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Australia, while faring better than many nations in this current global financial crisis still hasn’t been immune, but is it really doom and gloom for the ESL industry? It is well-known that the education industry is often not in sync with the economic trends of other industries. When other industries are struggling through a downturn, this is exactly when people turn to education to improve their skills.
Couple this with the drastic downward slide of the Australian dollar and visitors can now enjoy Australia at a fraction of the price a year ago. In July 2008 the Australian Dollar was near parity with the US, now an Australian dollar is a bargain at US70¢, making Australia an even more economical study destination. Reflecting this, the student numbers at this teacher’s school are well up compared to this time last year, more boom than doom.
So how easy is it to be employed as an ESL teacher in Australia? Teacher employment is seasonal because students do follow the sun. The Southern Hemisphere summer is peak season, and employment opportunities reflect this. Arriving in Australia to search for work in June is not going to be as easy as the prime months of September and October when many students start arriving. The drawcard of the sun and the surf in many Australian cities is equally enticing for students and teachers alike.
To be considered for employment, most schools will require an ESL teaching qualification and a tertiary degree is favoured. Speaking of ‘favoured/favored’, an understanding of the common differences between UK (Australian) and US spelling is advantageous. Awareness is all that is needed – the common differences such as the suffix ‘ize’ (US) and ‘ise’ (UK) as in ‘criticise’. Most Australian teachers are aware of the differences and can teach US spelling, but the UK spelling is standard. A quick Google search is all that is required to get up to speed.
While Googling, type in ‘Bondi Beach’. This is without doubt, Australia’s most famous beach destination, and students from around the world travel to enjoy the sun, surf and a little bit of English education in between. As a teacher, the lifestyle couldn’t get much better either. With 7 hour working days often finishing by 3pm, and a summer sundown time of 8:30pm, there’s ample time to wash away the days work in the waves. Bondi is only 5km from Sydney’s Central Business District, so the rest of what Sydney has to offer is on your doorstep. Sydney can be quite an expensive city, so teaching salaries don’t exactly allow teacher’s to live the ‘high-life’. However, it is comfortable, and some positions with tertiary institutions can provide a little bit of luxury.
Salaries range from the 'award rate' as set by the government which starts at around A$40,000, but can go up much more if at a tertiary institution. Regular pay is around $24/hour at a private institution, but will increase with number of years experience. Tertiary institutions can offer as much as $70/hour. Tax in Australia depends on income level where an average salary of about $40,000 would be taxed at around 30% (for a full explanation visit www.ato.gov.au ).
United States Citizens between 18 and 30 inclusive are eligible to apply for a Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462). The only work restriction is a 6 month limit per job. This visa is valid for 12 months. More than enough time to enjoy some sun, surf and teach a student or two. |
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