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Newbie TEFL questions
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naturegirl321



Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home

PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mancboy84 wrote:
1. x weeks/months before enrolling on CELTA;
2. Whilst doing the CELTA (in addition to network with peers and teachers);
3. After the course, either before leaving the country or in-country (assuming I've chosen a country before choosing a job)?

My current idea is to take the course in the UK, as I can live at home whilst studying, saving on overheads.

However, the course is around �1,650. I've seen courses in Thailand that equate to less than half that, including accomodation.

I might do an online trawl of countries, their CELTA & accomodation prices and put them in a spreadsheet. I appreciate that those factors ought not to be determinative of my decision, but it is certainly an aspect to consider (especially as I presume that CELTA is CELTA, throughout the world?)


Any of those times is fine. YOu could send out a letter of enquiry before starting and then contact schools again while on the course. YOur course provider will probably help you look for jobs. Or at least giv eyou websites where you could look for jobs.

Some schools don't require a TEFL cert, so before a course, you could be offered a job. They may offer a bump in salary if you have a TEFL cert, but that's not guaranteed.

While the TEFL course is cheaper in Thailand, remember that you'll have to GET there. So if you add the flight, it might make the courses pretty similar in cost.

And yes, you could job hop. UPside is that you see the world, Downside is that you have to start over again, often at the bottom of the ladder. Learn another langauge, ship all your stuff over, get new contacts, friends, and have to learn which schools are good and bad. Be aware, the some jobs don't count experience in other countries and prefer peopel with experience in that specific country. I've seen that in adverts for the ME and Japan. If you DO want to country hop, try to get into the British COuncil. They pay for flights, baggage and settlement allowance and it's a good place to work for.
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nickpellatt



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 1522

PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.britishcouncil.org/teacherrecruitment-careers-minimum-requirements.htm

British Council is off the radar for newbies. Minimum 2 years relevant full time experience required.
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naturegirl321



Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home

PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, for now, but he could apply in two years. Never too early to start planning and see what the reqs are.
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Steinmann



Joined: 17 Mar 2009
Posts: 255
Location: In the frozen north

PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nickpellatt wrote:
Minimum 2 years relevant full time experience required.


Exactly what type of experience is relevant? I mean, does this experience need to be ESL teaching, or can it be teaching in general?
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Steinmann wrote:
nickpellatt wrote:
Minimum 2 years relevant full time experience required.


Exactly what type of experience is relevant? I mean, does this experience need to be ESL teaching, or can it be teaching in general?
Oh, come on now. Even an inexperienced person should be able to figure that out.

Direct EFL/ESL teaching experience abroad will be considered most highly, especially if it's been in the same country you're pursuing. Next would be in a country that speaks the same L1.

After that, similar speaking language country.
Then, any EFL/ESL experience or teaching a non-English language.

After that would be direct English teaching to native speakers.

Following that is a mix of non-related types of teaching (Sunday school, scuba diving, sport coaching, business training, etc.). And, yes, there are those who actually put these things on their resume. Just try not to inflate it too much.
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Steinmann



Joined: 17 Mar 2009
Posts: 255
Location: In the frozen north

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:
Steinmann wrote:
nickpellatt wrote:
Minimum 2 years relevant full time experience required.


Exactly what type of experience is relevant? I mean, does this experience need to be ESL teaching, or can it be teaching in general?
Oh, come on now. Even an inexperienced person should be able to figure that out.

Direct EFL/ESL teaching experience abroad will be considered most highly, especially if it's been in the same country you're pursuing. Next would be in a country that speaks the same L1.

After that, similar speaking language country.
Then, any EFL/ESL experience or teaching a non-English language.

After that would be direct English teaching to native speakers.

Following that is a mix of non-related types of teaching (Sunday school, scuba diving, sport coaching, business training, etc.). And, yes, there are those who actually put these things on their resume. Just try not to inflate it too much.


I was thinking about experience teaching English in a public school system in the US, actually. I guess that such experience would not be too highly regarded in the ESL world.
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spiral78



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

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Teaching English to native speakers is relevant, but not the same as teaching a foreign language (this is what you mean, right?). Basically, understanding the language doesn't necessarily give one the tools to impart the language to speakers of another. There's a bit of overlap, but not a lot.

I've worked with English teachers teaching EFL - some were pretty good, and some utterly dreadful.

You'll need the tools to impart what you know in a foreign language context - but of course your experience teaching the details of the language won't hurt - they just aren't necessarily sufficient.
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mimi_intheworld



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 167
Location: UAE

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Steinmann, I'm an American English teacher. Three years teaching in the US, one in the UK. Due to the nature of my classroom in the US, I was a de facto ESL teacher, but I haven't got any stamps on my teaching cert to prove that.

If you don't mind sticking to teaching children, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at where a US teaching certificate (coupled with a few years' experience) can take you.


Last edited by mimi_intheworld on Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:47 am; edited 1 time in total
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Steinmann



Joined: 17 Mar 2009
Posts: 255
Location: In the frozen north

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mimi_intheworld wrote:
Steinman, I'm an American English teacher. Three years teaching in the US, one in the UK. Due to the nature of my classroom in the US, I was a de facto ESL teacher, but I haven't got any stamps on my teaching cert to prove that.

If you don't mind sticking to teaching children, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at where a US teaching certificate (coupled with a few years' experience) can take you.


I hope so. In fact, I'm counting on it. My classroom also has a very high percentage of LEP students, but not quite like you might think.

Thanks, Mimi. You're cool.
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mimi_intheworld



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 167
Location: UAE

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers.

(I was in Texas, so my LEP students were exactly what you might expect.)

Anyhow, not to argue with long-held mostly-truths, but you can even teach in Western Europe if you've got a teaching cert and some experience in the US. It's certainly harder to do and less savings-friendly than other places in the world, but it's possible.

I might even go so far as to say that your teaching cert & experience will open MORE doors than just a CELTA/Trinity/SIT, etc. Different doors, perhaps, but also usually better-paying doors than your average first-year CELTA-certified EFL teacher can open.

Not always, of course. But that's been true in my (very limited) experience.



Okay, I'm done disrupting this thread now.
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Steinmann



Joined: 17 Mar 2009
Posts: 255
Location: In the frozen north

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mimi_intheworld wrote:
Cheers.

(I was in Texas, so my LEP students were exactly what you might expect.)

Anyhow, not to argue with long-held mostly-truths, but you can even teach in Western Europe if you've got a teaching cert and some experience in the US. It's certainly harder to do and less savings-friendly than other places in the world, but it's possible.

I might even go so far as to say that your teaching cert & experience will open MORE doors than just a CELTA/Trinity/SIT, etc. Different doors, perhaps, but also usually better-paying doors than your average first-year CELTA-certified EFL teacher can open.

Not always, of course. But that's been true in my (very limited) experience.



Okay, I'm done disrupting this thread now.


I have classes full of Alaska Natives. Most of them speak village English, which developed from a pidgin of the local lingo, Russian, and English. I can understand them easily, but bringing them closer to something approaching Standard English is a challenge.

Thanks for the info, Mimi. Makes me feel encouraged.
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naturegirl321



Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mimi_intheworld wrote:
Steinmann, I'm an American English teacher. Three years teaching in the US, one in the UK. Due to the nature of my classroom in the US, I was a de facto ESL teacher, but I haven't got any stamps on my teaching cert to prove that.

If you don't mind sticking to teaching children, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at where a US teaching certificate (coupled with a few years' experience) can take you.

I have three certs of eligibility and was able to get into intl schools, but realised that I'd MUCH rather stick with teaching uni kids then little kids.
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Steinmann wrote:
I was thinking about experience teaching English in a public school system in the US, actually. I guess that such experience would not be too highly regarded in the ESL world.
You seem to have neglected that if you have a teaching license for your home country, you are eligible for work in an international school, and your experience is prime for that.

All you have to do is tell us about this experience, and we could have saved a lot of time here.

Now, were those public school system kids the same age as the ones you want to teach abroad? More info that would be helpful.

And, if you don't mind my asking, what is "LEP"?
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Steinmann



Joined: 17 Mar 2009
Posts: 255
Location: In the frozen north

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

naturegirl321 wrote:
mimi_intheworld wrote:
Steinmann, I'm an American English teacher. Three years teaching in the US, one in the UK. Due to the nature of my classroom in the US, I was a de facto ESL teacher, but I haven't got any stamps on my teaching cert to prove that.

If you don't mind sticking to teaching children, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at where a US teaching certificate (coupled with a few years' experience) can take you.

I have three certs of eligibility and was able to get into intl schools, but realised that I'd MUCH rather stick with teaching uni kids then little kids.


International schools would be great, according to what I read on here. I suppose, though, without an MA I'd have to take what came to me.
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Kiwi303



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 165
Location: Chong Qing Jiao Tong Da Xue, Xue Fu Da Dao, Nan An Qu, Chong Qing Shi, P. R China

PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:
[quote="Steinmann")
And, if you don't mind my asking, what is "LEP"?



Low English Proficiency

Anything from users speaking urban Ebonics, impenetrable rural Redneck dialect, to trade pidgin or 4th language in a fracured multitribal language country where everyone uses the old colonial tongue as a universal translator.

In other words, they speak english, Sort of. LEP ESP teachers are aiming to transform the english used to "Standard" english.
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