ESL in Singapore

[actualstarfish]

Is there anyone with experience in Singapore here who can give me the low-down on ESL/life there?

I know that teaching ESL in Singapore will require more qualifications than Korea and that the market for English jobs isn't as good for foreigners since they speak English fairly well already. If I decided on Singapore, my current plan would be to fly in for a CELTA course that offers job placement assistance like Heartpower TESOL.

The weather of Singapore is basically the only downside for me (I love skiing and mountains) but I might be willing to compromise since the lifestyle and culture is likely much easier to deal with and more vibrant than Korea.

I'm currently torn between Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore as my next destination in September. I know each of these places will present their own unique challenges. I've visited Japan and Taiwan but I haven't had the opportunity to go to Singapore yet. Enlighten me!

[kwangjuman]

I am sorry to burst your bubble, but your chances of getting a job there are very slim. This is if you are not a certified teacher who is familiar with the Singaporean curriculum. They teach an adequate level of English in all schools there and there is little if any need for out of school ESL teachers. If you did find a job, finding a place to live would kill your budget anyways. Singapore is great but it is not really an ESL destination, lots of other places in S.E. Asia looking for teachers, maybe not as high a salary or standard of living but definitely more available to less qualified teachers.

[flasyb]

I am sorry to burst your bubble, but your chances of getting a job there are very slim. This is if you are not a certified teacher who is familiar with the Singaporean curriculum. They teach an adequate level of English in all schools there and there is little if any need for out of school ESL teachers. If you did find a job, finding a place to live would kill your budget anyways. Singapore is great but it is not really an ESL destination, lots of other places in S.E. Asia looking for teachers, maybe not as high a salary or standard of living but definitely more available to less qualified teachers.

There's always a market for private tuition. The rich will always pay if it helps their kids get ahead. Public school will be very difficult to get into, as kwangjuman says. He's also right about the costs. This makes it more of a risky venture but you've got a good chance of finding a job at a private institute with a CELTA. Expect higher living costs, taxes, and relative to these costs, lower pay (actual pay might be around the same or higher). You'll probably feel like you were much better off in Korea monetarily. You might prefer Singa as a place to live though.

[actualstarfish]

I'm well aware of the English level in Singapore and the higher qualifications required to get a job. That is why I mentioned the CELTA course that offers employment assistance as one possible option. This is also why I was asking for someone with experience in Singapore to lend his or her wisdom. I know for a fact that it is possible to get a job at a private institute with a CELTA in Singapore. So, if anyone with experience or who knows a person with experience in Singapore wants to chime in, please let me know. I'm all ears.

[kitten]

I worked as one of the EFL teachers at a Japanese international school in Singapore for a year. I have a CELTA and quite a few years experience teaching in Japan. The other EFL teachers at the school were hired locally and got a lot less pay than I did.

I met many other foreigners (mostly Australian/British/New Zealanders) who were also hired from overseas to work at various international kindergartens there. I think everyone I met either had a couple of years experience teaching overseas or had a TEFL course under their belt.

The money wasn't great because the housing was so expensive. My school supplied me with shared housing, but I still had to pay half of my salary for it. On the bright side, the apartment had an excellent view, was in a great location, and had the usual free gyms/tennis courts/pools that most apartment complexes in Singapore have. Transportation and food are cheap in Singapore (comparable to Korean costs probably) but having to pay for housing yourself makes it much harder to save money than in Korea. The lifestyle is nice (although boring! It's a tiny place, so there isn't that much to see & do. But trips to various countries nearby is cheap & easy). The reason I didn't stay for any longer was because I thought the weather was so boring with every single day for an entire year being hot & sunny with occasional heavy downpours. I much prefer wearing different clothing in summer & winter, rather than the same clothes forever and ever and ever....!