Job Discussion Forums

[mukal]

Before I commit to teaching english abroad for a year or more, I would like to get an idea, through experience, as to what it is like doing ESL. I don't have enough money for a CELTA, but I do want a taste of what teaching English abroad is like. I don't need an appetizer (such as a CELTA), just a sample. My biggest worry about teaching English abroad is that I will go over there and I will end up hating the teaching aspect of teaching english abroad.

By the way, I'm looking at Korea, where certification isn't necessary, so any preparation beforehand would be for my own personal knowledge. Also, I don't have any teaching or English experience, just a BA in an unrelated subject.

[Glenski]

Be prepared for a plethora of answers based on whatever country someone is from, and their previous experience/background.

ESL is what you make of it. Perhaps if you explain why it interests you...

[naturegirl321]

There's a separte Korea board, I bet you could find your answers there.

[nickpellatt]

Its not the ideal time of the year, but it may be possible to try teaching ESL in your home country before trying it abroad. It wont be the same experience as teaching in Korea, but it may give you a feel for it.

Im in the UK, and from Easter time onward that are lots of teaching jobs available where I live on the coast with group of predominantly teenage students who come to the UK on short term visits to sight-see and improve their English.

I have also seen lots of similar jobs in Easter and Summer camps, and I would suggest trying your hand at these.

[anyway]

If you're going to Korea and thinking about living in a metro area, then to prepare I suggest you find the biggest building in your city. Go there during the busiest time of day and ride the elevators. Practice exiting as people are getting on and getting on as people are exiting....j/k...sort of...

Seriously, if you live in an kind of metro area now, search online (or yellow pages) for the adult education/GED/ABE/ESL programs in your area which are usually attached to some technical/community college, church, or social services program. Call them up and offer to volunteer. They will love it and you'll get the trial by fire that you want...

[Chancellor]

[Englishish]

Be careful! Though there are many jobs available in South Korea for people without CELTA qualifications, there are a lot of horror stories about bad employers there also! Whether you enjoy the teaching side (of teaching English abroad) or not very much depends on the place that you're working at and if the employer is happy to staff the school with unqualified teachers, I think it stands to reason that they obviously aren't that concerned about the quality of their teachers. I assume (naively perhaps!) that the chances of getting a bad employer there are therefore increased if you don't have a basic teaching qualification. I'd just hate you to decide that you hated teaching due to a bad experience when you might love it in different circumstances. (Mind you, the other half of me suspects that there are just as many bad employers for CELTA qualified/experienced teachers also so maybe I'm talking rubbish! And I haven't taught in Korea so maybe I should just keep quiet! What does everyone else think?

[sarahg]

Google "volunteer english tutoring" + your city. There are probably some organizations that use volunteers.