Job Discussion Forums

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Since there isn't an emoticon for it, I'll write it as 'chortle'

well put, Cujo

anthyp · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 1320 Location: Chicago, IL USA

Well, I think you missed my point.

Perhaps there is a correlation between lax immigrations controls and professionalism. I imagine that, in a country that clamps down on its illegal workers (like Japan for instance -- certainly not China), the teachers there are a bit more professional. Is that too much of a stretch, that there's a link between how much a country tolerates illegal EFL teachers and the professionalism of its respective teachers?

I suppose I could have left out that shot against backpackers, but you know me, I couldn't resist.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

thelmadatter · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:56 pm Post subject: lucky

Lucky you Guy.... I got only one week for Semana Santa. (They need a crying emoticon) But thats what I get for working for a school based on the US ed system. Sad

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

dyak · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 630

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

You know, I think there's room for a grand variety of people teaching abroad.

I would venture that language schools (hagwons, are they called in Korea?) vastly outnumber unis, and while they might not represent the heights of education, they serve a purpose. From the point of view of a young American with little or no experience abroad, but a freshly minted BA in hand (and often without it), starting out this way could be the first step towards a career. Could also just be a year abroad, learning something about language or culture.

Legal or illegal, that's another question. Seems like the TEFL Int ad does try to attract the younger crowd. But why shouldn't they? There's a huge number of jobs available to them, and most are legal. Mexico issues working papers on a simple TEFL certificate, even without a degree. I suppose that says something about Mexico Confused

Then again, a first world country like Japan comes up with the JET program. As far as I've read here, you need very little to get into it, thought I might be wrong on that. I like the idea of a government run system like this, but it sounds like a formalized backpacker scheme to me.