Section 7: Preparing for the Job and Going Abroad

Chapter 40: Contracts

This is one of the most, if not the most important aspect when it comes to having a job teaching English abroad. The first thing you should do when checking out your contract is look at the salary the school is offering to you. Do some shopping around and some research to see the general base line for teachers. For instance, in South Korea, people teaching in the EPIK program should start at around a $1,600 - $1,900 (1.8 to 2.1 million won) a month salary. If you are going to work in a private academy you should expect more hours and with those hours and more classes you should expect to start at around $2,000 to $2,100 (2.2 to 2.3 million won) for one month. It is very important to do your research on your country of choice and see what contracts usually pay on a monthly basis. You do not want to go to a foreign country, start a job, and realize that you are being paid a salary below the normal standard, because having already signed a contract usually means that you cannot negotiate or do anything to get a salary increase until your contract ends.

Another important thing to know when it comes to contracts is teaching hours. For public government funded schools you can expect a more laid back and easy schedule compared to private academies that teach English abroad. When it comes to working in Korea at a private academy anything over 25 to 30 teaching hours is way too much. Some schools will expect you to be in the classroom speaking and actively teaching for 30 hours a week which means around 6 hours a day of almost nonstop teaching. So, it is very important that you read into the details of your contract and discuss the teaching hours with the boss and other teachers of the school if you are able to get their contact information.

Another very important thing is to know the laws of the country and what a typical contract will offer. For instance, in Korea you should expect a flight both to and from Korea when your contract starts and ends, a pension and severance payment from your school for when you leave the school, as well as housing (usually not utilities) and usually the school paying for a portion of your health insurance. It is very VERY VERY important that you understand the laws of the country you are going to and what a normal contract looks like for benefits and what the school should be promising. In addition, you want to check that these benefits are in writing in your contract as your contract is the only thing that can protect you if you happen to have any disputes or issues with your employer.

One of the most important things that you need to make sure of when you are signing a contract is that there are not any crazy or absurd indemnity clauses. Some schools put in their contracts that you will have to pay penalties or other things if you break your contract or give you other costs for other circumstances. In most contracts this is highly illegal and usually not enforceable. However, you should always check with the laws of the country you are going to, as they can change and vary by country when it comes to indemnity clauses. It is very important to be very careful when you are signing a contract and that you do not get yourself tricked into a contract that can hurt you much more than help you.

Finally, we here at TEFL Abroad would like to make a personal note about contracts. Many teachers have been put into uncomfortable or difficult situations due to contracts that they signed with a school that made contracts that were outright bad, malicious, or just lacking the proper benefits. Remember that you are going to be a foreigner living in a country that is not your own. It is vastly important to give yourself something that can both protect and help you in stressful situations. Always know that taking the time to do research and checking into your contract can save you a lot of trouble and hardships in the future. Another very important note to remember is to know if your contract is legally binding in English or not, some schools will write different things in the native language and English, so it is very important to use a translation app or get some help with looking at your contract if you have any doubts about it.