Teaching English in Indonesia

Working in the Emerald of the Equator

By Geoff Andrews
Despite continued teething problems as Indonesia moves to a
democracy, it remains a popular destination for both experienced
and newly qualified English language teachers. Why? Could be
something to do with an excellent climate, tasty cuisine and warm,
friendly locals who have a genuine curiosity about foreigners.
English language teachers living and working in Indonesia have an
excellent lifestyle. All reputable employers will offer shared
housing with 3-4 other teachers. The teachers live in middle class
neighborhoods and tend to have a maid for cooking, cleaning and
washing clothes. It takes a little bit of adjustment to having a live-in
maidone has to remember its a cultural norm, it provides vital
income to Indonesias rural community and despite the costs of
paying a wage, having a maid makes it cheaper to buy groceries.
Bartering is the norm in Indonesiaa commodity is generally
worth whatever the retailer can get for it. Of course supermarkets
will have a harga pas (fixed price), but it means they are more
expensive. As an Indonesian (and usually indigenous to that
particular island), your maid will have excellent bartering skills
and more importantly shell also have the time to shop around.
When making your own purchases, a sense of humor and a little bit
of Javanese (if on Java), can go along way to driving that price
down. Anecdotally, I discovered there seemed to be 3 price brackets
on Java 1 for Javanese, 1 for bule (white people) and 1 for
Chinese Indonesians. In colonial days the Dutch brought Chinese
people over to help with administration, consequently many 4th-5th
generation Chinese Indonesians hold a lot of economic power
which causes some resentment.
Where Are the Jobs?
Pretty much everywhere, with a large concentration on Java more
than half of Indonesias 200 million people live on Java and its

where all the decent Universities are. Getting a position on Bali is
never easy and preference is usually given to people in country,
especially those who have a proven track record teaching in
Indonesia.
I spent 7 years on Java with EF English First, which is the largest
chain of language schools in Indonesia and therefore the largest
employer. They operate on all the major islands but have the most
vacancies on Java and Sumatra. Being so large they have the
advantage of career development, such as rising to the position of
Director of Studies and beyond.
Visa Requirements
Indonesians Immigration Authority has tried to restrict the influx
of backpacker teachers and has put some controls in place.
Update 2/2012: To have correct working papers, English teachers
are now required to have earned a TEFL or TESOL certificate and a
BA or BS.
Indonesians Immigration Authority will only issue teaching visas
to nationals of the UK, Canada, the US, South Africa, Australia and
New Zealandas it has deemed these to be English speaking
countries. Employers in Indonesia are restricted by these laws and
are by no means discriminating against nationals of other countries.
The schools should process candidates for a working visa and issue
a KITAS (Identity Card for foreigners) after registration with the
relevant authorities in the city you are working. Unless you live
close to an Indonesian embassy, the initial visa is usually processed
in Singapore on the way to Indonesia as most schools have agents
there who can process the visa quickly.
The Students
English is part of the national curriculum in Indonesia so it is rare
that you will have to teach complete beginners. Indonesian uses the
Romanized alphabet so there are no difficulties with regards to
teaching a new script.
The majority of the teaching takes place at the end of the students
daybe that after school or after work. Most language schools
operating in Indonesian have a high proportion of children and if
applying to a school located in a residential area this could mean
that up to 50% of a teachers workload could involve teaching
children (i.e. under 16).
Compared to European teenagers, Indonesian teenagers are well
behaved and a pleasure to teach. They tend to embrace English and
are particularly interested in our popular culture. Some status is
attached to being able to speak English and frequently Indonesian
celebrities use a smattering of English to demonstrate how cultured
they are when being interviewed by the Indonesian press. This has
real advantages as an English language teacherits cool to
speak English!
Working Conditions
Wages and hours will vary from location to location and from
provider to provider. Generally teachers teach about 20-25 hours a
week.
Geoff Andrews spent seven years as an English teacher and then an
Academic Manager in Indonesia. See his TransitionsAbroad.com
article on Living in Indonesia for more on life in Indonesia.



Kondisi Kerja
Upah dan jam akan bervariasi dari lokasi ke lokasi dan dari operator ke operator. Umumnya guru
mengajar sekitar 20-25 jam seminggu.
Geoff Andrews menghabiskan tujuh tahun sebagai guru bahasa Inggris dan kemudian Manajer
Akademik di Indonesia. Lihat artikel TransitionsAbroad.com nya pada Hidup di Indonesia untuk
lebih lanjut tentang kehidupan di Indonesia.