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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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 Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:25 am Post subject: |
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Central/Eastern Europe, including Prague and Moscow, are not the places to save even 'a little' money. Honestly, the job market is very competitive. As I mentioned before, with your qualifications, you're going to be making basically enough to live on. Not more.
And you are most likely not eligible to enter a university in another country....there will be language restrictions and also entry eligibilty restrictions in the Czech Rep and probably Russia as well.
If it turns out that you really have the opportunity to finish up before leaving, that's a HIGHLY recommended step!! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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teacherpunk wrote:
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| you seem to imply that it's worse over there than here. |
That was not my intention. It's certainly different.
Example:
In the USA, your students have the luxury of stepping outside your class and being immersed in English 100% of the time. Not in a foreign country (one that isn't native English speaking, that is).
In the USA, your ESL classes may be made up of students from several countries with no common language. Not so in a place like Japan. (So, which L1 do you use?)
In the USA, your foreign high school or university aged students have a high motivation compared to their counterparts back in their home country (on average).
In the USA, you may not have to worry about a contract situation where you are dumped every 3 years no matter how good you are. In Japan, this is a matter of course.
Labor laws are different. No laws against discrimination in Japan, for example.
Teaching styles will be different based on culture (among other things). For example, Asians are on average a very reserved people, and they are taught with a teacher-centered focus, so that they rarely volunteer in class, and foreign teachers find it hard to elicit from a crowd. Trying to depend on returnees in a high school situation can backfire, too, because of the peer pressure against the higher level kids not to show off.
Then again, in the USA, you can't necessarily go outside or down the street and be in a completely foreign land, where immersion in a foreign language and culture is a way of life (good and bad).
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| in the time that i spent in prague it seemed to me like the people were excited to learn english. that's what happened when i was there anyways, when i talked to people they were excited to learn from me. they wanted to learn and in the short time i spent there i found myself teaching english to people i didn't even know because that's what they wanted. i had no intention of going there and teaching english, it just happened, and i found out that i loved it. granted teaching a classroom of people is different then teaching a bunch of people at the bars, but teaching is teaching. |
Your last sentence starts out good, but it ends with a remark that I disagree with strongly, and it shows a real ignorance of the teaching world. No offense. Perhaps you meant something else.
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| all the linguistics classes here at usm are sign-language. should i even bother? or should i just try to get in a foreign language class instead? |
Linguistics is not my bag, but that sounds pretty weird to have sign-language as the sole course for a linguistics major. I wouldn't bother. You'll learn what it's like to be a student if you take a foreign language class, and perhaps you'll appreciate certain things, but why not just take TEFL/TESOL/etc. courses instead? Heck, even general education courses would probably be even more helpful. I'm rather surprised at the approach you have described here. It's like saying that you want to be a skilled carpenter, but you are considering taking classes in forestry or wood mechanics. |
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teacherpunk
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Your last sentence starts out good, but it ends with a remark that I disagree with strongly, and it shows a real ignorance of the teaching world. No offense. Perhaps you meant something else. |
well, i never claimed to have any teaching experience. not real teaching experience anyways. i only meant that yeah there's 'teachers', those who wake up and walk to a classroom everyday, and there's teachers, those who through their actions and words manage to educate those around them in whatever setting they happen to be in. i've always been the latter, but now i'm beginning to realize that i should also be the former. it's not going to be easy doing it the way i want, but that's what i want to do with my life.
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| Linguistics is not my bag, but that sounds pretty weird to have sign-language as the sole course for a linguistics major. I wouldn't bother. You'll learn what it's like to be a student if you take a foreign language class, and perhaps you'll appreciate certain things, but why not just take TEFL/TESOL/etc. courses instead? Heck, even general education courses would probably be even more helpful. I'm rather surprised at the approach you have described here. It's like saying that you want to be a skilled carpenter, but you are considering taking classes in forestry or wood mechanics. |
i know it sounds weird, but that's just how it is. i never said university of southern maine was a great school. it struck me as very odd too back when i was considering taking linguistics.
i don't believe they offer any tefl/tesol classes, i'll have to look into it. i know they have gereral education courses which i'll also look into, but i also can't help but think taking russian language would help me out tremendously if i want to teach in russia. not only with my everyday survival in the city, but also with being able to communicate to my students.
do you know anything about bkc in moscow? i got a letter today from them inviting me to apply for a position opening in november. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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| i also can't help but think taking russian language would help me out tremendously if i want to teach in russia. not only with my everyday survival in the city, but also with being able to communicate to my students. |
I don't know the teaching system in Russia, but here in Japan, using Japanese is prohibited in many schools in order to foster a sense of immersion. Teaching extremely low level students sometimes requires that you use L1, but otherwise it's probably not a good idea to use L1 unless you have to maintain discipline or deal with staff meetings and memos and such.
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| i only meant that yeah there's 'teachers', those who wake up and walk to a classroom everyday, and there's teachers, those who through their actions and words manage to educate those around them in whatever setting they happen to be in. |
Well, we were definitely not thinking on the same track. Yes, there are some naturally born teachers out there, and they have to deal with the trials and tribulations of getting a job the same as everyone else (with immigration's requirements). Trying to equate "teaching" casual acquaintances in a bar (if that is what you did; again you were pretty unclear) with teaching students in an institution of learning sounded pretty strange, and that was what I was calling you on. |
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teacherpunk
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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Glenski you'll be happy to know that I've enrolled in classes for the fall semester. I'm just going to finish the BA and then take the CELTA next summer, which'll leave me in prime position for September '07 openings in Moscow. Since they don't have any education classes that really suit my needs or ESL classes (unless it's ESL as a non-native speaking remedial class) I'm taking Russian and French. It's the easiest way for me to get through 36 credits in a years time. 5 credits for the Intro to Russian language class and 4 for the French. I'm taking 19 credits this semester. Going to be tough, and even though I've been made aware by many people that I don't need the BA to teach in Russia, I think I'll just put myself in a better situation if I do have it. Not to mention it'll give me an entire year to plan out getting there, getting accomidations, and getting work. I'll also have the Intro to Russian and Intermediate Russian (in the spring) so I won't be totally helpless and unable to communicate at all when I get there. The French will just be so I can finally understand what the *beep* my relatives have been saying all these years ;p...
Thanks for the guidance.
Mike |
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AnnD
Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:31 am Post subject: |
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Like the OP I also have no degree and am tossing around the idea of doing a CELTA. I am not after a career, just a way to live in a country that interests me for a while rather than travelling through. I have an undergrad diploma and a technical college certificate, both in business/management and over 30 years work experience.
Am I kidding myself that I will
(a) be able to find a job (not interested in Japan, Taiwan, can't afford to live in Europe) preferably in South America, would love to live in Bolivia for a while, or possibly Africa, and
(b) that I could make enough money to live on. If I go ahead with this I would rent out my house to have some money behind me so would not be looking to save money, just cover rent/food/transport etc.
(Nationality Australian, Aus and UK passports) |
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