teaching english in singapore

There are plenty of English teaching schools in Singapore.

"I can read systems" is one, but they can't be trusted.

Actually, for all the "is this a joke?" people, EFL jobs in Singapore do get advertised from time to time on the usual TEFL websites (tefl.com, Dave's ESL and so on).

They don't come up very often, tend to demand more experience and higher qualifications, and from what I recall they seemed more often to involve working either with small kids (shudders of horror), or in the language training depts of Singapore-based international schools (presumably looking to attract wealthy students from surrounding countries with lower standards of English)...

I actually idly considered applying for one that I saw once, but remember deciding that the salary (which was set just below a certain level that has implications for immigration issues in Singapore - perhaps someone else can remind me what that figure is) was not enough for a place like Singapore - and certainly not enough to compensate teaching mostly small brats (give me surly teenagers any day).

In short OP, not totally beyond the realms of possibility, but with only six months under your belt I'd say your chances would be slim.
Plenty of EFL posts on offer in the region though - Indonesia (if you are a UK, US, Can, Aus or NZ citizen) is brim-full of them; lots in Thailand, and a few in Malaysia too (which would offer the closest alternative to the "Singapore experience" I suppose)...

Conditions have changed, but a couple of years ago, schools (e.g. International Schools) were hiring native English speakers, and that is how I landed a job there, through SEEK website. Also, schools have sites and advertise vacancies. Employers and parents saw the advantage of native speakers. I had better salary and holidays than local teachers with similar qualifications. When the locals spoke Singlish to the children, I shuddered. There is a big difference. Now, however, these teaching and admin jobs are going more often to locals.

A "joke"? Why? I know several ESL teachers working in places like Vancouver and London. I also know a Japanese girl who went to Singapore to study English.

Hello

I too, am interested in teaching English in Singapore; did you find any reputable schools IndianWombat? I have similar qualifications to you, although TESOL trained not CELTA and i have 2 years experience teaching. I don't want to work for a chain/cowboy school where you are just a monkey reciting English (i hear GEOS and others are bad like that).

Harry Mudd: Why can't "I can read" be trusted? I was considering applying for a job with them ($4500SNG/month!) but iv been hearing bad things about them. Not sure if its true/still valid, can you verify? do you have personal experience?

Thanks a lot, look forward to your responses

I was interviewed by them via skype, and then offered a job on the spot.

They made all sorts of promises and when I said to them to organise the airfare and I'll be straight over, they immediately withdrew their offer, and said I wouldn't like Singapore if I had no money.

A total load of bollocks.

Half of my family ligve in Singapore, so I contacted them to do some investigations, and it turns out that these folk are not honest, and you may or may not get what is promised. Your work wil be very different from what you sign on for, and the quality of the school leaves a lot to be desired.

I understand that they offer jobs to just about anybody who can speak English, and then cull you out in Singapore. This is after YOU have spent all the money on airfares and accomodation. (They do not provide this). If their student numbers drop or don't meet expectations then they cut you loose without any help at all. Or so I am led to believe.

There are many schools t5hat are much better, and if you do a quick google seacrh, you will find heaps.

The other thing to think about, is the students. These are the children of rich people, and my information has it that they are "slow". Are you able to handle that?

At the moment, I am being interviewed for two positions in China which are much more attractive than dealing with "I can Read".

($4500SNG/month!)

ha ha. the first wrong thing.

They will start you on SGD$3,500 and then get up to SGD$4,000 after 12 months. renting a room will cost at least SGD$1,000 per month, so your wage isn't exactly huge.

So much misinformation LAH!

I am an Australian who lived and taught English very happily with I Can Read in Singapore.
Firstly, VillianChaser, norrie19,craneboywill : Yes, most Singaporeans speak English better than the rest of Asia, however the standard is not comparable to Britain, Canada, USA etc. Although English is the unifying language between the Chinese, Malay, Indian and other Ethnic minorities, I've yet to meet a Singaporean who doesn't speak Singlish (or at least of those who are higher educated can switch between English/Singlish). It is a mix of English, Chinese syntax, Malay, Tamil etc and the government is quite aware of the limitations Singlish has on a global level, which is why they created the 'Speak Good English Movement' to encourage a form of English more in touch with British English. That being said, Singlish is everywhere and most Singaporeans are proud of their unique language and it is really warm and fun to be around locals using this 'dialect'.
The children I taught had dreadful grammar and their parents were really enthusiastic to give them good foundations.
Harry_Mudd: Before you started the interview process you would have realised that unlike some schools in Japan/Korea/other popular English teaching destinations, I Can Read do not supply airfares, however you will be reimbursed your flight once you complete the contract. So for you to be so shocked is quite ridiculous, if you had read your details.
I got exactly what I signed up for and was not mislead about the position I would take. As for your comment 'If their student numbers drop or don't meet expectations then they cut you loose without any help at all'...this is just nonsense. Besides, you sign a contract stipulating your employment with them and if they ever terminated your contract without valid reason you have the right to take them to the Ministry of Manpower who actually do protect foreign workers rights.
To be honest it may not have been the BEST job in the field, true, there are other companies like the British Council who offer much more competitive salaries, or some of the private International Schools, but I had the best time of my life working with I Can Read. The hours were very little considering I was working 'full time' and once you learn their system there is very little preparation needed which means you can leave work at work and have time to enjoy life outside of the classroom. I really enjoyed the students I worked with and Harry Mudd, your comment about them being 'slow'...where on earth did you get that from and how could you generalise so much about such a group of diverse children? I met some incredibly sharp, bright young kids and they were a lot of fun.

If you are considering I Can Read they are looking for teachers regularly as different centres open (it is a franchise). Be aware the contract is 2 years (it is able to be broken if you can not stay the entire time, however it is not optimal for young children to have constant changeover and it is really nice to build relationships with the children). Many people stay happily for around a year and then break the contract to be honest, usually because they return back to their countries.
Also, it is not teaching English, It is a phonics school and unless you are a patient individual, you will get frustrated by the repetitiveness of the program, but this is the nature of the teaching system and it has been proved to be a really useful tool to get students fluent in literacy skills. If you develop good rapport with your students you will love the kids so much, it wont feel like work.

Lastly, the salary is well above the average Singaporean. Teachers in a local school who have much larger class numbers and work much longer hours get about $2800-3000, compared to what ICR offers at $4500 per month. So you can definitely live comfortably and save some cash.

You had a good time with them, and that is great.

I found them to be dishonest, and that is my experience.

and they offered,$3,500 rising to 4,000 after 2 years not $4,500.

It wouldn't matter to me if they stitched me up on the salary anyway, as my goal was to return to Singapore, and I have family support in the event of trouble.

After lecturing in China for 3 years, I have learnt to do a bit or research, and these people failed the test. Maybe you were interviewed by someone else, and I am very happy for you in that it all worked out, but I can't trust them.

you have the right to take them to the Ministry of Manpower who actually
do protect foreign workers rights

I actually did check with the MoM, and sorry, the above statement just isn't right. No rights at all, is the case.