Job Discussion Forums

mmacmu1 · Joined: 27 May 2010 Posts: 3

Hello all,

This is is my first post on the boards. I've been very impressed with the amount of information that's around. That's almost the problem... I feel overwhelmed with the information surrounding teaching English abroad. I hope some one can help steer me in the right direction.

I'm a recent college graduate (BA in Economics, BA in History) and American citizen looking to spend some time abroad before I go to graduate school in Fall '11. I'm basically looking for a way to finance my travel, gain some teaching experience, and have an overall good time before I go to grad school. I'm not trying to do this as a profession and don't expect to save much money. Ideally I'd like to just make enough money to get by (though I have a bit of money saved).

Areas I am interested in: South Asia, India, Nepal, South America (particularly Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile), E. Europe. I'm pretty open at the moment as to where I'm willing to go. Also, I can get around with French, so I'd really like to consider a place where I can brush up on my French.

- Given my time constraints, should I get certification? I'd be willing to do an online course, but I'm weary of trusting any of these web sites which seem to prey on google users. Will it increase my pay or allow me to teach in some countries that I couldn't without certification? I can pay upfront costs if they will make sense economically through a higher wage.

- What kind of time line am I looking at? I mean, how quickly can I expect to leave the U.S. from now to go to another country (considering school seasons). I realize every country is probably different, but I'd like to know if there are some places where I could pack up and leave today (without prior arrangements). I started talking to a company for South Korea, but backed out (don't think Korea is my cup of tea).

I realize that a lot of this information is probably out there, but I've had a tough go at sifting through a lot of it. I hope some one can give me enough general information so I can continue my search.

Thanks in advance,
Mark

TeresaLopez · Joined: 18 Apr 2010 Posts: 601 Location: Mexico City

You didn't specifically mention Mexico, but if you came to Mexico City with a degree, you could be working within days at one of any language institutes - many of them offer their own training, so you wouldn't need a TESOL certificate. Depending on how you want to live, you could get by, travel around Mexico, which can be very inexpensive, and possibly save a little.

mmacmu1 · Joined: 27 May 2010 Posts: 3

Thank you for replying to my post. I really didn't even think about Mexico... I was more focused on going a bit further from home. I'm going to look into it though because it sounds like a good opportunity.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Mark

HCV · Joined: 10 Nov 2009 Posts: 8

I was in China for 3 yrs and am now in Indonesia. I came to Indonesia for a two week holiday, and am now busy with my third contract here.

It is a great country with many diverse cultures, and worth giving a try.

Chancellor · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:31 pm Post subject:

And here I was beginning to think that TEFL was moving beyond the unqualified native-English-speaker backpacker and becoming a real profession. I guess I was wrong.

tttompatz · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:00 pm Post subject:

Chancellor · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:14 pm Post subject:

HCV · Joined: 10 Nov 2009 Posts: 8

Maybe I should have been more clear - after having worked as a QUALIFIED teacher in China for three years, I came to Indonesia for a 2 week holiday and never left...

Chancellor · Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:48 pm Post subject: