What is it currently like teaching in Vietnam?
Some background: I did the CELTA way back in 2017 with the intention of moving to Vietnam to teach. Long story short, that didn't happen and I've been living in the Netherlands for the last 7 years (I'm American).
I've gotten a bit bored here and have been thinking hard again about giving Vietnam a shot. I've traveled there twice and had a great time, but I know that visiting and living somewhere are very different experiences.
I'm in my early 30s, have a bachelor's (and master's) degree in a non-teaching subject and a CELTA, but no actual paid teaching experience.
- What are the current 'best' language centers? I know that Apollo was highly regarded in the past, but not sure if that has changed in the last few years.
- What is a realistic salary and teaching load for a full time teacher? I've checked Apollo, VUS, and ILA websites but it's not 100% clear how much you would actually take home.
- What is the cost of living in Ho Chi Minh city to live well, but not over the top? Decent apartment in a nice location, eating mostly vietnamese food, and going out occasionally. Would saving ~1000USD/month be reasonable here?
- How is the expat-scene/social life? Would also be great to meet some locals and integrate. One reason I'm considering leaving NL is that I'm just getting bored of it. Life here is structured to the point that you genuinely have to schedule meeting up with friends sometimes weeks in advance. It is insane.
One thing I'm afraid of is just being a 'dancing monkey' for a class of kids. Would be nice to actually feel like I'm making some kind of educational impact
Thanks everyone in advance!