Teaching Private Classes in TEFL
Earning Extra Income when Teaching English Abroad
A reader recently asked me how they might earn extra money while working at a university that was offering them a modest wage, but excellent benefits in terms of free accommodation and many other perks.
My response was:
To be honest I have never taught anywhere that I did not teach additional classes or private classes (illegal most places) or both. Often, but not always, these classes were organized by my school. Even some of the illegal ones!
When you first arrive, your school and the local people will watch you to make sure you are okay and reliable. They want to know that you are not a drunk, a child molester and will not present other problems to them, as many other foreigners have. Once they decide that you are okay, things start to happen.
Examples: A colleague will ask you to tutor her child, the university president will be asked by the corporation her husband works for to provide a Business English teacher, the local police department (and yes even the immigration people who KNOW it is illegal) will ask the university to provide a teacher and on and on. People may even approach you on the street (those I would be more careful of).
So . . . the official answer is maybe you will be able to earn extra income. Most schools, if you tell them you are willing, will schedule you for extra classes – and pay you overtime wages. But also – if they know you are willing – discretely of course . . . they will recommend you for the type of classes I suggest above. Most of which are against your contract, against your visa, yada yada – but I’ve always done it, most other people do.
If done discretely – meaning you aren’t telling everyone you meet about it, no one cares. In fact it is your fellow foreign colleagues you need to be most careful of, not the local people. In Korea I probably tripled my wages. In Taiwan – doubled them. Less in other places but always a significant portion of my income.
The only time I ever had any problems was when fellow foreign teachers became aware of what I was doing. So, if you can, keep them in the dark and pursue your plan!
TED’s Tips™ #1: Play it cool, wait a bit, show your new community that you are a reliable, sober and decent person and more opportunity than you can handle will unfold right in front of you. However, if you are unreliable, never sober and a problem person, they will see that and nothing will come your way.
TED’s Tips™ #2: Be careful of your foreign colleagues. Some will be unbalanced, emotionally unstable or just plain jealous of special opportunities you have created for yourself.
As much as you might want to share information about everything you are doing, resist that temptation until you know someone very well.
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Tags: earning extra income while teaching English, teaching on the side, teaching private classes, teaching privates
Uncategorized | Ted | 
June 8, 2010 1:50 PM
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