Best country to teach English?

[Bell Bird]

Hi,

Have taught in Korea for a while now. Am contemplating teaching English in Japan next. Any thoughts? I know the money is higher, but is the quality of life ok?

Has anyone taught in Africa etc.. such an exotic country would be fun, but you would be poor at the same time..

[Peter Greer]

I don't know about Japan, but teaching in China has been a lot of fun for me. Sure the money isn't the best, but it's more than enough to live comfortably and enjoy a cheap lifestyle. The countryside in China is superb... Unfortuanely I'm stuck in a big city now...

[Phil]

Being a volunteer English teacher in Africa would be cool. I'd love to try this someday.

[Peter Greer]

Actually, I think any country is great to teach in. In the end, it's comes down to what you make of it. "The grass is always greener on the other side"

[Joey]

Love teaching English in Vietnam! Close to the lovely beaches and great food! Thumbs up for sure ....

[muzwalks]

I've been teaching English in Taipei, Taiwan for the last 2 years. I'm pretty happy with the life it offers, it's very chilled out and convenient. When I'm not teaching I run a hostel in Taipei (www.mandarinhostel.com). Check out our website, it also has useful info on teaching English.

The reason I came here though, was to learn Chinese. It wasn't to teach English. If you have a particular language that you want to learn, then go to that country. Teaching is enjoyable almost anywhere in Asia so it doesn't really matter, unless you have another agenda.

[kodieson]

I am currently teaching in Northern Japan. It is a wonderful place. Beautiful! Much like the eastern seaboard of the US. They have the cherry blossoms like in Washington. In fact I have learned that the cherry blossoms in D.C. were a gift from Japan. They even have the beautiful fall foliage like in New England, my home. If you want cities move to Honshu island. If you want traditional Japan move to Kyoto city. If you want wilderness and skiing in the winter move to Hokkaido Island. The people are very friendly and helpful.

The Japanese language is a challenge for me. It is not a Latin based language like Spanish, French or Italian so in my opinion is a bit more challenging to learn. Unless you live in a major city or tourist area you are not going to find a lot of people who speak English. Japan is filled with Japanese people. There are not a lot of foreigners.

There is VERY little crime.We almost never lock our car doors unless we are leaving for the weekend. My wife feels VERY comfortable walking around at night. Obviously she uses good judgment and common sense.

All said and done, I recommend teaching and living in Japan.
Hope this is helpful info.

[shogoz]

I am going to go to Japan this September to find a job teaching English. I went on a holiday there in November and I still think about Japan often and I am really looking forward to being back there, hopefully to live in the long term.

I can confirm Kyoto being very traditional as I stayed with my girlfriend who lives nearby. I always felt safe whether I was walking around, day or night and I used the same wallet that i always use here in Australia. I went to more than 8 different countries around Europe and the place where i felt safe the most was Japan. I have lived all my life here in Australia and even so, i feel that Japan is safer than where i live after experiencing the Japanese culture, even if it was for a short while! Consideration and respect means a lot to Japanese. Highly recommend teaching there!!! enjoy