Job Discussion Forums

[tanyakenapa]

I know of someone currently looking for a teaching job in Jakarta, however they are only 19 years old. They only have a TEFL certificate.

He has been told that the minimum age for ESL teachers in Jakarta is 23 years old, by Indonesian law.


Is there an actual age limit on how young an ESL teacher can be?

Any feedback aprieciated

[malu]

Forgive my skepticism, but to be a 'teacher' at age 19 would be quite an accomplishment. Presumably this guy was one of those wunderkind types that went to university at age 15(?)

[eddie honda]

can they teach legally NO, can they teach at certain EFs YES

[rayman]

[wannaBguru]

tanya, why not send him to your mate at TBI seeing as how u said they are so desperate for teachers.

rayman.......... physiotherapists help people recover motor and muscular skills after accidents. massuse help people.....umm... have happy endings? yeah good example. which group do u belong to?

esl teacher would be someone with a Bed specializing in linguistics or TESL, not someone with a 4 week cert and a couple of years at a language center. apples and oranges

[rayman]

Best anology I could think of on a few beers.

I'm a physio, but hold nothing against a good masseur.

[eddie honda]

a teacher is someone who teaches - good, bad or indifferent

qualifications do not make a good teacher, lack thereof don't make a bad one

ability is independent of these

could a 19 year old be a good teacher? of course

would the world be a better place without highly pretentious 'look at me i'm a "real" teacher with a qualification come bask in my warm pedagogical glow whilst i marinate in my overwhelming sense of self-satisfaction' type supremacicts? i'll leave that up to u to decide....

[rayman]

[rayman]

I might add, yes, I'm a qualified teacher with a PGCE, a MA (Education) and a respectable job that pays more than any professional teaching jobs in Australia. But, it bothers me not that others with 4 weeks training would also class themselves as teachers. Reason being, as most who go into this profession, ego is not at the forefront. Call yourself what you will. Just do your job with nobility and pride. End of rant....

[TEAM_PAPUA]

[Henry_Cowell]

I'm sure that Michael Phelps made a great swimming instructor when he was 19 -- after winning eight Olympic medals.

If the guy who wants to teach English at 19 has similar qualifications, why not?

[Kebo]

Are people actually comparing teaching English with being a Doctor??

You open the book, plan some activities and teach. Not rocket scence. Some people in the ESL field seem to have very highly inflated opinions of themslves,.

Can a 19 year old teach???? Of course you can, and you're young enough to do it for a few years and move on to something with better pay.

Try it for a year or 2 and if you like it go back and get qualifications. If you don't like it, stop doing it before you become one of the bitter, jaded people that frequent sites like this who try to pretend that teaching English to rich kids is the most noble thing one can do in their life (except if you do it at EF).



Rather embarassing really.

[Nabby Adams]

Kebo, hit the nail on the head. It aint doctoring. The truth is that as much as we'd like to think otherwise teaching is akin to the masseuse already mentioned. A 4 week course is all you need if you're not an idiot and if you are an idiot then a 4 week coure aint gonna help.

It does grate a bit though to know that my job is to be honest, semi skilled at best.

[eddie honda]

i think the same could be said for over 90% of jobs in any sector... teaching isnt rocket science, neither is working in a bank or being a middle manager in an office or being a physiotherapist or a civil servant etc... most people work in mundane jobs that lack challenge. thats why many people end up teaching abroad.

[basiltherat]