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pk_00
Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 2:02 am Post subject: Hope you guys could help out a(nother) newbie.. |
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Hi there,
I was interested in teaching English in Asia for a little while, and was hoping you guys could help me out with some questions I have:
1. I'm Canadian, with an hon. BA in Political Science. What kind of TESL certification would I need to teach in South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan? Do I need a CELTA/Trinity certificate?
2. Are 6-month contracts realistic, especially in the countries listed above? Or are they all one year plus? I don't plan on teaching for more than a year.. I would like to teach for the experience and to save money (which is why I've limited my choices to those three...from reading these forums, it seems that these countries are the main choices for those looking to save - correct me if I'm wrong)
Preferably, I would like to get a 6-month (or so) contract in South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan. Would this be realistic with a TESL certification that's *not* CELTA/Trinity or would it be best to get one of these'name-brand' certificates?
3. I'm eligible for the 'working holiday visa' for Japan -- would this help my prospects there at all?
4. Finally, from reading some of these threads (especially one here where the OP was a black female) it seems as if employers put a big premium on white skin. I'm of South Asian descent with a long obtuse South Asian name...would this be an issue in getting hired?
Thanks a lot! |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:23 am Post subject: Re: Hope you guys could help out a(nother) newbie.. |
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| pk_00 wrote: |
Hi there,
I was interested in teaching English in Asia for a little while, and was hoping you guys could help me out with some questions I have:
1. I'm Canadian, with an hon. BA in Political Science. What kind of TESL certification would I need to teach in South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan? Do I need a CELTA/Trinity certificate?
2. Are 6-month contracts realistic, especially in the countries listed above? Or are they all one year plus? I don't plan on teaching for more than a year.. I would like to teach for the experience and to save money (which is why I've limited my choices to those three...from reading these forums, it seems that these countries are the main choices for those looking to save - correct me if I'm wrong)
Preferably, I would like to get a 6-month (or so) contract in South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan. Would this be realistic with a TESL certification that's *not* CELTA/Trinity or would it be best to get one of these'name-brand' certificates?
3. I'm eligible for the 'working holiday visa' for Japan -- would this help my prospects there at all?
4. Finally, from reading some of these threads (especially one here where the OP was a black female) it seems as if employers put a big premium on white skin. I'm of South Asian descent with a long obtuse South Asian name...would this be an issue in getting hired?
Thanks a lot! |
Quick answers:
1.) Do you "need" a tesol certification = NO. Would it help you = yes.
You have the minimum (bachelors degree) to get a work visa in any country in Asia.
2.) 6 month contracts are NOT the norm in any of the countries you have listed. The most common contract is one calendar year followed by 1 academic year.
3) Yes, because you won't need sponsorship BUT the job market there is TIGHT and you can only (legally) work "part-time" on the WHV.
4) YES, it will make it more difficult, especially in the language institutes (which is where you are likely to end up since it is mid term for regular schools.).
. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:19 pm Post subject: Re: Hope you guys could help out a(nother) newbie.. |
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| pk_00 wrote: |
| 1. I'm Canadian, with an hon. BA in Political Science. What kind of TESL certification would I need to teach in South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan? Do I need a CELTA/Trinity certificate? |
None is needed in Japan. The market here is flooded with teachers, though, so as tttompatz wrote, it won't hurt. Most go with Trinity or CELTA if they want to be respected, but in Japan, hardly any employer knows the diff.
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| 2. Are 6-month contracts realistic, especially in the countries listed above? |
Most of the time (99%), no.
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| Or are they all one year plus? |
Not "plus". Again 99% are for 1 year.
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| I don't plan on teaching for more than a year.. I would like to teach for the experience and to save money |
Then forget anything shorter than a year. Setup costs in Japan make it prohibitive to save until you've been here about 4-5 months anyway.
| Quote: |
| Preferably, I would like to get a 6-month (or so) contract in South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan. Would this be realistic with a TESL certification that's *not* CELTA/Trinity or would it be best to get one of these'name-brand' certificates? |
For Japan look up Westgate Corporation. That's about it.
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| 3. I'm eligible for the 'working holiday visa' for Japan -- would this help my prospects there at all? |
Only in the respect that you are eligible to start work anytime (no delays in visa processing) and in the fact that you don't need a visa sponsor, and you can even take PT jobs right off the bat.
You'll pay 20% in taxes.
Not everyone accepts WHV holders.
You still have to compete with others for FT jobs.
| Quote: |
| 4. Finally, from reading some of these threads (especially one here where the OP was a black female) it seems as if employers put a big premium on white skin. I'm of South Asian descent with a long obtuse South Asian name...would this be an issue in getting hired? |
Usually, I'd say no. Don't say you are any hyphenated nationality (Asian-Canadian, Cambodian-Canadian, etc.). You're just Canadian. Be prepared for some to ignore you because they believe English can't come out of your mouth, and deal with the other 95%. |
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pk_00
Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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thanks a lot for your advice!
so with the working class visa i'm not allowed to work FT? so employers would still need to sponsor me regardless?
also, i've been looking into china too since i've been hearing that some companies offer six-month contracts. specifically, ASTON. Are there any other companies like this in China, and anyone have any opinions of ASTON itself?
thanks again! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| pk_00 wrote: |
| so with the working class visa i'm not allowed to work FT? |
What is this terminology? There are work visas and working holiday visas.
In Japan, both let you work FT or PT, but if it's your first job, you can't get work visa sponsorship with only PT work. |
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