Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

... to have a career in EFL/ESL?


(posted on behalf of Basil(I was lurking on the Spanish forum ))

[ntropy]

depends on his/her life goal.

Money/stability....no
cultural exploration...yes

[basiltherat]

Yes. Goals are key. I think the major problem with tefl is a lack of social security/welfare (health, hospitalization and pension security etc). These factors have been well documented on both Dave's and other sites, i think. If those particular things are important to your offspring then I wouldnt advise.
Mine think they are.

As both our children are keen to remain or at least be based in the 'western world' for their lives (at least, thats what they tell me), tefl would not seem to be financially suitable for them anyhow. There are frequently threads on how poorly paid tefl teachers are in such places as Italy, Spain etc. I wouldnt want to see my children have to penny-pinch all their lives.

In addition, perhaps others cud confirm whether or not the cost of tertiary qualifications in tefl have one of the worst returns. I mean, i still see many of those with Master Degrees earning little more than those without. Is this a supply and demand problem; i.e. well-paid jobs in tefl are few and far between when compared with the numbers of MA qualified teachers who are out there seeking these high-paying jobs ?

If things such as travel, cultural learning experiences are more important then, yes, i think tefl cud be a good way to achieve these things.
I wudnt advise my particular children to join tefl because i think their talents lie elsewhere but what i would suggest is entering a career that they think they are confident with and enjoy (whether that is tefl or not). Hopefully, their career wud also allow them to travel and experience other cultures at least once in a while..
basil

[expatben]

being 21 and with no kids I have no idea but I find the question intresting and therefor will have a go.
Short anwer no long answer yes. I would reccomend a stint in ESL and maybe a carer BUT I would want them to do something else first, with stability so they can see what they would be giving up. I would also warn them about the pit falls as I would do in any life choice. If they wanted to give it a go however I would be supportive and help them, picking out a good course, evaluating countries ect.
XPat

[ls650]

I'd tell 'em to make sure they put aside a percentage for investment every month. I work with teachers in their late 50s with no savings; they live from pay cheque to pay cheque. That's okay when you're 25, not 55.

[jr1965]

My daughter is a citizen of both the US and Spain. Choosing a career is still a ways off yet for her, but if she wanted to get into ESL/EFL, I'd advise her to get certified (that is, to get a multiple-subject teaching credential: ESL + another subject(s)) so that she could teach in the elementary or high-school school system in the US or Spain. I think that she'd have more options and chances are, better job security.

Come to think of it, I wish someone had given me this advice all those years ago when I started out in this field...

[anthyp]

Hey dmb, you know I hate it when somebody throws a question out to the forum, but doesn't bother answering it him/herself first.

Anyway, I wouldn't encourage my students to get into TEFL, I have bigger plans for them that include global domination or at least a weekly special on Comedy Central. If they came to me with an interest in it, however, I would try to hide my infinite disappointment, all the while steering them in the right direction (i.e., away from the hell - hole that is EFL in Western Europe).

I would rather my students were TEFLers than accountants or "artists," though ... come on, you have to have some ambition in life.

[donfan]

For a year or two to see the world and save a bit of money yes. Long term no.

[dmb]

Sorry anthyp. I agree actually. as I don't have kids it is difficult to answer. But I would want them to be happy and also want them to be well educated. EFL has been good to me so I would have no objections.

[Sweetsee]

Definitely maybe.