Job Discussion Forums

[Wilkor]

Good day to you all,

I'm interested in beginning a career in English Teaching, specifically focused on Indonesia. I'm in the process of finishing an Honours degree in Asian Studies. I've spent a year in Jogja, and while I wouldn't call myself fluent, I am certainly conversationally competent and can read most text without referring to a dictionary (Bhs Ind, that is, not English!).

I'm planning on taking a CELTA course early next year, which I have been recommended to do for both job opportunity reasons, as well as to learn what I should actually do in a classroom. For me the second is somewhat more important than the first.

Following this, I have rough plans to return to Indonesia for the 2009-2010 school year, either in Bandung or Malang, though this is flexible. I have no interest, however, in either Jakarta or Jogja.

So, my questions are basically concerned with how to go about all of this.

Firstly, employer. I've read on here that many consider EF to be like a 'rite of passage', or perhaps a necessary evil for beginner teachers, being the only place to employ 'green' teachers. I've also read the horror stories, as well as been told that the Bandung EFs aren't so bad. I've also been told that TBI is the best school in Bandung, but my chances of gaining employment are considerably lower. I would prefer to work somewhere where I do more than just babysit rich teenagers; do I have any hope of this in my first position, or is that something that I'll have to work towards?

Secondly, and perhaps this should have been first, is city. I've spent a few days in Bandung (unfortunately close to a toilet bowl thanks to Erla's), but not in Malang. Bandung seemed like a nice, relatively clean, cool city, though I have of course heard of the mountains of trash, and hordes of Jakartans coming down every weekend. Malang I know less of, except that it's a smaller city. Either would be nice for me. I don't particularly go for the nightclub scene, and am not particularly concerned by the proportion of westerners in a city - I have no problem making friends with locals. So... any advice from those who have been?

Thirdly, pay and conditions. What can I expect as a beginner in 2009 and who will offer it? I'm not really intending to save money to start with (hence living in Indonesia).

Fourthly, Career. Is it possible? Where can you take it from basic teaching? Is it possible to get a job as a headmaster of a swanky international school? Manager of an English School? Where can English teaching take me if I stick with it? I'm not looking to be rich, but it would be nice to know that sometime in the future I could settle in a country and set myself up in a livable environment.


I think that's it.

Cheers for your input,

Willy

[rayman]

[dalang]

Hey Wilkor,

You can get a job at schools other than EF, just send your resume to as many schools as you can and see which bites.

Your story sounds very much like mine a few years ago. After studying the language at university and in country I just wanted to go live in Indonesia. I was at the point of signing for an English school when I decided to go back and get my teaching diploma. best decision I made, now I am working at an international school getting 3 times what I could at an english school with double the holidays.

If your thinking career, go for full teaching quals. I know you may just to get to Indonesia, but in the long run you will live much more comfortably and be able to save a lot too.

[philbags]

Malang and Bandung are pretty much my favorite cities in Indo.
These guys have just about said it all but there are a couple more things; malang is expanding and now has two TBI schools and Bandung three. I heard that bandung is changing quite a lot; Dago is still out there, but its being developed all the time, still, the place is a lot more fun than it used to be; erlas and the consequent night facing the toilet ,no longer being the only option for unwinding after work.
Still Rayman (Hi Ray) and the others have it in a nutshell - if you want a career, you're going to need a lot more than a celta. Having said that, I believe that the CELTA offers an extremely valuable insight into classroom management, lesson planning, pace, presentation and evaluation of activities, so why not start there? Hey, you might *king hate it and then you'll be able to go and be an international playboy or something with no regrets.
All the best.
P

[Wilkor]

So... CELTA's not enough to make a career out of, but I'm assuming it's enough to make a start and get some experience? I was sorta thinking get a few years in peripheral cities (not Jakarta), then return home (Aus) for a postgrad course in Education (I suspect I'd need to do a Grad Dip in Education before they let me do a Masters, so maybe another 3 years), at which point I'd be well qualified to 'take on the world' so to speak? At which point I'd be pretty much forced to go to the big smoke of Jakarta.

Does this all sound reasonable? I know it's all sorta getting ahead of myself, but I'd like to know vaguely what I'm getting myself in for.

[philbags]

Yeah, CELTA is a fine start. It's funny, you spend 4 or 5 weeks getting bombarded with stuff that then takes a couple of years practical experience to really assimilate. Sometimes I can't work out if it's really progressive or just really mickey mouse (and I get the feeling the education establishment cant either). I will say the pretty much every EFL teacher I've met, p*sses over 90% of the teachers I had in secondary school in the uk.
For the future, a DELTA (2-6 months) might fast track you to an MA.
Just a thought.
All da best, I gots me some edjimicatin' to do back up 'hind the woodshed, nowuddameen?
P

[sherlock]

Celta is a good start and you can go far enough with it, but if you want to make a career out of it and work in good paying schools, why not do your DipEd now and get it out of the way. It is only one year and you will thank yourself later on in life for getting full teaching quals.

If you want to be in Indonesia right now, you could do your Celta, get a job and do your DipEd online. There are a number of Australian universities that do it online, but if you wanted to go back to Perth to work later on in life, it would be best to go through a WA university.

All the best

[guruengerish]

Unless something drastic has happened, TBI is also in Malang. Not high profile, but based at a Business University. It would have to be the best English school I've ever seen. Purpose built, excellent class room facilities and the housing available through the Uni was great. PM me and I'll send you some pics. The Uni and school staff were very friendly, and also the Indonesian English teachers. Only two other expat teachers.

Yes, there is a down side to this. The day students were all the Business Students, and to say they did not want to learn English is an understatement.

However, the evenings had 'normal' students from the high schools of the city, and many of these were very bright.

Malang has a pleasant climate, not unlike the higher reaches of Bandung, and as one writer has already said, there are some nice places to go to, and not the incredible weekend invasion of Jakartans which Bandung has.

You will find a big difference between Malang and Yogyakarta. The Malang folk are much more conservative IMHO, and while I still keep in touch with ex-students from Yogya, not so from Malang.

I know nothing about EF in Malang, or housing for teachers. but it's there!

[EES]

Hi Folks,

Is Celta training more about classroom management and lesson planning.
I have over 5 years teaching experience in California. I am planning on getting TOFEL certified before i leave. Do I need CELTA if I have plenty of classroom experience?

Eric

[guruengerish]

My CELTA/TEFLA course oh so many years ago, had a number of primary school teachers attending.

It seemed to me that they were picking up a lot of techniques and activities that are not part of regular teaching.

If you are going to spend a year or more overseas, the course is extremely useful, apart from the fact that many schools ask for a TEFLA/CELTA certificate.

Would you for example, know of two or three activities, where you could practice phonemes, have some fun and everyone learns something?

That might sound a bit droll, but it's all part of the fun of teaching foreign students.