Job Discussion Forums

[LeSylphe]

Hello!I´m a ESL teacher from Brazil.One of my greatest dreams is to travel around the world and teach English.But,although I have a "TEFL Post-Grad" certificate,High TOEFL Score and "TESL Canada" certified ,I´m not a native English speaker.And it seems that,for most countries,that counts much more than my studies,experiences and knowledge.
I would like to know:
Which city I would be more accepted and welcome as a TEFL teacher?
Where can I make enough money to support myself without relying on other resources (parents)?
Where´s the safest place to go,as a woman traveling alone?
Where´s the best party and dating scene (still single)?

I will ask this same question in other topics.
Thanks,in advance,for your help

[ESLAUST]

I think you will find it generally difficult to find work.

Although there is quite substantial demand for teachers in Australia at the moment, it's generally possible for schools to source native speakers, either from Australia or from the UK/Ireland. Teachers from the UK are not only more attractive as native English speakers, but can also be employed on a short term basis on a working holiday visa.

Coming from Brazil, you would need to be sponsored on a 457 visa or similar, and this is both time consuming for an employer and expensive.

The only way that I could imagine you would find work would be if your had extraordinarily marketable skills in a specific area, such as curriculum design, online delivery or the like - basically, something that is difficult to source from Australia. Otherwise, there is no real advantage to an employer in hiring you above local teachers, who are both more attractive as native speakers and who do not require the same investment in arranging a visa.

[mmcmorrow]

It's a bit hard to say. You may get contradictory messages from people in various countries. I'll say what I know about NZ.

It is possible for ESOL teachers from non-English speaking countries to teach in the ESOL sector in New Zealand. But to do so, they have to have permanent residence / citizenship. That's exactly the same restriction as for ESOL teachers from the UK, Canada etc. No one will sponsor any migrants for a work visa in the ESOL sector.

Having said that, I know several ESOL teachers who have come here as skilled migrants and obtained permanent residence. For example, the Principal of one of Auckland's largest language schools and the director of English language assessment at Auckland University are Brazilian women in their thirties.

If you want to find out about emigrating to New Zealand, you can find what you need to know on the Immigration New Zealand website. There is a points-based system for skilled migrants, as in other countries such as Canada and Australia. You can see how many points you would get using the online points calculator. That's how I came to NZ as an ESOL teacher 10 years ago. It helps to have an internationally-recognised Masters in ELT etc. However, speaking Portuguese will give you five points, as it is considered a community language. So, that's a start!

When I came over, the points threshold was 110 (it varies from time to time). I got sixty for qualifications (Master's level) and thirty for work experience. I only got five (out of a maximum of thirty) for age, as I was over forty, and five for a community language. But I was still ten points short. Fortunately, I got some extra points for migrating with my partner. If you're on your own, you might find it hard to get those extra points you need to get over the threshold.

Immigration is a big step. It costs money (e.g. for a fifteen-minute medical exam, I paid several hundred dollars) and takes time (between six and eighteen months). You might consider doing some travelling around if you want to see how you like different countries. For example, you could take Celta or Delta in a country of your choice if you've got a few thousand dollars to spare! Or do some backpacking.

For work, as well as migration, it helps to have (or to take) internationally recognised qualifications. The Brazilian women I mentioned had Cambridge Celta and Delta, as well as other international qualifications. One is now completing her PhD here. Having Cambridge Delta would give you the edge over a lot of teachers. (for full disclosure, I should mention that I'm a Celta and Delta assessor!)

As for your other questions, NZ is safe and peaceful, whether you're a man, a woman or a sheep. I believe there was a party somewhere in Auckland a few years ago. Does that make a scene? In any case, I missed it. And as for dating , well, in NZ, we call it rugby.

best of luck,

Martin McMorrow, Auckland, NZ