Job Discussion Forums

[Labrecque]

I am a highschool graduate looking to take an ESL program next year in school. Once completed I am hoping to find a placement in Australia. How promising is the situation for ESL teachers over there? Any information that anyone has would be really great thanks

[deezy]

If you find an ESL job in Australia let me know! I'm Australian and spent 6 months looking this year, in Melbourne. Got a couple of hours here and there. They're churning out EFL teachers at the colleges faster than they need them. I suggest that you might have more luck in Queensland, or possibly Perth. Since my home is in Melbourne I haven't properly looked anywhere else. To teach at a TAFE you also need the Cert. IV in Assessment and Workplace Training, this is mandatory unless you are possibly out in Whoop Whoop. Privates can take their pick, and the pay is...as usual.....s h * t .

However, if you're under 28 you can get a one year working holiday visa. This leaves your options open, and there's lots of jobs around for bar staff, etc., as long as you don't get fazed by the first 'no'. My son just went round all the local bars, they all said no, but he left a postit with his phone number on it, and the next day he got two phone calls...and he didn't even know what a tinny or slab was, let alone how to make a latte.

Good luck!

[jaytee]

I think Deezy is right. Im from Perth and I know that positions are few and far between. Although, I have heard rumors that now and then positions become available at the refugee and detention centres, but I cant be 100% sure, so yes, it is probable that you will end up out in woop woop.

[Aramas]

Unless you have a proper teaching qualification (ie a degree) then it would be extremely unlikely that you could get a TEFL job here. Even with a degree you'll be at the end of the queue. The only Australian EFL teachers I know have Master's degrees and over a decade of experience, but then they're teaching at uni.

Also, I don't know what the situation is with regard to work visas for Yanks, but Brits and most Euros under 30 can work here for a year - once in their lives. It's a reciprocal arrangement that has been worked out on a country by country basis, so I doubt that the US government would be involved. That would be 'give and take' rather than 'take and take', which I suspect would violate the Patriot Act or something.

Additionally, the prospect of a Yank teaching English in Australia is just plain silly. Most Yanks sound like a retarded moose with a cold, so unless you have an unusually understated middle-class accent then forget it (that would also apply to Brits from areas with colourful accents). They would also have to learn how to spell and stop using silly contractions. Most Yanks seem to take the view that they're right and everyone else is wrong, and it's up to others to change to accommodate them. That would be an unwise approach here. I suspect that Euros or any other non-native speakers would be SOL.

Note: I'm assuming that you're a Yank because you claim to be a high school 'graduate' (lol), and intend to do a 'program' (C++?), but I suppose you could be Canadian

[ls650]

[sojourner]

Labrecque,

Where are you hoping to go to ? Possibly, the state capitals, such as Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane ? In such large cities, ascertain those areas where large numbers of recently-arrived (and, often, not so recent) immigrants are living at, and place notices on the public notice boards at supermarkets and community centres offering your services as an ESL tutor. (Hopefully, they'll possess enough English reading ability to read your notices !). You should be warned that you'll face a lot of competition from others, many of whom would possess CELTA certificates, degrees, AND are experienced teachers. Consequently, the hourly rates that you'll be able to offer, because of the law of supply and demand, will have to be pretty low, say, $ 10 (Australian, that is !). Also, many newly-arrived immigrants are already entitled to some govt-funded ESL tuition. For language schools, to even be put on the on-call teacher list, you would need to possess some recognised TESL qualification, and probably also be experienced. So, at least in the large cities, it's not looking too good for you, sorry to say.

If you are going to the Gold Coast, however, the situation might be a little bit better. If you go to some of the main shopping arcades (eg the Pelican Arcade, and others, on the Gold Coast Hwy, at Surfers' Paradise), where a lot of Japanese and Sth Korean students and working holiday people tend to hang around at , you MAY have some luck with the notice board routine. Many young Japanese and Korean kids appear very keen to improve their English - and they seem to prefer Nth American accents ! Again, you'll be facing competition from others, many of whom are well- qualified - and may even come from Nth America ! (Also, try the notice boards at the two universities, as well as at the TAFE colleges. The Gold Coast is very popular with Asian students) .

You should be able to pick up some part-time work in other areas, besides ESL teaching, eg McDonalds, etc. Have you enquired about working holiday visas, yet ?


Peter

[Aramas]