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Roaming and Teaching?

 
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balthus



Joined: 31 Mar 2003
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 7:57 pm    Post subject: Roaming and Teaching? Reply with quote

I have just been CELTA/TESOL certified but have no B.A.

I'm not looking for a career, just some oppurtunities to travel and teach.

Arrow Does anyone know of a good way to go from school to school putting in a limited time in each place? The pay doesn't need to be great, I just want to support myself while moving around.

Any area of the globe would be fine.
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zakiah25



Joined: 09 Feb 2003
Posts: 155
Location: Oman

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 8:42 pm    Post subject: a contact Reply with quote

Yes, you could try the Backpacker Teaching franchise (Saudi Arabia branch), the Human Resources Manager is Scot47 who is easily contactable via this forum.
Good luck
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, teaching and roaming - my advice would be to take along with you enough cash to pay for your needs, and to put in free lessons in every school you pass by.
I assure you of an interesting and mutually rewarding time!
Since you do not think of teaching as a career job you should think of it as a hobby!
Try China - huge and relatively affordable for backpackers! And, if you are only on a tourist visa you don't need to be paid for your service - so that you can be legal!
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Celeste



Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Fukuoka City, Japan

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 12:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The one thing that I would advise you to do- wherever you decide to explore is to invest in an open-ended return trip ticket. That way if things go wrong (the best laid plans...) then you will not have to rely on your earnings to get out.

I have a cousin in taiwan who is currently teaching without a degree. I'm not sure what visa route she took, but the most common one that I have heard of for Taiwan is to get a student visa on the pretense of studying Chinese, and then getting work once you are there.

Watch yourself. You are likely to get taken advantage of by unscrupulous school owners the world over because in many countries you will not be able to get a proper work visa. Have enough cash in hand before you go so that you won't be entirely dependant on these people for food and emergency lodgings.
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bnix



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 645

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 12:02 am    Post subject: Which Do You Want to Do,Roam or Teach? Reply with quote

I got quite a laugh out of Zachiah's funny,mordant reply to Balthus'post.

Balthus,you should realize that the question you asked about roaming around,teaching here and there,a little while at one school and a little while at another categorizes you in the eyes of some people as a nonprofessional,vagabond,BACKPACKER.There is a good deal of scorn and contempt directed towards people like this from many other people in TESOL.

I am not saying whether you fit in that category or not,but your question tends to hold you up to ridicule before many people in this field,who are sick and tired of the people who "are not serious",roaming around,teaching here and there.

However,you seem to be new to the field,so maybe your question was perfectly innocent and deserves a serious answer.

1.You will not get far in this field(or any other,for that matter) without a degree.That CELTA thing is all very nice,but there are a lot of places that never even heard of that thing,and where it cuts absolutely no ice.They want to see a degree.

2.Most schools,(especially serious,decent,schools,and even some which are not so good) want a time commitment.They take a very dim view of people who whisk in and out,from school to school,here today,gone tomorrow.They could care less about the fact that you want to travel.They either have a business to run or they are interested in a person who they can depend on,not some will-o'-the wisp that will be there on Friday and gone on Monday.

3.Even if you can find a situation like you describe(highly unlikely),you are setting yourself up to be ripped off.Basically,this is a shaky profession anyway,with lots of scams,crooks,flybynights,questionable employers,etc.If you flit from school to school,you greatly enhance your prospects of getting ripped off royally.

4.I suggest you try to get a stable job,save up some money and then just travel.That is a fine option.Lots of people do that.But...that flitting around from school to school...i suggest that you forget that one... Smile
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WorkingVaca



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 135

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 3:10 am    Post subject: Flit to your heart's content Reply with quote

Get over yourselves. Teaching ESL is a dead end and the only reason to do it is to experience living in another country and to support your travels in the region. Nevertheless, the above warnings and advice hold true for somebody without a degree. Don't expect to get the best pickings with just a CELTA (btw, where I got the CELTA, the school required that you needed a B.A. in order to take the course. I guess it's different depending on where you get it).
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bnix



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 645

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 3:44 am    Post subject: Yeah,Well That's Just Your Opinion... Reply with quote

Vaca is entitled to her opinion.However the fact that she thinks TESOL is a dead end and is just a "way of seeing the world"is an all-too typiical idea that a lot of uh...shall we call them backpackers(well,why not?)hold.The fact is that a lot of the problems in this field and its less than stellar rep have been caused by precisely this attitude.The old"I don't wanna flip burgers at Mickey D's so,I will go overseas,and 'teach'thing.However,there are serious people in this field,Vaca's ideas notwithstanding.

I do not think that it is any coincidence that she is posting from Taiwan,either.True,a lot of the jobs are dead end...but hell,that can be said for a lot of jobs,just not in TESOL.Anybody in this field knows that Taiwan certainly has ITS shares of deadenders,Ken and Barbie clones,etc...but I am sure there are some very competent teachers,too,even in Taiwan.Vaca should not dismiss the whole field because there are admittedly a lot of people "teaching" in it who are just farting around overseas. Rolling Eyes
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 5:17 am    Post subject: Backpacker Teaching Franchise Reply with quote

I can cut you a deal on the Backpacker Franchise Operation. Send me a Western Union Transfer for 500 US. An essential requirement is that your measured IQ be less than 95. Ability to speak ANY foreign language will exclude you. Expereince in travel more than 100 miles from domicile also excludesyou from this wonderful program. Success is guaranteed. Just send me those five hundred green ones !
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Robert Russell



Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 44
Location: Suwon, Korea

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 6:02 am    Post subject: Hi Backpacker Reply with quote

I have a good friend who is an excellent teacher! He got his CELTA in Hong Kong and he didn't even graduate from High School. He also got some very good paying positions, including with the British Council. It may be wise to do a little teaching in a few places that would not mkind your lack of a BA, simply to see if you like it or not.

For some this is a transient thing they are flirting with and their attitudes are obviously very different from those who choose to view this as a career. I view this as a career. I am learning and growing. I love teaching and I love being in other cultures. I want to be a good teacher and to really affect the lives of my students. I really think it is our attitudes that define our journey. If it seems to be a dead end then I would think ones attitude contrbutes to that feeling? It also depends on our goals and values. Perhaps it would be a dead end because it fails to address those things we consider important.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rather than watch this thread develop into the worn out story of backpackers versus trained teachers, I'd like to ask balthus a question.

Why is it that you feel traveling and teaching English go together? Teachers' salaries are pretty slim as it is, even for full-timers. What you describe is reminiscent of what college age people did 30 years ago or more. Have you considered funding yourself with some other venture along your travels?

Entertainment (dancing, singing, playing music).
Bartending.
Babysitting or nannying.
Teaching cooking, sewing, dancing, etc. (ie, something other than English).
Selling art.
Photography.
Writing.
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balthus



Joined: 31 Mar 2003
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 3:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good point Glenski.

I mostly figured that B.A.-less as I was, the best way to qualify for a real job that involves travel would be to get a CELTA.

Maybe this was a wrong assumption, and maybe teaching isn't as transient a profession as I hoped it would be.

I don't deny that I'm in this for the cultural experience, not the teaching. However, I do enjoy it and I am pretty good at it, so I'm not a total cheat.
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inmexico



Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 110
Location: The twilight zone

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Teaching is a viable way to travel and see the world. I would suggest that instead of "backpacking", try looking for short term positions. Granted, they aren�t as abundant as the 1year deals, but they do exist. I have run across many 3 month - 6month positions in Mexico and S.A. It�s not exactly backpacking but you�re not going to grow roots either.
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