The ELT Two Cents Cafe

Special thanks to Robin Turner

What are the employment opportunities, job requirements, etc. for people who want to teach English in Turkey?
TEFL in Turkey is still expanding, though not quite as rapidly as the boom years of the 1980's. There are still new private language courses opening, but the real growth area is private English-medium High Schools and universities. There are also a few positions going in State schools and universities, but these are hard to get and do not usually pay well.
Do I need a degree to get a job? If so, does it have to be related to teaching English, or is any degree OK?
A degree is (technically) a minimum requirement for any teaching job, but the subject is not important. Nearly all schools also require RSA CTEFLA or the equivalent. For the better jobs a few years' experience is necessary, and a DTEFLA or MA is a big advantage, particularly for university jobs.
What about getting a visa? Will the school supply me with one?
Visas are no problem. The usual procedure is to get a tourist visa, which you can buy on arrival in Turkey, then the school will get you a work and residence permit. Check this with the school before you go.
Would I get housing/insurance through the school?
Most schools provide furnished accommodation for teachers, in fact you should insist on it, as rents can be very high in the big cities. Usually you will be expected to share with other teachers, but some of the better schools provide individual accommodation. All schools have to provide basic health insurance (SSK) which allows you to be treated in State hospitals, though unless you can go to one of the good teaching hospitals, you'd be better off shelling out for private treatment. Some of the better schools provide private health insurance, which is a definite plus.
What are the means of locating prospective employers?
A lot of schools advertise in the Guardian and TES, and a few advertise on the internet now. CfBT recruit for Bilkent University and Black Sea Technical University (minimum 2 years' experience + CTEFLA. A lot of the better (and the worst) jobs are only advertised locally. As a rule of thumb, if applying from home, go for schools which have an English name, and avoid Lycees and "dersane"s - some of them are actually OK, but it's impossible to tell if you're abroad. The names of Lycees usually end in "Lisesi", and desanes in "dersanesi". Actually there are some very good State Lycees (e.g. Galatasaray Lisesi and the Anadolu Lisesi's) but they tend not to advertise abroad. Dersanes are cramming courses for the university entrance exams - there are some good ones, but the pay is generally low. Schools with names ending in "Kolej" are usually upmarket private lycees - some of them are very good, others so-so. Pay and conditions are generally better than language schools, but the students can be rather bratty.
Oh, another thing I forgot - don't work for any school which won't pay your airfare to Turkey and return fare on completing your contract. Some of the better schools will also give you a return airfare every one or two years.
Are there any cowboy schools?
Yes, though it's not as bad as in some countries. Check the housing and insurance position before you accept a job, as these are often indicators of the general quality of the school, and ask plenty of questions about the syllabus; if they don't seem to have one, or are just following a textbook uncritically, this is usually a sign of a poor school.
What is the pay like? What's the cost of living? Will I be able to save money while I'm there?
Pay is not wonderful, but enough to live reasonably well on. About the maximum you can hope for is about 700 per month (after tax) in a good private university, going down to about half that for a small language school. A lot depends on your lifestyle -- basically if you spend most of your cash on having a good unhealthy time, your wages will go a long way. Alcohol, cigarettes and eating out are much cheaper than in Britain or the USA. On the other hand, if you are into nest-building, Turkey is not so good – electrical goods are generally more expensive (except for computers, which have got cheaper), and even clothes, which used to be dirt cheap, are getting up to Western prices. As for saving money, only the most stingy teachers manage it, since the exchange rate is poor and inflation is high. One thing to check is whether your school gives a mid-year pay rise in line with inflation – if not you will need to convert some of your earlier pay packets into foreign currency to tide you through the lean months later. You can open a foreign currency bank account, which will pay a fairly good rate of interest. Some of the better schools will pay some or all of your salary in foreign currency, which is a definite advantage.
Note: A reasonable estimate of today's exchange rates can be found in The Links and Info Center room of the ELT Two Cents Cafe!

A rough idea of how much things cost in British pounds (based on Ankara prices, June 1998)

A loaf of bread - 10p

A litre of milk - 45p

A bottle of raki - 2.50

A bottle of half-decent whisky - 20.00

A meal in a restaurant - 5-10.00

A packet of cigarettes - 35-65p

A cinema ticket - 2.20

A Turkish CD - 5.00

A foreign CD - 12.00

Can I give private lessons?
Many teachers moonlight by giving private lessons, but a lot of schools forbid this. Check your contract, and pay close attention to how serious any clause about private teaching is (some schools ban it in theory, but don't mind if it's done discreetly). The going rate for private lessons is about 10 per hour. It's best to arrange money in advance -- see if you can get your student to cough up for several lessons at a time. As far as I know, you cannot get a work permit if you are only giving private lessons.
Can I buy a car in Turkey? What's the traffic like? How about public transport?
Buying cars in Turkey is expesive unless, as a foreigner, you buy a car from another foreigner. This is cheaper, especially if you bargain-hunt at embassies (for example a friend recently bought a Cherokee jeep from the American embassy for $4000). However, the bureaucracy is a nightmare -- unless you speak fluent Turkish and have the patience of a saint, you should get an agent to sort it out for you. You also need to deposit a bond in a bank, which you will get back when you sell the car or leave the country permanently. Unless you feel naked without a car, though, you'd be best off using taxis (which are cheap) or public transport, since the traffic is truly terrifying, especially in Istanbul (Turkey has more accidents per kilometre of road than any country in the world). Public transport in cities is cheap, but crowded and uncomfortable. For travelling around Turkey, there are plenty of good bus companies. It's worth paying a bit more to travel with a reputable company, since you will have a more comfortable ride and are more likely to arrive in one piece. Apart from the Istanbul-Ankara line, trains are very slow. Domestic flights are good but a bit pricey.
Any tricky government rules/regulations?
Turkish bureaucracy is exceedingly cumbersome, so insist the school handle anything to do with work/residence permits etc. There are hundreds of regulations pertaining to schools, but that's their problem, not yours. Customs can be complicated -- they will allow resident foreigners to take electrical goods etc. without paying duty, but you need to have them stamped in your passport to make sure you take them out again. The same goes for cars, and if you leave the country without your car you need to get half a dozen different people to stamp the appropriate forms. Most bureaucratic regulations can be got round with large quantities of charm and "consideration".
What about "Midnight Express"?
Your chances of ending up in a Turkish prison are minimal, unless you go round doing the kind of things that would get you into prison anywhere. Don't buy or sell drugs -- it's not a "Midnight Express" scenario by any means, but at the very least you'll be kicked out of the country. Don't insult the Turkish State, the flag, the army, the police, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk or just about anything Turkish. Turks are very touchy about these things, and while you're unlikely to suffer the same penalties as a Turk would, don't expect to get your visa renewed.
Isn't the human rights situation there really awful?
Depends on where you compare it with. Compared with other Middle Eastern countries, Turkey is pretty democratic and liberal; compared with Western countries, the situation leaves much to be desired. So long as you don't preach Communist revolution in class or make glib comments about the Kurdish question, you won't have any problems.
Is there any danger from terrorism?
No. A few bombs have gone off in Istanbul (a drop in the ocean compared to the traffic fatalities) but terrorist activity by the PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party) is pretty much confined to the South-East of the country, and you would be unlikely to find work there anyway. There are also a few small Communist and Islamic terrorist groups, but they aren't interested in assassinating English teachers.
Is religion a problem?
No. Islamic fundamentalism has increased somewhat over the last decade, but in general the Turkish version of Islam is very liberal and tolerant, most urban Turks are not very religious, and the government is militantly secular (Turkey has only ever had one religious party in power, and that was in a coalition government which collapsed fairly quickly). The basic position is "you respect our religion, and we'll respect yours." In general, expect the same social mores as you would find in a rather conservative European country. You can even buy bacon in some supermarkets!
Note for the missionary-minded: attempting to convert people to another religion is technically illegal in Turkey, and doesn't work in practice anyway. Forget it.
Is there anything I might do that would be considered really rude?
One thing that's a bit rude in Turkey which could catch the Westerner unaware is -- going onto the street with wet hair! Muslims are supposed to bathe after sex, so going out of the house with your hair still wet implies you've just had a quickie. Other than that, there's not much in the way of completely unexpected social pitfalls. Turkish society is pretty easy going, and in general European standards of politeness will do fine in Turkey. Blowing your nose in public is considered rude, and belching and farting are a social disaster. Being clean and presentable is important, especially at work or when visiting someone's home. Stinginess is considered reprehensible, so when the bill comes in a bar or restaurant, you should insist on paying. In practice, Turks usually won't let you pay anyhow, but you are obliged to put up a fight. A few other things which are considered unseemly:

eating bananas or ice cream in the street

smoking in the street if you're female

in some areas, eating, drinking or smoking publicly during the Ramadan fast

excessive kissing and cuddling in public places

wearing revealing clothing in a mosque (women should also cover their hair)

there are a few rude gestures which are not found elsewhere e.g. placing the thumb between the first two fingers, or slapping one hand down on the other fist, both of which have sexual connotations.

Do women get hassled a lot?
Yes and no. It depends on where you are, how you dress and how you behave. If you walk into a poor, conservative area wearing shorts and a bikini top, then expect the worst; otherwise you may get some unwelcome attention, but no serious hassle. Avoid magandas -- men with moustaches, open shirts and lotts of gold jewellery -- as they consider it a point of honour to sexually harass as many women as possible. Generally, though, harassment is purely verbal, and most women I have talked to say they feel safer here than back home. Basically, it's like Italy, but with less bottom-pinching. Remember that if a man is staring at you, it's probably as much because you're foreign as because you're female, and remember that Turkish culture is very "touchy-feely" - not all physical contact has sexual intentions.
What's the nightlife like?
Depends on where you are. Istanbul has excellent nightlife, with plenty of good bars, clubs and concerts. Izmir is also pretty good, though tends to slow down in the winter. Ankara is somewhat duller, though there are still some reasonable bars and discos. In smaller places the best you'll get are cinemas, restaurants and the occasional pavyon - a Turkish nightclub where you will be charged exorbitant amounts of money..
What about food and drink? Is the food and water safe?
Turkish food is excellent, unless you're a vegetarian. It’s not all kebabs, though; there's a wide variety of good meat, fish and, occasionally, vegetable dishes. Basically it's very similar to Greek food. In fact Greeks and Turks are always arguing about who invented which dish. Turkish wine is passable, and the standard is improving steadily, beer is limited to rather bland lager (though a few bars sell imported beers), but the national drink is raki, an aniseed spirit like ouzo but with a smoother taste. Raki is to Turkey what wine is to France or tea is to Japan - a culture as much as a drink.
As for safety, you can expect to get mild diarrhoea shortly after you arrive, as your system tries to adjust to novel intestinal flora. Apart from that, don't eat any food from street stalls until you are well used to Turkish micro-organisms, avoid cig kofte (raw meatballs - actually delicious!) unless you're totally confident about the cleanliness of the establishment, and never, ever eat kokorec (sheep's intestines). Tap water is safe in most places, but still upsets some people's stomachs because of its high mineral and chlorine content -- most Turks drink bottled water or have drinking water delivered to their homes.
What's the weather like?

Aegean coast: hot summers, mild winters, though sometimes rather damp and miserable.

Istanbul: Similar to the Aegean but can get quite cold and foggy in winter.

Mediterranean coast: Very hot summers, usually warm in winter. Air-conditioning a must.

Black Sea coast: wet, wet, wet. Like Ireland but warmer.

Ankara: Long hot summers, long cold winters, short rainy Spring and Autumn.

Are Turks easy to get on with?
Very. Turks are generally well-disposed to foreigners, and Turkish friendliness and hospitality is proverbial; the only problem is getting them to leave you alone sometimes. As for the most important person, your boss, bear in mind that he/she will tend to have a paternalistic/maternalistic attitude, which some Westerners find irritating, but remember this is only what is expected by the culture. Exude charm, and save anything important for your director of studies.
What are the students like?
For the most part, Turks are a joy to teach - friendly and enthusiastic. In the private High Schools and universities you do get some "rich brats", but they're no worse than rich brats from many other countries.
Do I need to be able to speak Turkish? Is it an easy language to learn?
You can get by without learning much Turkish, but the more you learn, the better. A small amount of effort will give you the basics you need for shopping, ordering in restaurants etc., but conversational fluency will take several years to acquire. Turkish is generally considered to be an easy language to learn, but a difficult language to use: the grammar is very simple and logical, but it can be difficult to follow all the suffixes in conversation, especially since Turks have a habit of all speaking at the same time.

Websites about Turkey
The author of this FAQ (Robin Turner) has a fascinating site,
From Chuang Tsu to Chomsky : philosophy and linguistics.
It also includes a subpage:
Under Western Eyes
which is a web diary - mainly but not entirely about life in Turkey.
The Republic of Turkey Home Page
FOCUS on Turkey

Colleges and Universities
Language
Food
Music

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