Job Discussion Forums

[cafemocha]

Hi,

I teach EFL in the Middle East, and will be moving to the States after a few months.

1. I was wondering how different is teaching ESL in the States from teaching EFL in the Middle East?

2. what are the minimum qualifications required to teach in a language institute in the States, and/ or in an ESL dept of a university/college? I have a CELTA but no degree. I teach in the British Council at the moment.

3. What kind of experience do employers in the US look for?

4. Which cities in the US would have more scope for someone with my qualifications to get a job in? I'm thinking Chicago, somewhere in California as there is more migrant population in these cities. Any other?

I'd love to have some feedback from people who have experience teaching in both places, or even one place.

[veiledsentiments]

Can you legally work in the US? Do you have an American passport or a green card? If not, we are at a stop right here. Assuming that you have one of those two...

You will only find a very few language institutes (BC type) in the largest cities and then there are few. I have no idea their requirements. Most of the ESL jobs are with the schools (K-12) and will require a first degree in education plus their state certification in both education and ESL. In most cities, immigrant adults are taught by county Adult Education programs which are partially supported by the federal and state government and have the same requirements as the public schools or a related MA. The universities mostly require an MA. The CELTA is not well known in much of the US. Thus you wouldn't be qualified for 90% of the few jobs that there are - assuming that perhaps one of those few institutes will accept your very limited credentials.

My classes in the two places were quite different because the students will be mixed languages and culture. Personally I find it easier to teach when the class all speaks the same language, then they tend to have the same problems. In the US, you tend to have many Spanish speakers and/or Asians from various countries - depending on where you are.

The major problem with teaching in the US will be that you will not be able to support yourself. You would not qualify for the few jobs that pay decently and provide benefits. You are looking at an hourly pay, limited hours (thus needing to teach at a number of places and having to commute between them), no sick pay or vacation pay, and most important, no health insurance.

Seriously speaking, unless you are going to the US with a spouse who has a "real job" - ie one with a salary and benefits, this may not be a good idea. In general, jobs in the US are very hard to find right now... especially if you don't have a first degree. In the US, I taught because I enjoyed it... I supported myself with my work in my first field of Accounting.

Sorry, but the news is all bad...

VS

[15yearsinQ8]

VS is right
without a degree you can't teach at university level or in K-12. Most school districts require at least 60 college credits to substitute teach. Universities require a Masters or PhD. Even with a green card or US passport, pay at an institute would barely cover rent - it is not a primary head of household income - you will starve before the end of the course - which is when you get paid.

I also saw on the news that in most states teachers K-12 are being laid off - these certified , degreed and experienced teachers are no doubt flooding the temporary jobs market at institutes and for substitute teaching.

With your credentials, you can't do this.

[cafemocha]

Hmm. This is v. discouraging...I will have a spouse visa, which i will try to get changed there so i can work legally. Have either of you ever worked in the institutes there? There's a v. long list on the internet of private institutes teaching English to adults in the States...I'm just wondering what their requirements would be.

Thanks for your replies though

[veiledsentiments]

Your spousal visa will allow you to live in the US, but I don't believe that it gives you the right to work. Of course, I could be wrong about that one. If you have not yet applied for the coveted "green card," I have friends that it took years to get one. This was a few years ago, so hopefully the procedures are more streamlined now... but governmental bureaucracy being what it is... ugh. Have you tried googling up any info on these details?

Yes, it is discouraging. I have to admit that although I heard of a few language schools in the Washington DC area, I never encountered anyone who worked in one.

With the high number of teachers being laid off in the US, I fear that you will have problems beating the competition. Do you have any other skills that you could use? It may be a good idea while you are waiting to get that green card that you get training in another field. You would probably make more money waiting tables or tending bar... and there are more opportunities for better pay and benefits getting trained for office work.

To be honest, when American friends with MAs were returning to the US from the Middle East, I recommended that they go back to university and get trained for another career and that is what most of them did. They are now librarians and accountants and web designers...

VS

[15yearsinQ8]

no, i haven't worked at institutes - i worked as a substitute teacher and a full time teacher while getting state certification
i would say the salary is 12usd an hour - nomore than 18 in higher cost areas with no benefits - in lieu of local credentials/experience , i hope you can interview real well - it's going to be hard - real hard - to find vacancies , let alone interviews to get a job - nationwide applicants outnumber jobs 6:1 - the highest ratio since that statistics was first tracked
you will need a social security number to work

but as VS said, forget it
you have a higher chance getting part time work as a house cleaner or dish washer - even then the competition is stiff

[cafemocha]

Would a diploma in ELT management skills be helpful?

Other than that, i'm a freelance travel writer, and I've got a diploma in textile design, and i can cook. That's about it.

No, I don't plan to apply for green card. I know it takes ages. My husband is studying there, once he's done, we'll probably leave.

[15yearsinQ8]

no it won't help - neither will the other items you mentioned

you should use this opportunity to secure an american bacholer's degree - in education (with state certification) or english literature

[veiledsentiments]

So, your husband is not American? It would be pretty much impossible for you to get a green card if he is not... even if you wanted to try. The ELT management cert wouldn't do you any good in the US. It is harder to get a management position than a teaching position... and neither is possible without a green card. It is illegal for any employer to hire you without it. I have had to provide proof to employers that have known me for 20 years because they have to have copies of it in their files.

Freelance travel writing or writing a book may be your only legal options. Once your husband is accepted to a university in the US, you might want to have him ask them this question. I'm sure that there have been many students with spouses without green cards who wanted to work.

VS

[spanglish]

If you've worked at the British Council, you're in for a massive cut in standard of living. Here's what I'd suggest (as an American): if you're can legally work, you need to think outside the box. You could tutor at a community college (sometimes the pay is actually quite good and there's no prep involved), be a conversation partner volunteer, be a conversation partner program coordinator (which would pay), offer private classes to wealthy international students, wait on tables.

If you're not legal, forget about it. Get a bachelors in education and certified to teach in the US. Then when you leave you'll have a shot at international schools.

The US is a tough enough place to make it as a citizen. I feel bad for those who can't even work legally.

[cafemocha]

by tutoring do you mean private tuition?

also, what's a conversation partner program coordinator? sounds interesting.

no, can't get a degree right now...can't afford it and dont have time...

thanks for the ideas...

[veiledsentiments]

[spanglish]

I'm a he

Community colleges award 2 year degrees. Students go there to complete their general requirements, then transfer to a university for a 4 year undergrad (Bachelors). They also offer nursing and technical programs. They have an open door philosophy and mission in regards to education, so they're easier to break in to (yes, I get the pun).

Like any college, community colleges have an academic support division that includes tutors (students who are strong in a particular subject who help weaker students) for subjects like writing, ESL and math. My community college also had a conversation partner program where native speaking students would volunteer to hang out for an hour or 2 a week with an ESL student. The person who ran that program was the coordinator and was paid. Tutors are also paid, from minimum wage to $11.50 or better/hour. Perhaps you could attend a community college and work under the auspices of financial aid. I know there were many foreign students working at my community college and doing these types of jobs.

Yeah...living in the US without the ability to work legally or the money to study. My only advice is to save as much money as you can while you're still in the Middle East. Or...stay there a couple more years if you can continue working at the British Council. That's a pretty good gig.

According to a friend of mine who's more knowledgeable than me about the ESL market in the US, the best way to get teaching work would be to get a masters in TESOL + certified to teach in a public (government) school. She's got her masters from the most well known university in my state + experience and was thrilled to finally find a teaching job.

[veiledsentiments]

Sorry Spanglish... I was overcome by the detail that all the rest of the posters here were female.

I had friends on the East Coast with MAs who had been unable to find anything permanent with benefits in years... and were commuting between a couple community colleges and a couple universities... and living paycheck to paycheck. All were hoping that eventually they would be able to get one of the few contract jobs at one of the places they were part-timing, but those that have them tend not to give them up. These places will have 20-70 ESL teachers and 2-5 contract positions.... miserable situation if one can't re-locate for a possible job.

Sorry... I digress...

VS

[15yearsinQ8]

120 hours for a bacholers degree - 4 years typically - at 70-87usd per credit hour - you do the math for the cost of a bacholers degree
IF you're not charged out of state tuition rate .....
60 hours for an associate degree - 2 years typically

if your husband will be in the usa for 2-4 years, I'd borrow money from every relative i know for a chance at an american degree if i were you

guessing here, this may be the last time you'd have this opportunity, otherwise a life with just a celta won't get you very far
just as your husband is presumably getting a higher degree to advance career potential , you should too

if you want to work under the table (illegally) post yourself as a tutor on craigslist.com for the city you move to