Job Discussion Forums

[nihon]

Hello everyone,

I have a Bachelor's in English but I want to go back to get a Master's. In the meantime things have been pretty bleak as far as finding a decent job. I've lived in Japan before and can speak the language okay, so I thought I'd go teach there for a year or so to earn money for school. My questions are first: will I be able to save a lot of money teaching in Japan? I'm barely making it paycheck to paycheck right now. Also, do I have any advantage knowing Japanese and also having a teaching background? (just student teaching and substitute teaching)
Lastly, I've been looking at the i-to-i 100 hour TEFL course; it's just a little more than $300. Their 120-hour course is twice as much. If anybody has any experience with i-to-i program, let me know what you think.

Thanks for the advice!

[Chancellor]

[littleone]

You'll be much better off doing a CELTA or Trinity!!

[doner]

i to i is pointless do the celta or nothing.

[Glenski]

[idiggs]

I actually know a few people that are actually doing well from their I-to-I certificate.

This is the way you have to look at:

CELTA, Trinity are the best (probably the Harvards and Yales of TEFL)

I-to-I (is sort of compared to a community college education)

They are both the same education but you will probably get a higher paying job (and a better choice of where to work) with a CELTA or Trinity certificate.

Are you going to get a significantly better quality education from CELTA or Trinity? Maybe.

But at the same time do you have $2500 to dish out for it? And don't forget you might actually have to fly somewhere because they are not in every state and country?

And it is not like they offer a payment plan for their course? And good luck finding financial aid to cover it.

With a I-to-I certificate, it may take you longer to get that higher paying job that the CELTA graduate may get in their first year but it will still get your foot in the door.

It is nothing wrong with getting advice and guidance from others. But remember it is your career. Listen to your heart and do what you are going to feel good about.

If you are persistent in being successful, you will be.

"Whether you say that you can or say that you can't, either way you are correct". -Henry Ford

[spiral78]

With a I-to-I certificate, it may take you longer to get that higher paying job that the CELTA graduate may get in their first year but it will still get your foot in the door

Sorry to be pessimistic here, but this statement is not entirely true. Depending on the region where one wants to teach, i-to-i may not even get your foot in the door. It's not a matter of better-paid jobs, but of getting any job at all.

Consider the greater European region, where the vast majority of newbies have a CELTA or equivalent, and the job market is fairly competitive anyway. An i-to-i grad will face considerable challenges getting any job at all here in the current economy. The competition is simply going to outclass a CV with just this certification.

Another example: If the candidate wishes to teach in Canada - i-to-i is not sufficient for private language schools, much less better institutions. A CELTA or equivalent is required by law.

Most regions that accept candidates with a cert such as i-to-i take teachers with no training at all. In this case, i-to-i may indeed get one's foot in the door.

[idiggs]

[spiral78]

Will you get a fairly good job with a I-to-I or equivalent certificate?

Absolutely

No. Not in many regions of the world. Sorry. Simply not true to this degree. CAN you get a fairly good job with an i-to-i cert? POSSIBLY, depending on where you want to go.

The majority of Canadians speak English anyway so it is not really going to benefit one to teach Canada anyway. I'm not saying you won't find a job there but the TEFL/TESOL market is very small there

Actually the TESL job market is quite large, though competitive. Many, many students come to Canadian private language schools for English, and there is another market in immigrants. This market stretches across all public institutions and private language schools are prevalent in all Canadian cities. Google 'languages schools' in any major Canadian city if you're doubtful.

[idiggs]

[spiral78]

I think you need to consider whether i-to-i and equivalent certs are commonly accepted in other regions - Latin America, for example. You've basically only stated that they widely are accepted in Thailand and Taiwan.

[santi84]

Canada has a HUGE market for ESL but the pay is crap unless you have a minimum of an MA or your provincial teaching certificate. There are a few government programs that accept a TESL Canada Level 1 equivalent, but the hours are not sufficient to make a real living. CELTA is not as common here, although some teachers do have it. Usually, those teachers got their CELTA overseas and came back. A lot of newbie Canadian ESL teachers have a university TESL certificate (about 8 months full-time studies) or BEd.

i-to-i is worth toilet paper in Canada

[uruguay1]

As you can see, i to i carries no respect. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way. I bought a $300 piece of scratchy toilet paper. Employers know about i to i, and they will laugh at it. do yourself a favor and get a respctable 120hr certificate with a six hour observed teaching component. Dont try to cut corners with your certificate funds. do that with a cheaper apartment, less partying, etc.

[scooby doo]

[idiggs]