Job Discussion Forums

CircadianGirl · Joined: 24 Mar 2010 Posts: 2 Location: London

Hi everyone,

I've recently got my TEFL certificate and have been reading through the forums for the past few days, my mind is reeling a bit and I'd love some advice...

My situation is: I'm 30, French native but based in London for the past 12 years, so my english is fluent and my accent generally fools people who don't know my origin. I have a bachelor's degree in Film & Video production and worked in those industries for a few years.

I also have a diploma in translation from the Institute of Linguists, and experience of giving private lessons in either language.

My TEFL certificate was awarded by i-to-i...after reading what has been said about them on the forums I'm seriously worried. (I did 120 hours plus 20 hours practical module, extra grammar and specialized modules, which i thought was pretty thorough)

I am a newbie to classroom teaching.

My 2 questions:

1) is my nationality going to disqualify me with employers? I guess it depends how badly they need teachers, but I'm worried i won't even make it to phone interview stage. I have been assured this doesn't matter but combined with what i now realize wasn't the best certificate, well...I didnt do a CELTA/Trinty because I just plain can't afford it.

2) Which countries/schools are my best bet for a first job? I'm pretty open regarding location, although I like Russia (total visa mayhem at present though...) Indonesia and other asian destinations, and South America.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give! x

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Re: Asia

Japan will take you. You could teach English or French. There is a glut of teachers here at the moment, and you are missing the peak hiring month as you read this.

Good news is, you can apply either for a work visa or a working holiday visa. The former requires an employer to sponsor you, but the latter does not.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:02 am Post subject:

Re: Russia, nationality wouldn't be an issue. Plenty of other European nationalities teach English as well as their first language - especially in the McSchools. Visas, as you already know, are a mess at the moment. This should pass, but only God knows when.

Old Surrender · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:11 am Post subject:

China could be an option. I met a Mexican English teacher here and heard stories of Nigerians teaching in my city. Apply to some jobs and see who bites. No harm in trying.

Outside the Middle Kingdom, I don't know.

CircadianGirl · Joined: 24 Mar 2010 Posts: 2 Location: London

Thanks for the replies guys, that's very helpful, i'm going to investigate those possibilities!

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:55 pm Post subject:

Latin America, esp. Mexico is another decent option.

fandeath · Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 5

Korea! My friend here is from Quebec, Canada. He has a slight accent, but no student/boss has noticed it in over 10 years.

tttompatz · Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:47 am Post subject:

Chancellor · Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 12:53 pm Post subject:

Since you went through i-to-i (and, therefore, didn't have a teaching practicum with real ESL students), take advantage of its job placement service (http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-placement-service/). That'll at least get your foot in the door somewhere until you can gain enough experience to overcome the deficiencies of having an i-to-i certification.

Worth reading: http://www.teflcoursereview.com/i-to-i-tefl/ and http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/tesol/index.pl?page=2;read=2786; http://teflblacklist.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-to-i-tefl-up-to-their-old-tricks.html