TEFL in Qatar: an interview with a teacher working in Doha

Have you ever thought about going to Qatar to teach, or perhaps return there after a few years working elsewhere?  One of our team, who spent three years in Doha, caught up with a former colleague who is still working over there to see how things have changed.  We discuss some of the most common questions raised about life for TEFL teachers in Qatar and the changes which have occurred over the last few years.

1              It seems ages since we were among that group of teachers who flew over to Doha for a two-year teaching contract.  I joined because of the tax-free salary and the government holidays - what drew you to Qatar?

It was the same for me - a tax-free salary, free accommodation and 80 days of holiday a year!  It was a good deal, but we certainly had to work for it, didn’t we? However, I have to say that over the last few years the remuneration package for TEFL teachers working in Doha has been gradually whittled down – and that’s before last month’s diplomatic crisis that Qatar experienced with its neighbours.  Nobody knows what impact that will have.

2              Did you experience “culture shock” as I did when you arrived in Qatar?

Yes, as I think most people did and do.  It was my first time in the Middle East and Qatar is a little more conservative than the UAE, Oman or Bahrain, so I had to adjust to a different way of living my day-to-day life.   

3              I took up the piano, French lessons and started to write funny stories to get over it – how did you deal with it?

I joined a gym which had a great outside pool and restaurant where you could catch up with colleagues and other friends.  In a place like Doha it’s a good idea to take up a hobby as you did, or study online courses.  There used to be quite a few clubs you could join, but now the main expat club is the rugby club.  I also studied the local customs and laws so that I would avoid making any faux pas.  By the way, I read some of your stories – they weren’t funny!

Thanks…

4              What are the challenges of teaching in Qatar?

As well as the cultural differences we’ve already talked about there are a few other challenges – the traffic in Doha is as congested as any other busy city which has grown much bigger than anyone could have anticipated, so depending on where you live it can take ages to get to and from school.  The students are the same as anywhere else really, they need a lot of encouragement and monitoring – you need to maintain a firm but fair teaching style or you could end up making life difficult for yourself. 

5              What are your favourite aspects of living and teaching in Qatar?

As we discussed before Doha is experiencing some difficult times and so teaching here isn’t as attractive as it used to be.  The diplomatic issues might be resolved and so Doha might continue working at becoming a leading Middle Eastern city, but probably in a more cautious manner.  You can enjoy affordable sports events such as the Qatar Open which allows you to watch the big names in tennis, the Doha Golf open , and of course the up-and-coming football World Cup.  If you work for the government you’ll get good holidays and so Doha is a good hub for flights all over the world [providing the ban on Qatar Airways flights over its neighbours’ airspace is lifted].  If you like shopping then there are plenty of shopping centres dotted around the city – and more seem to appear every year!

6              Any tips on boosting your career prospects as a TEFL teacher wishing to work in Qatar?

In the Middle East many educational institutions prefer someone with an MA to a Diploma, as well as experience of teaching in the Middle East.  If you study an MA, then they will probably insist it is a full time course – unfortunately many schools won’t recognise the merits of an Open University course or other courses carried out online.

7              When you go home to the UK, what do you miss about Qatar?

I miss some of the Middle Eastern cuisine and the fruit juices which are delicious.  In the winter it’s really nice to walk along the Corniche which is a walkway along Doha’s seafront about four miles long – in the summer you can’t do it as temperatures sometimes hit 50 degrees centigrade! 

8              Any tips for someone seeking a TEFL position in Qatar?

First of all consider everything we’ve mentioned.  If possible, try and get a multiple exit visa which means you’ll avoid the headache of getting a new visa every time you want to leave the country.  Join a club or take up a hobby.  Try to make sure you look for work with a reputable company.  Be patient – both the teaching contracts I’ve had in Doha were delayed, but I got there eventually.  I think that the old adage, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” is a particularly good proverb to live by here –it is different, and has been for decades and you’ll just be wasting your energy trying to persuade your colleagues and management to change their way of doing things at school.

9              Do you have any hints on how to save money when living in Qatar? 

Eat at one of the busy restaurants frequented by the manual workers and drivers – the food is really good value and tasty.  There are pubs in the hotels in Doha but they can be expensive – the expat clubs sometimes have a cheaper bar.  Alternatively take it in turns to host friends at home – you can buy alcohol once you’ve gotten yourself a licence at the off licence in Doha; unfortunately that’s another thing that has changed – the prices have shot up since you were here.

Thanks for the update.

If you have anything you would like to add to this, please feel free to contact us at info@teflhub.com and we’ll add your comments to the interview if possible.