Job Discussion Forums

DashGlobal · Joined: 14 Oct 2010 Posts: 23

Hey everyone, just looking to get some feedback or opinions on my rough plan that im fairly confident im going to go through with.

24 y/o with a business degree. My passion is travel right now and I just do not want to put my dreams on hold and start a 9-5 for an uncertain future at this moment in my life.

So ive recently decided to do ESL for the next couple of years. I plan to teach in Colombia the first 6 months to a year. After reading it appears I need to get a CELTA to make myself more qualified for the better jobs in Colombia and elsewhere.

With that said I plan on saving up around 6-10K by May and leave for Ecuador or Bogota to get CELTA certified. Then start visiting schools and universities in Colombia and handing out my CV and talking with directors with getting a decent paying job for the August school terms. And then hopefully work on getting a student or working visa to allow me to stay in Colombia till dec/jan.

At that point ill be out of my initial 8k savings im sure. So what im thinking is to then go to Asia and try and land a good paying job that will allow me to save about 1k per month that will enable me to travel around the world on my 2 months vacation time a year. I would like to do this routine for 2-3 years.

Then after living the dream and traveling the world at age 28 or so reevaluate my life and what I want to do.

I want to be married and start a family around 30 yrs of age. Ill have to relocate back to the US and start a career imo. And my travels/partying/and women days will be numbered or over with a wife and kids.

As far as Aisa goes MOD EDIT because I wouldnt want to get stuck in some rural China Provence with no decent nightclubs or bars and to conservative women. Am i correct in this opinion?

Any pointers or advise would be much appreciated. Or if you have or are doing something similar.

natsume · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 409 Location: Chongqing, China

I'm sure you are going to get some pointed advice/critiques from other posters, but for starters, where did you get the idea that you will have two months vacation every year?

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 3:08 am Post subject:

Postings focusing on living and teaching in Korea must be published on the Korean board and not here on the International board.

Separate registration is required and usernames and passwords do not automatically work on both boards.

DashGlobal · Joined: 14 Oct 2010 Posts: 23

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

Perilla · Joined: 09 Jul 2010 Posts: 792 Location: Hong Kong

IMO you're young enough to give TEFL a go and if it doesn't work out for you it's no big deal.

Ecuador is a low cost country, so it's a good place to do your CELTA. My advice would then be to look for work there too as you will make contacts during the course. If nothing turns up, Colombia is only a short distance, and also cheap. You may find your savings go a bit further than you think. Good luck.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

TEFL isn't a 9 to 5. It's more like a 1 to 9 (p.m.). Although technically running against Glenski, I'm actually reinforcing his point that TEFL is not a game. (Although I hear tales that some Chinese set-ups can be.)

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

My own situation is more like 8.30 - 18.00, most of the time. Very rarely to 20.00. In Europe, morning classes are generally popular.

DashGlobal · Joined: 14 Oct 2010 Posts: 23

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

In the former Soviet Union, evening classes are popular. (I speak not for Moscow and St Petersburg, however, as I've never taught there.)

santi84 · Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea

For an inexperienced teacher, you could probably expect the first while to be all work and no play. Classroom hours are the easy part, most newbies tend to vastly underestimate the amount of prep work involved for a class.

I can honestly say that I did just as much research, writing, and prep work in my one month TESL practicum than I did throughout my university degree. Handing in a poor paper is one thing, but standing in front of 30-50 students and being clueless is another thing altogether.

I think a lot of experienced ESL teachers tend to laugh when newbies completely romanticize TEFL. Those days are long, long gone. Students WILL walk out on your class, challenge poor teaching skills, and complain to your boss - they pay money to learn, not to support romantic dreams.

Having said that, you will do fine. Just don't be shocked when the reality of TEFL hits.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Yes, preparation is heavy to start with, although don't be too daunted. You will later find that, as long as you add a few additional talking activities, you can lean on the book for the core of your lessons. The hardest work is the course itself, where you prepare everything yourself, followed (as indicated by the previous post) the first month or so of actual teaching, mainly because of the need to organise and preparing in order to feel your way in.

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

TeresaLopez · Joined: 18 Apr 2010 Posts: 601 Location: Mexico City

It is not fun" is a pretty assumptuous comment dont you think? ...The main reason im doing this is for adventure, travel, and exotic women >>>>>>

Does actually doing a good job and teaching your students something enter into those plans at all? Please realize that in a lot of developing countries people sacrifice a LOT of thier disposable income to take English classes in hope of improving their life. Many times they are given a teacher who only really cares about living in an �xotic�country and really couldn�t give a damn about whether the students learn or not. If you are OK with robbing people who really can�t afford it, and doing innocent people hard, onward and upward. But if you have any morals about you, maybe you can find a better way to finance your adventure than robbery.