Job Discussion Forums

alonzo9772 · Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 55

I notice that the lifespan of an ESL career, especially with Chinese language centers, tend to only be one year—two years max. I will begin my ESL China career in January. I am really going in with the mindset that this is going to be a lifetime career, but I am sure everyone goes in thinking that.

Honestly, I am not sure what career that I would have to fall back on if this does not work out. I have a Bachelor of English. My plan A was to be a full-time copyeditor. However, that did not work out. I am now moving on to my plan B of ESL teaching. There is no plan C.

suphanburi · Joined: 20 Mar 2014 Posts: 916

Looking at the end of my 2nd decade in EFL... not the longest but a decent run at any rate.

You can make a career out of it but with just a BA in English, if you want to stay in the game and get off the entry level, you will need to consider some professional development as you go along. Dip.T, PGCE, M.Ed would likely be in the future if you want to last more than a year or 3.

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alonzo9772 · Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 55

I will save up money bit-by-bit to earn a CELTA certificate. I hear that some programs make it fun to earn where you spend an entire month in another country, so it is kind of like a mini study abroad. I would probably choose to get my CELTA in Europe.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Started 1968 (Berlin West)
Finished 2012 Hafr Al Batin Community College (KFUPM)

Had some years off in the middle when I was doing some serious drinking and pretending to be a writer

Now in God's Waiting Room in the Clyde Estuary.

MotherF · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 1:56 pm Post subject:

I started 22 years ago at the age of 22.
Not the longest...
...yet.

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

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2016 11:35 pm Post subject:

Well, not all in TESOL, I did teach bilingual education for a few years and have been in supervisory positions for the last 7. But all told. I have been teaching for 26 years.

schwa · Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 164 Location: yap

No claim to longest but 18 years now & still happily employed. I was 46 when I started in this field.

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

Oh, sorry, I started in 1998. So, however many years that is:-)

getbehindthemule · Joined: 15 Oct 2015 Posts: 712 Location: Shanghai

Teaching was my plan B also. In China three years, enjoying a great lifestyle and haven't been put off teaching yet Wink

I don't and would never work in a language center though, don't get me wrong there are some decent ones here but there are also a lot of bad ones. This could be a major reason why some people only last a short time in China I reckon.
I wish you the same good luck as I've had in my second career thus far Smile

natsume · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 409 Location: Chongqing, China

After putzing around for a few years getting my TESOL cert. from Berkeley Extension while I was still an office manager, I took off for Japan in August 2007. Under the mistaken belief that I wanted to work with native speakers and be a high school English teacher (was thinking international schools long-term) I came back to the states and started an MA in Secondary Education. Although I came to my senses and dropped that program, I was still working with ELLs while I did my student teaching, in one class all ELLs, so I can pretty much say that when I get my MA TESOL next May, I'll have about a decade under my belt.

I'm 48 and this is it for me. After teaching for another 5 years or so, I do think I'll expand into teacher training, or get into research if I wind up working at an institution that supports that. We'll see, I'm open to doing many different things within the field. I do want to just teach for a while, though.

natsume · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 409 Location: Chongqing, China

After putzing around for a few years getting my TESOL cert. from Berkeley Extension while I was still an office manager, I took off for Japan in August 2007. Under the mistaken belief that I wanted to be a high school English teacher (was thinking international schools long-term) I came back to the states and started an MA in Secondary Education. Although I came to my senses and dropped that program, I was still working with ELLs while I did my student teaching, in one class all ELLs, so I can pretty much say that when I get my MA TESOL next May, I'll have about a decade under my belt.

I'm 48 and this is it for me. After teaching for another 5 years or so, I do think I'll expand into teacher training, or get into research if I wind up working at an institution that supports that. We'll see, I'm open to doing many different things within the field. I do want to just teach for a while, though.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

I started at 23 in Taiwan, now 38 in China.

I think I can manage a few more years, but I need to diversify my life, and job skill set (I was a writer, proofer and editor before teaching).

Sudz · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 438

Started at 22 in Vietnam, and now 34 in Japan. Over a decade, pretty nuts when I think about it - though I realize there are people who have been at it far longer.

santi84 · Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea

Professionally, since 2008. Informally, I started as an ESL classroom (peer) tutor in 2001, as part of my high school work experience program. So, 15 years? I'd say only eight though, overall.