Do you dream of working as an English teacher overseas? Teaching English in Vietnam: How I lived the dream life will explain how I did just that. Perhaps you have been looking for a way to see more of the world and becoming a TEFL teacher seems like the perfect solution. Certainly teaching English abroad lets you experience other cultures and satisfy your wanderlust. It also gives you more flexibility to do the things you want to do.
I taught English in Vietnam for nearly five years and would do it all over again in a heartbeat, when the time was right!
In this post I will explain why I took the leap of faith to leave the UK (where I hail from) in the first place and go to the other side of the world. I will detail just how I did it and how you can too. Additionally, I’ll recount some of my personal memories of life in Vietnam and hope you’ll enjoy.
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Why I Left The UK
Everyone will have their own reasons for why they want to teach overseas. Just as any expat that’s lived in a foreign country for several years, teacher or not, will have specific reasons why they made the decision to leave their home country. For me, it was very simple, I was basically deeply unhappy with my life in the UK. I felt totally disillusioned with everything. Plus I had a very strong urge to travel. And I didn’t just mean a week in sunny Spain.
At that time I didn’t know how I could make my desires a reality. Then one day a friend told me about the idea of teaching English as a foreign language. He had actually spent some time teaching in South-East Asia. Until that point I didn’t even know this was a thing that people did!
Suddenly I had new choices unfolding before me. It was exciting. I began watching YouTube Videos about teaching abroad and researching different countries to live in.
Work life balance
The average working week to live comfortably in Vietnam as a TEFL teacher is only between 18 – 25 hours. Of course this would give me more flexibility, as mentioned earlier and a better life balance. I am an artist and writer too, but I had no time to develop my creative side living in the UK. At least while I was stuck working full time in some job I didn’t enjoy. Despite being a fine art university graduate, I could only seem to find low-end jobs like warehouse work or laboring. And it’s still the case unfortunately.
So I thought about which country affords the best lifestyle, pays good salaries, looks exciting to live in. It soon became apparent that Vietnam was the answer to all of these questions. At least for me, this country, on paper, seemed to offer a dream life. Therefore, I decided I was going to teach English in Vietnam, South-East Asia!
What You Need To Teach English In Vietnam
In order to qualify as a TEFL teacher in Vietnam you should have (ideally):
- An accredited TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours, preferably with an in-class element to the course. Check out The Tefl Academy, their whole platform is really user-friendly. Plus they often have some good discounts on courses.
- You need a Bachelor’s Degree in any field, however if you’re a non-native speaker, companies increasingly ask for your field of study to be related to English.
- You will also need a clean criminal record background check, such as a DBS certificate from your home country.
- All documents will then need to be notarized and legalized in your home country. Doing all of this will allow the language centre to smoothly process your work permit. Then they can apply for a TRC (Temporary Residency Card).
As previously discussed a TEFL certificate is important. You can browse a full range of great courses in the link below:
Finding Work Before You Go
Yes you need to secure work before you go and be warned; there are hundreds of language centres in Vietnam, but many are unlicensed and you should avoid these. A fully licensed company should be able to assist you with getting a working permit and TRC. If they can’t or seem hesitant then avoid them.
Some noteworthy companies include:
The best way to find English teaching work is by applying to these companies through their website. Plus joining facebook groups where companies advertise jobs, such as ‘English Teaching Jobs in Vietnam‘. Here you can respond to posts, usually by email. Often then a skype interview is arranged and don’t worry too much, as these are usually quite relaxed affairs. The main things you want to show is you speak clearly, you’re friendly and why you feel you’re the right person for the job. Just do your research on the company and the country. Which brings us on to the next topic.
Top Tips For Avoiding Scams
I don’t want to name and shame companies, that’s not what I’m about. But even some of the ‘reputable’ companies you think you can trust have been known to pull scams on foreign teachers. So I’m going to give you a heads up now on what to watch out for. And if you just remember the following, you should be fine. A lot of it is common sense. Teaching English in Vietnam does not need to be a complicated lifestyle choice.
- Make sure you check the labor contract with a fine toothcomb before signing it.
- Do your research on a company first, look for reviews on them. If you smell a rat then avoid.
- Establish the hourly/monthly rate and don’t agree to work a bunch of classes on ‘a promise’ you will get paid at such and such a time. So often foreign teachers are led down the garden path in this way and end up working for months without ever getting payment, as the business just folds up over night. They got the students to sign up to their courses, thanks to having a foreigner fronting their brand and made a tidy profit, while the foreigner in question didn’t get a penny.
- Do research on the current tax regulations, before agreeing to any tax reductions on your salary. Find out what tax rate you should be paying as a new foreigner in the country, it was a flat rate of 20% if you’d been in the country less than six months, the last time I checked, but this may of changed. Maybe seek the advice of a trusted accountant, if in doubt.
- Join expat groups on facebook for the city you are going to or talk to other foreign teachers who have lived in that city a while for landlord contacts. DO NOT let a language centre find accommodation for you, as you will often end up paying double the rental price, so that the centre can get a monthly kickback from the landlord and the green behind the ears foreigner is oblivious to it.
Box clever and you’ll have a blast!
Vietnam is a great place to live, I must emphasize this. But in business, things can get a little slippery at times and it’s always good to have your wits about you when in any foreign country. You will get wise to things after living here for some time. Obviously aside from work life, get to know as much about the country as possible before you go. For example, how much things should cost, as with anywhere. Learn some of the language, it’ll go a long way. Enroll in Vietnamese lessons, before you go or once you arrive.
Don’t just come here and rent a scooter after two minutes thinking you’re cool, spend several months getting to know the layout of the roads and a feel of the city first. This is important, at least if you’re in a fairly busy city like I was. I have seen too many foreigners having accidents and ending up in hospital. The roads here can be dangerous and you need to develop a sixth sense over time when riding a motorbike or scooter here, as many of the locals unfortunately ride as if they are the only one on the road. Almost every day I would see some minor accident involving local riders in Haiphong.
Anyway, you will get used to riding and find it a thrill, you’ll get smart to things and love your time here. Definitely you will soon see the overriding generosity and friendliness of the Vietnamese once you settle in.
The Fastest Year Of My Life
Teaching English in Vietnam began for me in the Autumn of 2017. I chose the city of Haiphong, in the north, as my new home. Being the third most populated city in the country, it seemed like a lively place, without being too crazy busy like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Also I read that Haiphong had a more authentic feel, as it wasn’t over-saturated with westerners.
Indeed, this port city soon proved to be a good choice. I loved my time there. The people were very welcoming and open. Do Son Beach was just 20km up the road, ideal for a change of pace. Being in close proximity to the ocean meant the seafood there was great and very affordable. One of the star attractions of Vietnam, Ha Long Bay, is also not so far from Haiphong City. For more suggestions on amazing places to visit in the north of Vietnam visit my Northern Vietnam’s Hidden Gems: 5 awe-inspiring places to visit
The life of Riley
My first year there was the fastest of my life, I absolutely loved it! I made so many friends, both local and foreign. I visited several countries in South East Asia too, when I had time. Getting to see such wonders as Angkor Wat in Cambodia and exploring Chinatown in Thailand. I went on road trips, to other parts of Vietnam itself. And, of course, there was the teaching, which was a joy. I had briefly had some experience teaching art in England, which gave me the confidence to go out to Vietnam. But it was more or less in at the deep end.
I did a lot of freelancing and I remember standing in front of a classroom full of adult students for the first time, to do a communication class. That was a little scary, but I found that the people are so warm and funny, that you are instantly put at ease.
TEFL teaching is generally pretty easy. The emphasis is simply on speaking English and making lessons fun and engaging, with activities and games. There are many ideas on the internet to help. You will usually have a teaching assistant too. The kids are adorable and as a teacher you receive a lot of love from the Vietnamese, as a society. You will make some really good friends. And you’re helping brighten these young people’s futures. Teaching English in Vietnam really is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.
One of the best days ever...
Haiphong is well-known for its Maritime University and many prospective sailors study here. I became good friends with a few of these students, as it was a very sociable place to live. My two best friends were called Thanh and Hien, we often hung out in our free time, enjoying the local bia hoi and having food together. Hien invited me to his hometown, in the fishing province of Quang Tri, central Vietnam one time, when his studies were done.
So I took the sleeper bus down the country to meet him and his family. It was such a great experience. His family were so welcoming, as is typical of pretty much all Vietnamese families I befriended. We enjoyed fresh seafood cooked on the beach at night for dinner. We explored the wild, beautiful beaches along the coast. I slept on the deck of his father’s fishing boat under the stars, being woken in the early morning by the din of the old women setting up stall at the fish market nearby.
Then one day, Hien and I visited another friend in Dong Ha City and the three of us went on a road trip on our motorbikes toward the border of Laos, on the west side of Vietnam. This was very hot, sticky land and the locals were very dark-skinned. We passed through the absolutely beautiful countryside of Hoang Hoa and eventually came to our destination after a few hours.
The amazing hospitality of the Vietnamese
We trekked a little up into the hills, where there was rock pools to bathe in. There we barbequed a duck that our friend had brought from Dong Ha and had drinks. Other groups of friends were doing the same around us. One group of men invited us to join their party and so we did. They lived locally and welcomed us to follow them on our motorbikes to their family home for dinner and hospitality.
There we met the wives and children of the men and we sat outside their big, wooden home near the mountains, in a large rectangular shape on the veranda. We all sang old war songs, clapping our hands, tapping our feet and a guitar was strummed. We ate, drank and were merry. It was a magical afternoon. A feast of food was spread out for us by the women, including fresh venison, hunted by the men in recent days. These people were not rich by any stretch, but they were so generous in nature. Time and time again in this wonderful country I witnessed the amazing hospitality of the Vietnamese.
Later the three of us headed back to Dong Ha City. I remember the heavens opened unexpectedly and we had to buy some colourful, disposable raincoats from a roadside vendor. Then the downpour stopped and the air all around just smelt fresh with rain. So pleasing to the nose. As we arrived into town a beautiful rainbow appeared before us. It had been one of the best days ever, spent with friends.
Live The Dream Now
Finally, if you’re in any doubt about teaching English in Vietnam, let me tell you: don’t be! Just take the plunge and you’ll realize, regardless of teaching experience, you’ll have the time of your life and soon love this kind of work. The sights, smells and sounds of this country will dazzle you. The students will melt your heart (most of the time!) and you’ll make lasting memories.
For more about teaching English abroad and further travel tips please check out my book Travel For As Long As You Wish: The Blueprint For Budget Travel, Backpacking And Escaping The Rat Race.
About the writer
Mark James Murphy is an artist, teacher, adventurer and writer. He was born in Sunderland, North-East England in the early 1980s. He has solo travelled extensively throughout the world and in 2017 decided to leave behind his job and apartment in the UK to teach English in Vietnam, South East Asia, for almost five years, describing it as the best moments of his life so far.
There he also continued developing his practice as an artist and printmaker, documenting his travels through the medium of linocut.
In 2019 he fulfilled a childhood dream when he backpacked for two months throughout the whole of India, ending up in a remote village in the Himalayan foothills. He has played football with local kids in the Sahara desert, lived with Hmong people high in the mountains of North Vietnam and worked as a farmhand in Southern Spain. Mark is currently back in his native north east England.
