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alomeli55
Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 2
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Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 1:54 am Post subject: ESL jobs in Washington DC |
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Hello I'm thinking of moving back to the States soon and looking for a little advice. I am currently working in China teaching at a foreign language school. I did not have to get a tefl for my current job but I was wondering if it would be worth getting an on-line tefl on my return to the States. I don't really want to spend the money/time on a tefl program, especially since I have over a years worth of ESL teaching experience.
So will it be worth it for me to get some kind of on-line certificate if I go back to the states. I figure it would look good along with my 1+ years worth of experience. And if anybody is in the DC area, what are my chances of finding a good ESL teaching job.
Thanks! |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
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Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:01 am Post subject: |
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Ok, so basically you have no training at all, and one year in China.
Now, you are considering a move to the US and want to teach there.
I cannot speak specifically for the DC area market, but I do have some experience in North America. I think your chances of landing a 'good' ESL teaching position are near-nil.
Firstly, your Asia experience won't be likely to impress knowledgeable employers much. The problem is that the needs and expectations of students who are immigrants to the US, or even who are there for the short-term to study the language, are VERY different to those you will have worked with in Chinese language schools. Basically, it's a very different job.
Secondly, online TEFL certs are not generally considered to meet the standard for 'good' jobs. This is because they do not include actual supervised teaching practice with real students, and feedback from experienced teacher trainers on how you did. This is the key component of good newbie level certifications. CELTA, SIT, and Trinity are the name brands. I expect you could find one of these in the DC area. However, keep in mind that these are entry-level qualifications - they will get you whatever bottom-of-the-barrel jobs might be going.
Thirdly, the competition in the job market in North America is fierce. Many candidates for the relatively few jobs going are likely to have much better qualifications: experience teaching ESL in North America, relevant degrees, certifications, and post-grad degrees.
I think you will need to consider getting some far more serious qualifications if you want 'good' ESL jobs in the US. |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea
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Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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ESL teachers in North America with 10-15 years experience, degrees, and recognized TESL certificates (even MA TESL) are struggling to find work.
The bare minimum for China will not even be considered in North America. Like Spiral says, you will need to upgrade your qualifications drastically. A degree and one year experience in China is not even close to the minimum in North America.
If you want to make more than minimum wage, you will need to either go back to university for teacher certification (ESL specialization) or get a few more years experience and get an MA TESL. Even then, there are no guarantees. |
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alomeli55
Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 2
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:17 am Post subject: |
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santi84 thanks for the straight forward and non-condescending advice. I just happened on craigslist and saw a few ESL teacher jobs in DC. Even though I know I'm not too qualified, I thought I would go on an internet forum where people would have a better knowledge of these things than me. Apparently, to some, I sounded like a child with a stupid question. Thanks though! |
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