teaching english in singapore

Hello

I am a CELTA trained English teacher from Australia. I am currently teaching at ILA in Ho Chi MInh City, Vietnam. I really want to move to Singapore to teach English.

It appears to be a hard place to get a job teaching English. Am I correct? By the time I move there, I would have had 6 months experience.

Can anybody give me any advice or knowledge about landing a ESL job in Singapore.

If ESL is not an option, what other options are there for expats in Singapore? I have experience in the care industry (physical and mental disability/respite work - no qualifications but can get excellent references). I also have experience in retail, hospitality and call centre (insurance). I have a degree in Applied Animal Science - Wildlife Biology. I don't think that the zoo will hire foreigners however.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Doesn't most of Singapore already speak English??????

ooooh .thats tough man
you might wanna look around the usual local job sites
example http://www.jobsdb.com/

hootie

be very careful with contracts in Singapore, there is no law to protect foreign workers. A signed contract means nothing.

Singaporeans speak some of the best English in Asia. It is unlike Indonesia or China.
To be fair Harry, there is great respect for the rule of law in Singapore. The contracts cleverly provide that your employer can terminate your employment with one month's notice.
They are facing one of their worst recessions. There will be slim pickings. You may have to set your sights somewhere else.

if you like animals, just try the zoo (Wildlife Reserves) who run 3 parks, (Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park) and they may be able to give you an appointment.

To be fair Harry, there is great respect for the rule of law in Singapore.
Yes. Agree with you 100%. But I have just spent a few days talking with MoM and MoE, and sorry, foreigners don't have right of claim.

I'm just advising caution.

I'll go and work in Singapore in a minute. Mrs Mudd is, after all, a Singaporean.

This is a joke post isn't it?

Everyone in Singapore who needs English already speaks it and if they're Singaporean they speak it rather well... If they need English and they don't already speak it then they won't be able to afford you.

Maybe you could teach English to those parrots in Jurong Bird Park lah...

And talking about Jurong, I'm reliably informed that there are at least 10 languages in regular use in the shipyards there... why speak English?

Try South Korea or Japan.

or Indonesia. Lots of English teaching positions available. No problem if you are CELTAed.

Thanks for those with the helpful advice. Most people in Singapore do already speak English but there are alot of migrants who need to learn English and they do have private English schools there. I was just wondering what my chances were of getting a job there etc fully certified but only having 6 months experience. So Norrie19, no it wasn't a joke post, expats do teach English in Singapore but perhaps they have more years experience than me. But your wit for a joke about teaching the birds at Jurong amused me anyway if not wasted some of my time.

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.

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

8 years ago, SGD3000 was the starting salary (i.e. for a fresh university graduate with no teaching experience) for some of my Singaporean male (they get paid more than females) friends who became teachers in government schools here. they're now earning far more than that.

Hi Littlebluediamond,
I am quite interested to know which of the 3 points I made amounted to misinformation. I am not sure a difference of opinion amounts to misinformation. Do clarify or apologise. Thanks.

My experience is different to Littlebluediamond, and to me the misinformation is in that post, not mine.

But each to their own.

I wait patiently for the response.

as do I.

Still waiting, #17.

You are the Manager at that School, aren't you?

I just came on this query about teaching English in Singapore during a casual search. I see the post is from 2010 but am unable to resist entering a reply. I have not done research on the English teaching job market in Singapore but anyone who has responded with a derisive gibe citing that there is general English speaking fluency there is all talk- no knowledge. I have spent a good deal of time in Singapore during the past decade and can tell you that it is a multilingual environment and many, many people do not understand English.