Job Discussion Forums

[ronaldnicol]

Hello. My name is Ronald.
Im 20 years old, and a high school grad. I do not yet have a tesl certification, although i am looking into getting one.
Basically, this is my experience:
-I have worked in hotels for two years
-Im a US citizen, so i grew up with English. (duh)
-I lived in the Philippines for 8 months, so I know how to adjust to other cultures. my time there is did a little volunteer teaching and one on one tutoring.
So, no degree, no real experience, only a strong desire and will to succeed.
I guess Im looking for some 'friends' to help me get my foot in the door. Where should I get me certification from? is online okay or should i take it in person?
As far as teaching without a degree, does this mean i can say goodbye to big cities like shanghai and Beijing? or are there still opportunities there?
If anybody knows where I should start....please point me in the right direction.
Thank you.

[JGC458]

Usually the better teaching jobs require you to have a degree, TEFL certificate and a couple of years of experience teaching. That probably means that only the less than ideal jobs will be available to you. These are jobs where you're more likely to be exploited. Also where you may need to work illegally. To work legally I think you need to have a degree and a TEFL certificate.

Aside from that, I've not found China to be a great place to learn the ropes. That's coz the schools/unis I've worked at "teaching" oral English haven't cared what I "teach" or how I "teach". I had big plans when I got to China, but the reality is that often all you need to do is get students to talk with each other and use the most basic of teaching techniques. By this I mean that even if you get a job here, you may not develop much as a teacher.

And I'm sorry, but I have to say it, why don't you think about getting a degree (if that's remotely possible). And no need to reply why not, just think about it.

Maybe someone else will post something more positive...