Job Discussion Forums

Transpective · Joined: 19 Jan 2011 Posts: 8

Hey guys,

Im planning on doing an in country Certificate to Teaching transition this coming August. The idea is that I would be taking a class to earn my TESOL in August, and then transition into teaching in the following months. If I were taking the class in August, would it be reasonable and possible to find a job in September? Many thanks for any help on this...

travelNteach · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 222

No. Ramahdan the Islamic holy month begins the first week of august and ends with Idul Fitri the first week of September. Traditinally, this is the wost time to look for jobs as many students delay english courses during this time period. This has been mentioned many times and if u had done a search, i am sure that you could have easily found the answer to your question.

BTW, what Certificat to Teaching program are you taking? who is running it? what degree/cert will you have when u complete it? is it a 2 or 4 year degree or a 1 month cert course? What is the name of the organization? This will also have a big impact on job prospects s does your country of origin, age, experience, and educatona (1st degree). there are a lot of shady companies that are willing to take your money but dont have any recognizaton within indonesia or worldwide. stick to the big boys like CELTA or Trinity. any company that is willing to give u recognized teaching certificate should have jobs lined up for you. sounds kinda shady to me

best wishes

Transpective · Joined: 19 Jan 2011 Posts: 8

Oh dear...First of all, please forgive my naivety. I should have run a search before I posted, but i didnt think of that until AFTER I posted the topic : (. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed with all the posts on here, and just throw the net wide, sorry about that. I got your PM, but I cant respond to them yet with only 2 posts, so I'll respond here.
First of all, the certificate is through a program called Tefl Indonesia . Its a one month program that will earn me a TEFL certificate. I am from the USA, I am a recent college graduate with a degree in Anthropology with a certificate of proficiency in Chinese (Mandarin). I have about 2 years of teaching experience, 3 counting a stint doing health literacy classes through Americorp. From what you say, and from what I've read on the boards, Its better to do a trinity or CELTA, which is a change I was already considering. I've heard that the recent government crackdowns have made it possible to teach only if you have a degree in English, but I've also heard that its possible to work around these regulations (though risky). Thankyou again for your response and your message, It really encourages me to see someone reaching for my hand as I grope through the dark.

Nip · Joined: 23 Feb 2011 Posts: 7

You can still reply to PMs, you just can't initiate them until you've posted 5 times.

Trinity/CELTA is the way to go.

extradross · Joined: 23 Apr 2010 Posts: 81

No Celta/Trinity-[two moneymaking rackets] ain't the way to go 'if' you are in possession of a 3/4 year complete degree and a couple years of teaching experience + savy. The degree is no. 1.The 'couple of years experience' is 2nd. The 'much-touted' 4 week CELTA course with 'observed teaching practice...blah, blah' a 3rd, but if you can avoid the language mills then...I sometimes wonder if contributors to this board are trying to sell this semi-worthwhile course as the 'golden bollocks' of teaching in Indonesia-a formerly 'prodigeous' instituting award body has become increasingly slack and commercially driven in recent years-ala 'International House' or the formerly mighty TBI-the reality is that in an increasingly competitive job market throughout Asia for 'newbies' what matters is having a degree-B.A. in appropriate subject to teach. 'Some' former teaching experience, [not 6 hours of 'contrived' observation'] and a period of enrichment/academic development beyond your initial period of study. The only country in South East Asia that really recognizes/regards the holding of the CELTA/Trinity diploma is Vietnam-where it is a prerequisite to obtaining a working permit.

Atoms for Peace · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 135 Location: NKRI

phis · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 250

This is Extradross, once again, giving false and/or misleading information to a 'newbie' who is making a serious enquiry and expecting some valid feedback. It seems to be how he gets his kicks!

CELTA is one of the teacher training courses/examinations which are offered by Cambridge University ESOL department, starting with TKT and advancing in complexity up to the diploma level DELTA. These examinations can only be administered by centres authorised by Cambridge, and these centres and the examiners are closely monitored by Cambridge ESOL. The certificates are recognized worldwide by educational institutions and governmental departments (i.e. departments of education). It is not to say that you cannot get a job, and work visa, with one of the other qualifications, but having a CELTA is a shoo-in, especially with education departments. If you want more information about any of the exams, you can go to 'Cambridge University ESOL' website (sorry, I can't remember the website address at the moment, but you can just google it).

As far as I know, TBI is the only centre authorised to run the CELTA course in Indonesia, but this may have changed! Again, the website will give you a list of authorised centres worldwide.

'Preparation' for the entry level TKT course can be offered by any school, centre, and you have to do lots of research to find out if the centre you choose is a reputable one. However, the exam itself is still administered through authorised centres only. Having said that, the TKT is really aimed at non-native speakers, and is not really the way to go for you.

I hope this clarifies matters for you a little.

travelNteach · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 222

it has already been established that TI is a crap organization that is not even accepted in indonesia, much less recognized internationally. just look at their website. if u have to advertise nightlife to attract students, it must be pretty bad. 2 of the 4 trainers are local and i heard the 2 bules they have are not even native speakers.

i dont agree with extradoss either. i dont think a ba in history or business management in any way, shape or form qualifies u to teach english, nor a degree in english literature. u need BA in TEFL/ applied linguistics to be a qualified EFL/ESL teacher. next to that, i would prefer a degree in educaton. after that, i think CELTA is the best bet. i dont think a couple of years teaching amounts to much as it doenst show the quality of teaching. learning a few games to keep students interested or playing human tape recording machine doesnt amount to much. i can go to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls everyday, but that dont make me a golfer. i would still be crap without some professional instruction. i know people that have been teaching 20 years and i would never hire them.

to OP, there was a recent thread titled bogor i think, where that OP just completed his CELTA. i have never taken CELTA, nor do i think a 120 hour couse with 6 hours qualifies anyone to be a teacher, but at the least it should show them how little they know and hopefully motivate them to take more courses or a degree in the interest of better serving their students.

definately dont waste your money on TI. it is better if u just deposit the money in my pocket and i give u the address to EF. EF would hire u with or without the TI cert. nobody else will. lol. good luck

and try to change your arrival date

Nip · Joined: 23 Feb 2011 Posts: 7

I advise anyone considering EFL to ignore this person:

Transpective · Joined: 19 Jan 2011 Posts: 8

You guys are awesome. Yeah, Im gonna go ahead and ignore dr. dross over there, and I really appreciate all the responses. My teaching experience was actually pretty in depth. I worked with the Chinese Immigrant population in Philadelphia and did everything from extensive curriculum development to organizing workshops to being a private reading tutor. I still don't feel confident enough to walk into a classroom without formal training, but I feel that acquiring a CELTA will provide me with some solid foundational tools to work with as I continue to learn how to be a teacher. If I were still to leave in august, that would likely be when I was getting my certificate, so I wouldnt be looking for jobs then. But would it still be a bad idea to start off in early to mid September with the job search process?

phis · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 250

What TravelnTeach says about Ramahdan is true. However, it is also true to say that employment is pretty much an all-year-round thing here in Indonesia. People are coming and going all the time, and vacancies crop up all the time too.

A lot will depend on where you want to live and what type of school you are aiming for. There are always vacancies in larger cities such as Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya etc. There may be fewer vacancies available in smaller places. International and National+ schools have established hiring periods, although vacancies do crop up at other times due to staff leaving unexpectedly, etc. Language schools hire all year, with peak periods in July and January.

In brief, you shouldn't have any problem finding a job after your course. Good luck.

travelNteach · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 222

@ phis, i agree with u for the most part, but it is the low season which is what he wanted to know about. also, after ramahdan has finished, it still takes studens several weeks/months to sign up for the next course because they have filled their time with other things and lots never return. additnonally, schools wont open up a new course til there are at least enough students to cover its cost, typiically 6-8 students. the higher level courses take the longest to get going agan. additionally, companies are slow to start up new businses classes and it typically takes a month or 2 to get them runnng again after the end of ramahdan.

so yes, language schools hire year around, but end of your and ramahdan are the slowest seasons.

nationalplus and international plus generally peak from feb-to may, with some schools still scrambling in june for new teaches. typcal school year starts mid-july.

phis · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 250

@tNt: We are on the same wavelength. However, I still don't think that Transpective will have problems finding a job in the bigger cities, whatever time of year it is. Obviously, his starting date, i.e. signing of a contract, might be delayed if he is interviewed and accepted just before a major holiday, as the schools will not want to pay a new teacher for a holiday right at the beginning of a new contract.

@Transpective: bearing the above in mind, you should make sure that you have enough money to keep you going for a couple of months, just in case you don't get an 'immediate' offer and/or start date.

Transpective · Joined: 19 Jan 2011 Posts: 8

Definitely. I may be changing courses for China, as there is a CELTA course in Beijing where my Uncle currently lives, but the notion of having enough money to survive in case of delays is an excellent thing to remember. One never really knows what can happen before and even after I've been interviewed and hired.
If I do go to Indo, I'll maybe delay my arrival until around the time National+ plus schools are hiring, thus sidestepping the whole religious holiday issue...
Thanks again for the responses, yall.

phis · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 250

You're welcome.... and good luck wherever you decide to go.