Job Discussion Forums

[Father.abraham86]

I am interested in a future career in teaching english abroad. I am a native of Texas, USA.
I have no experience and very little information about teaching abroad. Can you teach in Germany without a college degree? Does the state mandate the necessary qualifications? Or is it left up to the schools and the competitive job market and employee pool? If a degree is necessary, what would be the most applicable thing to study and could I study it in a german university?

Thanks to anybody who posts an answer to any or all of my questions!

[spiral78]

Ok, no one else seems to want to bite.

First, North Americans and other people who are not citizens of an EU member country are at a tremendous disadvantage throughout Europe. While laws vary from country to country, and Germany does still sometimes issue living/work permits to North Americans, British teachers generally have a much easier time getting legal working permits, and therefore, work.

Second, as a newbie who is 1) American and 2) presumably without a university degree, you are at a distinct disadvantage - most newbie level teachers DO have a degree in something. Whether that necessarily makes them better language teachers is debatable, but it's the norm, and it's obvious from your CV whether you have one or not.

Third, studying in foreign universities means that you pay much-higher student fees (this is also true for foreign students coming to the States to study). And, obviously, most fields of study at many foreign universities will not be open to you unless you are fluent in the local language.

Fourth, you would need a basic certification for any European jobs. That's 120+ hours on site, including supervised teaching practice with real students (not peer trainees), preferably taken in the country where you want to start teaching.

Not to dishearten you entirely. It's possible to find jobs, and I think still possible for Americans to get work permits in Germany (check the Embassy websites for current info on this), but it's very, very important to have realistic expectations about what you can expect. Germany may be possible, but would most likely not be easy for you at all.

[tefl_john]

Firstly, you'd have to be here to stand any chance. Have enough cash to see you through a few months of waiting for a permit, and hope for the best.

It won't be easy.

[Haft]

I don't mean to contradict Spiral78, but the tuition rates for Germany should not be that much of a problem, besides the fact that Americans get ripped off (and way more, by the way) by their own domestic university systems. Just take out loans if you're desperate, it's a college degree either way.

[spiral78]

Haft, just to clarify, it's pretty standard for universities to charge 'foreign' students much higher tutition fees than domestic students. Are you saying that even the 'foreign' fees in Germany are better than the rates in the US? You might be right about that!

[Nmarie]

[spiral78]

I can speak for sure about Netherlands and one or two German universities, which I know for certain charge standard higher tutition rates to students from other countries.

For example, the German students at our university in the Netherlands pay about 30% more than Dutch students for the same course of study.

[JZer]

[JZer]

Ok, international Master's that are taught in English usually cost more. Maybe they get less funding from the German government.

Also remember that a B.A. from a foreign country may not qualify you to work as an English teacher in some countries.

you can check these links out:
http://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programmes/07535.en.html?ipid=161&iplevel=1&ipterm=&ipfield=0&ipsubject=100&iptypehei=0&iptownhei=&iphei=0&iplangdistribution=0&iplangtest=&iptuitionfees=0&ipjointdegree=&ipparttime=&ipfasttrack=&ipcombined=&ipduration=0

350 Euro per semester for this program.

www.daad.de-you can see different programs of study offered in Germany.

[MargeSimpson]

Hi Father A86,

I can only share my experience with you - which is over 2 years old.

My boyfriend and I were living in France and I was having NO LUCK getting work since I was not a citizen of a European Union country. (We're American. ) I had over 5 years of business English teaching experience in Japan and a college degree. I had about 5 responses to my resume but no one wanted to hire me because I didn't have a permit to work in France.

So, I tried applying on-line to some companies in Munich since we were heading there for Oktoberfest anyway. I said up front that I was an American and had no work visa for Germany. I was told that I could get a freelance visa and it was nothing to worry about.

Two companies asked me to come in for an interview. One interview lasted about an hour and a half and was designed to make sure they were hiring an experienced teacher and not someone off the street. The other was about 5 minutes. I got both jobs which was good because the freelance visa required that you not work exclusively for one company.

We moved to Munich and proceeded with the visa process. I needed a letter of intent to hire from both companies and copies of my college diploma among other things. I also needed to buy German health insurance (which isn't cheap.)

The bottom line is, I think it will be difficult for you to get a freelance visa without a college degree and no experience. The ESL world seems to be getting ever more competitive.

I would suggest getting your degree in the US and doing some volunteer teaching to pad your resume before venturing off to foreign lands. I've been to some companies where they expect you to teach a mock class during the interview. It helps to have that past in-class experience to give you confidence. And there are some companies that prefer American English over British English which may give you an edge in some cases. Hopefully, you do not have a heavy Texas accent.

Good luck!

[UICAlum]

I might be able to answer some questions here, as I just moved to Germany and have started teaching. The college degree is important (I was required to provide transcripts to the government, though many of the requirements vary from city to city), but you won't necessarily need anything in the teaching field. My degree is in literature and I know other teachers who have degrees in business and other fields (I wouldn't think you would want to base what you study on teaching in Germany). If you feel less qualified, there are certifications like TOIC and CELTA that will really help you (though I have neither and still find plenty of work). CELTA is really a valued one, though I hear mixed reviews about the courses, which are expensive and run a few months.

Yes, it is harder for an American, being a non-EU citizen, to get work permission, but the odds you are denied are pretty low. You really just have more paperwork and hassle to go through (I posted something about this in a thread called American freelancers). Americans are allowed to come to Germany on a tourist visa, lasting 3 months, and then apply for work and residence permission. Many language schools are in fact pleased to see Americans, as companies that need English to deal with the US prefer Americans over other English speakers as they are aware of the accent and culture. In Germany hiring preference is given to Germans and EU citizens, but it is moot for English teachers, as you can prove that, in just being from the country, you are more qualified than others, and not taking jobs from Germans (the auslaenderbehoerde in fact won't even bother you about this).

You should bring over money to tide you over a few months (though you may find work quicker). Berlitz language school actually recommends bringing 2500 to 3500 euros in savings to help get started, but more is better.

[globalroamer]

Thanks for all this great information, it really helps us "newbies" to have as much info as possible regarding teaching...I am considering taking the CELTA in Berlin in August to start my teaching "career". I currently live in the U.S., have a BA degree in Communications, and have 23 years of experience in teaching, but all of that physical education type classes (coaching, lessons, etc). I understand that the CELTA increases my chances of employment, and better prepares me in terms of teaching, but what do you think my chances would be if I came over and just hit the pavement and visited English Teaching schools (Berlitz, WSI, and others) and simply asked if work was available?

In reading posts, I see that a number of ESL teachers do NOT have a TEFL cert, and honestly if I could put $2700 (the course and accommodations) to better use to get as much time as possible to seek out employment, that may suit me better. I would like to stay in cities that I have visited before (Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt), but wouldn't be against going anywhere really, just to get my foot in the door!

What do you all think? Thanks upfront for any insight you may offer!

[spiral78]

Berlitz and other schools that require teachers to use only their own methods don't require TEFL certification.

They usually pay at the lower end of the local scale and may require you to spend one or two weeks training in their methods unpaid.

Further, experience at one of these schools won't get your foot in the door of schools outside their own chain - the methods used at Berlitz, for example, aren't considered highly reputable by most private language schools.

So - it's little use for your CV, but if you can use such a school to get established somewhere, and go for a certification later, it's one way to get started.

[globalroamer]

Thanks Spiral! So would I be considered "Freelance" with that? Or would that have another status? I see that I would have to have at least 2 Freelance offers to apply for a Visa, and obviously get German insurance...

[spiral78]

I can't say for certain, but I really doubt that in the current economy, Berlitz (or any other language school) would need a teacher badly enough to give him/her anything other than freelance employment.

Life's tough over here at the moment (I"m in the Netherlands, and work in partnership with a couple of German unis, so I have a clue, though not the whole picture, obviously).