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braindead
Joined: 26 Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Location: USA
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 Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:13 am Post subject: Finding a Job Teaching Early Childhood |
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I've been getting a headache researching TEFL courses and it seems like the general consensus is that online-TEFL courses are not worth the time and money. I can't afford an actual in-class TEFL course, nor can I physically attend one because I have to work and I can't afford to drive half a day to Chicago to attend one.
SO ---- my question is, how are my chances of getting a teaching job overseas without a TEFL certificate or teaching degree? I have a high preference to teach early childhood because my most recent experience involved giving private music lessons to children between the ages of 2-6 years old. I also have experience with elementary age students. I have a Bachelors degree in Business.
Also, should I have all my documents gathered before applying for work, or can I apply to a recruiter while in the process of getting those documents?
Any advice would be appreciated. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:44 am Post subject: Re: Finding a Job Teaching Early Childhood |
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| Answers to a lot of your questions depend on what country you want to teach in. Do you have someplace specific in mind? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:08 am Post subject: Re: Finding a Job Teaching Early Childhood |
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| Quote: |
| Answers to a lot of your questions depend on what country you want to teach in. Do you have someplace specific in mind? |
It also depends on what your teaching goals are for the future, if you have any. That is, are you interested in teaching youngsters long term in some capacity or in a specific content area (such as music education, early education...) or do you expect to eventually move into TEFL at the adult level or what? |
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braindead
Joined: 26 Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 6:33 am Post subject: Re: Finding a Job Teaching Early Childhood |
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| rtm wrote: |
| Answers to a lot of your questions depend on what country you want to teach in. Do you have someplace specific in mind? |
i've done some research and it seems like my chances are higher in asia. i'm pretty open at this point. |
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braindead
Joined: 26 Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 6:34 am Post subject: Re: Finding a Job Teaching Early Childhood |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Answers to a lot of your questions depend on what country you want to teach in. Do you have someplace specific in mind? |
It also depends on what your teaching goals are for the future, if you have any. That is, are you interested in teaching youngsters long term in some capacity or in a specific content area (such as music education, early education...) or do you expect to eventually move into TEFL at the adult level or what? |
i'm not sure how my future goals has any affect on my being hirable. is this a question employers or recruiters ask to qualify/disqualify applicants? |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:14 am Post subject: Re: Finding a Job Teaching Early Childhood |
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| braindead wrote: |
| i'm not sure how my future goals has any affect on my being hirable. is this a question employers or recruiters ask to qualify/disqualify applicants? |
Your future goals have an effect on what kind of qualification you'd be best off getting (if any). You asked whether you would be able to get a job without a qualification. The answer is that in some countries, you can, and in some countries, you can't. However, without any qualifications, you'll forever be stuck at entry level, if that.
If you are thinking about possibly teaching (in any sense) as a career, then you should get a certification of some kind. What certification you should look at getting depends on what population(s) you are interested in teaching.
"Asia" is a big place. We'll be able to help you more if you narrow it down to a few countries, or tell us what is important for you. Earning money (any certain amount necessary, e.g., to pay off loans)? Having free time to explore where you are living? Living in a clean/unpolluted place? Urban vs. rural setting? Or just anyplace in Asia where you can teach young learners?
| Quote: |
| Also, should I have all my documents gathered before applying for work, or can I apply to a recruiter while in the process of getting those documents? |
You should probably have the necessary documents in order before applying for jobs, yes. However, I don't know what "documents" you mean, other than a passport. Some countries don't require anything else. Also, many countries don't use recruiters, so that question may be moot. |
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braindead
Joined: 26 Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 8:07 am Post subject: |
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at this point, it's just a matter of getting my foot in based on what i currently have/don't have. i appreciate your concern for my future, but it's digressing from the point.
as for countries, this is what i found so far based on my research. you can confirm if they are true or not:
south korea - tefl required for public, tefl not required for some hagwons
japan - language schools do not require tefl
china - tefl is required for all public, private, & language schools
taiwan - tefl is not required, but will need to be there physically to apply
thailand - tefl is required
cambodia - tefl is not required
vietnam - tefl not required for some
hong kong - tefl + experience for public, (couldn't find any private schools)
south america (all) - tefl is not required for some, but will need to apply physically
europe - tefl + teaching experience
middle east - celta + teaching experience, some require master's degree
if applying to a recruiter, must have tefl or take one of their tefl courses (which, based on the forums, are bogus) |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| europe - tefl + teaching experience |
No. Many, many newbies are launched here with just a TEFL every year. It's more about the passport -western Europe requires a passport from an EU member country. Central Europe is still possible for non-EU citizens with a TEFL but no experience, but the job market's tight, timing is critical, and salaries are subsistence-level for newbies.
Last edited by spiral78 on Fri Oct 11, 2013 3:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| braindead wrote: |
| japan - language schools do not require tefl |
My understanding of the market in Japan is that a TEFL certificate is not required for visa purposes, and many employers (both language schools and public schools) do not require a TEFL certificate. However, the market in Japan is really tight right now, so having a TEFL certificate could be an advantage. Probably more than a certificate, though, would be having teaching experience and being in Japan.
I have no first-hand experience in China, but from what I see on the boards here, the requirements in China (both by employers and for visa purposes) vary quite a bit depending on location. We can wait for someone with more China experience to chime in, though. |
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Denim-Maniac
Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238
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| Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:57 am Post subject: |
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My China experience suggests a TEFL certificate isnt required in most jobs in most provinces. Exceptions may exist.
braindead ... I think the best thing you can do is look at actual job adverts in regions that interest you. Daves has a job section, another site I like is TEFL.com. See what actual employers are asking for and go from there. |
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fpshangzhou
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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Hello,
I'm in China and a newbie in the EFL circuit. I have applied to several big name companies such as DD Dragon and Wall Street English.... So far, I've gotten replies saying that I need to get the 120-hour tefl certificate with practicum. I notice most of the adverts are requiring this entry-level cert. The weird thing is these are just training centers that I'm applying to, let alone the public school/university sectors. I wouldn't even try for those as I lack the experience or timing since I missed the hiring period.
Sorry folks, but I think the degree + tefl certificate are the minimal requirements being implemented everywhere these days. Gone are the days where being a native speaker was enough. But it's for the better because I would want my teacher to be qualified to teach me.
Either way,
good luck....
Aaron |
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Denim-Maniac
Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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| fpshangzhou wrote: |
The weird thing is these are just training centers that I'm applying to, let alone the public school/university sectors. I wouldn't even try for those as I lack the experience or timing since I missed the hiring period.
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Its not weird ... you have China all wrong. University and public schools are the epitome of the dancing monkey jokes, with the teaching mantra being 'just talk English to them / Get them to speak'.
Training centres tend to be more professional in their approach, and in the case of a place like Wall Street (teaching adults) teachers may by subject to evaluation and performance reviews (kinda like a real job!). As a result, related qualifications may be more valuable in training centres. |
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