Job Discussion Forums

bagohmm · Joined: 17 Feb 2010 Posts: 4

Hey all,

Am currently working in South Korea for a year teaching English in Public school.
Wondering at the moment what my options are for September (contract is up then)..
Am looking towards teaching in London.. what are job prospects like and also pay?
I'm Irish, with a BA in Psychology and English, also a Post Grad Degree in Education (like a PGCE) and a 4 week ACELS TEFL.
Would appreciate any advice regarding my prospects for a job in London..!

Thanks Smile

barabbas · Joined: 22 Aug 2009 Posts: 58

London is possibly the worst place in the world to do TEFL (search some previous threads here).

The pay is not enough to live on.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Mainstream teaching in real schools pays well. There is a reason for that.

kazazt · Joined: 15 Feb 2010 Posts: 164

Yes but you need real teaching qualifications that is why most TEFlers do not do it

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Re mainstream education: it rather depends upon what your postgrad degree qualified you to do. Was it primary school? Or secondary? Or adult education? (for the last of these, think Further Education colleges)

If as I suspect, it is in English for secondary, then I think such jobs come up, both temporary and permanent. You could also teach FE (i.e. A level English).

Whichever, you could approach schools/colleges directly, or look at advertisements in The Guardian newspaper (the education section used to be on Tuesdays, don't know if it still is), or www.guardian.co.uk/jobs or approach recruitment agencies specialising in education (do a web search).

TEFL jobs: yes, a lot more poorly paid, even if you can find a job. Hunt around. There are loads of schools in London, but rent is high and hard to meet on TEFL wages. Consider other 'TEFL cities' such as Bournemouth and Norwich. IGNORE MY COMMENT ON NORWICH; THIS IS WRONG. There are only a few schools there.

kazazt · Joined: 15 Feb 2010 Posts: 164

Norwich a tefl city???????????????????????

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

I don't know why, but there are a lot of language schools there. I also don't know why you think this is peculiar. It is a particularly beautiful unspoiled city, and much cheaper to live in than London, so presumably students who are less obsessed with the metropolis gravitate there.
The first two sentences of this message are incorrect. Please ignore them. I apologise.

kazazt · Joined: 15 Feb 2010 Posts: 164

There are only a couple of schools in Norwich and a few summer courses. Other than NILE-that is it.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

I stand corrected and apologise; I got it wrong.

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Norwich is the home of the University of East Anglia, which has one of the finest creative writing programmes in the country, featuring the likes of Malcolm Bradbury, Angus Wilson and graduates such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan. Folk gravitate there for that.

Also, there is the newly opened (2001) Norfolk and Norwich University hospital and Norwich University College of Arts.
The Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE) draws students and teachers for Methodology courses, so there are loads of students about.

Norwich has easy rail links to London and Cambridge (people commute daily) yet it markedly cheaper, and it has just been rated as one of the UK's top 10 shopping destinations. And no...I don't come from Norwich!

kazazt · Joined: 15 Feb 2010 Posts: 164

So what? It still does not have many TEFL jobs and if it did the money would be apalling.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

kazazt · Joined: 15 Feb 2010 Posts: 164

It is new for you that Norwich is not a `TEFL city.`

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

TEFL in Ukania is a ticket to poverty. Do something more respectable, like working for the Local Authority Parks Department.