job Teaching English in Vietnam is not a one-size-fits-all kinda business. There are many different types of teaching jobs available and, while most of them still centre around English, there is bound to be one style of teaching which suits you better than the rest. This post shares the types of teaching jobs you can find in Vietnam, with important information like salaries, hours, lifestyle and conditions as well as companies to apply to on your job hunt in Vietnam.

Essential requirements

Before we dive in, the same requirements are needed for most teaching positions in Vietnam, as they are needed to apply for a work permit. The only difference is that international schools generally only recruit teachers that are qualified to teach in their home countries (for example UK teachers that possess a PGCE).

 Must be a native speaker, or be native-level
 Need a TEFL / CELTA or equivalent
 Hold a bachelors university degree
Have a clean criminal background check

If you don’t have a TEFL or CELTA yet then consider purchasing the same online TEFL that I completed with TEFL.org or doing one of the Ninja Teacher courses when you arrive in Vietnam* (they also offer full support in finding a reputable job in Vietnam).

Types of teaching jobs in Vietnam

There are four main types of schools teachers can work at in Vietnam; international school, public school, language centres and kindergarten. Another popular way to teach in Vietnam is through tutoring gigs though this is unlikely to be a full-time position unless working for a tutoring company.

• If you are a fully qualified teacher in your home country then you are eligible to teach at International Schools.
• If you are TEFL/CELTA certified then you are qualified to teach at language centres, public schools and kindergartens (some international/private kindergartens may require further certifications).

✍️ Check out this post for more information on where to look for teaching jobs teaching in Vietnam.

Working at a Language Centre in Vietnam

One of the most popular types of teaching jobs in Vietnam is language centres. Most language centres teach English as a second language to children, but there are some companies that specialise in adult classes and business English. As language centres offer extra-curricular classes, the majority are scheduled in the evenings and all-day weekends. Normally, classes have around 15 students and classrooms are well supplied, with air conditioning, fans, boards and often tech resources to enhance teaching (for example, the company I worked for uses interactive TVs as boards).

Generally, language centres provide a curriculum but the amount of lesson prep required around that varies depending on the company. The language centre I worked for provides full lesson plans, whereas other centres require you to create lesson plans around a topic. Generally, though, there is not a lot of prep required.

How many hours you teach depends on the language centre, but normally it’s between 8 – 30hrs a week (I’ve never taught more than 21hrs a week). Similarly, with days off it depends on the company, but normally language centres offer two days off though not always consecutive. When working at a language centre I got 21 paid vacation days a year, though some of these are fixed as government holidays. In addition, I could take unpaid leave and contract pauses for up to 3months.

Some language centres offer salaried positions, while others pay hourly, however both base pay on your previous experience and qualifications. The standard range for language centre positions is between $20 and $25 p/hr (accurate to summer 2021).

Working at Public Schools in Vietnam

Another popular type of teaching job in Vietnam is through the public school system. Typically teachers are recruited by a company that works with a number of public schools to provide teachers, rather than at one individual school.

I really loved teaching at public school in Vietnam, as the style of teaching and flexibility within the classroom allowed me to build strong relationships with my students. I worked for a company that provides a “Content and Language Integrated Learning” (CLIL) program, meaning that English was taught through specific subjects, in my cases science and maths. Personally, I found this more satisfying than teaching straight ESL as it encouraged me to use the knowledge from my degree and challenge myself. They also teach straight English like most other public school companies.

✍ Learn more about teaching science and maths in Vietnam

Hopefully, this has helped to guide you through picking what type of teaching job in Vietnam will best suit you. If you have more questions about these types of positions please send me a message or put them in the comments and I’ll do my best to help out.