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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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 Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 9:25 pm Post subject: 20 something straight out of University? |
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Just wondering how many of you teaching or planning to teach overseas are 20 something straight out of university/college. I'm in this demographic, and am curious where most of you come from, where you're planning to go and how you planned it all out.
I'll go first:
I'm from Canada, and am about finish off my degree. I'm hoping that this message board will help me figure out where I want to go next year and how i'll get to whereever (i'm pretty open) I may go. I am 20 and have always enjoyed traveling, so I figured i'll teach overseas after I graduate so I could do that.
What about u? |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I entered the world of EFL straight out of Uni. That was 14 years ago and I don't regret it. Go for it |
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Jetgirly
Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Posts: 741
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I finished my English degree a year early and I'm planning to go into ESL for a while. I am taking the CELTA in Barcelona this November and hope to find a teaching job beginning in January. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:29 am Post subject: Re: 20 something straight out of University? |
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| Canasian wrote: |
I'm from Canada, and am about finish off my degree... I'm hoping that this message board will help me figure out where I want to go next year and how i'll get to whereever (i'm pretty open) I may go. I am 20 and have always enjoyed traveling, so I figured i'll teach overseas after I graduate so I could do that.
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You're about to graduate from a Canadian university at 20years old? Wow. I turned 20 in my first year of university (in Ontario up until recently we had grade13 before post-secondary).
Anyway, I did not go overseas immediately upon graduating, but I did come over about eight years later, and have regretted that I didn't do it earlier ever since.
If you don't have a passport for an EU country, that will pretty much rule out working in those countries legally, and if you have any debt at all in Canada (other than a couple of hundred dollars, I suppose) that rules out a big chunk of other countries that have a much lower cost of lving and so you get paid based on a much lower scale than in Canada.
I would say most Canadians go to one of three countries: Korea, Japan or Taiwan (maybe in that order). They work for private language schools that either pay for the flight over, or don't (in Korea it's very, very common for the private langugage school to pay for the flight over, in Japan it isn't very common at all, and I just don't actually know about Taiwan).
The JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) programme is very popular but the application process takes most of a year (applications are available at the career centres of most universities) and the application is due very soon, then there's an interview a few months after that, followed by results of the interveiw a couple of months later, followed by receiving a placement a while after that finally arriving in Japan in late July or early August (I think it's the late July date for Calgary). Once you are here, the situations vary tremendously- Every Situation is Different, is the mantra. The unoffical JET discussion board is www.bigdaikon.com |
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go_ABs
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
Posts: 507
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 4:30 am Post subject: |
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I'm 21, with my first year of teaching just about to finish. I finished university with a BA in Political Science, took a quick TESOL course and jumped on a plane to China. Debating now whether to come back here for another year or not.
I can't speak for everyone, but it seemed to me that people graduating from university with me (particular other majors) were - how does one put it? - blessed with staggering world ignorance and complete apathy in regards to correcting it. I would encourage as many new graduates as possible to take a year or more off overseas - whether it is backpacking or working. See the world, make a note of the good points, go home (if you wish) and take the good with you.
Cheers |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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I've been doing it for two years now, straight out of uni. I love it, don't make a lot of money, but can live ok, visit my family every once in a while and all my friends are jealous. My dad doesn't really aprove of my lifestyle choice, but for me that's one more reason to continue teaching TEFL.  |
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Sekhmet
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 329
Location: Alexandria, Egypt
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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I first tried my hand at teaching straight out of uni. I went with a volunteer program to China, and loved it so much I decided to do my TESOL here in Egypt. I liked it HERE so much, I came out to stay (well for a bit, anyway!!) Next plan is hopefully France, or maybe another couple of years here!!!!!
I went into TEFL with my eyes wide open, and it worked for me!!!
Good luck and have fun. |
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milasco
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:26 am Post subject: Same boat |
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Hi all, I'm in the same situation, I think. I am 23, about to graduate with BA in English & Spanish in December (5 weeks and counting...) and have become increasingly interested in teaching English abroad. I haven't taken any TESOL classes, but have taken a number of linguistics classes and a professor/mentor I have become close to has suggested this route for me.
So hopefully I can get my bearings and figure out what I want to do.  |
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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:09 am Post subject: Re: 20 something straight out of University? |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
You're about to graduate from a Canadian university at 20years old?
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Well, when I get my degree in April i'll be 21.
It's great that there are others in my situation too. I don't have any friends who are planning to teach overseas, so it's nice to know someone who's in your situation. By the sounds of it, i'm going to have to take a TEFL course in addition to my degree and native speaker status. Right now, I think Japan is on the top of my list with HK, China, and Korea trailing. Doesn't seem like Europe is a choice, and Latin America i'm not quite sure. I'm going to periodically update this thread as I go on, and I encourage anyone else to do the same! |
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voodikon
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
Posts: 1363
Location: chengdu
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:16 am Post subject: |
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| i went as soon as i could after graduation, which ended up being the september after my june graduation. two months and counting and no regrets so far (although i just visited hong kong to change my visa--i'm in china--and i fell in love, so i think i'd like to work there next)! a word of caution for those of you about to graduate: you need your diploma in order to work here (or at least a notarized copy of it), so if your school is lame and slow like mine and doesn't send it until four months after you graduate you might not be able to jump on a plane the day after graduation. |
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amewupp
Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 17
Location: Suzhou, PRC
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:41 am Post subject: |
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| Figured I'd jump on the bandwagon, as I am also in a similiar situation. I'm 22, graduated with a BA in International Studies in August and decided I'd like to give China a shot. So now I am researching like a fiend, trying to figure out the ESL resume, visas, applications, etc and am planning on heading over in January. Good to know there are others out there in similiar situations |
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china_sk8er
Joined: 30 Oct 2004
Posts: 166
Location: Harbin
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Voodikon wrote:
you need your diploma in order to work here |
Not true. Well, I guess I should say you need it to get a Z visa, but you don't need one to work here. Actually, that's not true either. After I graduated high school in Ontario I wanted to take a year off and decide whether to go to University or College. I was just reading the paper in the summer and found an ad for a TESOL course, so I went and did it. I took the course in October of 2002 when I was 19 and then I came over here when I saved enough money. I flew here to China after my 21st birthday in February 2004.
I started out in Xiamen teaching kindergarten for 8 months and now I am in Sichuan teaching high school. I don't have a college or university degree. Just a normal high school diploma. I didn't have any teaching experience when I came either. I just took a 5 day intensive in class TESOL course through International TESOL and then took the tests on the net. Really easy. My first job in Xiamen didn't offer me anything. No Z visa. No Apartment. No Airfare. Nothing. I got out of there as soon as possible. Now I'm in southern Sichuan and lovin it. Apartment paid for, plane fare reimbursed, Z visa paid for, expert certificate, everything to become legal.
So I just suggest to come out here and experience it while you still can. Someone once told me that I was destined to do great things and here I am. I am experiencing things that people only dream of. Just like all the people here in China and around the world who are willing to do these things. I say go for it....At least it will look good on your resume  and you'll have stories to tell your friends and family back home.
Cheers |
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Spinoza
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 194
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by Spinoza on Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:26 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Okay.... so after reading a bunch of posts and some really nice people helping me out, it looks like i'm going to have to get a EFL certificate. Do any of you know if I can take it here in Calgary or must I take it else where? I've heard that CELTA and Trinity are good, but CELTA was about 2 grand, which is pretty expensive. Are all legit EFL certification courses this expensive? I was hoping to take the course here in Calgary after I finish school. I'm sure there have been tonnes of threads on this, but I can't find one.......... any help would be great! I'm sure a couple others here could also benefit from this. |
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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:38 am Post subject: |
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Update: I've done my homework and i've decided to take the Oxford Seminars course. It's a cheaper course and most people on the board recommend it, so I'll be taking it in January. When I finish it off, I'll put up a post on my thoughts on the course.
As for everything else, it looks like I'll be graduating later than April. Decided to work and save up some money and cut back a little on school. Still deciding what country to work in. At least, I'll be taking another step in getting myself certified. I'm hoping i'll meet a bunch of people at Oxford Seminars that'll share their insights on teaching overseas. With my degree, native speaker status, and certification, i'm hoping I can find a good job when I do decide to go......
If anyone has stuff to contribute to this thread, that'd be great! |
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