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Dash
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:48 am Post subject: Teaching over seas |
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Hello.
My name is Joey Goertz. I live in Canada and I graduated from high school in 04' At the moment I am in University and am getting my certificate in TESL. I am very interested in teaching over seas hopefully in Asia. I don't have a degree, or really anything except a high school diploma and the TESL certificate. I am only 18 years old so I haven't had to much time to get any degrees or secondary diplomas. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas where I could teach over seas without a degree. I was planning on teaching in Jakarta, until today when I found out I needed a degree. If anyone has any ideas for me, please email me. I am very interested in teaching over seas.
Thank you
Joey Goertz |
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:34 pm Post subject: Teaching abroad |
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In view of your age and lack of higher educational qualifications, your chances of finding paid employment are pretty slim. There are various organisations which offer short-term voluntary work, but they frequently charge you a small fortune for the privilege and should therefore be avoided.
There's a book called Teaching English Abroad which you may find useful. Have a look at this website:
http://www.ulyssesguides.com/ca/fc_1253.htm
Your local library may have a copy. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 8:43 am Post subject: Re: Teaching over seas |
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| Dash wrote: |
Hello.
My name is Joey Goertz. I live in Canada and I graduated from high school in 04' At the moment I am in University and am getting my certificate in TESL. I am very interested in teaching over seas hopefully in Asia. I don't have a degree, or really anything except a high school diploma and the TESL certificate. I am only 18 years old so I haven't had to much time to get any degrees or secondary diplomas. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas where I could teach over seas without a degree. I was planning on teaching in Jakarta, until today when I found out I needed a degree. If anyone has any ideas for me, please email me. I am very interested in teaching over seas.
Thank you
Joey Goertz |
IF you are from Canada and over 18 you can teach in Japan for up to a year on a 6 month working holiday visa. You dont need a degree or a sponsor for your visa, and can be renewed ONCE. Stay longer and you need a university degree to get a work visa.
Keep in mind that WHV is not a work-teaching visa but a working holiday, which allows you to visit and live in Japan and work part time or full time at several jobs. Most people on it do teach English though as most other non-teaching jobs require Japanese skills and other qualifications
18 is very young to be teaching here and you may have trouble getting hired, as most graduates are in their mid-20's with degrees. The cost of living is very high so you need to bring plenty of cash with you.
Korea and Taiwan require degrees though I have heard of people working in China with no university degree. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 8:51 am Post subject: |
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With one year of university and a working holiday visa you could work part time at NOVA which is the largest chain school in Japan. You can work Flex Time on a Working Holiday visa but they require at least one year of university education
http://www.teachinjapan.com
18 is considered to be very young to be teaching here and you may have trouble getting hired, as most graduates are in their mid-20's with degrees. The cost of living is very high so you need to bring plenty of cash with you. I will also add you will deal with culture shock, homesickness and living by yourself in a country where you dont speak the language. Usually pretty tough going for someone just out of high school.
Korea and Taiwan require degrees though I have heard of people working in China with no university degree. |
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Dash
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 5:02 pm Post subject: Teaching over seas |
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| I would love to teach in Japan. I have been there once before. I really love it. I am considering getting my Bachelor of Arts degree, which is 3 years, I believe. Do you have to have a teaching degree for teaching over seas or can you have a simple 3-year degree? And do you think it is better to go to school first or to start teaching right away on just a university CTESL? I know that I am young, but I know that I could be a really good EFL teacher. |
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herman
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 42
Location: City by the Bay (SF)
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| Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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hi Dash,
I'm not sure if you'd be interested in this option, but you could do a semester/summer internship (unpaid or room-and-board-subsidized) instead of going off after just a year of CTESL. I assume you're thinking of taking a year off to do the teaching abroad?
If your university is part of a consortium or has good study abroad programs, you could research into those programs that involve TESOL, too.
My first real (and actually only, as of yet) teaching experience was through an internship during my last summer in university. The insitute I arranged this with offered room, board, and part of the airfare; for the rest of the airfare I got a scholarship to cover it. It was a good experience in that I didn't feel too pressured and could feel comfortable testing out my skills, knowing that it was an internship and not a job contract (not to say, however, that I wasn't challenged and committed to it).
Just throwing out some more options.  |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:29 pm Post subject: Re: Teaching over seas |
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| Dash wrote: |
| I would love to teach in Japan. I have been there once before. I really love it. I am considering getting my Bachelor of Arts degree, which is 3 years, I believe. Do you have to have a teaching degree for teaching over seas or can you have a simple 3-year degree? And do you think it is better to go to school first or to start teaching right away on just a university CTESL? I know that I am young, but I know that I could be a really good EFL teacher. |
Immigration in Japan requires that you are a university graduate and/or have actually qualified for graduation from a 3 year degree (are they 3 in Canada?) before they issue a work visa (so even if you have enough credits for graduation but no degree certificate) you can apply for a work visa. Your employer in Japan can only sponsor your visa if you qualify for one by immigration. The work visa comes from immigration, not your employer and you must meet visa/immigration rules first.
There is no requirement that you have a TESL or education related degree to get a work visa. My undergrad degree was in English and History.
NOt sure what a university TESL but as long as it has Bachelors on top of it you are OK. 95% of new teachers come here with no TESL and no teaching experience and get jobs. Only 10% of JET teachers in Japan are qualified and certified in language teaching.
MY advice and I can not tell you strongly enough, Get the Frigging degree.
You have NO long term future as a teacher in Japan (i.e. longer than one year) with no work visa and all you can get are entry level low paying jobs. Japan is crawling with people with degrees and even Masters chasing after jobs. There are now too many teachers and not enough jobs in the big cities. Salaries are going DOWN, and the current entry level salaries will cover your costs and no more. ( a 40 hour work week is now about 220,000 yen (U$12 an hour). Better paying jobs at high schools and universities require higher qualifications as well as experience
Every one has the makings of a good teacher, but to get better jobs requires training, experience and developing your skills. You can be a natural teacher but still be paid $10 an hour. Teaching is enjoyable but not so much fun when you are doing it day in day out on a minimum wage with high living costs. teacher turnover is high at some schools, so rathe than worry about becoming a good teacher, find out if you actually like teaching as a job and then think about the next stage.
Doing a TESL course at university and some free tutoring( which is not the same at teaching as a job here with paying students) in Canada is one thing. Doing it as full time paid professional job, day in day out, 40 hours a week is another. You will soon know if you enjoy it or not. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:31 pm Post subject: Re: Teaching over seas |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| Dash wrote: |
| I would love to teach in Japan. I have been there once before. I really love it. I am considering getting my Bachelor of Arts degree, which is 3 years, I believe. Do you have to have a teaching degree for teaching over seas or can you have a simple 3-year degree? And do you think it is better to go to school first or to start teaching right away on just a university CTESL? I know that I am young, but I know that I could be a really good EFL teacher. |
Immigration in Japan requires that you are a university graduate and/or have actually qualified for graduation from a 3 year degree (are they 3 in Canada?) before they issue a work visa (so even if you have enough credits for graduation but no degree certificate) you can apply for a work visa. Your employer in Japan can only sponsor your visa if you qualify for one by immigration. The work visa comes from immigration, not your employer and you must meet visa/immigration rules first.
There is no requirement that you have a TESL or education related degree to get a work visa. My undergrad degree was in English and History.
NOt sure what a university TESL but as long as it has Bachelors on top of it you are OK. 95% of new teachers come here with no TESL and no teaching experience and get jobs. Only 10% of JET teachers in Japan are qualified and certified in language teaching.
MY advice and I can not tell you strongly enough, Get the Frigging degree.
You have NO long term future as a teacher in Japan (i.e. longer than one year) with no work visa and all you can get are entry level low paying jobs. Japan is crawling with people with degrees and even Masters chasing after jobs. There are now too many teachers and not enough jobs in the big cities. Salaries are going DOWN, and the current entry level salaries will cover your costs and no more. ( a 40 hour work week is now about 220,000 yen (U$12 an hour). Better paying jobs at high schools and universities require higher qualifications as well as experience
Every one has the makings of a good teacher, but to get better jobs requires training, experience and developing your skills. You can be a natural teacher but still be paid $10 an hour. Teaching is enjoyable but not so much fun when you are doing it day in day out on a minimum wage with high living costs. teacher turnover is high at some schools, so rathe than worry about becoming a good teacher, find out if you actually like teaching as a job and then think about the next stage.
Doing a TESL course at university and some free tutoring( which is not the same at teaching as a job here with paying students) in Canada is one thing. Doing it as full time paid professional job, day in day out, 40 hours a week is another. You will soon know if you enjoy it or not. |
PS Employers here do not provide air fare to Japan though some will arrange accomodation for you.
Expect to pay your own way to and from Japan. |
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go_ABs
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
Posts: 507
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Dash wrote: |
| I am very interested in teaching over seas |
My first thought was that you wanted to teach English on a plane or something...
HAHAHAHAHA!!! 
I'm so funny.
No, but seriously: you might be able to find work in China. There are quite a few people here without a degree, though the legality of their work is a bit sketchy. Laws are regarded as guidelines by many here. Your age might count against you, BUT: if you look old, then send a photo along with your applications (maybe you should do that as a matter of course anyway). Grow some facial hair, wear conservative clothing, don your spectacles and look serious. Many jobs in China are based more on appearances than substance.
You'll be lucky to work in a job here that'll pay more than $5-600 US a month. But in your position (ie without student loans) you might think that okay.
Check the China forum if you're interested. (But ask sensible questions as there are lots of scary folk in the China forums who'll bite your head off if you don't use the search function first. I should know...)
But honestly, I would take the advice of others and get that BA degree. You can get it in whatever you like (mine's in political science for *beep*'s sake), but that bit of paper will open doors for you now and forever.
Best of luck, let us know what you decide. |
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