6 Reasons Why You Should Be Teaching English in Vietnam
Ninja Teacher dishes some irresistible reasons to make Vietnam your destination of choice for living and teaching abroad.
By: Brennan Lagman
As a two-and-a-half year veteran English Teacher in Vietnam, I have to be honest: life as a teacher here is way better than people expect. For all the reasons we talked about in our first podcast and more, Vietnam offers some of Asia’s most ‘bang for your buck’ for people looking to earn, save, explore and live in Asia.
But don’t take only our word for it. Even the likes of GoAbroad.com pegged the up-and-coming ASEAN Nation as the 6th best place to teach English, and this list pushed the point even further, ranking Vietnam the second best choice for teaching English in Asia.
With the impact and popularity of Ninja Teacher’s YouTube Videos about teaching English in Vietnam, a growing TESOL certification program, and a passion for connecting aspiring teachers with opportunities to live and teach here, we know our content influences people. So, we put together some of the things we love about life here to inspire you even more!
#6 Vietnam is full of job opportunities for English teachers
Whether in the capital Hanoi, coastal up-and-coming Danang, bustling Ho Chi Minh City, or any city or town in between, the demand for foreign English teachers is high – and growing.
In fact, the country’s largest urban centers of HCMC and Hanoi alone have over 450 English learning language centers combined, employing thousands of teachers on any given day. A recent report by UNESCO noted an impressive 12% increase in students studying in foreign schools annually. Even the Vietnamese government allocates a whopping 20% of the national budget to an education system with a standardized English curriculum.
#5 Life in Vietnam is easily affordable
Compared with other popular English teaching destinations in Asia, the cost of living in Vietnam is quite low. Depending on your budget, location, and lifestyle, the total cost for a single adult ranges from $600-$1000 a month. With an average teaching salary ranging from $1200- $1800 a month, it is totally doable.
If you’re worried that you’ll have to sacrifice many of life’s comforts for a lower cost, there’s great news for you: Modern Vietnamese cities like Hanoi and Saigon have become abundant in housing, entertainment, and hospitality options that are easily on par with other global destinations.
#4 Location, Location, Location
I think it is safe to assume you aren’t coming all the way to Vietnam just to stay here. You’re a globetrotter, and Vietnam is a prime location to do just that. Cambodia, Laos, and China all border Vietnam by land, with Cambodia only a few hours by bus from Saigon.
Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and pretty much the rest of Southeast and Eastern Asia are within the range of a 3 hour or less flight. And thanks to the rise of Asian budget airlines, you rarely have to spend more than $150 for round trip tickets to most of your dream destinations.
#3 Teaching in Vietnam enhances your professional resume
Globalization cannot be stopped. That’s why the world’s leading brands look to people with worldly experiences to share their insights and drive business. As part of the world’s international workforce, you are the future!
Whether teaching is your ultimate career goal or not, being able to show that you worked in a major Asian city in a developing country for an extended period of time makes your resume stand out. Besides an intriguing fact for future interviewers, your CV will show that you are adaptable, able to deal with unforeseen challenges and possess international and multicultural communication skills that can’t simply be acquired in a university.
#2 Food
Another standout aspect of life in Vietnam is obviously the food! Traditional dishes prepared with love and shared with friends reign supreme here.
And trust me, it’s not just Pho and Banh Mi we’re talking about. It’s Bánh canh, Bún Thịt Nướng, Bánh xèo, and beyond. It’s endless combinations of fresh aromatic herbs, meats, and produce that entice your tongue to dive deeper into the country’s vibrant foodscape.
In fact, you probably couldn’t even try all of the dishes in the country in this lifetime! That means your downtime as a teacher will be filled with culinary surprises.
#1 English teachers in Vietnam enjoy a great work-life balance
Many people looking to teach abroad are seeking a better work-life balance than in the developed world– where the average person spends most of their efforts commuting, grinding, and hustling just to keep themselves afloat.
The average full-time teacher here only teaches 80-100 hours a month making $1200 – $1800 USD an hour. Combine that with cheap and accessible entertainment, leisure and travel opportunities, and you’ve got plenty leftover for paying your debts and pampering yourself to pretty epic extra-occupational luxuries.
Plus, taking care of yourself is easy. Besides affordable healthcare and access spas and resorts everywhere, Vietnam is smack dab in the center of the region of the globe that gave the world Yoga, Acupuncture, Buddhism, martial arts, and many more health and wellness practices. (Not to mention at a fraction of the cost of the US, Europe or Australia.)
Vietnam is a standout destination for English teachers in Asia!
Whichever way you cut it, Vietnam is a prime location for people looking to spend some time teaching English in Asia. No matter where you are on your journey to teaching English in a foreign country, the perks that Vietnam offers its teachers in terms of lifestyle, compensation and the location can’t really be beat!