Job Discussion Forums

[arbellavia]

I was curious if I would be able to interview someone about their experiences and the path to teaching English as a second language. I have a research paper I'm conducting for my English 100 class that's based on what I'd like to do once I graduate. One of the sources needs to be an interview with someone that worked that specific job. I would be delighted if anyone could help. Here are the questions:

What made you want to become an English teacher in a foreign country?

Did you face any discrimination at any time during your hiring process or while you were working?

How did you get your credentials? Did you go with a program on your own? Did your host country cover it? Where did you get it?

How often did/do you teach? Are you tutoring or teaching?

Do you work with a specific company/contract/school district?

Did you have a CV or resume with special experience? Did you have no experience?

Did your first teaching job have perks?

How did you handle the first few years if you've stayed for a longer term?

[nomad soul]

Instead of relying on written responses on a public forum, I suggest you conduct a face-to-face information interview with a TESOL teacher in your area. This would allow you to be flexible with your questions, get immediate clarification on responses, and easily re-connect with the interviewee if you have additional questions. Plus, in-person interviews often turn into informative dialogues.

To find TESOL teachers to interview, head to any of the universities or community colleges in your area---those that offer an adult ESL program. To interview teachers who have taught content to children in English-medium international schools abroad, contact your state's TESOL International affiliate for assistance. (Be aware that teaching content to children means teaching a subject such as math, history, art, etc., but not always ESL/EFL.)

[arbellavia]

Originally I planned a face to face interview but due to unseen circumstances, I unfortunately am unable to get in contact with them. Thanks for suggesting it though. The foreign language teachers at my school don't have any teaching abroad experience either. I'm just looking for these questions to be answered because I don't have any contacts that I can communicate with. The research paper requires one person to answer these questions otherwise I'd go around looking for separate individual's answers in the forums.

[suphanburi]

[arbellavia]

Not to mention, I'm on a strict schedule that makes me too busy to contact by phone or in person. I have a deadline by this Friday.

[arbellavia]

Thank you so much suphanburi!

[mmcmorrow]

Sure. Happy to oblige.

What made you want to become an English teacher in a foreign country?

South-East London in the rain.

Did you face any discrimination at any time during your hiring process or while you were working?

None that I'm aware of. I guess I was just lucky they were willing to give a young white, English male a fighting chance.

How did you get your credentials? Did you go with a program on your own? Did your host country cover it? Where did you get it?

I did a one-month training course (nowadays it's called Celta, but back then then it was called RSA Cert TEFLA) at a well-known language school in London called International House.

How often did/do you teach? Are you tutoring or teaching?

I heard that Rome was one of the better locations for gazing longingly at Italian girls, so I took the southbound train out of Waterloo one February. It turns out it's winter in Rome too. Only gazing opportunities are snow on the Coliseum. Cold and broke with no work. Less 'La Dolce Vita'; more 'Bicycle Thieves'. Tramp, tramp, tramp till I wear out my shoes. But two months on and things are looking up. An old guy in the homeless shelter fixed my shoes. And then I get private lessons with an actress who rings a bell for her maid to bring us lunch. And a gig teaching uni students about Keats and Wordsworth - now if I could have used those barrow-pushing skills too ...

Do you work with a specific company/contract/school district?

I've worked for the good, the bad and the ugly. Generally, at the same time.

Did you have a CV or resume with special experience? Did you have no experience?

I had a pretty strong CV at the outset, even if I say so myself - stuffed with employment skills like Anglo-Saxon translation, Practical Criticism, Essay Writing - the list just goes on and on. But, you know, the market is a strange beast - and somehow none of the vacancies in Lewisham Job Centre quite fitted my particular skill set. Eventually, my dad managed to get me a start pushing a barrow on a building site for a few months. And so my career was up and running.

Did your first teaching job have perks?

Lire. Beautiful Lire. Thousands of them - enough for a whole cappuccino. Which reminds of one London school I worked in for one interminable week in the early days. The owner explained that teachers received five tokens for the coffee machine at the beginning of each week. After my induction, he counted out my five and then took one back, because he'd remembered I'd had a coffee during the interview. Last of the big spenders!

How did you handle the first few years if you've stayed for a longer term?

I relied a lot on the coursebooks - that and memories of pushing a barrow.

[arbellavia]

AHH Thank you so much mmcmorrow.