or sloppiness...
It's a point of fact that American conventions of punctuation and grammar (when they differ from British) tend to be far more strict and precise in their adherence to traditional rules. (Look up 'that vs which' and you'll see what I mean.)

[Trick]

Hi Anna,

If you are still around in Singapore (I see your post was back in 2009) and if you ended up working for I Can Read, can you give me any feedback on the company? I am an Australian, currently in Singapore and I.C.R. are advertising again. If you can give any positive comments I will contact them.
Thanks

Patrick