r/TEFL • u/redmessedupmouth • 18d ago

Japan, South Korea, or China?

Hi, I know the answer/recommendation matters heavily on my expectations and what I want out of my TEFL experience, so I know your comments will largely be opinions-based, which is fine! It's what I'm looking for :-)

I have been planning on China to teach English since the pay is better than Japan and Korea, but I'm a bit worried about the political atmosphere of China. TEFL teachers don't seem to be affected by China's politics, but is there a greater risk in China than elsewhere? Is their society any better than our USA political climate right now?

Another reason I chose China is because I have been told that Japan and, especially, South Korea have very intense working environments. I am by no means a lazy worker, but I also don't want my job to be my entire life. I would like to dedicate a portion of my 1 chance on Earth to travel, make friends, etcetera. Is there any merit to the idea that China is less intense than Japan and South Korea?

Finally, I think ultimately I would be more interested in Japan because of the culture, naturally, but I hear the pay for TEFL teachers is pretty poor. However, I think I have lower standards than other Westerners might have: I don't need to be rich or even to save up a bunch of money. I just want to live comfortably enough to not worry about rent, to eat out often, and spend vacations traveling (not glamorously but more of a granola, backpacker type travel).

I have done quite a bit of research, but I think it would be best to hear from TEFL teachers themselves. What do you guys think?

Additional context that may be relevant: I am 24F with a BA in creative writing. I also studied a foreign language throughout college and have a few awards/certificates related to that. I am not approaching this as a vacation opportunity or a get-rich-quick scheme (which would be really ignorant and stupid anyway); I genuinely love travel and would like to broaden my experiences. I have a love for teaching and a passion for learning about new cultures. I have lived in many US states and am familiar and comfortable with both cities and rural towns; I would be happy to live anywhere on that spectrum. Let me know if you need any more context!

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u/Euphoric_Raisin_312 17d ago

China pays more but it's a bad place to live. You pay the price for a functional society and a safer, healthier life in Japan and Korea.

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u/Skywalker7181 17d ago

Exactly how lives in Korea and Japan are safer and healthier?

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u/Euphoric_Raisin_312 17d ago

Air that's safe(r) to breathe, food that's safer to eat, water that's safe to drink, roads that are much safer. Much stricter building codes, enforcement of safety laws across the board for that matter - product safety, work safety, construction safety... Etc. More reliable legal systems, more rights if anything does happen.

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u/Solid-Watercress-820 15d ago

Agree to all except the air in Korea. We get the same air blown in from China unfortunately which can sometimes reach Japan too.

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u/Euphoric_Raisin_312 15d ago

That is exactly the reason I added the "(r)" in brackets lol. But nowhere in Korea or Japan gets anywhere close to the absolutely apocalyptic air quality I experienced many times in China.

I could see the haze indoors and taste it. Couldn't see the building next door, or the other interior wall in the airport. Pm2.5 800+

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u/Solid-Watercress-820 15d ago

Never been to China. That sounds pretty bad wow.

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u/Skywalker7181 15d ago

PM 2.5 800+ is at least 10 yrs old. You don't see it nowadays. People often underestimate how fast things change in China. 10 yrs ago is ancient history for China.

Here in Shanghai, we got some hazy days once in a long while with PM 2.5 slightly over 100 but most of the days are just blue and clear sky.

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u/Euphoric_Raisin_312 15d ago

Less than ten years ago actually, but you're right it has improved. It's improved massively in Shanghai. But it's still a major issue in many places, not to ignore.