Job Discussion Forums

moonpie · Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 71

A student in university wrote me and asked me what I thought of ESL. I want to post my response to him and see what you guys think.

Good to hear from you Ryan. I love teaching more than anything else. I realy enjoy the imput I have in the lives of students. I have some regrets about the field though. TEFL is the youngster on the ladder of academia. He is picked on by others and is seen as a child who will never emotionally become an adult. TEFL is not respected here in the states and in universities abroad. I have only heard of TENURE once and it was for a mexican university deep in Oaxaca. I applied for that position and was somehow passed over. I have worked at many TEFL jobs abroad. The reasons that I work abroad were simple enough; I cannot earn a living in the states doing what I was trained to do. Anyone lucky enough to find a TEFL job in the states has to find more tefl jobs to have enough scratch to pay the bills because that job he found is a part time job. Driving from job to job to job with the high price of gasoline now virtually wipes out that option of making a living.

My strongest regret in TEFL has now become my strongest suggestion to you; Get qualified to teach something in public schools. If you are qualified then you have some means of survival within TEFL. If you are not qualified to teach in a public school system, I would strongly suggest that you become qualified IN SOME OTHER FIELD within the public school system. My undergrad certificate, and my M.A. Intercultural/TEFL that I worked so hard for is of little value here in the states.

If you go on and get your M.A. TEFL at the uni here, then you will have to pay the piper in many ways: First, you will have to get experience before the better paying universities will hire you overseas. That means you will have a couple of really tough years ahead of you in some foreign culture. My first experience was in Korea. I taught at a private institute that had me teaching at four of its tiny branches and at a business all at the same time. It was very tough. My second experience was teaching at a military school in Saudi. That was difficult, but easier timewise on me. I don't suppose you have a rich uncle. If you do, then you are very lucky, but life doesn't come with rich uncles, so I can imagine that you have academic debt. I paid my off swiftly because of teaching in Saudi Arabia. Saudi is another difficult place to teach. Each thing that you do in life makes you what you are, and after you pay off your educational debts that experience will have made you into something like me going from one overseas job to the next.

I would be happy to answer any questions either by phone or meeting.

Yours truly,

Sadebugo · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 524

I agree with you that opportunities in the US are few especially with adequate
pay although there are a few decent options that I am aware of.

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

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

I'd have to say that as far as Peru goes, teaching in a school is the only way to making a living off of TEFL in Peru. Sure it's fine to make 500 USD when you're single, but when you've got a family it's a whole different ball game.

15 salaries, about three momths paid vacations, can't beat that when you compare it to 5 bucks an hour.

sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

Not that different from any other profesion then, i expect. Work for low pay, to get your foot in the door, struggle and strive like any doctor or lawyer, serve humanity, like any decent person, and try to get yourself and your family a decent standard of living. So?

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

moonpie · Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 71

Is TEFL regarded by the majority of us as not a profession? Is it regarded as something temporary, an excuse to travel?

How many of us believe we have gone the wrong path?

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

Check out something in the US called Teach Across America. It's a program that places college grads without teaching credentials in schools that need teachers. The schools are often very rural or inner city, but sometimes they are just in fast growing locations that can't attract enough teachers. I'm pretty sure they offer provisions for earning certification and possibly advanced degrees.

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sgrossbl · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 10 Location: Damascus, Syria

You're right Ariadne, but the program is actually called Teach For America . I'm a college senior and have lots of friends planning to teach through this program in the fall.