Job Discussion Forums

[sarahx1364]

I have a few questions about teaching English overseas, so hopefully someone could please give me a some answers

I am 19 and an undergrad and really interested in this profession. First off, does your degree have to be in tesol?

As far as the certificates go, how can I tell which one is vaild and not just some scam taking my money?

I'm curious if one can save money while working in another country.. is that possible at all?

Is there any type of agency that helps you find jobs, or is it all on your own?
Okay, thanks to anyone who answers these questions

[spiral78]

The best answers to your questions will be found if you spend some time reading before you post. Your first post is so general that it will be tough for anyone to give you good answers.
For a start, whatever degree you have will be useful abroad; though I've found my degree in education has been occasionally considered more on target by employers than a degree in, say, biology. You will still probably need some kind of ESL/EFL certification on top of a degree that doesn't focus on the profession, and that certification course should ideally include some supervised teaching practice.
The country you are from will impact the countries that you can easily go to..................read on!!

[Irish]

Sorry, Sarah, but I don't think you'll get much worthwhile advice unless you narrow this down significantly. The qualifications you need and your savings potential depend upon many factors, such as where you want to teach and what kind of teaching (uni, language school, high school, etc) you're interested in. Your nationality is also a factor in determining what you need to work in certain countries. You have to think about what both your employers and immigration require.

As for the validity of certificates, you can head over to the Teacher Training Forum and do a search for various schools. Avoiding scam schools is important; however, you also need to consider what kind of certificate would make you most attractive to potential employers (one size does not fit all). Some will accept anything, others are quite particular -- as always, it depends.

Despair not! Just read as spiral wisely suggests and refine your questions. Ya gotta help us help you.

[denise]

No, your degree does not necessarily have to be TESOL-related.

Any ideas about which countries you'd like to live/teach in? Whether or not you have a degree and/or a TEFL certificate will affect your chances in certain countries. There are, however, countries that will hire you with neither, so you don't necessarily need the training or the degree. (I do strongly suggest having both, though.)

When looking into TEFL courses, try to find one that is 100+ hours and includes several practice teaching sessions.

As far as making money--depends on how much you're looking for. It's really easy to find jobs that pay livable wages within the country (you can live quite comfortably, in fact), but you might not have a lot of savings to take home with you. If you've got substantial debts to pay off, there are few countries that will pay enough.

d

[lagerlout2006]

As the joke goes overseas is a big place.

A degree certainly does NOT have to be in TESOL..I didn't even know there was such an animal..Is it a B ED with major? Study something else and get a CELTA later. Anyway the dergree is often only looked at for getting you a work visa.

Savings question is unanswerable...Some do OK but many save nothing---even in so-called high paying countries..You need a good reliable school you can get along with for a time---not always easy

[sarahx1364]

Thanks to everyone who answered.. sorry my questions were not so general!

[Glenski]

[shmooj]

My first degree was in Architecture because, at the time, that was what I really thought I wanted to do. Note the use of the past tense there... SOOOOO many of us ended up hating what we studied at college. Don't worry too much at the age of 19 setting your course for life. Study something that really interests you and see where it takes you. Anything can happen so you should be prepared for just that