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Wookie79
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 3
Location: Akron, Ohio
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 Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:12 am Post subject: What do I need to do |
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I am a Communications student that is getting ready to graduate and I have a terrible fear of working in an office in someplace like...here! I want to go see things that most people dont get to see. I want to have adventures and learn new things and someday use the things I learn to take over the world. I am trying to find the way and international travel for extended periods of time has always been a desire of mine. I am 26 years old and a pretty clever guy. I have a really fun case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. I am graduating this summer unless I take a trip to Korea for 3 weeks in which case I will be graduating in the fall with a ba in Business Organizational Communications and a minor in Business Management. I would like to teach people English and at the same time learn at least functional Chinese and/or Indian as well as get better with my Spanish. I plan on eventually getting into international business on a corporate trainer level where the skills I could learn teaching will be invaluable.
1. What I really want to know is what is a good way to get started out
2. Do I need to speak a forein language now and if so to what skill level.
3. Where should I go, I have been reading posts like a madman but I want to make sure that I am someplace with steady enough work and I am not a big fan of being cold. anyones feedback would be greatly appreciated. |
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Jizzo T. Clown
Joined: 28 Apr 2005
Posts: 668
Location: performing in a classroom near you!
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:19 pm Post subject: Re: What do I need to do |
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| Wookie79 wrote: |
| I am trying to find the way and international travel for extended periods of time has always been a desire of mine. |
Remember that there's a huge difference between travelling to another country and living there for a year (as with most jobs you'll be required to stay with them at least a year).
| Wookie79 wrote: |
I have a really fun case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. |
Not sure I'd admit to that. While that may be "fun" to you, employers and students would consider it a detriment.
| Wookie79 wrote: |
I would like to teach people English and at the same time learn at least functional Chinese and/or Indian as well as get better with my Spanish.
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Whoa, that's a lot of goals. I suggest you focus on one at a time and choose your destination based on that. IMO, China would be a good place for you to get started. It has few pretentions and would be a great introduction into the TEFL world. As well, India and Spain would most likely not be options. Plus, after a year abroad, your goals may change and you may decide to get into teaching EFL/ESL full-time, as so many of us have done.
To answer your other questions:
| Wookie79 wrote: |
1. What I really want to know is what is a good way to get started out
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Read the boards here on the countries you're interested in. Then if you see something that you have a specific question about, post it (only after doing a search for it, though).
| Wookie79 wrote: |
2. Do I need to speak a forein language now and if so to what skill level. |
Ok, as has been said time and time again, you don't need to know the language to teach English there, but any amount you know before going will be helpful.
| Wookie79 wrote: |
3. Where should I go, I have been reading posts like a madman but I want to make sure that I am someplace with steady enough work and I am not a big fan of being cold. anyones feedback would be greatly appreciated. |
Most places you go to will have steady enough work--you'll be bound to a contract, so it'll most likely be you who terminates your employment. If you don't like the cold, might I suggest Indonesia? Otherwise, just bite the bullet and go where you're interested. |
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Wookie79
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 3
Location: Akron, Ohio
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Thank you very much for your information. I dont want to learn all those languages at once, but within the next 5-7 years I would like to be able to have a grasp of them. The a.d.h.d. thing has actually helped me more than it has hurt me. I have 2 jobs and I am a full time student and a marathon runner so the extra energy is a plus! Anyways thank you again for your insights. |
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Gregor
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 842
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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Jizzo didn't mention this (Hey, Jizzo), but it would be a REALLY, REALLY good idea to get a TEFL certificate.
If you can afford it, get a CELTA or a Trinity TESOL certificate. Otherwise, any other face-to-face TEFL certificate that consists of 100 - 140 hours (usually a month of full-time study) and observed teaching practice would do the trick. That and a degree would make you pretty well ready to go anywhere you wanted. And that's exactly what you want, isn't it?
Indonesia is, indeed, a good place to start. I don't know any TEFL programs there, though.
There is also Mexico (where, of course, they speak Spanish). Pay ain't great, but the life and the country most definitely are. You could go to Guadalajara and do a TEFL program at ITTO, and then get a job there in Mexico. I did something quite similar about ten years ago, and I have never looked back.
Good luck and let us know what you decide to do. And as you look into certificate programs (assuming that you do), if you have any questions, we'll be happy to jump on those as well! |
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Cdaniels
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Location: Dunwich, Massachusetts
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:22 pm Post subject: Attention Deficit Disorder |
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| Wookie79 wrote: |
| The a.d.h.d. thing has actually helped me more than it has hurt me. |
Then it isn't ADHD! I'm not sure if you have been misdiagnosed, but part of the diagnosis of any disease is that it prevents you from functioning normally. A good example of this is Manic-Depression, where the person can feel great, energized and on-top-of-the-world, then cycle into debilitating depression. So although you can say you have a fast metabolism, or a short attention span, or even that you manage life OK with prescribed drugs like adderall, describing a case of ADHD as fun is like saying you've lost weight by cutting an arm off. Funny until someone sees the bloody stump.
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RyanS
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Posts: 356
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:04 pm Post subject: Re: Attention Deficit Disorder |
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| Cdaniels wrote: |
OK with prescribed drugs like adderall, describing a case of ADHD as fun is like saying you've lost weight by cutting an arm off. Funny until someone sees the bloody stump.
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Though I would reminds people its the most effecient and quickest weight loss there is. You lose pounds of fat in mere minutes. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:36 pm Post subject: Re: What do I need to do |
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| Wookie79 wrote: |
| I would like to teach people English and at the same time learn at least functional Chinese and/or Indian.... |
Functional Indian rather than notional Indian? It's a bit hard to find a notional Indian these days. But I'm sure when you find him, he'll teach you all the Indian you need. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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OP, Good luck and welcome aboard. I second what Gregor said about a good TEFL certification. COuld be a big help.
Also, I believe you'll find that while "Indian" is a nationality, it ain't a language. Anybody know how many languages are spoken in India? I'm not sure, but I'll bet it's more than you think. I've just asked the two people of Indian descent I know here in Quito, and one of them speaks Hindi, the other one Dijerati (Sic? probably) and another language the name of which I can't even pronounce, let alone attempt to spell. When I asked them what language people from their respective areas would use if they met, they looked at me like I was retarded. English, of course.
And there are a fair few languages and dialects which go about under the name "Chinese" as well.
Regards,
Justin |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
| Anybody know how many languages are spoken in India? |
There are 14 official languages in India. Most folks learn the local language in the home, then study English when they go to school.
An interesting article about this subject:
http://badri.blogspot.com/2003/10/english-in-india.html |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:07 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
| Anybody know how many languages are spoken in India? |
Some estimates go up to 800 or 900, some go way over 1,000. (It depends on how many native speakers you set as a minimum number).
There are also 18 "scheduled" languages that are recognised by the government as "official" (for use in state and local governments). In addition, English is recognised not as an official language but nevertheless as one of two languages for national government communication (the other being Hindi). The linguistic situation in India is delightfully complex and confusing. |
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Wookie79
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 3
Location: Akron, Ohio
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| Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:29 am Post subject: |
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Well then I can take learning the Indian languages off the list....which is nice cause thats just one more thing I dont have to worry about!
ADHD isnt always fun, and believe me I was most definatly not misdiagnosed, but once you learn to control it, its not too bad and if you dont believe me ask my friends and family about "stupid Will stories" and the "shiny watch theory". These stories could truly illustrate the funnier side of my illness!
You guys are really helpful. Thanks again. |
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Cdaniels
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Location: Dunwich, Massachusetts
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| Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 1:58 am Post subject: That was gracious! |
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Well, the wookie has a good sense of humor! I would think that China is definitely the place to start for someone with a Business degree. '79 was year of the Ram- "they are always passionate about what they do and what they believe in. Ram people never have to worry about having the best in life for their abilities make money for them." I'd recommend China.  |
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Gregor
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 842
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 3:43 am Post subject: |
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Well, the OP has dismissed "Indian" so perhaps this doesn't have any bearing anymore, but I learned something interesting recently.
First, by "Indian", I had assumed that he meant "Hindi." This was introduced (by Nehru, of the jacket fame) to replace English as the official language of government and business. His efforts came to some good, but Hindi is not really spoken all over India as much (at least, as wide-spread) as English.
It's also recently come to my attention that Hindi isn't so much a "natural" language as it is a manufactured one, based on elements of other Indian languages. Much like bahasa Indonesia. This sort of thing is done (at least in Indonesia and India) in attempt to unify a country which is anything BUT.
Get into a political discussion with an Indian or an Indonesian and he or she might (depending on where the person is from) defend his or her country with passion, but when it gets right down to it, it's hard to find someone who can explain how it happened to come to BE a country.
There is a surprisingly large number of countries like this, too. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:50 am Post subject: |
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| Gregor wrote: |
| It's also recently come to my attention that Hindi isn't so much a "natural" language as it is a manufactured one, based on elements of other Indian languages. Much like bahasa Indonesia. |
This is not really true in either case. Both Hindi and Bhs Indonesia were indeed established languages that had native-speaker bases before they were selected to be "national" languages. In the case of Indonesian, a new name ("Bhs Indonesia") was coined, but the underlying language was not "manufactured." |
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Cdaniels
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Location: Dunwich, Massachusetts
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:34 pm Post subject: colonialism |
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| Gregor wrote: |
but when it gets right down to it, it's hard to find someone who can explain how it happened to come to BE a country.
There is a surprisingly large number of countries like this, too. |
It has to do with Colonialism. Perhaps the people you've talked to were too polite or afraid of embarassing you to mention this?  |
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