Job Discussion Forums

[Greywolfe]

I've been looking into TEFL for years now and never got up the courage to persue it even now, one of the main things that stops me and drives me insane is the requirement for a Degree from most employers.

This is fair enough if the degree is relevant but they ask for a Degree in any subject, it could be agriculture, business, art... Why?

I personally have a Cert (2 years) whereas a degree is 4 years. What difference does it make that they have a degree in a completely irrelevant subject? What does an extra two years in college learning about something they have chosen not to do matter to teaching?

So someone who has a flair for teaching has done the TEFL course and has a passion for it but hasn't spent 4 years in college is completely disregarded offhand?

I know it's a requirement to get a Visa to teach in some countries but in others..

This is something which just drives me mad and I wanted to rant about to people who might have an opinion.

Thanks.

Grey

[joshua2004]

I think most people here would agree that the better teacher is someone with the drive and experience to make it work. Whether they have a 4 or a 2 year degree comes second. I think it is mainly an issue of visa and since schools get flooded with applications from all over the world, it helps cut out the vast majority that would not be good candidates.

The EFL world is riddled with stories about child-support-dodging felons and other troubling people. I remember hearing about a guy that flew to china one night and the next he was on a flight home because the school said they would provide broadband internet in the apartment given to him, but he didn't get it or it wasn't real broadband, I don't remember.

The point is a lot of schools out there want someone who can speak English and not have too high of expectations. They want someone who is not insane but is willing to accept the low pay and unproffesional work conditions.(Perhaps they can take advantage of the uninitiated) Therefor, they attempt to find this person by looking for someone with a degree but the don't really care what the degree is in.

I personally would never work in a place that didn't require a degree since it would more than likely be a low-paying, stressful, ungrateful, very unhappy place to work.(this of course being in a country that requires 4 year degrees for the visa)

If you don't have some education in the field of education, I suggest you get some and some practical experience. It takes more than knowing English to do this job.

[ls650]

[Guy Courchesne]

I think I can sum this up nicely. When seeking a position abroad, you are going to take a job away from a local. Often, it's a simple immigration numbers game. Government sets the standard...before the school does. Having the degree sets the minimum standard.

[Chasgul]

You want to work legally, you jump through the hoop. You don't want to work, you don't jump through the hoop. Immigration is a game of many hoops.

[Gregor]

I think Guy has it called.
Nevermind all this talk about a degree being representitive of such a level of committment, blah blah blah.
It may or may not be. If you lurk around this forum, you will read some very different opinions about that, mine included, so I'm not going to hijack THIS thread. I've done that because of this issue often enough.
It's been my personal experience that most schools don't really care whether you have a degree. If you can get the opportunity to talk with them and sell yourself as a teacher, they'll be delighted to give you the job...if they can.
Often they can't because of legal restrictions. In places where they could fudge a degree with relatively little legal danger, they'll do it. Teachers are needed everywhere. In reality, the degree doesn't represent anything other than itself. Especially a degree completely unrelated to the task or topic at hand. But governments are cracking down.
I understand how you feel, OP. I even agree with you. But it is what it is.

[ls650]

[Gregor]

Man,
We've been through all this before. Do you really want to get into it again? YOU think the degree means something; I don't, and others are middle of the road.
You respond to me any way you WANT to. I'm just not interested in getting into it again. The argument is well chronicled elsewhere on this forum. if you wish to go after me about the same bloody thing AGAIN, feel free.

[Guy Courchesne]

[ls650]

Yes, that was much more polite.

[Cdaniels]

Guy nailed it on the head alright, but I'm gonna elaborate on ls650's idea. Not only does a 4 year degree show commitment (and a certain level of mental and emotional stability) but specifically a commitment to education and an exposure to professional teaching and learning. During any four year degree, one is exposed to a lot of teaching and different teaching styles, although it may be rather passively absorbed (or even just endured.) The idea of teaching without a degree sounds to me like a plumber who doesn't have indoor plumbing in his own house. Maybe that's a terrible analogy, but, I do see reasonable justification for requiring a degree.

[Guy Courchesne]

Good point that we can certainly all agree on.

[fluffyhamster]

Some might say that many of those who go straight to university from sxhool were running away from "real" work/delaying career decisions; and that once at university, quite a few seem to specialize mainly in DrunknDisorderliness 101 (these types take to bars in Asia after work like ducks to water)...then again, it's likely that a substantially higher proportion of those who don't go on to complete higher (university level in UK) education (or even further - 'A level' in UK - education) - that is, have little more than compulsory schooling for an "education" - are (in Immigraton's eyes at least) "undesirable riff-raff".

Myself, I think it is unfortunate that the language schools can't be left to decide for themselves who would or wouldn't make a good teacher, based not only on formal education but also informedness, experience, personal qualities, presentation etc, but here's a thought: if just anybody could become a teacher, what effect do you think that would have on the quality of teacher employers (at least, those who are foreign and still single i.e. without spouse visas etc)?! I wouldn't fancy working for e.g. the builder who did my roof back in the UK, perhaps suddenly fancying himself an English school owner here in Japan...having to have a degree at the first port of entry is reassuring for the rest of us, no?

I didn't quite understand Guy's point about taking jobs away from locals - there must be a few who also have degrees (possibly in English) who don't go into public school teaching and who'd make quite reasonable private language school instructors...I mean, it is student expectations rather than pure linguistic ability (and certainly pedagogical knowledge or expertise) that influences schools wanting to hire natives rather than locals or "non-English" nationalities.

[joshua2004]

[Guy Courchesne]