Best countries to live in

Too good for the U.K. eh GagaJo? Good luck with the S. Korean application, hope you’re successful.

Well said greeneyedgirl!

Greeneyedgirl, currently, I CAN'T get a permanent job in the UK for a range of reasons. My experience and level of qualification makes me too expensive. What do you suggest I do? Accept a salary that I could earn in McDonald's, because that is how much new teachers earn now?

I am 54 and cannot retire until I'm 67 in the UK yet conversely can't get a permanent job. Not to mention that within 6 years I will be physically incapable of working the 70 hour week that a full-time teacher in the UK needs to put in to do the job properly.

The ONLY option I have is to go overseas. I'm just trying to be positive about it.

NEVER said I was too good for the UK. But I am highly qualified and very experienced. Am I supposed to be ashamed of that?

I want to work very hard for 6 years somewhere that will pay me enough to save hard to be able to give up FULL-TIME work at 60. At which point I will cut down to just working as an examiner and a private tutor. Not too much to ask surely?

I don't have TEFL humptydumpty, my preferred teaching is International Baccalaureate. A bit like A Level. I've been to Singapore but the cost of living was very expensive.

I'm not particularly good with adults. Teenagers are my 'best' age group, although I DID have a wonderful part-time, extra job in China teaching oral English to toddlers. They were WONDERFUL! So lively and funny. We did a lot of singing and played games.

There are a lot of International Schools in Switzerland and they have a very good reputation (as a TESOL teacher I taught advanced English to many of their pupils). Other places to consider (if you’re looking for a reasonably high salary) would be Germany and of course Brussels.

I live in Ireland and the Schilling here is so different to the UK. Alot of teachers use the 2 months of summer holidays to go abroad and teach summer schools etc. I also know a few ladies that trained here as teachers and now work in Dubai and absolutely love it!
Good luck with your search x

Schooling not Schilling ??

Well, we live in Denmark, which has a good health service, state pensions, reasonable social security, free education and reasonably priced homes for the elderly. Property prices are reasonable too.

I have lived in the Netherlands for a year, and would happily go back there and from what I have seen, Germany is a good place to live too.

Wales (Atlantic College)
You may have to learn a foreign language

Poland? My DD worked there and enjoyed it.

Chacun a son gout.

I've always felt that in the UK we are more tolerant than in many other places and have a great sense of humour which is needed in these 'interesting' times. Being happy and fitting in is more important than money.
I've always wanted to live in either Brittany or Normandy and for some reason which I cannot fathom I've always been attracted to Finland.

i have visited many countries but lived in Egypt for 13 years and loved it. It did change after the last revolution but it is still close to my heart.

Yes M0nica precisely

Just which is the best country in the world to live!

I lived in Switzerland for five years - near Zurich. Really disliked the conformity, smuggery and general 'I'm all right, Jack'-ness.

Poppyred ''Too good for the U.K. eh GagaJo?''

what a silly comment- have you read Gagajo's post?

For teachers, nurses, doctors, and so many more- it is also about working conditions. Here we have classes of 15-20 max- which is equal to some of the best and most expensive UK private schools. There are no queues of trolleys in A&E, and nurses are usually asigned to one or two patients, and have access to the best equipment and medicines without constraints. Midwives would only look after one woman in labour at a time. They would have a much much higher salary too, and not be faced with attacks, be they verbal or physical, on a daily basis.

Lindsay, sorry ot hear that. Even the Swiss themselves don't like Zurich, for the same reasons.

I would recommend Switzerland, I lived outside Zurich for 5years and loved it. So easy to travel to other countries bordering Switzerland, great train service. It is expensive and you would need a very good salary. Good luck.

Japan, Thailand. A lot depends on what you are looking for other than money. Sure you will appreciate most countries will be good in some places and awful in others.

My daughter teaches at Singapore university and she loves it ! She always looks healthy , sleek, and full of energy, unlike when she is at home in USA. She gets paid a fortune and from Singapore she has explored Bali Brunei Malaysia Borneo Vietnam Etc. My SIL lives in Australia but her house is under fire threat. Hamburg Germany is lovely to live in ! I lived years there. Love beautiful istria but not well paid. My BF lived in China but hated it , filthy , etc

Wouldn’t recommend Hong Kong at the moment. I have a friend living there and she is terrified. The schools are closed most days because the pupils can’t get there . She is stuck there until June and can’t wait to come home.

Japan

gillyknits that must be frightening

We'd hoped to go this autumn but decided against it

Why not try India? My neighbour worked there for many years and said he loved it so much he'd consider retiring there. I've never been though but did watch the TV programmes about celebrities giving it a try and they all loved it. Certainly very different.

Loved New Zealand Canada and Norway. Disliked USA but only went to LA area. Yuk. Hope your search goes well.