Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

So how many years of experience do you think should be the minimium to be able to teach people how to become teachers? I think at least five. Many Master's programmes want you to have two just to become a Master's candidate.

There is a guy at our school who wants to teach teachers at a TEFL school, not a college or uni, he thinks he's qualified with only 6 months of teaching and he wants to take a course to teach teachers. The course requires six years experience, but he's got the, how hard can it be attitude? He's taught businessman and advanced students. Panics when he's got to teach beginners or kids, talks WAy above their level. How can he expect to teach people how to become a teach when he's ony recently done a teacher training course?

Sorry about the rant. I just can get my head around his way of thinking, he's super young too, less than 25.

I wouldn't respect someone as a teacher trainer with only six months of experience. Why does he think he's so speical? I don't think he'll last. He wants $$$$, don't we all know that teaching's not really the profession for that?

His goal is to retire by the time he's 30.

I hope he comes down to earth soon, he's living in the clouds!

[scot47]

A large number of people in this "profession" are out of touch with reality.

I would not worry about your colleague. Allow him to cintinue with his delusions. You jst worry about keeping your own feet on Planet Earth.

[scot47]

A large number of people in this "profession" are out of touch with reality.

I would not worry about your colleague. Allow him to cintinue with his delusions. You jst worry about keeping your own feet on Planet Earth.

[Will.]

I agree, ELT is full of people whose opinion of their own ability is not in line with ours.

How difficult can it be? For your own interest and perhaps if you want to enlighten your dear colleague have a look or give the link below to him. This should help clarify it all.

he'll need a DELTA level qualification first then teacher training training.

http://www.cambridge-efl.org/teaching/delta/index.cfm

[Roger]

I personally think one of the prerequisites for a teacher trainer should be proficiency in at least one foreign tongue!
Apart from this, any number of years in experience teaching speakers of other languages would be good - make it two, make it five, what is the difference? But hands-on practice should be part of the deal!
Unfortunately, the oral teaching business is so busy anyone with round eyes and white skin gets a job teaching whoever - kids, adults, students and teachers. Why? Because in some countries we are not supposed to be teaching per se but practising spoken English.
Quid bono? May I ask... It is good for nothing, or very little, the best that can be said about it is it safeguards the job interests of so-called 'native spakers'.
And even that term is so misleading... anybody born an English speaker? Mother tongue speaker is more plausible.
And still, a mother tongue speaker should have studied his lingo before he goes on to teach others!
If he has acquired another tongue he has every reason to study his first language in depth! The mastery of a second language should awaken people to some important facts about their first language, for example, how do we couch certain ideas in language in one tongue, and how do we do it in another tongue.

[naturegirl321]

I agree that they should speak at least one other language He doens't. Doesn't have a degree either, very cocky to boot. People need to realize that there is more too it than being blonde haired and blue eyed.

[scot47]

Why try to bring him down to Earth ? If he wants to believe that he is the Emperor Napoleon, let him !

The world is full of delusionals. many of them seem to be in the field of TESOL.

[dduck]

I would tend to agree that you shouldn't worry about this guy too much. Sooner or later he's going to be found out for the faker that he is. On the other hand, there are enough bandits/fakers out there that seem to get away with murder, that you may do well to point out his lack of experience and qualifications given a suitable 'safe' opportunity.

Iain

[Ben Round de Bloc]

Could it be that over-confidence is one of the traits often found in young EFLers? Maybe there's some type of link among over-confident, young, and daring enough to head off to foreign parts of the world to teach. I, too, have noticed that so many young EFLers tend to fit this mold. Granted, there are probably the young and over-confident in most fields, but it certainly does seem that EFL has more than its share.

I used to get into conversations like the following:

Young EFLer: "I was just offered a job teaching a course in teacher training (or preparation for the Advanced Proficiency Exam or Business English or ______ (fill in the blank.) I agreed to do it."

Me: "But you've only had a 4-week teacher training course and less than 6 months teaching experience. Do you really think you're ready to take on teaching a course like that?"

Young EFLer: "Why not? How hard can it be? It seems like it'll be pretty simple to me."

Note I said that I used to get into conversations like that. Now I usually just smile and reply with something like, "That's nice."

[denise]