Job Discussion Forums

[Hogarth]

Oh sorry, I didn't mean they gave me a cover letter! The first post mentioned that they give good advice regarding cover letters. I have Googled "cover letter ESL" (and variations), and the cover letters are very juicy and stealable! Back to using brainpower for me

[Knexus]

I decided to go to grad school to seek a degree in TESL. So far Oxford Seminars has kept me from being completely overwhelmed by the volumes of jargon someone like me (who majored in International Business and Relations - far from English grammar) has never heard of. Looking back on it, my Oxford teacher's attitude may not have been apathetic, but she was very unprofessional. I say that because now that I am working with professors who have their doctorate in TESL, others in Linguistics, I'm learning considerably more. I�d say doing something like Oxford will certainly not disappoint you if you are looking for some sort of experience with what teaching is really like. If you get a crappy teacher, the books are excellent starting points � some of them have fit right nicely with what I�m expanding on in grad school. Just weigh the $1000 cost against those definite benefits along with the other things you may or may not glean from it. Also consider what a few hundred dollars more will get you (i.e. CELTA) or a few thousand (DELTA) if you are serious about teaching abroad. However, I don't have any first hand experience with those qualifications yet.

I heard back from the three company's in countries I actually wanted to go to that Oxford's placement service had connected me with (for Japan - not AEON/Amity, though, but I did hear back from Interact � I assume another recruitment agency). I never heard from the Taiwan ones and Korea left me hanging, but I didn�t want to either anyway. Now that I'm in grad school I'm reluctant to quit since, at this point in my life, I have no wife, no kids, and no career. Suddenly hearing from them all at the same time after enrolling was one of those �ah dammit� moments life gives you every once and a while. What I didn't know was that I could put a hold on the placement service. Since my university has told me finding an international job is pretty much up to me, I'll be glad to still have some level of help.

Overall, I'd just say try your best not to be naive with the Oxford's and TEFL certs of the world, especially if your primary motivation is travel to developed countries. If you�re looking for money beyond what will maybe make you middle class in the developing country you�ll teach in, I�m afraid that doesn�t sound like a good idea either from what little I know so far. All the professionals I've met in life, and people here, have told me your best bet is to move to the country you desire a job in. Better yet, get your cert while you�re there. As far as I am personally concerned, I�ll be back in this soon as I finish grad school (or I flunk out, arg� Linguistics course).

[scintillatestar]

If you want the best security in terms of finding a job, do the CELTA or an equivalent. I would definitely recommend the CELTA, because so many organizations specifically ask for it. Most will accept equivalents, but sometimes the list is short. For example, check out this link:

http://www.wallstreetinstitute.com/jobSeekers/teachingStaff/certifications.aspx

It also may be easier to get a job working for a company that runs CELTA courses, in addition to employing English teachers. International House would probably be the best example.

Having said that, there will be plenty of jobs in certain countries (Korea, China) that do not require a TEFL certification. So Oxford Seminars would be fine, albeit not a requirement. Some schools in Korea pay on a sliding scale, and it possible you'd get paid a little more for a TEFL certification.

[Justin Trullinger]

Funny-

I've never worked for Wall Street, but in towns I've lived in where they had a strong presence, they were known for hiring the unqualified...

Maybe things are changing?


Best,
Justin

[Chancellor]

[LoPresto]

In China, Wall Street is well-known by the people and considered an elite training center that most can't afford.

In the past, Wall St. only hired people with 2 years teaching experience in China able to interview in-person. It definitely wasn't for the "unqualified".

Things may have changed though.

[mr tree]

[jstndle]

agreed. get a CELTA

[spiral78]

If i'm in a good mood, i'll inform the candidate that the training they received is not up to European standards.

I will second this.