Cons of teaching English in Vietnam

[@WhiteRosex33]

I really appreciate your honest opinion. We can see that you are trying your best to inform us thoroughly.

[@ninja.teacher]

👍

[@RaynesX]

Huge respect for you for putting out this video. Very valuable information here. Thanks!

[@ninja.teacher]

Cheers

[@Harmonee64]

I appreciate your honesty regarding the cons. Love your vids!!

[@roba1899]

Your appearance here is absolutely perfect!

[@al20031]

I like your videos. Very informative and sincere. Thank you

[@gracedoughton7186]

Thanks for making this video. I found it really helpful. I'm coming back to Hanoi to (hopefully) find an English teaching job soon. A lot of the cons are ones I expected from backpacking SE Asia (like sugar in most of the food - argh!) but this made me feel more prepared. Especially knowing that there is a lot of work out there, and that I won't get trapped in a contract or a bad job.

[@mikeythomas1681]

Great video..very infromative and beneficial. nice to hear your views and prespective about the cons of Vietnam....thank you...keep up the good work....

[@TuwanaVining]

It would be wise for those with pollution sensitivity, to research the country they are considering living/working in and find apps or pages which monitor air quality so they can prepare themselves ahead of time. Twitter has a page which offers alerts for South Korea's yellow dust and the world map on air visual is very helpful also. Thanks for sharing information and the beautiful views😊

[@ninja.teacher]

Yeah it's good for people to do research.

[@tiffanygilliland6729]

Can we have an update on this information?

[@oliverhallsworthbaines8756]

Excellent video man.

[@ninja.teacher]

Thanks Oliver

[@keechow4326]

Good job and good advice thank you Alex, lovely information

[@Kuskus888]

Can u teach two schools at once?

[@HM-ke1qm]

You are lucky that you can't find dairy products there because they're bad for you anyways. They cause joints pain when you get older. I'm suffering from joint pain in the US.

[@SharonGadbois]

What about Almond or Coconut Milk. Is that readily available?

[@MeloYolo]

dairy & beef is hard to find or expensive because cows are expensive to farm in vietnam Typically bulls & ox are used for farming not food

[@MeloYolo]

@Roy Hundred if by “harvest” you mean freeze, it’s harder & more expensive to get electricity for a refrigerator in the countryside than a farm of cows 😆

[@rbleegrip]

Hey Alex this is your true calling mate, better than your travel vlogs as there are so many excellent travel vloggers out there already, Lets face it mate this is the best country for teaching as far as rules and flexibility go........ And they are a great bunch of people the Vietnamese,very tolerant.....

[@ninja.teacher]

Agreed.

[@keilnirby]

Also agreed--but don't quit those travel blogs--love em.

[@SharonGadbois]

I'd be interested in watching a video on games you play with the kiddos, and also some of the popular restaurants in the major areas where Expats work. Also, I'd like to watch a video on finding apartments.

[@happyd9733]

Great video Alex!!!!!

[@David-sr4ug]

Very informative. Thanks👍

[@ninja.teacher]

👍

[@wonderingwade1802]

Really great video! I don't know if I heard you say this in the video, but one con that I've been hearing a lot from people is that supposedly there's a lot of theft particularly in the streets when you are looking at your cell phone you risk it being snatched from a random biker. Also, the other con I've heard is being ripped off a lot and taken advantage of for being a foreigner. I've been told that I'll either love Ho Chi Minh city or hate it, but I found that the people saying that I'll hate it are some people I've met here in Chiang Mai, Thailand and they love Chiang Mai the best haha.

[@jontheb123]

Being in a car or building doesn't really improve things air pollution wise - unless you have an air purifier going. Air quality detectors can be purchased online - phone apps can only give you readings from what are usually state controlled air quality centers.

[@Visionunlocked]

Great video... cheers

[@sweetjane6506]

Great video. Very informative!

[@Davman316]

The food seems cheaper than I thought it would be, though I can't imagine tea or coffee without milk. This was a good video Alex, people needed to hear the cons, not just the positives.

[@ninja.teacher]

Cheers!

[@sweetjane6506]

Vietnamese have fantastic evaporated milk. It's like honey. Not that healthy though.

[@clydeng87]

Very informative, thanks.

[@paulb8340]

good insight into working out there

[@tn6174]

Hi Alex, I think the taxi guy chose the woman because it's night time, and a big man like you was a potential danger to him, like robbing or hijacking his car. Secondly, he properly thought he could have a longer trip (better fare) with the woman because a foreigner is more likely to call taxi for a very short trip for being unfamiliar with the city streets or just a habit of westerners.

[@ninja.teacher]

Hmm don't really think those were the reasons but you never know. :)

[@bowtunes]

Maybe it's cause he saw you talking to a camera and didn't want to be filmed?

[@goldo1107]

or maybe he was just like "ugh...another white foreign fuckboi talking into his camera."

[@rainenguyen3349]

You know in Vietnam they can book taxi right? So if the taxi is pre-booked, the driver is supposed to come and pickup that person instead of another passenger.

[@MrRawUK]

tn61 how is a non-native going to rob a Vietnam taxi? Are you off your rocker?

[@armaugh]

Are all of the Uber cars air-conditioned?

[@robertwaguespack9414]

Can you find flour easily?

[@nicolasmith2970]

Please also add south African Rands to your conversions and pricing.

[@anonymous12726]

Great Video, Alex. I appreciate your content. I have a concern that I'd like to address. If it gets answered, good. If it doesn't, okay. I think you addressed it, but It is worth repeating. I hope I can gain a good support group while I am there because I tend to need an ear to hear me and someone to lean on. It sounds like there is a lot of this, and you reassured me about this. Thank you, Alex. Cheers and I look forward to your next video. Peace

[@ninja.teacher]

Yeah, like anywhere in the world it takes effort find people you get along with and want to be friends with but personally I find Vietnam a pretty easy place to do that.

[@anonymous12726]

....a part of me feels you seem sort of lonely, maybe you could find a date? Of course, that's not the point of the video, but find a girl for jeeze's sake Alex :) Anyway, Alex. If I think about it, it seems that it would be easier to make friends with people there than the West. In a general sense. I know thats a blanket statement to make, but the fact that backs this statement up is that people in Vietnam are a lot less well off. People in the U.S. are well off for the most part and therefore less friendly. People in Vietnam know what it's like to struggle, so it's easier for them to be understanding, whereas people here are well off and much more closed off because they haven't seen nor experienced struggle in any real sense. There are other factors i'm missing, i'm sorry but this one springs to mind. "If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work." - Thich Nhat Hanh

[@came_leon]

24:41 WHAT KIND OF PLANT STANDS ARE THESE?!?!

[@swicheroo1]

Dude, the taxi driver did not stop for you for several reasons: 1) Safety at night means men are threatening 2) You are dressed inappropriately and basically half-naked 3) Chivalry means a Viet male is going to help a woman first. It's not a slight against you. I wouldn't stop for a man who was dressed like you in the late hours.

[@seankeenan9277]

Bruh be more open to other cultures. Sexism is bad Sir. You are a racist! Grow up.

[@tinakoko9661]

Handsome man ❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹🌹❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@mrbbkk]

There are few cons if you are highly qualified with over ten years of experience. There are restaurant owners and private individuals that can get things through their private networks and are not solely reliant on the super markets. If you eat really well u might spend 300 on groceries instead of 150. Maybe an extra 5 to 7 dollars a day or $2 more per meal which is completely offset by cheaper rent, transportation, beer and coffee. Just a pack of cigarettes will cost u far more in the USA or Europe than eating premium food.

[@jaydavies4953]

Good all round review :) I've never been to Vietnam but spent 3 years in Thailand. I found a lot of the cons there to be similar (particularly the sugary food!). Thailand seems a bit more developed and westernised but the big con is from I hear is teachers earn a fraction of what they can earn in Vietnam. In the end it was all too much for me and now I teach in Italy. The pay isn't great but I'm happy to be back in the western world.

[@sarifuddin1749]

informative!

[@StevenToddScholl]

interesting perspective

[@jonantoinin8860]

Cool.

[@frazierinasiar7529]

Thanks! I'll be there in less than 2 weeks. Would like to meet you for a beer and a chat about your job placements. Let me know if you have time. Cheers!

[@ninja.teacher]

Sweet! Hit us up on Ninja Teacher

[@zephyr332]

What about health care?? I'm a diabetic, and there are certain meds I have to take regularly. Are prescription drugs very expensive and are there medical/dental insurance policies available?? If so, how much would THAT cost per month? (roughly.) If you get a cold or a flu and you go to a doctor's office, is that going to be costly? If you need to get rushed to the hospital with a medical emergency like symptoms of a heart attack, or a seriously broken bone that needs immediate attention - how would THAT pan out under the Vietnamese medical care system?? Medical care is SOOO important and we all need it, so it would be great to see an in depth video on that.

[@psmith9789]

I wanna go teach in Vietnam!

[@Cody-mf1pt]

hi bruhh! Its very helpful info man, I am about to go to Vietnam to teach , I am also South African! very cool hearing personal experiences before i take the leap of faith!, Here is a Question I have. If you have little to none experience teaching English, but hold a TEFL course! and decided to take the leap and take a flight to Vietnam. Will getting a job be hard?, I am wondering how easy and quick one could get a Job in Vietnam upon arrival. I heard you do not need to have bachelors for some places! thanks boet look forward to your reply

[@ninja.teacher]

Teaching experience is pretty important in Vietnam hey. Schools expect you to step right into a classroom and teach. If you don't have any previous English teaching experience we always recommend a fully in-class month long TEFL. If you don't have a degree that can also make things harder. Definitely send your resume to us before making a decision so we can give you some advice when we can see all your info.

[@josephjacobs6616]

Great video! Are there still a lot of work and opportunities today?

[@robertsteinberger5667]

I am 44 years old, got a tefl and am non native with 3 years of univerity experience teaching English. What are my chances of getting a job?

[@fatimej2483]

If the language barrier annoys you, why don’t you learn Vietnamese at least to a conversational level. You’d have a better understanding of their culture and a better experience living over there esp if you wanna settle down there. If an immigrant goes to a native English speaking country, it’s a must for them to learn English. However, when a native English speaker goes to a different country where English is not one of the official languages, they expect the locals to speak English to them. Well.. English is an international language I get it.. but still 10 min a day learning Vietnamese can get you far. Learning a foreign language is very rewarding and you’d better understand what your students have to go through when they learn English

[@123456789tube100]

Agreed Why would you live in another country and not learn the language of that country

[@dominicculmoni6987]

my biggest concern is the heat and sweating like a mofo

[@keilnirby]

Black shirts

[@ninja.teacher]

Haha yeah this gets to some people. There is a lot of AC in Vietnam though.

[@keilnirby]

Da C A big plus for me at least is that I've found the unmerciless heat quite enjoyable, and it has reduced my appetite quite a bit.

[@kt0810ab]

I live in the Philippines and it's also very hot here. The best way to deal with heat is to control the temperature of your own body first. I take cold showers 3-5 times a day during summer. This releases the heat that your body has absorbed. Cheaper than paying electricity for using the AC hahaha. Also avoid cotton shirts. Use the shirts that marathon runners wear.

[@m.jessica8742]

I would almost bet that the reason the taxi stopped for the woman was because she was a woman and you are a guy. The priority as far as safety would be for them to pick her up before you, especially since it was a free taxi.

[@Worg_Arteest20047]

Should get Protein milk! I thought that tasted great when I was over there. My wife is from Viet Nam so I was there for 3 months at a time.

[@cbbb6780]

Alex, can I have your opinion on getting a teaching job as a black female in her 50's.

[@todzzzzz]

The video was excellent Alex. Yes, month ago videos were too much travel oriented and not enough "brass tacks" intelligence on the teaching jobs. This one nails that subject! Just as you say every place on Earth has it's good side and bad side. The very non-defensive driving in Vietnam will take me a while to get used to since it's bad enough here in Florida. My car was cursed in 2016 but won't bore you with details. But wow, the young gal in this video that does a left turn, assumes the two oncoming scooters are paying attention to the road and are good drivers, and she forces them to slow down to avoid a collision so she can turn left? NOT SMART! It is going to take me a long time to adjust to this mentality. Many drive this way here in USA but after being in two accdients last year. Yikes, I'm dreading the scooter madness of Vietnam. Listen to me Grasshopper, I too used to think I was invincible and drove with very little defensive driving skills. It will catch up with you driving like that! So in closing, people in Florida drive insane too, Vietnam is a little more insane....I'll have to adjust and make dang sure I have good health insurance!

[@jacobhaslam8493]

Wah-hey! Some better music :D

[@freeman-1776]

MILK! Ha ha ha, Folks, I can tell you, this man speacks the truth. When I was in Hanoi, I found it very difficult to find real milk. To me, milk is one of God's best resourses. In Vietnam, it is very hard to find and when you find it, it comes in a small box, not the one gallon jug that we in America are so used too. Alex, I remember when you first said that teaching in Vietnam could be so much more. I am very proud of you. You have really developed a great program. I admit, at first I said to myself, that this man is a dreamer. Both times I went to Hanoi, I felt very isolated. I wanted to teach but didn't even know how to approach the schools. If I had known what you do, I would have never returned to the US. I loved that place. I'm no Communist but the people I met were among the nicest I've ever met in my whole life. Soon I will finish my Bachelors degree and will be joining your group.I am a little worried about the current Visa scare. Could you address this issue? Many of us who are concidering a move to Vietnam are wondering which Visa to apply for. A toursit visa or a student visa.

[@pierski9394]

What about getting paid...cash or do you need a bank account? And do you get paid daily, weekly, monthly? Is there ever a problem getting paid on time?

[@jdang99]

I am of Vietnamese ethnicity but was born and raised in the UK. I obviously speak with a British accent but look Vietnamese. Would this hinder my chances in finding teaching jobs? Thanks!

[@LinLin_0308]

Omg this is my school 😲😲😲😲

[@andy-kai-chan]

Out of curiosity, do schools withhold income taxes, or withhold other taxes because you're a foreigner?

[@ninja.teacher]

They normally quote you an amount and you should ask them if it's pre or post TAX. Either way, the school usually pays it for you.

[@JollymixYT]

here's a con you don't ever mention. you need to be able to ride a bike to live in Vietnam

[@ninja.teacher]

Not true. I just mentioned in this video that I spent the last month using Uber.

[@teaarmo]

DailyBits yea I've lived here for nearly 3 months and never rode a bike... Just used uber and grab bike, it's still so cheap

[@paraminojorack5781]

UBER is an American owned company, Grab is a Chinese owned company.

[@atbeesley]

An e-bike is an alternative. Although, you gotta charge it up!

[@samuelclarkton2748]

e-bike is a great local transportation to reduce pollution.

[@paipai9545]

Ahahaha I don't plan on driving when I'm there.

[@danielclarke6521]

lol, I got food poisoning at Spar in Durban at least 5 times this year.. id definitely be keen for street food

[@somefunwithtasha]

Hi, I'm a South African, I don't have a BA degree but I'm really considering teaching abroad. Where would you recommend and how exactly would I go about doing it?

[@paipai9545]

@NinjaTeacher... You never responded her Q. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I also want to know

[@angie23575]

Cambodia is the only country in Asia where you don't need a BA to be an English teacher

[@Vakna.r]

When you taught in Korea, did you also teach in English centers, or were you at a school full time?

[@travelingsandy900]

Wow you South African Wow awesome

[@brucemcmillan1149]

Its interesting the comments on giving your professional advice over personal, while I get you are running a business and nothing wrong with accountability and credibility and getting the attention and recognition, still I liked the overly enthusistic youthful man and because in my heart its still where the life and inspiration is, if also little or no money! hehe, whatever...

[@DCRJFS]

How does Ninja Teacher get paid when hooking a good school up with a good English teacher?

[@SharonGadbois]

You have to pay for their TEFL class, so they make money from that. I guess you might be referring to a kickback/referral/finder's fee. Just like a travel agent. You don't pay the agent, the airline/cruiseliner does.

[@KC-gf8ir]

Cool nice Videos Ninja, I'm a Teacher from College, no degree but Classroom experience. Opportunity is for Graduate only?

[@ESL-O.G.]

Dang, your SA accent is way more thick in these older videos.

[@cosmo1eleven855]

Good honest and balanced report. The pollution in Asia is a big downer for me. That's why I'm teaching in a smaller city, Siem Reap, Cambodia. It still has that pesky pollution and noise from motos etc. In addition there is red dust from the surrounding area that is always suspended in the air as well. Still, wearing a respirator when out and about and a healthy lifestyle such as Ninja teacher suggests can help mitigate that con side of the equation.

[@ninja.teacher]

Thanks telling us about your experience. :)

[@benthere8051]

Does it help to be able to speak Vietnamese? I can speak, read, and write basic basic Vietnamese. It would seem that this would present an excellent opportunity to develop good Viet language skills. Are there Viet language schools in Saigon for Americans? Can you get a longer-term visa while studying for the TEFL ticket? Can you do private tutoring without the TEFL? Do you require payment for your services up front? Are there long-term obligations after paying tuition?

[@branden8915]

Getting sick twice in 3 years is not a good number my dude! Some sickness can fuck up your kidneys for life

[@WolfQueenLydia]

Wait, you're South African originally? Omg I've been watching all this time and never knew!

[@MinHuykie]

you moved to HCM city ????

[@jackortiz5050]

This video is so informative. Thanks, Alex. So, if someone get's paid $20/hour, does that include the time they spend in the office preparing for their classes? And if not, what would be a more accurate hourly wage if you include all the hours they spend at the school (prep and teaching)?

[@ninja.teacher]

Good question and it varies from school to school. Usually that's per teaching hour. So you can expect to have to lesson plan for those lessons too.

[@Hali88]

using tinder to 'make friends' haha

[@MichaelDangerDobbs]

My apartment lease in the USA is up this December, I am planning on Moving out to get a job teaching English In vietnam this coming January of 2020. I was reading there is a big festival/celebration in February and most schools don't hire that, is it worth it for me to come out in January or should I wait until after February and come out in March?

[@solsouth]

Two dozen eggs??? Since when is 20 eggs 2 dozen? 24 is 2 dozen. HAHAHA It is interesting that we are use to buying 6/12 eggs in a carton. But here in Russia it is most common to find 10 eggs per carton.

[@HM-ke1qm]

Dude you're an English teacher Learn Vietnamese . Be a role model for your students.

[@shivaghazal]

If u went VEGAN ur grocery bills would be cheaper. Then u wont have to worry about yoghurt, cheeses etc. Shop in Big C it's cheaper than Co-Op mart.

[@MinaTraductor4481]

Excellent news for a vegan moving to Vietnam.....my fiancé and I are vegans and loooove raw food which seems to be a lot cheaper there....great to know!!!

[@liketheroman]

MULK.

[@theredpanda2567]

suky suky, 5 dollars, love you long time xD

[@RaynesX]

That's a pro not a con

[@jessicaannstewart4999]

Thanks for the advise! Very informative :)

[@mommah_arunsa]

Very informative! Thanks.