Job Discussion Forums

[MartialLaw]

Hello,

I have finally found a great site where i can actually express what i want to say and get some help hehe,

I am a 19 years old male living in united kingdom studying an access course in ict. I wish to like many here on this forum, go abroad, live in china and teach english as a foreign language. people ask me why, i like to give the reply, i love chinese culture, i love tutoring so when it comes to teaching english pretty much straight forward and yeah im going to say it, i love chinese gung fu which i have been studying pretty much for 8 years and hoping to continue that in china also. thats background information on me

what i wanted to know was, after i get a tefl certificate, how hard is it to locate work in china? i have talked to many students who are doing chinese related degree and when they go abroad they have told me, that you need next to nothing qualifications to get a job. also i have heard that many people go abroad for a few years and travel the world while heading back to their "original" job but i would like to teach english in china and stay their, "permanently" so is it best for me to get a degree or will it be ok for me to pass my access, do my tefl and start applying for jobs abroad. while i still have a great chance of getting a job compared to people who have degrees? i dont want to start a degree in 5-6 years time if laws change etc.

i know i have asked a few things and rambled on but final question is, for someone like me who is "new" but "sure that i want to do this" what exactly should i research? whats the procedure of applying and getting a contract to work abroad

thanks alot
yours greatful
Mohammed Ali

[jamesmollo]

Hi there,
What's an access course? what do you come out with at the end of that?
I hate to say this, but your age and lack of experience may/might be an issue depending on where you want to go. But, It's not impossible.
Without a degree a TEFL may suffice. But these days they want 2 years of teaching experience, that wasn't the case when I started out.
At your age, and considering you expressed a desire to stay here for the long term, why don't you get your degree and some experience under your belt before making such a drastic move eh?
just a suggestion, mohammed?

[roadwalker]

Mohammed, definately get a bachelors degree. You are young, so if you are thinking long term, you should set yourself up for as much flexibility as possible in the job market. No degree may still get you a job here but will definitely shut you out of others. Also if you end up thinking this ain't your bag, you still have a degree. Maybe you could work in a semester abroad in China or work a summer camp here, to whet your appetite and make a few connections.

At your age I would suggest a bachelors and if you're not completely broke, looking into a master's degree in Tesol or linguistics or education after that if you are still intent on an English teaching career. At least you will improve your odds of making a decent salary.

[MartialLaw]

kool, an access course is basically equivalent to 3 a levels which can help you go onto a degree.

yeah im heading towards doing a degree and yeah i want it as a permanent thing so i might as well get the degree now which will help me out. just wanted to know, if there is some jobs, like i could take a year out before i go university, have some fun teaching and then maybe come back to do my degree.

[brsmith15]

I'd also put some effort into improving your English if you ever want to teach the subject. Teenage cute as a modification to the language just doesn't work here. Our language supports capitals where required as well as proper spelling and punctuation, although you seem to bypass these traits.

I'm thinking about the impression you make on others with such a rambling style. To the reader, it demonstrates inattention to detail, carelessness, and laziness.

I know this is a rather informal forum and just about anything goes here. Gosh knows. I've been attached to Dave's since its inception back in the 90s. The problem that can arise is that this slopiness can become the norm and replace the proper use of our Mother Tongue.

Study. Get good grades. Mature. Also, being the age that you are, your dreams will change many times in the next few years and this idea about China may merely be a passing fancy.

[MartialLaw]

[Orrin]

@MartialLaw,

Without a doubt, you should complete your Bachelors and acquire a TEFL or TESOL before you make the �jump� to China. Without doing so, you�re, at best, going to severely limit yourself as far as employment possibilities are concerned; and, at worst, you�ll be �fresh meat� for unscrupulous recruiters who will sell you into virtual slavery to some money-grubbing language school owners who have RMB characters tattooed on their eyeballs.

You mentioned in your OP that you were fascinated with Chinese culture; but believe me, what you have learned about Chinese culture in England is something less than 1% of what the reality of Chinese culture is really all about. I have been a teacher and Director of Studies (DOS) in China since 2001. In that time, I have seem many people of your age (and younger) and experience level come and go. Invariably, the majority of them (something in excess of 70%) either cannot handle the enormous culture shock they experience, the demands of the job, or the radical cross-cultural adjustment they must make to survive here. Most of them leave, disgruntled, and usually on a �midnight runner� within six months.

Having said all of this, I must say that I admire your determination. I only hope that you have the tenacity to make the effort to get yourself properly qualified, and get a bit more �seasoned� before you jump with both feet into �The Great EFL Morass Of China�. Making some inquiries on Dave�s is a good place to start; but there is really a lot more that you must do to prepare yourself for China.

Cheers and best of luck to you.