Job Discussion Forums

disbemj · Joined: 15 Jan 2008 Posts: 6 Location: SF bay area

If you were to start your career as an EFL teacher, where would you go?

MELEE · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject:

Where I would go and where you should go are two very different things.

Please let us in on a little more information.

Your education: Bachelor's degree? Master's degree? TEFL training?

Do you already speak Spanish or Chinese?
Would you like to learn Spanish or Chinese?

Are you single with no children?

Do you have any debt?

What do you like to do in your free time?

Where are you from? How do you feel about really long flights?

Etc.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

The two countries are as different as chalk and cheese.
It's hard to say which an individual will prefer without knowing more about the person. What kind of teaching environment and lifestyle are you looking for..?

disbemj · Joined: 15 Jan 2008 Posts: 6 Location: SF bay area

My education:
Bachelor's degree in Business, concentration in Marketing

Do you already speak Spanish or Chinese?
Basic spanish and No Chines (mandarin/cantonese)
Would you like to learn Spanish or Chinese?
Yes and Yes

Are you single with no children?
Single, and NO children

Do you have any debt?
No

What do you like to do in your free time?
I'm a very active person. I love to dance, party (in moderation), and challenge myself physically. I enjoy the nightlife, outdoor adventures, and to experience new things.

Where are you from? How do you feel about really long flights?
Born and raised in the Philippines, and went to California when I was 8. Been here for 19 years. I love to travel, so I don't mind long flights.

The reason I want to teach EFL is to be able to travel more. I plan on teaching in Asia and Latin America, i just don't know where to begin. Wherever I do start, i will be taking my TEFL course there.

squindia · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 38 Location: Bangalore, India

go to Costa Rica

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

I would live in Costa Rica and commute to my teaching job in China.

Dudess · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 8

For far-flung travel head to China - Shanghai would be a great place to start as there's better nightlife than other parts of China, but real China is only an hour or so away by train.

From there you can easily visit as many other Asian countries as you can afford, and will probably find a good place to do your TEFL in Shanghai.

Then go to Costa Rica in a couple of years to unwind.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

China has lots of paperwork, but you will get a visa, if that's important. AND a job ahead of time

In CR, you might get a job ahead of time, there are a couple of places that will hire you over the internet. But you might have to go and job search there, Visa also might be an issue

About pay, pay will proably be 500 usd in both places, but China will get you a furnished flat, plus airfare.

MELEE · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:23 pm Post subject:

One more question. Are you a US citizen? If not that may complicate visa matters. But to me immigration under the age of 10 makes you a native speaker if you graduated high school in the mainstream (Not ESL).

To me it sounds like you will enjoy Costa Rica more. Some posters on this forum may not realize that despite it's size and the reputaion of Central America as a poor place with no money to be made, it is one of the fastest growing TEFL markets in Latin America. I suggest you visit the Costa Rica sub forum if you haven't already.

Happy Travels,

disbemj · Joined: 15 Jan 2008 Posts: 6 Location: SF bay area

One more question. Are you a US citizen?

Thanks for everyone's responses so far. Yes, I'm a US citizen and I went through "mainstream" schools in the US. Even in the Philippines, I attended an English speaking school.

I've been looking around for courses and TEFL International is offering a program in China

http://tefl.teflinternational.com/guaranteed_job_china.asp

are there similar programs out there that I can look into? Something that offers airfare and accomodations and a TEFL course?

thanks in advance!

John Hall · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:17 pm Post subject:

You can do a TEFL course here in C.R., but nobody is going to pay for your flight and set you up with an apartment. In that respect, C.R. is a do-it-yourself kind of place.

Extraordinary Rendition · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject:

Just curious. How old are you? And, why have you selected those two countries over all of the others in the world? Neither was my first choice, especially not China, when first considering teaching abroad... Confused

MO39 · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject:

Maybe the OP has a thing for countries beginning with the letter C! Smile

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

No debt, you know some Spanish and you love to dance. Go to Costa Rica.

China will continue to have more and more jobs every year, so no real rush to get there.