Job Discussion Forums

canadacommando · Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 7

Hey all,

I'm sure you get tired of all the NET related questions, but here is one more for you. Actually, think of it more as an evaluation.

Done Korea for almost 2 years now. Want to move on, and NET looks like an attractive thing to move to. Am about to apply, but want to know what you think my chances are. In essence, here are my details.

-White Canadian male, 26 years old. (sorry, don't know about Hong Kong but this is important in Korea)

-Degree in English Literature.

-PDP in Education (same as a PGPD or whatever the heck)

- Spent one year at a language Hogwan in Korea.

-Spent another year in a public school where I taught middle school students (40kid classes, 4-5 classes a day).

-Before Korea, spent a 6 month internship in a Middle school at home.

Now, obviously you guys can't give me the final thumbs up or thumbs down, but I would like to know what are my chances of getting into the NET system.

Thanks for your time.

CC

once again · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 815

You may lack a little on the experience side but the qualifications are what the EMB is looking for..apart from the TEFL cert. Others have said that they will allow you to do this whilst on the scheme. Your salary would not be so high though because of your lack of experience, but it should still be very liveable.
Best of Luck.

Mark-O · Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:53 pm Post subject:

It would seem that the EMB are more concerned with post-qualification experience. In that case, how much of your previous school experience was accrued after your PDP?

The PDP which you were refer to - akin to the PGCE or the PGDE(?) - does it afford you qualified teacher status in your home country? If so, then your qualification, along with your relevant first degree, deems you suitable to apply for the NET scheme on qualifications alone.

As Once Again mentioned, the issue of 'experience' appears to be a case of moving goal posts, depending on their supply and demand. Moreover, it has been said on this forum that the NET scheme have purportedly hired teachers without your qualification credentials but with sufficient teaching experience! Again, it seems to depend on the supply (of teachers) and demand (of the local schools); nothing is set in stone, it appears.

If I were you I'd apply, and the worst case scenario is that you're rejected.

canadacommando · Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 7

Mark-O · Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 6:54 pm Post subject:

I'm not on the NET scheme myself, never have been, but NETs here have mentioned that the EMB are very stringent on paperwork. Apparently, most NETs who do not have the CELTA upon being hired must sign to complete the course within the allotted contract time. Could newly-signed NETs clarify this to be the case still?

(By the way, currently the EMB stipulates that the minimum CELTA requirement is just that, the 4-week certificate, and not yet the DELTA - a diploma taking several months; the likelihood of the diploma being made the minimum entry requirement is anyone's guess!)

once again · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 815

For the secondary NET positions they are asking for the Diploma, A first degree in English and a PGCE.

AndyinHK · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 98

Does it matter that the PGCE or PGDE is in English or ESL? I mean there are differences. Obviously, a PGCE in ESL would be focusing on L2 learners whereas PGCE in English would likely focus on teaching L1 learners.

Mark-O · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 1:53 pm Post subject:

ContemporaryDog · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 1477 Location: Wuhan, China

What if someone has done a Degree in something else and then taken the PGCE in teaching English? Would then be eligible then?

A friend of mine studied Politics and Sociology, did his PGCE and is now working at an International School in Moscow. Could he get onto the NET scheme?

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 6:24 am Post subject:

It isn't necesary to have an ESL qualification. I am a new NET this year, and my teaching qual was in High School English and History - but I have 5yrs of ESL experience, as well as standard English teaching exp. back home.. Nobody ever asked me about that, or made an issue of it, and I certainly have never been asked to do the CELTA.

travelem · Joined: 19 Nov 2004 Posts: 36

NET = Native English Teacher in anywhere or NET scheme in HK???

ContemporaryDog · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 1477 Location: Wuhan, China

ozman · Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 133 Location: HONG KONG

I wasn't aware you could do a PGCE in english if you didn't have your first degree in english. I know in Australia you need to have studied a number of years in a particular area to be able to enrol in a PGCE in THAT particular subject. Perhaps it's different elsewhere. But how, for example could I do a PGCE in say, maths, when I didn't study maths in my first degree. I'm pretty clueless in regard to maths. How would I be able to teacher secondary students, maths up to matriculation level? The same goes for doing a PGCE in English surely. I don't know anyone who's got a PGCE in English who doesn't have a major in that subject.

I'm a NET here in HK. I don't know any secondary NETS who don't have a PGCE in English and naturally their first degree in English. Some people have a double major - mine was English and History.

I do know some Primary NETS who are in fact secondary qualified to teach subjects other than English in their own countries. These people either have, or are getting a TESOL certificate. They are teaching in primary schools because they don't qualify as English teachers with a degree and PGCE in English for secondary schools.

I don't know if this helps. I am of course referring to people on the EMB NET scheme.

ozman · Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 133 Location: HONG KONG

I should amend my last posting. On reflection, I DO know a secondary NET (and there could well be a few others) who is not actually a qualified English secondary teacher. This person is qualified in another subject area, HOWEVER the person does have a Diploma in TESOL on top of his qualification. I think this is how he is teaching English at secondary level.
Of course the person has a first degree in their subject (not English) and a PGCE in their method/ subject (not English.)

I have also heard it is getting more difficult for the EMB to get enough qualified NETS. Perhaps they will start taking more teachers who are not in fact qualified English secondary teachers - but then I expect they would need to do a TESOL course at diploma level.

Mark-O · Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:43 pm Post subject:

Just to wade in with my two penneth:

Much of what Ozman says is spot-on. However, upon doing my homework in applying for a PGCE course, I discovered that UK universities WILL in fact take students for Secondary PGCEs in English even if they did not graduate in said subject. The caveat was that eligible students should have graduated in a degree with a significant component related to English, viz., degrees in Philosophy, History and the like would be acceptable by dint of them requiring a sound working knowledge of English (for essays, reports and so forth).

Another possible option offered by a select number of UK universities is to do a 2-year full-time PGCE in Secondary English. This involves an initial year which focuses on bringing the student's working knowledge of English up to a sufficient level to teach, before embarking on a further year to do the PGCE itself.

[P.S. Welcome back, Ozman!]