Job Discussion Forums

[JennG17]

Hi all,

My partner and I want to take a 6 month career break in either China or Japan - we don't intend to make TEFL a career, but do want to ensure we get placed with a reputable company while making the most of the experience for ourselves and our students.

I've read quite a number of posts about TEFL courses and think that taking a month out of work to get a CELTA or equivalent 4 week course is not necessary for us considering the short stint we plan to take as teachers. (We're willing to invest in our experience, but think Celta is overkill for the short stint in which we plan on teaching).

I don't have any teaching experience and neither does my partner. A bit about me: I'm a US citizen (living in London) and have a BA in Communications and Spanish (double major) and also a Masters of Arts in Global Marketing and Advertising. I currently have 6 years working experience in advertising (a combo of NY and London ad agencies). As for my partner, he works in travel for an investment bank and has a BA in business. We're both in our late 20s.

We both acknowledge that our educational/professional background doesn't prepare us for an english classroom experience so would like some certificate for our own learning, but are also keen to get a cert that has at least 100 hours plus min of 6 hours practical experience so that it's worth something to employers. In other words, we need the window dressing for our CVs to be competitive, but also are genuinely interested in getting trained!

Does anyone have any suggestions for London based companies that offer at least 100 hours plus 6 hours practical experience? I don't want an online course, but can't afford to take weeks and weeks off work either. Something in between would be perfect!

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Many thanks,
Jenn

[mister tom]

have you tried doing a web search?

[mister tom]

there must be dozens of such courses in london

[JennG17]

Hi there,

You're absolutely right - there are dozens! that's why i'm looking for suggestions from anyone who might have some experience or advice on good ones! And some that will actually be seen as adding value on the CV as I've read loads about weekend courses offered by companies like i to i that do not seem worth the money or time to complete.

I'm not being lazy - I can get loads of info from the websites of such companies, but forums like these are so beneficial because they're honest.

If anyone has any experience or suggestions, i'd be grateful.

[mister tom]

hi jen

i am a newbie too, i'm planning on taking on a one year contract in china doing esl

from what i have gathered the main thing with the esl qualifications from the employers' point of view seems to be the piece of paper - honestly

i too have a masters in an unrelated field and will not be taking any efl course - there are plenty of jobs there that do not require it

in my case i hope to be learning on the hoof as it were - far more valuable than any tefl etc i'm sure many would agree

hope this helps

tom

[mister tom]

i may well take an efl course while i am there = this is very doable too

[JennG17]

thanks mister tom - you think you could get accepted in china without any kind of tefl cert? i think i want to do one anyway just to give me some idea of how to handle the classroom experience, but equally don't want to spend money unnecessarily on something that i could learn as you say - 'on the hoof'

are you planning on applying once you get to china or would you try to get accepted in a school before you leave your home country?

[mister tom]

edit double post

[mister tom]

edit again, i will get the hang of this one day

[mister tom]

ok jen

heres the plan after much research on here (i recommend you do the same - there's a lot of info about)

apply for a whole load of jobs that fit my qualifications (i already have some teaching experience by the way)

hopefully get an offer - i already have one interview pending

review the contract and compare it to the many others that can be found

check out all the info i can about the school or uni, not forgetting to check any blacklists that are out there

if i like the school, location, climate, salary etc and contract i will contact existing and past members of staff - the school will supply these contacts and if they don't i will abandon the position

finally put an outline of the position, and the salient points of the contract up on here for the kind senior posters on the china jobs forum to get their input

having all that done i will buy the ticket and leave the signing of the contract until i arrive at the school - even after all that it might be hell hole and i will look for something else

thats the plan anyway

cheers

tom

[JennG17]

Sounds like a good plan - hope it all goes well!

Thanks for your help

[nickpellatt]

Hi Jenn

100 hours plus 6 hours practice teaching is exactly what you would get on a CELTA / Trinity or equivalent course! This is widely regarded as the industry minimum ... anything less than that such as a weekend course or short online course is designed (in the main) as something to just part you from your cash whilst offering a worthless qualification.

What you are asking for is exactly as the decent courses offer. Normally they are done over one month ... but certainly local to me ... there are course providers who offer the course on a part time basis. It is worth contacting local colleges and language schools / training providers in your area who may also offer courses on a part time basis.

As mentioned in this thread ... you can find work in China without the certificate ... but I do agree with you, that to get the most out of your experience, it would certainly help you to have the training before you go. Without support and / or experience ... it can be total carnage and not much fun.

[santi84]

I would recommend a bare minimum credential before attempting to teach, especially in a foreign country where you are unfamiliar with basic cultural classroom practices.

[JennG17]

Nick thanks for clarifying - i initially thought that celta was more than 100 hours and that maybe there was something in between celta and the weekend courses (that seem to be a waste of money from what i'm reading...) but i now realise that celta IS the 100 hour course + 6 teaching hours that many threads say are the min for a successful application.

I'm looking at this in 2 ways really - 1) what do i need to be attractive to employers in china and/or japan and 2) what do i need to be prepared for the experience. Of course keeping in mind i only want a 6 mo contract so don't want to throw my money into an expensive/perhaps not necessary course.

Another layer to this is that i want to go to the same city with my partner (not necessarily the same school or apt, but same city at least) and we want to arrive in Jan or Feb. I know that's not a popular time frame and it can be difficult to go with a partner so am just trying to figure out the best approach to make this happen cause i know it's not impossible either.

What i'm thinking at the moment is to start applying to jobs in china (not japan cause i feel id need celta for japan) with my boyfriend and buy some of the esl books that are recommended on various threads. I can see what kind of offers come in and then decide from there whether it's worth it to do the celta and reapply.

how does that sound to some of the more experienced folks out there? good plan?

[80daze]

Hmmm, okay, without a CELTA your wages will be lower, the CELTA will pay for itself, even in 6 months. I did mine in London last year for around 800 (pounds) and it has already paid for itself.

The other thing (apart from wages) is the school that will hire you without a proper certificate (CELTA/Trinity) will most probably be a little dodgy as by law you must at least have one of these.

and last but not least you will be competing with other teachers who not only have one of these certificates but may also have some experience, especially for the better well known cities.

My advice, bite the bullet and take the course, you'll be far better prepared.