Job Discussion Forums

[Mr. Teacher]

I am currently finishing a one year teaching contract in Korea. I came here a year ago to try something different and I really came to enjoy my experience teaching.
I had no real experience before coming out here. Now I would like to expand my interest in teaching into a mini career (maybe 3 - 5 years). I currently a Bachelors Degree is in Biology, 1 year ESL teaching experience but no certification.
I understand there are a lot of different teaching certificates (Tesl Tefl celta etc.) but I don't know which one is right for me (adult English programs preferable). I don't want to spend more money than I have to to get a certification since I already spend more than enough on college. I'm looking for a good value. I am looking into moving out to the UAE in the summer of 2009
I would be moving out there with my girlfriend who also needs a teaching certification, but has 5 or 6 years teaching experience and I think will be able to get a much better job than me. (English major willing to teach any age student but she also doesn't know which cert is best)

So let me summarize the information I am looking for:

1. What certification is the best for the UAE, best value and best for teaching adults?

2. What certification is the most versitle for my gf who could teach and age group and also the best value?

3. If I am registered for a certification program can I start applying to jobs now? (looking to start work summer 09)

4. What type of job will I be able to get, do I meet the minimum requirements?

5.What type of jobs would my gf be able to get?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you ever more if you take the time to respond.[/i]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[mccainjohn96]

You can't turn yourself from a biology major into a competent English teacher with a short certification course. It's not in your blood. You have been teaching English for a year, and you still make comma splices, for example. As you know, there are lots of schools that will take your money and give you a certificate, with which you will be able to find a job where you will l be judged not on your mastery of English, but on your youth, your photo, your clothes, your political correctness, your use of the phrase "student centered" in the interview, etc. But my advice is to let your girlfriend handle the English and for you to stick to biology. They also need English-speaking biology instructors in the UAE. Get yourself a teaching certificate in biology. And get married before you go to the UAE. The Arabs don't think very highly of bachelors.

[veiledsentiments]

First off, an honest response is that you are not teacher-material for the Gulf. Gulf educational institutions require professional qualifications and related experience (mostly teaching Academic English). Your 'girlfriend' is also not qualified unless she has a current teaching certificate from your home country. If both of you went and got a CELTA, you could probably get an entry level position, but it would likely not be a place where you would want to work. There are many abusive employers in the Gulf.

If you seriously enjoyed teaching - as most of us here do - mccain had a good idea. Why not go back and get your credentials to teach biology? At the same time your girlfriend could get her education certificate. Then you could teach in international schools around the world. And eventually be able to come back to your home country and continue to do so.

VS
(and yes, it is illegal for unmarried people to co-habit in the Gulf even though some take the risk. Teaching couples are very desirable for the good employers, but you have to provide a marriage certificate.)

[Mr. Teacher]

Thank you for your helpful, yet brutally honest and sometimes overly opinionated responses.

[Sheikh N Bake]

Short answer: mini-careers in EFL of 3-5 years don't exist in the Gulf Middle East for those who are not trained and experienced in EFL. And since you need the degrees and more substantial experience to start, the mini-career would become a medium career anyway.

[adorabilly]

Mr.T.

You will find that invariably about once to twice a month someone comes on the UAE boards (the ME boards actually) making a statement like

I have a bachelors degree and a year teaching (usually in asia) and I want to come to the ME to make bank.

And usually the answers are the same. They can come across brutal, but that is what it takes. There are VERY FEW jobs in the ME for someone w/out the MA, or a bachelors and TONS of experience. The ME is not some giant ATM. I know in Asia you will hear about these great and EASY jobs in Saudi/UAE where you can go and work for 3 years and $ave all kind$ of ca$h. It isn't true, and it isn't easy. The ME is not for "backpackers" who only want a minicareer (3 to 5years). YOu will find that the teachers here who have put in 3 to 5 years working in crappy locations around the world, who have earned their degrees are a bit snippy to hear people thinking they can just walk in and do it without paying any dues.

When you (a general statement towards individuals with only a couple of years experience and a bachelors degree or less) ask, it gets tiring explaining numerous times.

You need to have a Ba + a celta+ at least 5 years teaching experience (or a MA and 3 years) for most of the Good jobs.

Now you got advice.
1. get a US/UK teaching certification in Biology and you can work at any of the international english speaking schools in the UAE at a decent salary.
2. Get an online MA in ESL if you want to teach english.
3. You may have heard the UAE is very liberal. They are and they are not. Get married so you don't have any problems with the locals and it would make you as a couple more attractive to those international schools.

[orinlouis]

I was on here some time ago, but had not yet completed my Master's in English. As well, times (economic/political) were different.

I do not expect to make bank, nor do I expect to find a giant ATM. However, much like everyone else here (at one point or another), I have a substantial pile of debt, at which I would like to chip away.

UAE also sounds like a very interesting place to be.

I have years teaching experience (all ages and levels: English/rhetoric/writing/ESL), but none abroad. Bachelor's/Master's in English from fine American universities.

Should I follow suit, and enlist for Korea, then whatever's next in the line of paying dues, or can I hope to skip a little ahead?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[helenl]

It never hurts to try putting your name forward with the more desirable insititutions (hey, worst they can do is say no). But IMHO you probably won't be placed on the short list for interviews as there are a lot of other people out there with the desired experience and credentials.

Who knows, you may be in the right place at the right time. But don't hold your breathe and keep looking at other more viable options available to you.

[orinlouis]

[Iamherebecause]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[15yearsinQ8]

tefl certificates are for those who do NOT already have experience teaching TEFL, which without a TEFL certificate requires a teaching license issued by a US state or territory (speaking from an American POV) which requires a BA in Educ (which has at least a 3 month unpaid student teaching component - actually you pay to student teach) or a BA/BS in anything but Educ but you will have to take 'top up' courses to include student teaching.
follow me?
your experience with or without a TEFL cert will NOT get you a job at a decent private Western school in Kuwait
you will not even be considered at any university in kuwait without a Masters - two colleges look at people without Masters here, but you don't have the expereince nor qualifications for them.
my advice, if your gf is rich, marry her, take her to the USA and have her fund your getting a MA in Educ then divorce her