Teaching English in Vietnam
As with most of Asia, teaching English in Vietnam is a growing industry. People come to Vietnam as TEFL teachers, not only for a gap year, but even for longer career opportunities.
Although Destination TEFL doesn’t have a training centre in Vietnam, we do offer a ‘See 2 countries’ program, whereby you can do your TEFL course in Cambodia, Thailand or Bali, and we will offer placement assistance in Vietnam. Note that you do need to have a bachelor’s degree in order to get a work permit as a teacher in Vietnam.
When are the school terms in Vietnam?
The school year in Vietnam runs from August until May the following year, with a few weeks off during the Lunar New Year. During the summer break, teachers tend to go home or do some travelling. There are also many jobs in language centres which don’t close over the summer, and actually offer more hours, so you’ll find plenty of opportunities year-round (except for around the Lunar New Year in January/February when schools and centres close for the holidays. Just before the start of the new school year is the peak hiring season, however, it’s usually not very difficult to locate a position at any time of year as long as a teacher is qualified (degree + TEFL/TESOL) and can perform well in a demonstration lesson during the hiring process. Destination TEFL has a great network of schools in Vietnam and should you book our ‘See 2 countries’ programme, we’ll assist with job hunting in Vietnam. Our trainer in Bali also lived and worked in Vietnam for 4.5 years, so can offer loads of tips and advice on teaching in Vietnam.
Tet holiday is the most important holiday of the year in Vietnam. This holiday is based on the lunar calendar and marks the Vietnamese New Year. It falls at the end of January or early February each year, and is a time when children receive new clothes and money, and when families come together to celebrate. As a teacher in Vietnam, you can expect many invitations to spend Tet with families of students, assistants, or friends, as it’s a 7-day public holiday period, it’s also a great time to travel to explore and travel to other regions in Vietnam. If you’re keen to ride a bike, this is the perfect time to do so, as the roads are less busy as locals go back home to see their families in the countryside. Disclaimer: We highly recommend that you ONLY ride a motorcycle if you have a licence to do so, as most insurance policies will only pay out in the event of an accident if you have a license.
What are teaching jobs in Vietnam like?
Teachers working for a language company usually work for either the private language school, or get placed in public Vietnamese schools. At a private language school, the students (both children and adults) usually pay to attend the school. This means classes often happen on weekends or after school or work. Class sizes are generally smaller, between 6 and 20 students, and have better-equipped classrooms, such as interactive whiteboards, video capabilities and better teaching resources. This obviously means that depending on your setup, you can include technology in your teaching. As parents are paying higher fees, they will expect a high level of involvement and a low student-to-teacher ratio in classes Usually, in language centres, you also have one or two teaching assistants to assist the teacher in class.
A public school is a non-fee-paying school in Vietnam. If you’re teaching in public schools, the class sizes are usually much larger and you are less likely to have teaching assistants, or such great resources. However, the work can be more rewarding as you may be the only access to English lessons that your students have. The larger class sizes mean that you will not be able to work as closely with the students. If the classroom lacks technology, there are ways to use cheap props to increase student engagement.
Public school classes can be up to 50 students in size which means that you need to rely much more on drilling, repetition, and group correction, but you can also do team games with students coming to the front of the class to ‘represent’ their team. However, the large size of the classes means that energy is usually high and this can create a great teaching atmosphere, but good classroom management skills are key here. Not to worry! The highly skilled trainers and Destination TEFL curriculum will prepare you well with these necessary classroom management techniques.
Contract lengths are usually one year at language centres, and contracts can start at any time in the academic year. For public schools, contracts are usually through until the end of the school year in May. However, it’s also possible to sign on with a public school at any point throughout the school year if there is a vacancy, so you could get a three-month contract if you start in March, for example. Most contracts are extendable and come with end-of-year completion bonuses and re-sign bonuses.
Where should I teach in Vietnam?
There are huge differences between living and working in larger cities versus smaller towns. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh have everything you would expect from a large city in Asia, and have big expat communities so you’ll have a taste of home. Here it’s easy to find Western foods and familiar activities. They offer everything you’d get from a city back home, but for half the price, as well as plenty of other expats to make friends with. Note that these big cities do offer a fast-paced life compared to the countryside and smaller towns, so decide on what is right for you. You’ll find fewer foreigners in the countryside, but this is a great way to learn the language and be integrated into the community and immerse yourself in the local culture. Bear in mind that there’ll be fewer Western food options and less commercial things to do and not a big expat community. If you are looking for something quieter then you may think about smaller cities and towns such as Halong hear the World Heritage Site of Halong Bay, or Can Tho, in the beautiful Mekong Delta. Due to the size of these towns, they offer a more relaxed vibe. You will be able to get around easily and may feel closer to the countryside, although day trips will be accessible from most locations. The choice of location is a personal one. It is one you need to be sure of, because it can make or break your experience.
What can I expect to earn as a teacher in Vietnam?
Some other countries may offer higher wages, however, jobs are more plentiful and the cost of living is cheap in Vietnam – that goes for everything from food to transport to accommodation, so the cost of living vs income needs to be taken into account. The average salary for a new teacher is $15 – $20 per hour, or a monthly salary of $1200 – $2000, with about 20 – 25 teaching hours per week, usually with no requirement to come into work outside of those hours (though there are a few exceptions). Many full-time contracts include health insurance (although it is not very comprehensive so we suggest getting travel insurance) some holiday pay, and work permit assistance, but this varies from school to school. Some schools may only pay half of the work permit costs, while some might not pay any. Those that do, usually give it back in a stipend towards the end of the contract, but it depends. All of these points should be discussed before accepting a job offer.
What is the cost of living in Vietnam for a teacher?
Vietnam is a very cheap country to live in. Due to the low cost of living, you should be able to save 35-50% of your income, depending on your lifestyle, of course. Monthly rent should cost you around $200 – $500 a month, while food is extremely inexpensive, costing $1- $3 a meal for street food or a local Vietnamese café or $5 – $10 for up-market Western food.
As you can save so much of your salary, you’ll be able to live very comfortably while retaining almost as much money as you might when working in South Korea, where the cost of living is higher. It’s also easy to get private classes in Vietnam which pay cash in hand, and are easy and relaxed, usually taught in someone’s home. These are a great way to top up your income.
Average monthly living expenses in Vietnam
– Grab app makes transport much cheaper than taxis. Using Grab bikes will be the cheapest (motorbike taxi through the Grab app).
– Accommodation cost depends on your choice of hostels, hotels, share-house, shared apartments, studio apartments or one-bedroom apartment, but can work out as cheap as $5 per night.
– Food is extremely cheap if you eat at local restaurants and/or cook.
Food: $200 – $350
Transport: $50 – $100, at the most. Depending on where you live in relation to your work, this could be substantially less.
Accommodation: $200 – $500
Total: $450 – $950 per month
Other considerations: Up to two months’ rent as a refundable deposit for an apartment.
NOTE: While this is our best estimate based on what we know about living expenses and past students we’ve spoken to, it does depend on your personal spending habits, and doesn’t include going out excessively, eating at more expensive restaurants and other miscellaneous expenses.
