Teaching English To Koreans In Manila?

[Huggybearman]

Another way to do it, and probably legal is to teach English over the internet. My wife does that part time. She works as little or as often as she likes, and hours to suit. With bonus she gets about $6 US per hour. Actually it's per 45 minutes but she has to do a feedback on each student so each lesson takes an hour of her time. If you are a native English speaker (UK or US etc) they pay more, about $10 US. They are based in Taiwan and teach Chinese and Korean students.

My wife was also doing that for about 6 weeks, company based in HK. Strictly Chinese students. No certification requirement. The come on was that you can work whenever you like but after the first month you have to book a minimum number of classes between 7pm-11pm when they have all their demand. She actually liked it but couldn't do it with the 3 year old. There's a reason these companies choose the Philippines and it's not because the quality of English is high.

It seems the company my wife works for is more flexible. She rarely works in the evening, and only then if it suits her. She normally works in the morning and there is no minimum amount she is required to work. This is her second year of doing it now and she really enjoys it. You do need a reliable internet connection though.

Ken

[Soupdragon1973]

Thank you Ken

[jpbago]

 

Would restrictions still apply after I marry my Filipina gf?

If you are married to a citizen and have a Section 13a visa you do not need an AEP (Alien Employment Permit). You have the right to work in the Philippines and make slave wages.

 

 

   Correct, as that late British turon/lumpia seller was written up a few times in the newspapers so he must have been legally working. He wasn't hiding.

[Papa Carl]

OK here we go, having lived in the Philippines for the last 9 years I can offer this.

I first worked here using a 9G visa which allowed me to work in the Philippines. Usually the company that you work for will acquire this for you, although sometimes they expect you to get it. Not all that difficult or expensive, and is available on a 1, 3 or 5 year term. I got the 3 year and total cost (excluding legal fees) was only around 5K pesos.

After I married my wife (filipina) this was no longer require, as has been stated when here on a 13A (married visa) you are allowed to gain employment here legally).

First worked in the Call Centre or BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry, which depending on who you work for and your position, you can earn anywhere from 25K pesos a month to 450K pesos a month (not bad money, especially if you want to live like a king), but these top positions are very competitive and usually require previous experience in these positions, such as COO, or CEO etc.

OK, now to teach non Filipinos English, yes there are an abundance of Koreans, Japanese and other here who want to improve there English. Yes you can get a job working in an institution for ESL (English as a Second Language), no you do not need a IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, TOESL, etc etc etc. certificate, but it will help. Places like CEBU, Manila, Dumaguette, Bacolod, Baguio, and where I live Angeles, has several schools that will hire you and pay you from 250 pesos per lesson (45 - 60 minutes) to 450 pesos per lesson. Other institutions like International schools, for example Westfields, St. Pauls, and others will also hire you as an English Language coach and pay about the same or even a little more.

I worked at CIP in Angeles, and was specializing in Pronunciation, I taught 5 group classes of up to 6 students, 1 group lunch class with between 10 and 16 students, and then 4 one on one classes. I was working 50 hours per week (Monday to Friday) and could have worked more if I wanted to. My students were primarily from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam etc. but also from Columbia, Switzerland and other destinations.

I left there and started working online teaching English, doing exactly the same thing. Now there are hundreds of organizations where you can do this, most are owned by Koreans, Japanese, Chinese etc. and have a set curriculum that they want you to teach and provide all the materials you will require. They generally will pay about 10 USD per session (about 1 hour), there are also an abundance of other online teaching organizations, like ABC365, Talk51, etc etc etc who primarily hire Filipino teachers and pay less but will also hire Expats who have English as a first language and pay a little more. 

I currently work for an American online teaching organization called Verbling, and I pick the days I want to work, the hours that I want to work, choose the students that I agree to teach, and charge what I want to charge, along with provide my own teaching material. Another organization like this is italki.com, with pretty well the same format. I know teachers on Verbling who charge 25 to 30 usd per hour, I am charging 17 to 19 usd per session. I currently have 83 students and am ranked # 3 out of over 300 English Teachers on Verbling. They also have teachers who teach, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Japanese etc.

I started teaching online for the first time in July, when I was ranked 187th out of 191 English Teachers. Verbling has grown since then and has more teachers. It is competitive but quite easy to join. They also market my profile on pages like Facebook etc. so they find the students for me.

I am currently enjoying what I do and could easily earn between 2,000 and 2,500 usd per month. Although I admit I am not that devoted and am making less than that, but not much less.

I register with all the Philippine organizations, like BIR, Pagabig, SSS, Philhealth etc. and that costs me about 2,000 pesos a month depending on my earnings. Verbling pay every Monday direct into my Paypal account, so the money is there weekly and they have never been late or cheated me out of any of my earnings.

 

Hope this helps, and hope I have not broken any rules by providing names of companies etc.

 

Papa Carl

[Dave Hounddriver]

Hope this helps, and hope I have not broken any rules by providing names of companies etc

 

It helps tremendous, I'm sure, and I see no broken rules.  I do wonder about one thing.  When things got a bit tight for me I went to Qualfon and inquired if they would hire a foreigner and they said the foreigner must be less than 60 years old.  That did not work for me.  Do you find that other companies have similar age restrictions for new hires?

[Papa Carl]

 

Hope this helps, and hope I have not broken any rules by providing names of companies etc

 

It helps tremendous, I'm sure, and I see no broken rules.  I do wonder about one thing.  When things got a bit tight for me I went to Qualfon and inquired if they would hire a foreigner and they said the foreigner must be less than 60 years old.  That did not work for me.  Do you find that other companies have similar age restrictions for new hires?

 

 

 

Yes, many organizations within the BPO industry have age restrictions. However in regards to teaching, no, especially the online teaching, they don't seem to care how old you are so long as you are making them money.

 

I am enjoying the teaching from home, and I have no teaching degree etc. I did  teach while living in the UK and Canada, but not as a registered teacher.

 

The freedom of working from home is amazing and I wish I had done this many years ago. I get to say good bye to my little girl every day when she goes to school and I am the first person she sees when she comes home. I tell all my students why I work from home and that my daughter is my first priority, so they are not surprised or annoyed when she comes home and gives me a hug and tells me she loves me! I get to eat lunch with her and I am here when she needs me.

I charge what I want to charge, work when I want to work, teach what I want to teach, teach who I want to teach...., it is the best job I have ever had! I save money on transport, not to mention the time and traffic headaches.

 

I have not had any problems with my age (60) from any of the organizations who have contacted me and asked if I would like to teach for them, and there have been dozens who have done this. Ironic really because I know the difficulties I had in finding work, and now I sit at home an turn it away!

 

Papa Carl

[Jack Peterson]

 Do you find that other companies have similar age restrictions for new hires?

60 is the compusary age of Retirement here in the PI, they can not get Employers Liability Insurance after that. So Proper Full time job after 60 is just not going to happen. 

[Soupdragon1973]

Wow Papa Carl thanks for all that info!!

[AlwaysRt]

 like ABC365, Talk51, etc etc etc who primarily hire Filipino teachers and pay less but will also hire Expats who have English as a first language and pay a little more. 

 

I started teaching online for the first time in July, when I was ranked 187th out of 191 English Teachers. Verbling has grown since then and has more teachers. It is competitive but quite easy to join. They also market my profile on pages like Facebook etc. so they find the students for me.

I am currently enjoying what I do and could easily earn between 2,000 and 2,500 usd per month. Although I admit I am not that devoted and am making less than that, but not much less.

 

 

How many hours are you averaging a week now? (if you don't mind saying)

 

What would you guess a Filipina with a TESOL certificate and good enough English I actually wondered if she was western back when we first started messaging. 

[Jake]

OK here we go, having lived in the Philippines for the last 9 years I can offer this.

 

Hope this helps, and hope I have not broken any rules by providing names of companies etc.

 

Papa Carl

Triple LIKE Papa Carl!  Glad to see on board again.  Stay for awhile, OK?  My oral skills needs drastic improvement.....he, he.