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My name is Hasan Aydin and I am from Turkey. Currently, I am working toward my Masters Degree at University of Nevada, Reno USA. I graduated from the National University of Mongolia in the field of English language in 2005. I completed four classes in a BA degree in TESL in 2005. In 2005 I started my job as an English teacher at Ulaanbaatar Mongolian-Turkish High School. Anyway, I found these web sites very useful and informative and wanted to share about English language teaching situation job opportunities in Mongolia.
A Few Words About Mongolia
Mongolia, also known as Outer Mongolia, is located in the heart of Central Asia, sandwiched right between two large countries: China and Russia. It has a population of only 2.5 million people living sparsely over the territory of 1,568,500 sq. km, or slightly smaller than Alaska. The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Genghis Khan they conquered the huge Eurasian empire. After his death, the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing and a Communist regime was installed in 1924. However, in the early 1990s, as a result of the Soviet collapse, the ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) gradually yielded its monopoly on power to the Democratic Union Coalition and Mongolia has chosen the road of democracy and a free market economy.
Mongolia's Education System
Prior to the introduction of socialism in Mongolia, a formal education (learning how to read and write) was something that only took place in monasteries and amongst government officials. Informal practical skills were learnt at home and passed on in the family environment. Stratified sections of society were then chosen to be formally educated in order to either communicate with neighboring countries or to be able to recite Buddhist texts. A formal education was exclusive, selective and available only to men. By the beginning of the 1930s however, schools as formal places of learning for the wider population were first introduced in administrative centers across the country. Boarding houses were established in order to house children from nomadic families, with food, clothing and schooling all provided by the state. Education became uniform, centralized and available to all.
During the 1950s and 1960s literacy levels throughout Mongolia increased dramatically and with the change from traditional Mongolian script to Cyrillic, teachers were sent out into the countryside to ensure that all the population could read and write. For children growing up in this era, education (mainly based on Russian pedagogical teaching methods) was something that did not just take place at school. Pioneer activities allowed for moral and practical teachings outside the formal school environment. In countryside districts cooperatives, eager to produce maximum productivity ensured that all aspects of a childs education was looked after by the state thus leaving parents able to work.
Transition to an open market economy in the beginning of the 1990s hit Mongolias centralized education system sharply. Many teachers decided to abandon their jobs due to the lack of income and help with their familys herds. Others turned to new innovative small trade and businesses. With the collapse of local cooperatives parents returned to herding with the few animals they managed to reclaim and their children were often forced to help at home with herding.
Many local schools and boarding houses were forced to close down due to lack of government funding and "drop out" rates, which had hardly been heard of before, increased dramatically. Family necessity forced children back into the home environment at the cost of receiving a formal education. However, the problem lay also in the actual schools themselves, which desperately needed new textbooks, teaching methods and a different administrative approach. Since the late 1990s the situation for children with Mongolias education system has begun to improve. Choice has started to become an option, with many private schools and specialized places of learning emerging in the capital catering for children of Mongolias increasing middle and upper classes.
Rural schools however, are still suffering. With wealthier families choosing to send their children to schools in the cities (in order to obtain certain valued types of knowledge, and able to hire local help to assist with their herds), those without money and extended family networks often lose out. Kindergarten, once free to all workers, has become a novel luxury for those who can afford to send their three to seven year olds, giving them a head start when it comes to attending school.
For most children in the countryside, until the age of seven or eight years old, they spend their time at home with their parents herding livestock. Informal education in the home is something that is increasingly being drawn upon where formal schooling is in decline. Moral education, once the role of the pioneer group has found itself back in the family environment. Current "drop out" rates are not as high as at the beginning of the 1990s but significant enough to warrant concern from local educationalists and parents alike. Indeed, for most countryside children a full eleven-year education is a luxury only assured to those with money and resources to assist with their herds. However, things are starting to change in local schools. During summer and winter breaks, many rural schools hold informal classes for children unable to attend school and the need for change from a teacher orientated approach to a more student orientated methodology is beginning to be recognized.
It is difficult to summarize the situation in Mongolia in terms of education and schooling as local and administrative centers vary. What seems obvious though, is that those with money and extended networks in the cities are increasingly able to "buy" certain types of valued knowledge and education for their children thus, allowing for a stratified section of society to emerge with a specific type of education, whereas those without these resources and wealth cannot hope for the same.
Climate
Mongolia's climate is extreme continental, with long cold, dry winters and short warm summers. Winter usually lasts from mid-October until March, with the coldest period being between mid-December and the end of February when the temperature drops to -30 or -40° C and occasionally even lower.
Human Geography
The population of Mongolia is 2.42 million, out of which 45% are nomadic herdsmen. The population is homogeneous, with Mongol speaking people constituting 95% of the total; the largest subgroup is the Khalkha, accounting for over 75% of the total population. The only substantial non-Mongol groups, representing over 5% of the population, are the Kazakhs, a Turkish-speaking people dwelling in the far West. Ulaanbaatar has a population of about 700,000.
Transport
Travel by air is the most convenient and fastest means of travel to and from Mongolia. The country is served by MIAT (Mongolian Civil Air Transport), Aeroflot, Air China (CAAC) and Korean Airlines. MIAT and Aeroflot each have a weekly service to and from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar. MIAT and Korean Airlines each have a weekly flight between Seoul and Ulaanbaatar, although Korean Airlines operates only in summer. MIAT also operates a flight between Ulaanbaatar and Istanbul once a week, two flights per week between Ulaanbaatar and Berlin/Frankfurt, and between Osaka and Ulaanbaatar twice a week during summer.
Visas
Mongolian entry visas may be obtained from Mongolian Embassies or Representations for Mongolia in Almaty, Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Cairo, Delhi, Geneva, Hanoi, Havana, Huho-Hoto, Irkutsk, Kiev, London, Moscow, New York, Paris, Prague, Pyongyang, Seoul, Singapore, Sofia, Tokyo, Ulan-Ude, Vientiane, Warsaw and Washington D.C.
Local Transport - Ulaanbaatar
Bus service in Ulaanbaatar is available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and reasonably priced. The point to point fare within the city is 200 Tugriks. Private mini buses are officially allowed to service public almost every routine in the city with the same fare.
Telephone and Fax Service
Private telephones are available in Ulaanbaatar. New lines are being installed, and by early next year more new lines will be available. International personnel are required to pay the installation fee and monthly bills in US Dollars. There are Cellular telephone providers (MobiCom and Skytell) in Ulaanbaatar, which provides GSM and CDMA services for Ulaanbaatar.
Internet Services
Mongolia has one Internet Service Provider, DATACOM . Moreover you can get internet access through MICOM, MCS, MOBINET and MAGICNET.
Exchange Rate, Controls and Banking Facilities
The monetary unit in Mongolia is the TUGRIK. Paper notes in use are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000. The present operational rate of exchange is US $1.00 between 1100 to1200 Tugrik. The Tugrik is non-convertible.
Hotels and Lodging
The number of good Hotels in Mongolia is increasing. International personnel are advised to stay in the Ulaanbaatar, Bayangol, Edelweiss, Tuushin or Chinggis Khan Hotels. All these Hotels offer discounts of 10 - 20% to UN personnel. The average daily room prices excluding meals, payable in US Dollars, are as follows:
| Single Room | $30-50 | |
| Double Room | $40-80 | |
| Deluxe Suite: | single | $80-100 |
| double | $100-150 |
Houses and Apartments
Due to the introduction of the new policy on privatization of apartments, housing problems are decreasing. Foreigners can rent a fully furnished apartment in any part of the city. Electricity and telecommunication charges are often charged separately based on usage. Average rental costs of apartments per month, payable in US Dollars, are as follows:
| Local Standard | International Standard | |
| One bedroom apartment | $70-100 | $200-300 |
| Two bedroom apartment | $150-300 | $300-600 |
| Three bedroom apartment | $180-300 | $500-1000 |
Immunization Requirements
The requirements of the Government of Mongolia for international vaccination certificates under the WHO International Sanitary Regulations should be checked prior to travel by consulting the personnel office of the employing organization. The United Nations Medical Service recommends that all travelers should receive typhoid and tetanus immunizations prior to travel. Due to the high prevalence of hepatitis in the country, it is recommended that Hepatitis Type A and Type B inoculations are also taken prior to arrival.
Common Ailment and Health Precautions
In general, health conditions in Mongolia are satisfactory, although local standards of hygiene are low. This problem arises partly from the large number of animals in the country. Water should be boiled and the use of a water purifier is recommended (not available locally). Year-round pollution in Ulaanbaatar, lack of humidity and high dust levels in spring can cause regular, if not serious, respiratory problems.
Medical Facilities
The health services in Mongolia are largely state-owned, and can offer medical services to foreigners. The doctors and nursing staff are Mongolian and are well-qualified. Medicines and medical supplies are in very short supply, and hygiene in most hospitals is far below international standards.
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United Nations Volunteers
This web page gives information about living conditions in Mongolia; climate, human geography, transportation,
visas, local transportation, telephone and fax services, internet service, housing, food, medical, etc
Asia-Planet - Lifestyle
In this website we will learn about lifestyle in Mongolia. The Mongols are shy by nature. They often
hide their confusion or embarrassment behind a smile. Most of the Mongols are taciturn, reticent, tolerant,
and some people say, superstitious. Fussiness and inconsistency are considered undignified. At the same
time, the Mongol may grow very excited when playing a game, or boil over in anger. The Mongols do not
like to talk about unpleasant things. It is believed that such talk may invoke trouble. It is even more
impermissible to say bad things about friends and acquaintances. If at times something unpleasant has to
be said, people try to do it as tactfully and inoffensively as possible. On the other hand, expressions
of good will and praise are widespread. Praise of their mother country, the beauty of the natural scenery,
the hospitality of the host, etc., presents a special form of folklore.
Asia Planet - Festivals
There are very interesting festivals and different kinds of sport on this webpage. The sports are most
popular with the Mongols since ancient times are wrestling, horse racing and archery. Together they form
Eriin Gurvan Naadam - the three manly sports. The three manly sports make up the core program of the
National Day festivities which has been held annually for the past two centuries. Earlier, Naadam was
often associated with religious ceremonies (worshipping the spirit of the mountains, the rocks and the
rivers). At present, it is a national holiday held 11-13th of July each year to commemorate the Mongol
People's Revolution. This tradition was set by D. Sukhbaatar, the founder of the people's state in 1922,
when competitions in national types of sport were held to commemorate the first anniversary of the People's Revolution.
International House World Organisation
According to me, this is the most important website for foreigners who want to visit Mongolia.
Mongoliana Your Online General Information
Guide for Mongolia
In this web page we find some information about Mongolia online; before you go to Mongolia check this
website. Mongolian is not only an information portal about Mongolia but also a dynamic platform with a
full team ready to help you organize your trip to Mongolia or just gather more information about the
country. The Mongolian team works in co-operation with many tour operators in Mongolia as well as real
estate, investment, cashmere and other service suppliers. We would be delighted to help you in any way
we can, we can assist you in booking a hotel, restaurant, tour, car, plane tickets and so forth.
Shards of Mongolia Blogspot
There is a personal experience on this website.
MODERN MONGOLIA--the Mongolian
People's Republic
Comprises only about half of the vast Inner Asian region known throughout history as Mongolia. Furthermore,
it is only a fraction of the great Mongol Empire of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries that stretched
from Korea to Hungary and encompassed nearly all of Asia except the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia.
A Personal Account of Experience in Mongolia
This is a personal website; there are a lot of important experiences about the capital city, apartments,
food, entertainment, events and activities, volunteering, festivals, annoyances, and some pictures about Mongolia.
Wikipedia - Mongolia
Here is the simple English WIKIPEDIA website giving information about this country.
http://www.museum.upenn.edu/Mongolia/section6a.shtml"> A Traveling Exhibition from
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and
The National Museum of Mongolian History
This webpage gives information about museums in Mongolia. The National Museum of Mongolian History is a
cultural, scientific, and educational organization that presents Mongolian history and culture from the
dawn of humanity to the present day. The museum has been implementing different projects related to museum
research work in cooperation with foreign and domestic museums as well as scientific organizations. In the
last ten years, it has organized exhibitions in Germany, Japan, the U.S.A., Korea, Italy, Norway, China,
and the Netherlands.
Nomadic Journeys
This web guest gives information about the living culture heritage; for example, there are roughly 5 million
Mongols today, of whom 2- 3 million live within independent Mongolia. The remaining ethnic Mongols live in
China (Inner Mongolia) and Siberia in the so called Buryat Autonomous Republic to the east of Lake Baikal.
In China and Russia, most Mongols no longer live in gers and have become minorities in their own land.
Rural Poverty Portal
Mongolia is a vast highland basin on the Central Asian plateau. High mountains rise in the northern and
western parts of the country, and the Gobi Desert covers much of the south-east. Mongolia has a total
surface area of 1.6 million km2. Population density is among the lowest in the world, with 2 people per
km2. The population is growing at an annual rate of about 1.3 per cent and in 2005 is expected to reach 2.7 million.
The climate is dry, with extreme winter temperatures that can plunge to 40 below zero Celsius. Ulaanbaatar,
the capital, is the worlds coldest city. Summers are short and cool or even hot. Mongolia has some of Asia's
richest deposits of minerals, including copper. Forests cover about 8 per cent of the countrys surface. Total
forest area has shrunk by half since 1990, mainly because of illegal logging and fires. (Source: IFAD)
Visit Mongolia
This web guest gives information about all destinations in Mongolia.
Living in Mongolia
This web guest gives information about living and studying in Mongolia. Living in Mongolia offers you
information, products and services to make survival easier, cheaper and generally more enjoyable. It also
helps you manage everyday life.
Mongolia Health-Care Systems
This website gives information about Mongolias health care system; Mongolia's government has made great efforts
to provide modern medical care to the inhabitants. In the 1980s, medical care was free and was provided through
a hierarchy of clinics and hospitals. In rural areas, the lowest level of the system was a medical station,
staffed by a physician's assistant, serving people within a thirty- to forty-kilometer radius. Above this was
a somon medical station, staffed by a physician, serving a forty- to sixty-kilometer radius; an
inter-somon hospital, serving a seventy- to eighty-kilometer radius; and an aymag general
hospital covering a 150- to 200-kilometer radius. The higher the level in the system, the more numerous the
medical specialties and the more sophisticated the diagnostic equipment available. The lowest levels concentrated
on acute care, public-health work, and screening and referring cases up the hierarchy(The Library of Congress
Country Studies)
Welcome 2 Mongolia
This web guest is including great information about everything for Mongolia. Mongols are one of the great races
of mankind, including the greater part of the inhabitants of China, Japan, Kazakh and the interior of Asia, with
branches in Northern Europe and other parts of the world. Mongolians are formed on the Mongolian land and had
preserved whole characteristics of their race.
Mongoliana - Primary and Secondary Education in Mongolia
Here information is given about secondary school in Mongolia; the enrolment rate of children aged between 8-15
years is 98 per cent. Among these schools there are several specialized secondary schools. The goal of these schools
is to provide focused education for pupils with special abilities in certain fields. There are approximately 20,725
highly educated teachers working in Mongolian secondary schools. More than 7,527 of them are teaching elementary
classes, and 13,198 teaching secondary and above. There are 32 vocational education and training centers with 20,000
students and over 800 teachers.
Mongolian Higher Education in Transition
This webpage gives personal experience about higher education in Mongolia.
International Womens Health Coalition
This website is giving information about Sexuality Education in Mongolia, and Reflections about Training Educators
Asian Development Bank
This is very useful page for teachers who want to go teach in Mongolia because here information is given about
background of education, teachers salary, and online class systems.
Asian American/Asian Research Institute
Education of Women in Modern Mongolia Among Nomadic Population and Ethnic Minorities. This web guest is
also a personal website giving information about education of women in modern Mongolia among the nomadic population
and ethnic minorities, and also current problems in Mongolias education system, including:
Country Studies - Mongolia
In this website, there is some information about Mongolian education: Mongolian science, Study in the Soviet Union,
Higher education, Science progress, and Tradition.
English Education in Mongolia
This is for English Education in Mongolia with personal comments. This presentation will outline changes in
foreign language education which have been occurring in Mongolia over the last decade. The [Mongolian] Education
Ministry has produced recommendations on changing and modernizing education, but it's not so clear what impact
these recommendations have made. With the assistance of many nation-donors and international NGOs, Mongolia has
been significantly revamping its educational system. Laws both urging and monitoring change were passed in 1991
and 1995, but it would appear many of the suggested revisions have been hard to implement. [We] will consider
reasons for this, and also reflect on how other countries in Asia might serve as a model for Mongolia. Compared
with many other countries in Asia, it can be said that Mongolian EFL education lags behind. The presenters will
outline why they believe the foreign language system in Mongolia needs reform. Issues concerning teacher development
and the impact of EFL education on other aspects of education in Mongolia will be discussed in depth. (Tim Micklas)
Teachers Classifieds
This is a job board for teachers, because here some schools look for ESL teachers especially for native speakers.
Ulaanbaatar Elite International School
This is the most popular international school in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Every year they hire native English
teachers from US or Canada and they pay for everything for their teachers and pay more money than other schools.
Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations
This web guest gives information about how to travel to Mongolia and how to get a visa. Foreigners must have a
Mongolian visa, except when bilateral arrangements provide for waiver of the visa requirement. You may apply
for a visa at the diplomatic or consular mission of Mongolia in your country or in a location closest to you.
Lets Learn English
There are some English language schools in this website. And they hire English teacher every year. Whoever wants
to teach English in Mongolia should contact them.
Santis Education Service
This is a famous English language education service in Mongolia. Here, so many native English teachers work.
They hire English language teacher who have ability in the TOEFL teaching program. They are currently seeking
dedicated professionals qualified to teach mostly adults and children... And also they pay more than most others.
Job Opportunity - Teaching English in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
This web page is a job opportunity listing for teaching English in Mongolia. There are many openings for English teachers.
World Venture
This is a job opportunity board for some countries especially for teaching English in Mongolia. Use your experience
teaching English to reach out to Mongolians.
TEFL International
Should you decide to apply for a TEFL course with TEFL International, you will soon be on the path to teaching
English in any location you desire. Contact details are provided for all TESOL jobs on this website. If you
already have TEFL certification, then don't delay: apply online now for any of the TESOL jobs advertised with
TEFL International.
Gumtree.com
In this webpage some school are looking for native English speakers to work in the secondary schools in Mongolia
as oral teachers between 1st Feb 2007 and 1st Jun 2007. No major qualification needed, just need to be a native
English speaker.
Language Hat
This website gives information about English teaching in Mongolia as a Singapore teaching model and they see
English not only as a way of communicating, but as a way of opening windows on the wider world.
http://australia.teachers.net/chatboard/topic3090/12.25.06.22.15.52.html"> Australia Teachers Chatboard
This is a web page for English teachers wanted in Mongolia. They welcome you to teach English at a private high
school in Mongolia. You will enjoy a good living and working environment. They offer you a free apartment and a
round trip way air ticket. Classes of 12 students (10-16 years old), 21-25 hours per week Monday through Friday
are typical for teachers.
Gap Year Teach English in Mongolia
This is for teaching English in Mongolia as a volunteer. And also they pay at least $ 1400 but the price includes
insurance, accommodation, food, and pickup from the airport but doesnt include flights, kit or visas. And here
is personal experience; Mongolia is a vast land of desert and mountains. We work in Ulaanbaatar, the capital
city of their country which once ruled Asia and a fair chunk of Europe. Ulaanbaatar is a city on the steppe that
struggles to cope with its Capital status. Volunteers are needed in Ulaanbaatar to help children perfect the
language they will need to gain a good education and a good job. We have placements with children of all ages -
from nursery all the way up to High school and University age. Mongolia is particularly good for nursery school
teaching - one legacy of its communist past is the numerous kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar. Here the focus is on
general primary teaching rather than specific English teaching.
Volunteers have found that it is invaluable to inject some fun into lessons, and the teachers in the local schools are more than happy to allow volunteers this freedom. You can mix songs and games into your teaching, and there are often opportunities to help with art, drama, sport (including football) and music. In the summer holidays we have placements available in summer schools.
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Information shown on this website is the result of a collaborative effort by Dr. Rod E. Case and the EDS491/691 Special Topics in Teaching English
as a Second Language Class, Wintermester, 2007. |
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