Job Discussion Forums

[lajzar]

[Louis]

Golly. People are really jumping over this one. Allow me to fan the fire.

Being hired or not depends on two things:

1. Supply and demand
2. Minimum standards

So, let's apply this to China.

1. China is in short supply of ESL teachers. Many, many schools seek them as they add prestige and credibility to the value of the education received there. Whether or not this is true is not relevant to the question presented on this post. Chinese schools tend to prefer teachers from countries with a "standard" accent (Canada, US, UK, Australia/NZ) rather than other places such as the Philippines and Africa. That being said, there are quite a few teachers from the latter places as well. Which brings us to:

2. You don't need much to be a teacher in China from the legal point of view. Basically, a medical test (HIV negative), and a proof of education are needed for your Z (work) visa and residence permit. This proof of education could be your grades transcript from your two years of postsecondary. As for the hiring of non-graduates, it is very, very common. Obviously, more "reputable" or "prestigious" schools might require more credentials. Others, however, are just looking to fill the gaps.

How good of a teacher you are will only become apparent when you start teaching. This is true whether you have a degree or not. If you are not a good teacher, one of these things will happen:

1. Your employer, concerned about the education level at his/her school, will fire you.
2. Your employer, concerned about the appearance of his/her school, will keep you on anyhow.
3. You, unhappy about your choice, will go home.
4. You, unhappy about your choice, will stay.

And, regardless of your teaching capabilities, one of these will happen:

1. Your employer will try to rob you blind, ie: premature termination in order to avoid airfare bonus, groundless salary deduction, late payments...
2. Your employer will faithfully honour his/her contract with you.

Getting hired won't be hard. Getting a good job will be, and will require a good deal of luck. Again, this is true for graduates as well as non-graduates. Look at the China boards for a sampling.

So, I say go for it. Do your homework, and best of luck.

[denise]

Hmmm, I thought that I was the target of mesmerod's wrath. Let me re-explain myself...

Of course learning a foreign language will help you teach one. If I am, indeed, the target of your wrath, then please go back to my post and look again to see what I said about learning a language. It was in the context of WHY people want to teach. And again look at the end of my post where I explained the context in which I teach: academic (pre-university, to be exact). More rigorous than conversation schools. That said, were I hiring someone for a SIMILAR context, I would hire someone who actually wanted to teach, not someone who was using the job as a means to live abroad, travel, and study languages.

The supply and demand point is good. There is of course a demand for conversational English. Not all English students are academically-oriented; therefore, not all schools are, so not all teachers have to be. CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT!!! There are plenty of students who want to learn for fun or to travel. There are also students who want to attend universities in English-speaking countries. Different situations; different teaching requirements.

And what, may I ask, is pompous about wanting to hire teachers whose priority is teaching?!?!?!? The students are the ones who will ultimately suffer if their teachers care more about their own enjoyment than about planning and delivering proper lessons. And, dare I expose myself to further flames, if you do not care about the students, you do not belong in a classroom.

And no, I am not implying that ONLY people with BAs/MAs/certifications care about their students, so if you are going to attack me again, please do so on other grounds.

d

[mesmerod]

denise,
my posts were not directed towards anyone in specific. they were general comments based on what i read and my opinions. your post just happened to be the last one, so mine followed right after yours

i think some people are forgetting that they are replying to topics within the NEWBIE FORUM! a lot of us are just getting started, or thinking about getting started. so instead of lame comparrisons to being a catwalk model, maybe some constructive tips or ideas would be more appropriate. that was my main point-

[denise]

Mesmerod--

Thanks for clarifying, and for replying so level-headedly. Upon re-reading my post, I feel that it was a lot more aggressive/defensive than it needed to be.

You're right--we do need to remember that this is a newbie forum. I feel like I still haven't worded my original thoughts quite right, so let me try again...

The most important thing (for me, at least, and the thing that I have been trying to articulate...) is taking the job seriously. Anyone can do this--a seasoned EFLer with a PhD and dozens of publications, a newbie, anyone in between... The point that I was trying to make about qualifications is that someone holding the correct pieces of paper, whether or not he/she was actually good in the classroom (which is a whole 'nother debate!), would appear, on the surface, to be dedicated to the job.

d

[Calliopaeia]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for you postings. Even those who were aggressive or very vocal about my decision to travel to China and teach english. I really do appreciate all of your comments and I will take them all very seriously when I make my final decision.

I would like to encourage everyone who teaches English to learn the languages that make up this versatile language of ours. I noticed many of you commented on the revelancy of my knowledge of these languages, and I would like to state that you get a better understanding of English when you learn the languages that make up English. Old English was a derivitive of German, teutonic in its roots. Then Latin influenced and shaped the language as it became the 'cool' language to learn. A large majority of the words we use to describe technology today have Greek origins, and we speak French everyday when we say words like restaurant and touch.

Also, learning these languages makes you more aware of the grammatical structure of the English Language. I am aware that I have not displayed these qualities as I was under the impression that this was an informal board and did not have to proof-read my postings.

This is simply my recommendation as someone who has studied these languages and realized the parallels, and being that this site is a site for professionals in the field of TEFL then this may be something that might be of interest to you.

Again, I would like to express my gratitude for all of your postings! Thank you!

~Sheena

[Rice Paddy Daddy]

[anteck]

Whats happened in this forum? I noticed Geoff's post & thought it to be an interesting question. Having no TESOL / Teaching English overseas experience, i've come onto this forum to hopefully find some answers.

Why are so many people on here so condecending? surely the guy has asked honest question .. even if it's silly & misinformed, surely he's asking for help, not a whole bunch of experienced people telling him he's unexperienced & picking on his speling (sic) then arguing amoungst themselves about definitions of certain concepts etc...

This has really put me off! Somebody tell me the TESOL ( or whatever abbreviation / term you wish to use) WORLD isn't all like this???

I've just booked a course with Global TESOL, i have never been to uni as i've been working in various workplaces since i was 17, and am hoping to travel overseas & make some money teaching english to help me along with my travels. According to what i've been told by the College, this is possible, yet when i look at the job forums, almost ever job is asking for a B.A / M.A. etc... with teaching experience..

Whilst this is completely understandable, my question is what prospects are available for a newby such as myself...? Feel free to answer with any help, but don't bother if you're gonna sit there & pick on me - it's counterproductive!

Thanks

[Louis]

I believe I voiced my opinion earlier on in this thread. I don't think that the posters on this board accurately reflect the opinion of the ESL world. Many regular posters have deserted this board for the reasons you've mentioned. Best of luck in your teaching experience.

[ls650]