Job Discussion Forums

PhilOffice · Joined: 21 May 2013 Posts: 23

Hello everyone,

I just graduated with bachelor's degree in ESL here in Canada, and I have a couple questions about where to look for a job.

First of all, during my studies, I completed 4 practicums, which amount to roughly 1200 hours of teaching.
My last one was at international school in Montreal where I taught near-native students for 60 school days.
I will be receiving my Canadian teaching license within the next few days.

As a 24 year old, I would like to teach abroad anywhere from 6 months to a year.

I am writing here because I am not sure where to start applying. I have been told I can be a bit more picky in my job search considering I have a bachelor's degree from an English speaking country as opposed to a certification. This being said, I am being bombarded with different suggestions and frankly I do not know where to look anymore.

I am aware that most jobs in international schools ask for at least 2 years of experience, but is it still possible to find something with experience as a student-teacher? Do I need to learn the IB curriculum before I look for a job?

I am aware there are a lot of jobs posted on this website, but is it the best way to go? Shouldn't I be better off contacting schools directly?

I am sorry if my questions are being asked on a regular basis and feel free to redirect me to a thread that answers it.

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

Be aware that many international school teachers teach content related to their degree (i.e., subjects such as math, history, language arts, science, etc.) and not ESOL because the students are all native speakers. (That was my childhood experience as a dependent of a US servicemember.) These schools use English as the language of instruction and follow the curriculum standards of western schools as a continuation of the students' formal education.

If you're looking to teach ESOL abroad, you'll be limited to those countries where an international school means teaching language to non-native speakers. Plus, a teaching license may not be required. I suggest you give Teach Away's site a look to get an idea of where your qualifications fit.

suphanburi · Joined: 20 Mar 2014 Posts: 916

It's a REALLY, REALLY big planet.

Help us out a bit and pick a continent to narrow things down a bit.

Do be aware that heading off abroad, right after getting your provincial teacher's licensure, may make it difficult to return to teaching at home.

As mentioned above, most internationally accredited schools will require you (as a requirement of their accreditation) to have at least 2 years of post grad teaching experience.

As a Canuk with a B.Ed with a focus in ESL/ESOL or B.TESL / B.TEFL you are like gold in most of Asia. Finding work is about as difficult as stepping off a curb.

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PhilOffice · Joined: 21 May 2013 Posts: 23

Thanks for the replies

suphanburi · Joined: 20 Mar 2014 Posts: 916

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/index.php?c=6

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Big Worm · Joined: 02 Jan 2011 Posts: 171

Six months just isn't very long. Probably nowhere is going to go through the hassle of hiring someone with visas, transport, etc if they have to turn around and start recruiting again. If you are in country, I guess you could pick up some casual work.