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Canada- Working Holiday

 
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RonnieColeman



Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:45 pm    Post subject: Canada- Working Holiday Reply with quote

I'm from the UK, have a B.A hons in an unrelated field, around two years teaching experience and a Trinity TESOL certificate. I was thinking about getting a working holiday visa and was wondering if it's possible to get an ESL job in Canada with those qualifications? If it is what are the general work conditions?
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your quals are OK for entry-level positions, but Canada is a VERY competitive job market, and living expenses in most major cities are quite high. I think you'd have a very hard time making ends meet, honestly.

Entry level normally means private language schools catering mostly to 'English tourists.' Lessons should be fun and they often want teachers to kinda enhance the' Canadian' experience. Contracts are pretty much non-existent, so you'd most likely be working freelance, meaning unstable salaries.

I haven't worked in Canada for a few years and was only at a private school for one month (landed a uni job, but I've got higher quals), so my input may not be totally accurate, but I'll bet it's generally about right.
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Symphany



Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 117

PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't say much about work conditions but I can say a bit about chances of getting work. As spiral indicated your best bet would be with private schools, not the best but not the worst either, depends on how badly you want to see Canada, ESL teaching is still a rung or two above most retail positions, which is the other most likely job you would be getting on a working holiday visa. Another thing is that your chances of employment are probably greater improved in a Francophone area of Canada (ie Quebec) rather than an Anglophone one, because the local population will be in need of the services and not just student "tourists".
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RonnieColeman



Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the info.

Not 100% sure it's something I'll do, I think I'll send a few emails to schools in Montreal and see what they say about conditions. Seems like it's pretty similar to most schools in Europe!
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cassava



Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 175

PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ronnie Coleman:

You did not state what is the "unrelated field" in which you obtained your BA. It might not be relevant to ESL, but it might be applicable as a teaching subject at some level in the elementary or secondary school curriculum.

If this is the case, you might, with a bit of luck, be able to find a position as a substitute teacher in some isolated, rural jurisdiction in Canada.
Large urban school districts would require substitute teachers to hold the kind of proper teaching credentials that you obviously do not possess.

If most job possibilities do not work out for you, then commercial language schools, as others have pointed out, might be your only remaining choice. However, they are usually a dog's breakfast and should not be considered unless you are truly desperate.
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santi84



Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea

PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just on a sidenote, the vast majority (if not all) jobs in Montreal and especially Quebec City require bilingualism.

You might pick up some work but don't count on making enough money to support yourself. Your general work conditions would be, if you are lucky, 1-9pm shifts, in a language institute.

I don't mean to be a downer but that's the reality of the situation. I will be actively seeking work in Quebec in a few months so I've been calling local universities and language institutes.

I'm having a hard time and I've got a degree in TESL, a 200 hour TESL certificate, and I'm an intermediate French speaker.
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RonnieColeman



Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cassava wrote:
Ronnie Coleman:

You did not state what is the "unrelated field" in which you obtained your BA. It might not be relevant to ESL, but it might be applicable as a teaching subject at some level in the elementary or secondary school curriculum.

If this is the case, you might, with a bit of luck, be able to find a position as a substitute teacher in some isolated, rural jurisdiction in Canada.
Large urban school districts would require substitute teachers to hold the kind of proper teaching credentials that you obviously do not possess.

If most job possibilities do not work out for you, then commercial language schools, as others have pointed out, might be your only remaining choice. However, they are usually a dog's breakfast and should not be considered unless you are truly desperate.


I did Film and Drama at college. So I'm not sure if that would open too many doors.

What are the qualifications needed to get into teachers college in Canada? I would consider doing it in the UK, but my maths grade is not good enough to get onto courses here.

I wouldn't mind doing language schools for a year, would be better than doing retail!
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Retail pay may be higher and more regular, honestly.
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RonnieColeman



Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hmmm, I think I'll try my chances back in Asia or somewhere in europe instead.
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cassava



Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 175

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I did Film and Drama at college. So I'm not sure if that would open too many doors.

What are the qualifications needed to get into teachers college in Canada? I would consider doing it in the UK, but my maths grade is not good enough to get onto courses here.

I wouldn't mind doing language schools for a year, would be better than doing retail!


Ronnie Coleman:

Your situation might not be as hopeless as it initially seemed. Film and Drama are apparently becoming quite popular at some community colleges in Canada, especially those where animation is a major field of study. I have heard that there is one such college in Toronto where many students from all over the world go to study animation. Normally, a master's degree is required to teach at a community college, but if the department where animation is taught happens to be somewhat desperate, and if you can fit into a particular niche, you might stand a good chance of getting a job. There are all kinds of community colleges in Canada, so I would suggest that you go online, do a search and you might just find something worthwhile.

A second job possibility in which you might be interested opened up recently. You should apply for this only if you have a sense of adventure and are not afraid of isolation. The Kativik School Board which is responsible for the education of students in one of the 14 Inuit communities, located between Hudson Bay and Ungava Bay, is looking for elementary and secondary teachers.

If you consult your atlas, you will see how remote this place is. Normally, provincial school boards in Canada look for teachers who received their accreditation from the province in question. However, boards located in the three massive northern territories of Northwest, Yukon and Nunavut look all across Canada as well as abroad for teachers because of the scarcity of teachers in those regions.

What this means is that those boards are far more flexible in terms of teachers' qualifications since they will accept a wide variety of teaching certificates and degrees, as long as they are genuine. The Kativik School Board is searching for ESL teachers. I think your qualifications would be favourably considered, especially if you emphasize that the ESL certificate is an authentic teaching document. Relevant information about the job can be found at www.kativik.qc.ca

If you cannot get to the information session in Montreal on Jan. 18 or the one in Quebec City on Jan. 20, then you should send in your application as quickly as possible. I believe the deadline is January 31. Some years ago, very few Canadian teachers would have applied for this kind of job. However, the glut of teachers, many of whom are desperate to get their first job means that there might be a flood of applicants. I really don't know what the true situation will be. I am simply speculating. I know that some Canadians think of the far north in the same way that the average person thinks of a leper colony. However, I lived in the far north for a few years and had a wonderful experience. Correct attitudinal variables are crucial. In your application as well as in any subsequent interview, you will have to display ebullience, optimism and genuine enthusiasm. If you are the dour, negative, pessimistic type, don't apply for this job.

If you apply and get a job to go to Nunavut, it will be important to cultivate friends who are upbeat and positive. Avoid the whiners, the complainers and the lamenters. They will not be happy unless they can drag you down to their level of misery. I would also suggest that you take some neodymium light bulbs. The spectrum on these bulbs is similar to that of sunlight, and this light will ease your depression if you suffer, as many people do in Canada, from seasonal affective disorder. Be prepared for the long hours of darkness. The alcoholics will try to draw you into their fold. You will have to devise strategies to avoid having too much to do with them. Some teachers last for only a brief time in the far north. They become alcoholics and fall apart.

Finally, before you go you should learn as much as possible about the Inuit people and their history. That knowledge will help you to understand their culture. If students tell you that they do not understand what you are saying, do not be offended. All you should do is to speak more slowly than you normally do, since many of them would be hearing a "British accent" for the first time. Treat those children with kindness and respect and they will respond positively to you. I wish you all the best.
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suntanman



Joined: 05 May 2010
Posts: 7
Location: Barcelona

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Ronnie,

Did you ever try your luck in Canada? If so i'd be interested to hear if you found anything?

Also does anyone know what the situation is like in Toronto? Is it much the same as the rest of the country? I have similar experience (teaching in Spain) and also have a Trinity Tesol and a BSc (in Froensic Science). I was planning on heading to indonesia or vietnam but my girlfriend is going back to canada to study for her masters and I would like to be close to her.

Thanks for your help.
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