Job Discussion Forums

Bicker · Joined: 08 Mar 2015 Posts: 4

Hi all, myself and my girlfriend are planning on doing a TEFL course in the near future and heading to South East Asia in September. To give you a bit of background we are both native English speakers based in England and we both have degrees. I have a degree in Sports Studies (BA) and my girlfriend has a degree in Sports Science (BSC). We both have no direct teaching experience.

Due to a combination of money and time we will not be able to do the CELTA course, but we are planning on doing a 120 hour TEFL course (20 hour classroom based, 100 hours online). I know a CELTA course would enhance our job prospects, but are we still likely to get a job relatively easily with a 120 hour course? This is the course we are planning on doing:

http://www.theteflacademy.com/course-information

I have no idea when the recruiting happens in South East Asia, will there be many jobs in September? When does the School term begin or end? Our likely destination would be Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam. We have visited before and enjoyed our time there.

Is it more common to get a job before we leave or when we are there?

Does traveling as a couple make it easier or harder to get job? Some employees may see us as more likely to stay for a longer period if we are together I would imagine. Has anybody done TEFL with their partner?

Due to our lack of experience and no CELTA qualification I know we won't start on a particularly high salary, but the experience is important to us to start with as long as we can live reasonably comfortably then saving money is not important to begin with.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks in advance.

Marc.

esl_prof · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:24 pm Post subject:

The TEFL Academy course isn't going to appreciably help your job prospects in southeast Asia. You'll do better to invest the same amount of money (or even half that) into some good quality books on teaching methods and activities and wait until you've saved up some money to take the CELTA course.

Others, who are currently living and working in Asia, should be able to answer your other questions.

Good luck!

Bicker · Joined: 08 Mar 2015 Posts: 4

MuscatGary · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 7:01 pm Post subject:

Don't waste your money. Save and do a CELTA/Trinity TESOL. If you really just want a piece of worthless paper send me 50 quid and I'll photoshop you two and send them.

esl_prof · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 11:30 pm Post subject:

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

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Besides, TEFL Academy claims that they're "fully accredited by the World TEFL Accrediting Commission." They're full of crapola---no valid international TEFL accrediting body exists.

Anyway, if you're pressed for time, why not consider doing the CELTA or a CELTA-equivalent TEFL cert in one of your target countries? The cost is likely to be more budget friendly. You'd be able to meet with potential employers face-to-face and possibly get job assistance from the TEFL course provider.

esl_prof · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 1:32 am Post subject:

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 7:44 am Post subject:

The Celta doesn't take so much time in the grand scheme of things. A month and a half? Equips you with the basic skills you will need in the classroom. And which your students will need you to have.

What's the rush?

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

The '120-hour' criteria is a smokescreen the online tefl course companies puff out to hide the fact that their courses don't include the actual key requirement, the supervised teaching practice with real students. All real courses offering the TP are at least 120 hours, but not all courses of 120 hours include the key component.

Bicker · Joined: 08 Mar 2015 Posts: 4

Thanks for the advice all. It seems unanimous that CELTA is the way forward.
I think doing in somewhere in South East Asia would be best, the course is a similar price (Approx £1000) but living there for a month will be cheaper than in England.

Any advice in my other questions?

Also my girlfriends degree is a BSC. I've seen some jobs advertise that they require a BA. Is this correct? Does a BSC not qualify for some jobs?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

suphanburi · Joined: 20 Mar 2014 Posts: 916

For SE Asia.... (and not necessarily applicable to the rest of the planet):

- A bachelor's degree (BA, B.Sc, etc) is a requirement for legal (defined as having the correct visa and necessary permits).
- - in some countries (like Indonesia) a degree in "English" is required for legal work as an English teacher.
- A TEFL cert is NOT currently a requirement anywhere in SE Asia and most employers (hiring for entry level jobs) don't care if you have one or not.

Those employers who do want to see a TEFL cert will want to see some Face to Face time in it (eg: 20 hours (in class, F-F) for EPIK - Korea).

For better jobs in the region a 120 hour "in class" course is preferred and on-line courses are largely ignored.

The CELTA is the "king" of courses in this part of the world (good marketing on the part of Cambridge ESOL) but Trinity and SIT are just as good and equally respected.

.

VietCanada · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 590

Vietnam requires a teaching certification as well as a bachelors degree. The teaching cert. can be an online course with multiple choice questions that might take a week or so to attain. Most countries just want a bachelors.

Most 'teaching' in SE Asia is to children. The 'A' in CELTA and DELTA stands for adult so those certs are pretty much useless here (for inexperienced
teachers). Nonetheless there are large companies here that insist you pay them as much as $1600 to take that course with them before you can work for them. There is no guarantee that you will pass or indeed, that they will even hire you after you take the course. So you pay that, study for a month and maybe they give you a job for $1000 to $1500 a month. Reps of those companies are all over these boards. That's the successful marketing that posters on these boards refer to. They're considered scams here amongst experienced teachers.

For example there is no country in SE Asia that requires a CELTA or DELTA yet how many people are encouraging you to pay to learn to teach adults when virtually all entrance level positions are for kids? You have to work your way up the ladder. Pay your dues. That has to be done in the country you choose. Nobody cares about what you did in another country. Nobody cares about extraneous certs. They only care about student retention and growth.

If you like the job and wish to move up then you'll need to learn about testing such as IELTS testing.

It's mostly kids (with a local or the actual teacher) looking after classroom management. That's a legal requirement. Would you leave a bunch of (as many as 50) children in the care of someone who doesn't speak the children's language?

If you aren't entertaining enough you'll learn to be or not. No teaching cert. can teach that. And that alone will define you as a teacher until you have sufficient experience to enter testing or business English.

Bicker · Joined: 08 Mar 2015 Posts: 4

We have decided to do the CELTA course, most probably in Chiang Mai in October.

Anyway, quick question which links into VietCanada's post. The CELTA is designed at teaching adults, yet most entry level jobs seem to be teaching children. So why is the CELTA so highly valued in schools with children and young people? I imagine the content that needs teaching is similar, but the way you teach is very different when teaching adults to children.

Thanks.