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Lord Bafford
Joined: 29 May 2012
Posts: 58
Location: China
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 Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:34 am Post subject: No CELTA or Tefl -- what are my options? |
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My job search in China is going belly up and I need a plan B.
I have an MA in English and 1.6 years of EFL experience, but no snazzy tefl cert unfortunately.
Could anyone offer any advice as to what kind of opportunities(if any) await me if I arrive on a tourist visa?
Thanks for any information. |
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vabeckele
Joined: 19 Nov 2010
Posts: 439
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:50 am Post subject: |
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You will find work easily enough but the quality of it is to be questioned, even with a TEFL cert.
It is of my opinion any centre turning down a guy with an MA in English has its head stuck up its arse...and they will, unfortunately, all you will read on this board is how you will need a CELTA. Have no fear though, most Vietnamese places won't really be bothered with it even if they state otherwise.
If professional development concerns you as it does me, I believe the way to go is a postgraduate certificate in education. A CELTA is expensive, intensive (read retention) and has limitations. For three or four grand more you do 9 months of steady applicable learning across a good spectrum and you are employable by most institutions in the world, that is with your MA. Some schools actually support the teacher while studying.
Of course, if ESL, language centres and teacher training is your thing...
I can only speak of Hanoi, and I believe things are a little tighter here right now but there is still a lot of opportunity if you are willing to work for 20 bucks an hour with no security or benefits. At least at the beginning. I can forward a couple of places (uni) that may interest you if you send me a pm. This one will even get you a work permit. Better to be in country though they won't look at you if you are not on the ground.
For HCMC, others will chime in soon.
Last edited by vabeckele on Wed Aug 14, 2013 5:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
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LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| If you have got a Master's in English, and some centre demands a CELTA/DELTA/TESOL/TEFL/OMFG, then tell 'em that they can go find one and wipe their arses with it...... |
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Ramen
Joined: 13 Apr 2008
Posts: 74
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| Just go buy yourself the cheapest online/offline cert. if you're shooting for a WP, they most likely want to see something so they can RED stamp it. |
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spycatcher reincarnated
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 236
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| It doesn't appear that you have the prerequisite qualifications for a school to legally employ you to teach English as a foreign language. |
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ExpatLuke
Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 744
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:06 am Post subject: |
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| Correct me if I'm wrong, but a MA in English should qualify him to work legally in Vietnam. You don't need at TEFL certificate if you have a related degree. At least that's been my understanding. |
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Ramen
Joined: 13 Apr 2008
Posts: 74
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:17 am Post subject: |
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| ExpatLuke wrote: |
| Correct me if I'm wrong, but a MA in English should qualify him to work legally in Vietnam. You don't need at TEFL certificate if you have a related degree. At least that's been my understanding. |
This is also my understanding, but viet official will probably disagree as they require something to put RED stamp on to collect some dong from you. |
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sigmoid
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:18 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It doesn't appear that you have the prerequisite qualifications for a school to legally employ you to teach English as a foreign language. |
Which are what and available for perusal where? |
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LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| ExpatLuke wrote: |
| Correct me if I'm wrong, but a MA in English should qualify him to work legally in Vietnam. You don't need at TEFL certificate if you have a related degree. At least that's been my understanding. |
....mine too! |
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spycatcher reincarnated
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 236
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| I am out of touch with regulations these days so could very well be wrong, but I thought that if you wanted to teach English you would need a qualification in teaching, not just an English qualification. |
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vabeckele
Joined: 19 Nov 2010
Posts: 439
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| spycatcher reincarnated wrote: |
| I am out of touch with regulations these days so could very well be wrong, but I thought that if you wanted to teach English you would need a qualification in teaching, not just an English qualification. |
Yeah, with the better and international schools this is the case, not in universities. Of course you have the language centres with their TEFL stuff going on, but they back down if a teaching cert is shown or a B.Ed.. I still believe though if one has a master's or higher he should have quite a bit of knowledge about the subject matter and all a teacher qualification should do is bring about a better way to deliver it and it isn't rocket science. And if a candidate with demonstrable experience turns up it would be a shame to lose it because of policy or procedure.
I think a lot of the TEFL stuff is a whole load of terminology to learn.
And, damn, why does education cost so much? Jeez. |
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Tigerstyleone
Joined: 26 Mar 2010
Posts: 181
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:04 am Post subject: |
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Maybe he didn't find the kind of job he wanted in China, and was wondering what was available in Vietnam.
One thing that does concern me is why this teacher with a MA English is only interested in China, Vietnam and Thailand? |
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deadlift
Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Posts: 267
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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He has an MA in English. I guess that means English lit, as opposed to linguistics or TESOL. It's not a teaching qualification in any way and the English involved is high-brow literary theory rather than grammar and sound production.
If someone was going to hire my uni mates t teach English based on their MAs in English they'd be a damn fool, unless they want the students to learn English through Marxist deconstructions of Rushdie or post-colonial critiques of Nathaniel Hawthorne's work.
It's no more relevant as an English language teaching qualification than any other degree.
For the record I was a humanities student myself, with English lit as one of my majors. I value it greatly, just not any more than others on a TEFL resume. |
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Lord Bafford
Joined: 29 May 2012
Posts: 58
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Tigerstyleone wrote: |
Maybe he didn't find the kind of job he wanted in China, and was wondering what was available in Vietnam.
One thing that does concern me is why this teacher with a MA English is only interested in China, Vietnam and Thailand? |
I am actually open to teaching anywhere.
The problem is, most offers I have received are not suitable for my lifestyle. Personally, 25-30 teaching hours + office hours is just not my idea of a healthy life/work balance.
My ideal position is 10-15 hours per week and, most importantly, without hellish visa requirements that cost a fortune to adhere to.
I am a modest person. 15- 20 $ an hour is more than adequate for my non materialistic lifestyle.
If I can't get a work permit, what is the visa run situation like( distances, cost etc.)?
I really do appreciate everyone's input. |
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ExpatLuke
Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 744
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Lord Bafford wrote: |
I am actually open to teaching anywhere.
The problem is, most offers I have received are not suitable for my lifestyle. Personally, 25-30 teaching hours + office hours is just not my idea of a healthy life/work balance.
My ideal position is 10-15 hours per week and, most importantly, without hellish visa requirements that cost a fortune to adhere to.
I am a modest person. 15- 20 $ an hour is more than adequate for my non materialistic lifestyle.
If I can't get a work permit, what is the visa run situation like( distances, cost etc.)?
I really do appreciate everyone's input. |
If you're only looking for part time work like that, you'll have no trouble finding work anywhere in Vietnam. I've never had to visa runs my whole time I've been here. I think the teachers who prefer to do visa runs are the ones who work for several different jobs at once so they don't have a legal work permit with one employer.
If you just want 15 hours a week, it should be no problem to find a school that's happy to take you on and provide all the proper paperwork.
Any ideas where you'd like to live? |
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