Job Discussion Forums

[rpc]

Greetings,

I've been perusing this forum off and on for the last few weeks. It's bizarre to finally be writing something; I feel like I already know some of you personally. Hopefully you can offer some insight here.

I lived on Maui, Hawaii for three months last year and had some powerful realizations. I realized that I need to be in near-constant sunlight. I also realized that, when in a tropical environment, even the work day can feel a little bit like vacation. I realized that invigorating sunshine, white Hawaiian sand, turquoise (bath) water, tropical fish, pretty girls and the rhythm of the water rocking me back and forth is supremely therapeutic. I went through some very, very difficult things in 2009 and found a sense of solace in Lahaina.

So I've decided to persue TEFL. To be perfectly honest, my hope, though I do have an abiding interest in both language and teaching, is primarily to sustain myself financially in a tropical enviornment. I've read through forum after forum on here, in to the early hours of the morning, and I've concluded that, since I have no degree or certification of any kind, my best bet for quick results would be to obtain a CELTA and head for an area of the world where an uncredentialed person can reasonably compete for jobs; viz., Mexico, Central America, etc. With that in mind, I stumbled across this opportunity, but am naturally skeptical, because it sounds pretty good: http://tefllife.com/degree

Thailand aside, my question is this: Where in the world could I most likely find a position teaching in an environment similar to Maui's? My goal isn't necessarily to get rich, though I would love to save some money; my goal is more to be rich in the things money can't buy. I value sunshine, tropical beaches, safety, employability, a stable paycheck, opportunities to date women and opportunites to play live music. (I'm a musician). I also value good food, smiling faces and a general heartfelt peacefulness in the people and events around me.

Thanks truly for any help you can offer.

Ryan
Sacramento, CA

[tttompatz]

With no credential of any kind and no experience you also have about no chance of finding stable, legal employment as a teacher.

Your link to the degree program was discussed here:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=85745&highlight=degree

and in my humble opinion it is virtually worthless and can land you in a Thai jail if you are unlucky.

Assuming you are American I would suggest heading for Mexico city, get a CELTA or other recognized TESL/TEFL/TESOL cert and get a couple years of experience under your belt.

At that point you can either look farther afield or consider upgrading your credentials (DELTA or BA/B.Sc) and start to make a career out of it.

Do be aware however that being on vacation in some tropical paradise is NOT THE SAME as living and working there. The location may be a change from the snow and cold but the daily grind is the same.

.

[rpc]

Gotcha.

Do you have any information about International House's CELTA program in Playa Del Carman, Mexico? I wonder if I could do that and then search Mexico and Central America for work.

Wish I could work in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, but I'm sure that's not gunna happen.

[tttompatz]

[LH123]

I think there is more or less a common consensus of opinion everywhere that, as a first step into ELT, the CELTA is a good move.

So where could you work in the tropics with just a CELTA?

I'd say....

Continental Central America (Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, Panama, Costa Rica, etc...)

and

South-East Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc...)

(Some countries, for visa purposes, will insist on a first degree of course. I don't have a list to hand of which do and which don't, the countries mentioned above are just examples, really.)

As another poster said, The Mediterranean is a lot trickier, there's not much going on in the Caribbean Islands, and I've never heard of anyone doing TEFL in Africa, the Pacific, or the Indian subcontinent.

As to the relative benefits and drawbacks of TEFL in CA/SEA, that might be the fodder for another thread...

[Isla Guapa]

[LH123]

Okay

[Zero]

[Isla Guapa]

[rpc]

[tttompatz]

[Prof.Gringo]

[naturegirl321]

[Isla Guapa]

[Leila51360]

Mexico still is in North America