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Qualification troubleshooting

 
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memae



Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:07 am    Post subject: Qualification troubleshooting Reply with quote

So, i want to teach in Indonesia.
i learned Indonesian at school, loved it, and have wanted to live there since i was a kid.
i feel like i've applied for every school that i can find (except that i haven't, really, and i'm absolutely exaggerating, but i've tried a lot of them).

i've got two degrees (Arts in Linguistics and Russian, and then a B Communication, and i thought those were both acceptable degrees for employment as an English teacher in Indonesia), and i have a CELTA (waiting for my certificate to arrive in the mail, though). i'm Australian. Have no experience, but i thought i had this sussed out enough to consider my bases covered well enough to get hired by someone.

And then, in reply to an application i sent, i got told that this school requires (due to government requirements specific to their school) my degree to clearly state that it is Linguistics in English, or that i need a whole bunch of courses directly focussed on English, and that i need a TEFL certificate (what's wrong with my CELTA?), and maybe i'd be interested in working in their schools in China. i responded to an ad, and there was no mention of this 'in English' part. i thought a linguistics degree was acceptable. i asked for clarification, and then they added that i also needed 5 years experience after post grad. None of this was mentioned as necessary criteria in the job ad.

They said that the government requirements differ from school to school, but i'm just unsure of how much they differ and how much it really matters. i thought i had what i needed to get a teaching job in Indonesia, and now i'm second-guessing myself. Are these requirements normal?

i'm really set on going off to Indonesia. i could get a working holiday visa, but then i couldn't teach, and i really enjoy teaching so a working holiday is kind of my desperate measure.

i don't want to be fussy about a teaching job/school, although i don't want to sell myself short either and end up with a typical horror story. i'm just not exactly sure what my options are any more (you know, with my Linguistics-not-focussed-on-English-but-Mediated-in-English major that isn't the right linguistics major).

What are my options as far as schools go? Which schools don't require such a precise major?
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Gajah Oling



Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 62
Location: Jawa

PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Memae,

Unfortunately, all these requirements are indeed the law. Also true is that different schools have varying success in getting their teachers visas without meeting all these requirements. Is it legal? Yes and no. Some use dodgy tactics to get visas processed, but some just send the applications through without all the requirements met and the visas get processed. It's all quite arbitrary.

There is something to be said for showing up on a holiday visa and knocking on the doors of schools. It costs schools a lot of money to hire foreign teachers. It's not uncommon for schools to end up losing their money because they went through the process of getting a legit visa only to have the prospective teacher flake out and not come, or come and have such terrible culture shock that they bail on their contract. Being in the country shows that you have already invested some interest in Indonesia and are less likely to be a flake.

If you've already studied some Indonesian, and you really do want to visit the country anyway, I highly recommend you just come here and pound the pavement. Once you're here you can also extend your stay longer (you must first do a visa run to S'pore or KL) by getting a Sosial Budaya visa.
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drandreasbrown



Joined: 06 Nov 2008
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe those are the formal visa requirements for working (a degree in English and some kind of professional TESOL certificate) but, as noted above, the law isn't adequately enforced. To be blunt, there is no law here, there is only who knows who, who pays who, and which of the mass of Byzantine regulations the person you're dealing with decides to pay attention to (just look at the conflicting pronouncements regarding the new public school curriculum, for example). For what it's worth, if the school says they will only consider you if you meet the formal requirements, then just look for other schools, depending on where you want to work. There is no consistency in anything, so don't get discouraged, and my advice would be work for a school which accepts it is their, not your, responsibility to get your visa. Coming here in person could be a good idea if you are able to do that, especially because then the school can not only speak to you in person, but they know you are already here, and won't run away after a week.
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Henry_Cowell



Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 3:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Although they are having trouble with their wording, the school admins mean a "major in English linguistics" rather than the nonsensical "linguistics in English."

In other words, the Indonesian government requires that your degree be in English, whether obtained in an English department or a linguistics department. Studying general (comparative) linguistics is not sufficient.
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memae



Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the advice, and insight, and clarification.

My grandmother got a job teaching English in Kediri when she was about 70, without any qualifications (although, 50+ years of experience probably makes quite an impression) and i'm pretty sure she was just on a sosial visa and getting paid very sneakily. i was expecting there to be all these rules and regulations that no one actually adhered to, so i guess i just got frustrated that schools i've been applying to have been doing the right thing (right down to the point of nitpicking, in this particular case). Which is pretty backward thinking on my part.

Anyway, a matter of hours after all my whinging (or maybe it was 2 days, even) another school offered me a spot at their school during an interview. Still sussing it out and all, but even if i don't take it i at least know firsthand that i'm employable.

i am very grateful for your replies, so thank you again.
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plumpy nut



Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:50 pm    Post subject: Re: Qualification troubleshooting Reply with quote

memae wrote:


in reply to an application i sent, i got told that this school requires (due to government requirements specific to their school) my degree to clearly state that it is Linguistics in English, or that i need a whole bunch of courses directly focussed on English


Indonesian schools actually have requirements other than just a Bachelor's? I never heard of that.


memae wrote:
And that i need a TEFL certificate (what's wrong with my CELTA?), and maybe i'd be interested in working in their schools in China.


Very dodgy company, a Celta is a type of TEFL certificate and is generally regarded as the standard especially in SE Asia (I have just a TEFL Certificate for myself, so whatever they say). Then they try to get you to go to China? I'm glad this happened to you while you can still plan with your resources intact. It doesn't always happen that way. This situation sounds as if it could come from the US Saudi Cultural Mission, I don't know why they don't get close that place down. The difference is you wouldn't find out about thier lowlife petty little clerk like decisions untill you spent most of your resources on Medical checks, "people who help you out", and in my case flying back to the US
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Henry_Cowell



Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For you to obtain the necessary working visa, the Ministry of Education's requirement of a degree in either English (or Education) is not strictly observed. Some places will enforce the requirement; others won't. You should just keep applying. Nothing is ever "fixed" in Indonesia! Cool
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Mr. Scone



Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've seen 'degree in English or Linguistics' crop up a lot. To me 'a degree in English' means English Literature. Is that the intent or have they just worded it strangely?
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memae



Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well, i know that at my university an English major consists of courses on literature and not much else. Although they had a new English media and communication sort of major that looked interesting. Combined a lot of my favorite courses from both of my degrees. My GPA would've been great if they offered it while i was there.
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Dancerina2013



Joined: 05 Jan 2013
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

North Jakarta International School is hiring..
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