Job Discussion Forums

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Sooooooo I'm looking to teach overseas, ideally in China (haven't made up my mind whether HK or Mainland) but the problem is, I don't have teaching experience and I'm not certified. I do have a strong command of English and a degree in journalism that could pass for "related" if you squint, but I doubt that would do the trick.

My understanding from reading these boards and others is that I have two options: get a job at a seedy language mill that may or may not pay me, or get a TESOL or CELTA certification.

So, with that in mind, what would be my best bet for getting one of those certifications? I've seen the ads on the main page that say I can get it in Thailand for a grand and have job placement, etc., but those sound too good to be true. So in your expert opinions, what do you, the folks of the international job board, think would be my best bet?

Money's not a huge issue, but I'd prefer to not have to drop much more than 2500-3,000 usd for the course/housing, if possible. Thsnks in advance for your help.

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And if this has been asked already, I apologize. I looked through the first few pages of the forum to see if it had and saw nothing, so I hope I'm in the clear.

[HLJHLJ]

You might want to have a look through the newbie forum, you'll fine most of what you are looking for there.

The general advice is to get a CELTA or equivalent certificate, the most well known brand names are CELTA, Trinity and SIT. A generic course needs to match what they offer, i.e. at least 100 taught hours (120 is the usual) and at least 6 hours observed teaching practice with real students (not other trainees).

It's usually better to get your certification in the country you want to work in, but I've heard the visa situation in China can complicate that, so you'd need to check on the China forum before making a decision on it.

If taking it in-country doesn't work for you, you can take it anywhere. Take job placement offers with a large pinch of salt, at best it will be a list of local schools, nothing you can't find out for yourself. It certainly shouldn't be a major factor when you choose a course.

You shouldn't have any difficulty finding a course in your price range.

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My apologies -- didn't realize a newbie forum existed. Guess I'm not terribly observant. I'll peruse and see if I can find the answer there. Thanks!