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jules bc
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:40 pm Post subject: Does experience mean post tefl quals only? |
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Hi folks
I'm due to take my CELTA in Bangkok this coming June. I have a 4year BA Hons from my uni at home and spent last year teaching english in Spain through the European Commission's Socrates program. I'm wondering if I can use this experience on app forms/ applications, or if it will be disregarded and only 'official' post-tefl exp taken into consideration?...esp with regards to pay...given many salaries are 'depending on exp'...any wise owls out there who can help?
Also, I'm due to finish my course in July and then I have friend who is going to fly out and meet me for a month to see more of the country and chill out for a bit after the month of hell I know the course will be!...Is there any chance of 'freelancing' as such for a few months to see the country before committing to a contract, and as such, will finding work be a problem for me? Im not heading to Thailand to make money but obviously do need to earn enough to keep me as I'm not heading off with huge savings. I have thought about heading to China/Japan/Vietnam/S korea or Taiwan if I do need more cash, though I am keen to stay in thailand as I like what I've heard/read so far.
Your help, as always, is very much appreciated. And if it helps, I'll be 26 in October and am female.
Cheers |
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kenkannif
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
Posts: 550
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| Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 4:26 am Post subject: |
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I see no reason why you can't put that experience on your C/V!
Yeah you should be able to get a bit of work before signing a contract. And you shouldn't really have any major problems finding teaching work here.....especially as you're a female!
Good luck and have a great time. |
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jules bc
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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Cheers Kenkannif
Your info is much appreciated...only 5 weeks to go in this godforsaken dump that is my current job and i'll be bangkok bound!
Cheers again.  |
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kenkannif
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
Posts: 550
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| Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 3:43 am Post subject: |
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No worries, 'appy to 'elp!
You okay for a Visa etc.? If not PM me I might be able to help! Whereabouts are you at the mo? |
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jules bc
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm applying for my visa at the mo..i'm going for a tourist to begin with (visa that is, as opposed to an actual homosapien!) as I have a couple of mates planning their summer hols with me for July, maybe August. I know I could be shooting myself in the foot and making things more difficult in the long run, though I really am unsure as to where I'll end up and applying for a non-imm b from home requires a letter etc from your employer which I do not have! I'm taking my course at ECC and despite what I've heard i may have to take on a contract with them after as I dunno how long the ol cash flow will stretch! I'm in Ireland at the mo and leave on June1st..course runs to july 4th....is August/Sept a bad time to be looking for work? I've done so much research and reading etc but just don't think I'll get to grips with the whole thing until I actually get there...cash flow, is becoming a bit of a worry for me.....why change the habits of a lifetime?! |
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kenkannif
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
Posts: 550
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| PM me I might be able to help with a Visa. Ireland is relatively easy to get them from! |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Sat May 07, 2005 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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That experience is totally valid for your resume.
Be aware that the TEFL certification game is much more dominant and smiled upon in Europe than in Asia. Your TEFL will still count, but most schools here will care more about the fact that you have a BA than a TEFL. What I'm saying is that in any Asian country I know much about you're quite likely to run into employers who don't know what a TEFL is -- which doesn't make it much of a bar for listing experience.
Japan, in particular, is known for practically disreguarding TEFL certifications. And the Chinese, as well, looooooooooooove a BA and generally don't know what a TEFL is.
Oh, and when a salary "depends on pay" it usually means you get an extra 500B a month or so (on top of your 35,000B/month as standing) per year of experience. Basically, when employers post an ad saying something like "30-50kB per month, depending on experience" it means "30kB, unless you're the the Grand World Wizard of English Teaching, in which case we'll give you 32." |
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jules bc
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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Cheers Kenkannif...just got my tourist visa through the other day...the offer is much appreciated though!
Cheers for your input too sheeps goat...can I pick your brains a little further though and ask you what kind of salary should I be trying to get with my quals and exp so far? |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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| jules bc wrote: |
Cheers Kenkannif...just got my tourist visa through the other day...the offer is much appreciated though!
Cheers for your input too sheeps goat...can I pick your brains a little further though and ask you what kind of salary should I be trying to get with my quals and exp so far? |
40,000B per month (1000USD) if you're in Bangkok. 25,000 if you're in Chiang Mai or on an island. 30,000B elsewhere.
If you present/interview poorly and/or don't own a good dress blouse/skirt, are short of job-serching funds (eg: arrive with less than 1500USD) or aren't good at digging stuff up, or have some kind of physical deformity or such, figure on taking 5,000B per month off of any of the above figures.
If you were in absolutely the right place at the right time, or had a good contact, you could ring in 50,000.
Many teachers here work evenings and/or Saturdays, either at their primary school or another school to add somewhere between 8 and 12,000B a month to their one-job base -- but the sacrifice is often not being able to take advantage of vacation time offered at the primary job.
"Freelancing" is what I've described above, but you won't find anyone interested in letting you just do that for a month. Part time work requires people for long-term commitments, as students hate getting a different teacher every two weeks and will stop paying any school where that's going on. |
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jules bc
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Cheers for the info sheepsgoat....In your honest opinion am I gonna be really stuck trying to find work around August what with the schools calendar?....don't suppose you know of those 'right places at the right time and right contacts'!? Is my degree cert the only original I have to take or do I have to take GCSEs, Alevels etc too?
Sorry to annoy your head...yet again! [/quote] |
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jules bc
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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I have just realised it's sheep-goats 
How rude of me! I do apologise! |
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kenkannif
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
Posts: 550
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| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 2:47 am Post subject: |
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| Just your degree will be fine mate! |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 9:53 am Post subject: |
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| jules bc wrote: |
Cheers for the info sheepsgoat....In your honest opinion am I gonna be really stuck trying to find work around August what with the schools calendar?....don't suppose you know of those 'right places at the right time and right contacts'!? Is my degree cert the only original I have to take or do I have to take GCSEs, Alevels etc too?
Sorry to annoy your head...yet again! |
[/quote]
No, you'll be fine to arrive in August. The very best time is the end of April, but there's plenty of hiring going on year-round in Thailand (alibiet a brief lull in late March / early April).
Right place would involve luck. Right contacts would involve time in the country. Talk to the other people you're teaching with now. If you're British, see if you know anyone who knows someone in the British Council here. Etc etc.
You only "need" the degree, but it's a very very good idea to bring every original of every cert you can. If you end up teachign at a legit secondary school the Ministry of Education will want to see every original in the book in order to issue you your teaching licence -- and Thais can sometimes be quite impressed by a piece of paper. Make sure you have an original transcript, too.
Personally, I bought a "display book" at an office supply store here and keep my original CELTA, original transcript copy, original reccomendations, original student feedback sheets, my Thai teaching licence, etc, in there. Takes up a half an inch of space next to my laptop in my carry on bag -- three quarters since I put my degree in there with it.
Want a copy of this shiny piece of paper Mr. Man? Sure, let's go to the copy machine. No, you can't hold onto the original. |
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jules bc
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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Cheers again guys for the info....always appreciated.
Two more days of work to contend with and in a fortnight I can put it all into practice...finally!!
I'll shout you both a beer in Bangkok if you're kicking about!  |
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