No single aspect of teaching EFL overseas causes more heartache, grief, and anguish than disputes between teachers and employers arising from contractual problems. Historically, certain countries, such as South Korea, were notorious for such disputes although there have been moves to stop these unpleasant episodes from arising. A few words of advice: don’t be surprised if you find yourself caught in a dispute over a matter like wages, hours or accommodation. It has happened to thousands of EFL teachers before you and you won’t be the last. Try to make sure you have a written contract and insist that it is translated into English. In many countries, the English language contract will not be valid so try to find a third party who knows both the language of your employer and English who can check that both contracts say the same thing.

If a dispute arises, try to be civil and courteous with your employer. Again, if you can find a third party to mediate the dispute this may help diffuse the situation. Some experienced teachers have reported that yelling at an employer has brought about the desired results but this is not advisable unless you are confident you can find a job if you get fired! If you find that your employer is consistently underpaying you or is increasing your hours without giving you money then start looking for another job. Unless you are in a remote region, there will probably be other language schools that will welcome your experience.