Job Discussion Forums

[sandrina85]

I'll try to be short.

I'm Italian, 30 and I am MA International Relations graduate in Italy, but I also speak French and English. I live in Cambodia since 3 years working in the development. Now I've been a nursery/kindergarten/grade 3 and adults English teacher for Cambodians since May and I'm quite proud of myself! (And yes, in Cambodia you can teach English without not even a little certificate or not even being mother tongue, you just need to be white and girl, if you were wonderging!)

I've studied Arabic for a couple of years (I was able to write it and read it, can get back my grammar quite quickly), so I'm thinking to move to Muscat or Salalah in February/March and teach English in some private primary schools.
Is that doable?

I'm also considering the idea to get a 120 TESOL online next month, if this can be of any help...or maybe i could make an effort to do it in-class (do the school there make such a big difference?) even if I'm quite broke.

What do you guys think?
Please no judgments, I know I've got little experience, but I just want to teach kindergarten and make my living sustanaible while I take Arabic lessons.

I've read salaries are quite high in front of what we get here in Cambodia!
I'm glad to agree on anything that can pay my Arabic lessons, and live decently, perhaps save little bit (I'm not a crazy shopper, my main expense is on good food and travel!).

Oh well, eventually I wasn't short at all.
Thank you to whoever will answer me ^^

[nomad soul]

The requirements to teach in the Gulf aren't as lax as they are in Asia; teaching jobs generally require native English speakers with relevant qualifications and/or licensure. I suggest you take a look at Teach Away and Footprints --- both sites recruit k-12 and international schools for the region.

[sandrina85]

Teach Away says "2 years relevant teaching experience and relevant regional teaching license or certification"
On footprint there is only 1 ad for kindergarten that says "3 to 6 Years of Teaching Experience, Degree in English, Literature or Education is required. TESOL or CELTA preferred but not required. Teaching License is not mandatory"
Now now, I don't like to give up!
Do you know of any private primary school that could "desperately" look for me???

[balqis]

1. Carefully study recent, say of the last 4 months ads here on esl job list. There were ads for Oman primary schools and various esl institutes.

2. Carefully rewrite your CV, showcase your own merits and experience.

3. In your CV do not assume ''I'm not qualified and only poorly experienced for the job'' attitude. Assume a different attitude, more like the Black'n'White'' Armani attitude of the 90'ties. After all, you are an Italian young woman.

4. Once you do your CELTA, along with your M.A., you have a degree and a TESL qualification, and the Cambodian experience, just like many other teachers that work in Oman. Mention your Arabic classes.

5. Send you CV out to all places that advertised recently. They may be interested - you never know. From my own Nizwa experience, there is an International Kindergarten in Nizwa, and a Pakistani school with apparently British curriculum there, and an Indian school as well. They may be lured by having an Italian teacher as their staff. Send your CV out to Pakistani and Indian primary schools in Oman, as well as Omani language institutes.
Perhaps somebody else, with hands-on experience of these Indian/Paki primary schools in Oman as well as language institutes, will give you more directions. Such International Kindergartens may exist in all bigger towns in Oman that have colleges and universities, so Salalah, Sohar, Sur, Ibri, Ibra, Buraimi, Shinaz etc. You need to find out, hopefully someone else may suggest something here.

As well as, from what I heard, though know nothing for sure and for real, there is a formal system of employing foreign ESL teachers for primary national schools in Oman. This is how many Indians wind up in Oman - they are formally hired and employed by the Ministry of Education. I don't know if it applies only to Indian teachers, or not. This you would need to find out yourself or perhaps somebody else will continue this point here?

6. On the Saudi forum here - which I decided to leave as it is very abusive and full of strange characters, thugs really, that one is better off to avoid, so expect abuse there - there was a while ago, say a few months ago, an Italian young woman, also searching for work in the Gulf. Perhaps find the thread she opened there and try to contact her for advice.

7. Re. on-line TESOL. Why can't you do it not on-line? I am a pre-online generation so know nothing of all things on-line, but perhaps there are some restrictions on on-line certs, in Oman, Gulf in general? I am sure there must be. This you also need to clarify. Safer to do it the classic way I think.


balqis

[sandrina85]

Balqis, great! That's what I wanted to hear! Some encouragement.
The attitude is the most important in life!
I will start a tesol online from the next week and then spam all the kg schools with my cv! Hopefully I'll see you all in February?!? Who knows!

[sandrina85]

Armani attitude ah ah ah

People use to call me for the picture on my cv. Let's try my good luck!

[veiledsentiments]

Middle East employers do NOT recognize online certificates and most do not accept any online degrees. The whole point of the requirement of the certificate is to show that you have had supervised actual classroom experience... not having read some online information and taken a couple exams. This may not be as relevant for teaching small children, but if you want to move up the ladder in the field, you need a real certificate like a CELTA.

Be aware that you can not just fly to these countries and search for a job. You must be hired from outside the country because of work visa requirements.

VS

[balqis]

This is what I think - on-line is not safe. Don't do it on-line.
Instead of CELTA there used to be many years ago CELTYL, YL standing for Young Learners. I don't know if UCLES still offer CELTYL.

balqis

[nomad soul]

List of international schools in Oman:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_schools_in_Oman

[sandrina85]

Thanks for the replies, guys...I was going to start an 120 hours online TESOL course next week, but now I am a bit confused

(my degrees aren't online, but are taken in Italy as I mentioned before)

[spiral78]

An online TEFL cert is of little use on any job market except in some parts of Asia.

[nomad soul]

[sandrina85]

Coz I already live in Egypt for a couple of months and it didn't attract me at all!
All right, so I think I will keep teaching here, save as much money as possible and get a 1 month in class CELTA course in Oman in February/March to find a job there easily. Is that a better idea?

[sandrina85]

Balqi-> the reason I want to do it online is that I need to keep working while I teach! I'm going to lok for CELTA part-time here in Cambodia or in Oman!
Any advise about Muscat? Where should I take it?

I'm going still try to make my cv pretty and send it to few kindergarten school to check out the feedbacks!

[nomad soul]