Job Discussion Forums

ProduceSection · Joined: 05 Mar 2013 Posts: 15

Sooooooo I'm looking to teach overseas, ideally in China (haven't made up my mind whether HK or Mainland) but the problem is, I don't have teaching experience and I'm not certified. I do have a strong command of English and a degree in journalism that could pass for "related" if you squint, but I doubt that would do the trick.

My understanding from reading these boards and others is that I have two options: get a job at a seedy language mill that may or may not pay me, or get a TESOL or CELTA certification.

So, with that in mind, what would be my best bet for getting one of those certifications? I've seen the ads on the main page that say I can get it in Thailand for a grand and have job placement, etc., but those sound too good to be true. So in your expert opinions, what do you, the folks of the international job board, think would be my best bet?

Money's not a huge issue, but I'd prefer to not have to drop much more than 2500-3,000 usd for the course/housing, if possible. Thanks in advance for your help!

ProduceSection · Joined: 05 Mar 2013 Posts: 15

I should add -- I'm not looking to do this as a permanent career, but as a way to gain foreign experience and to learn Chinese. I'm a reporter at a newspaper here in the US, and I'd hope to use experience in China to enhance my current career down the line i.e. work as a foreign correspondent, a travel writer or an international affairs writer. With that being the case, would you still recommend I get a certification? Or would I be OK if I were to find one of the less-reputable anyone-with-a-pulse type of places for a couple years while I learn the language as best I can?

I'd also like to save some cash, though, so if the salary bump i'd get from a certification would offset the cost of the course, then the above question is moot. Thanks again!

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

You may get faster and better info on this if you post on the China board below, as your query is specific to the country.

Harbin · Joined: 19 Feb 2013 Posts: 161

ProduceSection · Joined: 05 Mar 2013 Posts: 15

Thanks so much for the response. I'm a little confused, though -- when you say future employers wouldn't think highly of teaching experience, do you mean US employers or Chinese employers? I know english teachers aren't exactly looked at as the pinnacle of success over there, but I never thought it could actually be a detriment to future job prospects, so I'm sort of surprised.

Like I said, my reason for going over there would be to learn the language, but I'm also interested for the life experience it would provide, as well as the in-depth (or deeper, at least) understanding of the culture I'd gain from spending a few years working vs. a few months studying. Would I actually be worse off for future jobs if I took this route?

The way I picture it, in three years or so time I will have learned another language, become more worldly, and gained some valuable (if not for employers, at least for me personally) work and life experience. I feel like this would be for the better... but then you'd know better than I would.

I don't mean to refute your point, just to get a better understanding of why you say it would be the case. Thanks again for your feedback.

ProduceSection · Joined: 05 Mar 2013 Posts: 15

And I just realized I misrepresented myself a bit. Learning chinese isn't my "primary" goal, so much as one of several, which I listed in the last paragraph in the post above, all of which carry relatively equal weight. It also wouldn't hurt to save a bit of cash, as there's a possibility I'll go back to school in the future (I'm 23 now) and top-tier journalism schools can be waaaay expensive.

Concepcion780 · Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 32 Location: United States

Do you already speak any Chinese?

If not, I would highly recommend that you take classes and learn a decent amount before leaving, given your goals.

Professional TEFLer · Joined: 09 May 2013 Posts: 77

Check with some community colleges and/or universities and see if they have a certification program. I knew a guy in Dallas, Texas who got certified that way.

Harbin · Joined: 19 Feb 2013 Posts: 161

sunrader · Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 101

If you are one of those people who seems to pick up language easily, this may work for you. I find it really difficult to learn the language of the learners when I have to spend so much time speaking and thinking about English in order to teach.

I don't think the Thai cert is too good to be true at all, but look up the particular school. I did the same to get started in Mexico with ITTO and had a great experience.