Job Discussion Forums

[ktodba]

I'm sure some / all of this has been covered before but felt it worth saying again in case searches weren't being done - and I plead guilty before anyone says anything.

In answer to the question I'd give my stock 'It depends' answer which seems to cover 95% of teaching questions.

If you want to work in a particular school or country then you need to do some research and find out what the schools you are prepared to work for are looking for. Back in the days when I was responsible for hiring I was happy to answer questions and generally gave preferential treatment to people who had already contacted me to ask for details as long as they showed that they weren't sending stock e mails to hundreds of schools. Stock e mails got stock answers - if they weren't bothered why should I be?

The qualifications you need will invariably involve a degree of jumping through hoops and it's up to you to decide if it's worth it.

As to which qualifications you want then again it depends on where you want to work and what benefit you will get from the qualification. If you want to work for the British Council then you need at least a CELTA and being honest a DELTA would be idea as well. If you want to work at a university then you're looking at MAs or better (unless you get very 'lucky') and may want to check whether MA TESOL is preferred or MA Applied Linguistics. The benefit from these qualifications will universally be opening doors but it is also possible to gain the skills through other means - notably through classroom experience with good reflection and mentoring. So when choosing a course that doesn't meet one of your need criteria be very careful as a lot of courses just want your money - ask them some questions, if they really want to help you become a better teacher then they will be willing to answer them, money making factories tend to react badly to being asked how their course will be of specific benefit to you.

So the question remains what qualifications? It comes down to different strokes for different folks - I decided a few years ago that I wanted to be able to work in State and Independent schools in the UK so I did a PGCE - this involved a lot of jumping through hoops rather than new learning after my TEFL courses and 10 years experience but it was necessary to open the doors I decided I wanted opening.[b][u]This was a qualification I needed and I'm now looking for people who can help make me better, Luckily for me I don't need to produce certificates to show my boss I'm learning - my performance in the classroom is the ultimate judge of this.

If you want to work in place X and they insist on Y then it's a simple choice. Everything comes down to a cost / benefit analysis - what will it cost you to do it against what will it cost you not to do it

Nobody can tell you what's right it's your decision to make good luck.

[denise]

Good idea to re-post this, although if people aren't searching the forum they may also miss this thread!

Another thing to keep in mind is how long you want to do this job. I am all for being properly qualified (for me that implies a MINIMUM of a BA--even if you don't think you "need" one or there are other ways to learn things, it shows that you are willing to play by certain rules and that you have a certain respect for education, which is essential for potential teachers!), but really, you can get away with minimal or no qualifications IF you aren't looking for a long-term career, advancement, etc.

There are countries that don't require BAs. Fine, if you can accept that you may get stuck in the "worst" jobs in terms of salaries, working and living conditions, etc. If you really just want the travel experience or some time off from your real job or life back home, EFL can provide a temporary escape. Just don't complain about your job if you haven't taken the time to get the right qualifications for a better job.

There are countries that don't require TEFL certificates but may require BAs. Again, you can use these places as short-term jobs, to get your feet wet, etc. Some schools will have their own training programs, so you will be qualified to teach according to their methodology.

Long-term careers naturally require more. I think a good starting point is a BA + TEFL certificate. With these two qualifications, many, many jobs in many countries will be open to you, and you can see if you like teaching and if you'd like to continue.

Continuing in this job without getting further qualifications (an MA or a DELTA, or a teaching license in your home country) likely limits you to private language schools. Sure, you can country-hop to keep things fresh and new, but don't count on getting successively better jobs if your qualifications stay the same--unless you are lucky, as ktobda mentioned.

And finally, if you continue with your education and get a DELTA or MA, don't necessarily count on earning good money! I make a decent salary in Oman (and I suppose I could double it in Saudi Arabia, but, uh, no thanks!), but I could easily have stayed in my cozy little office job in the US and be earning the same with only a BA. Remember that if you choose this field as a career, it should be for love of the job, the lifestyle, etc., and NOT for the salary!

d

[tedkarma]

There is no doubt that furthering your educational qualifications can make a significant difference in your life and lifestyle while TEFLing overseas.

Anyone who wants a career vs a couple exposure should consider a minimum CELTA/DELTA, MA/M.Ed, PGCE etc.

If you want to TEFL for a career, advanced qualifications are what will make a comfortable retirement more than possible. It has for me!