Job Discussion Forums

[taoist]

Hey there.

I'm curious to know what you guys think are the best qualifications to get for someone wanting to teach English abroad.

For example, I'm looking at doing CELTA and possibly a MA in Applied Linguistics.

CELTA seems to be worth doing in terms of getting a couple hours experience teaching under you belt and seems to be well regarded by employers. On the other hand there are a bunch of on-line courses (i-to-i springs to mind) that don't seem to offer a lot in the way of practical worth...

I guess the criteria I'm trying to use to evaluate these courses could be summarised as follows:

Costs:
1. Financial cost.
2. Temporal cost (time to complete course).

Weighed against the benefits:
1. Practical skills learnt.
2. Employer recognition of qualification.
3. Financial renumeration for qualification.

I'm sure that there are courses that aren't worth the paper they're printed on but it seems that CELTA might be well worth the investment... although I'm sure that CELTA alone doesn't equate to a good teacher!

I see the MA as a useful qualification for learning the in-depth theory that shorter courses can't go into.

Keep in mind that I actually want to be a good teacher (which is why the number one benefit I have listed is the skills that are learnt from the course) and, although the obvious choice for that might be a Teaching degree, I don't want to spend two or more years at Uni right now.

If you ran an English school, what qualifications would you look for in potential employees?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[Gordon]

First of all, I think it is a waste of money for someone to get a Masters in Applied Linguistics if they have never taught before. It takes a tremendous amount of time and money and you may not even like teaching when it is all over with. A CELTA on the other hand teaches you how to teach, unlike a Masters degree. Both are great, but if you are just starting out in this industry, get a CELTA. If you like teaching EFL, get a Masters degree 5 years down the road.

Also, do not get a TEFL certificate on-line. You want to get the face to face interaction and feedback from your teaching.

[denise]

I agree with pretty much everything Gordon said. An MA is a good qualification and can open doors to better jobs (in terms of both salary and the degree of professionalism of the school), but you should hold off until you're sure you like teaching. It's a huge investment of time and money, so make sure it's really what you want to do. You'll also benefit more from an MA program if you've got some practical experience under your belt--the theories won't seem so dry and inaccessible if you can relate them to your own past experiences.

I'd recommend starting with a TEFL certificate--any reputable program (CELTA or otherwise) with 100+ hours and several hours of supervised practice teaching.

d

[taoist]

I can see what you are saying about the Masters but I'm not sure that I want to agree with you...

I've been pretty worn down by my current job and the idea of doing an on-line degree for a year sounds really appealing to me. I've got a fair amount of money saved that I can fall back on but, here in Australia, we are able to get low-interest government loans to pay for some University courses (as I have with my Science degree) and can receive government assistance (a paltry amount of money) whilst studying approved courses.

So, the "tremendous amount of time and money" boils down to one year studying from home and a low interest loan that I could pay outright if I feel inclined... I can almost justify it to myself as a year-long holiday, with a bit of reading and writing and a qualification at the end of it!

As for teaching, I've done some voluntary English teaching for our local migrant centre and really enjoyed it, so I don't think that's going to be an issue... and if it is, well, I'm looking for a new career so, if it's not teaching, I'm sure I'll find something else that may or may not be related to my qualifications.

I guess my situation is a bit more complex than can be accounted for in my own cost/benefit rules... but keep your opinions coming!

[Gordon]

I know a masters for you Aussies is pretty cheap, but it is still a lot of work to devote towards something you may not like. Try teaching at a language school for a year in Australia and see how you like it. A bit of voluntary work is not the same as real teaching with all of the responsibilities.

I also second what Denise said about getting far more out of your masters if you have experience. I am currently doing a distance masters course with an Oz uni and have almost 10 years of teaching experience. I am so glad for my experience when doing the assignments. Most of the other students in the masters program have 5-10 years of teaching experience as well.

[sojourner]

Taoist,

If you feel that you ABSOLUTELY MUST do a Master'degree before getting an ESL job, then consider doing it in Education or TESOL rather than Applied Linguistics. I have almost finished my MA (Applied Linguistics) degree, through UNE. Yes, I commenced this degree prior to becoming an ESL teacher - but, as I had already completed a CELTA, and am also a trained secondary teacher I, thus, had a background in both the fundamentals of ESL teaching and general educational theory before commencing my Master's. My current course is excellent and I am learning a lot from it - but I could well imagine someone with little or no teaching experience feeling "a bit lost". If you feel that the Applied Linguistics path is for you then, at least, complete a CELTA course before enrolling for that Master's programme.

UNE's M.Ed programme allows one to specialise in TESOL, which for you may be more immediately practical than the MA (AL). Check UNE's website at: www.une.edu.au , and follow the links to the Faculty of Education. I don't think the M.Ed programme can be done online - although many (most ?) of the units can be done via the more traditional distance education mode. Also, please note that a practicum may be involved. If you decide to do the MA (AL), it MAY be possible for you to do a couple of the TESOL units and have them cross-credited towards your degree. Discuss that option with the Dept of Linguistics.

Besides Masters' degrees in AL and TESOL, you may also wish to consider enrolling in a real teacher training programme, eg Grad.Dip.Ed, B.Ed, etc. It's possible that at some unis you may be able to specialise in TESOL. Does teaching kids appeal to you ? Otherwise, consider doing some adult education units as part of a M.Ed (TESOL) programme.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

Regards,

Peter

[Deconstructor]

Get nothing. If you have a BA and are well rounded person, then save your money. You can get all kinds of jobs overseas with a CV written on a toilet paper.

Go to your local university library and spend some time reading books on teaching say, Teaching by Principles by H. Douglas Brown and How Languages are learned by Patsy M. Lightbown. Both are excellent intros for new teachers. There are many, many more. Just do your research.

Don't be taken by anyone who promises to turn you into a teacher in a month. If they can do it, you can do it without them.

[MPOP]

Tao,

I got my Master Degree in 4 semesters, I took 4 classes each semester (one semester I took one class) and had no life. I think it is worth it; if you want it. Then you can use it to teach in a community college in the states (not sure where you are at).

I think English would be a better choice subject wise (I did English with a concentration in Linguistics) so that I will have a wider availability of jobs. Decon, is right though if you just want to teach overseas it isn't all that necessary. But if you want it, have time and money, then do it.

MPOP

[denise]

I agree that no month-long course will magically turn you into a teacher, but...

Many places will ask for a certificate nonetheless. Yeah, there are places that don't require anything, but what countries do you (the OP) want to go to? Different countries=different requirements. And would you want to work for a school that didn't require anything, not even a one-month qualification, from its teachers? I would question the professionalism of such schools. Then again, I also question the professionalism of schools that say "CELTA only"--there are non-namebrand equivalents that are just as good.

Regardless of its actual worth in the classroom (I, by the way, found mine very helpful), a TEFL certificate is often just one of the Rules of the Game. You can b*tch about it, be morally/ethically/philosophically opposed to it, not do it, and be limited. Or you can shell out the money, do it, probably benefit from it, and have more options.

d

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[taoist]

Hey, guys and thanks for all the replies!

Firstly, Gordon, I wasn't trying to say that my voluntary work was comparable to full-time teaching... just that I had dipped my toe in the water (however superficially) and didn't find the experience off-putting.

I think you and some of the others are probably right about getting more out of such a theoretical masters degree after having experienced the practical side of things... but (and I say this from an uninformed position) could it not also be argued that one would get (and give) more out of the teaching experience with a more thorough theoretical grounding?

Sojourner, I don't feel that I must do the masters... it just seems like a good idea right now... I am very keen to hear what you think of the UNE course because that's the one that I'm looking at (it's advertised on Dave's front page). Aren't a lot of the units fairly focused on TESOL and related issues? (such as "Intercultural Communication", "Second Language Acquisition:Theory", "Second Language Acquisition: Application" and "Bilingualism, Education and Society")

I also intend to do a CELTA but the next course to be run locally isn't until November... and I want to improve my knowledge of grammar by completing a short evening course, for which I've just enrolled.

I also take Deconstructor's point... I know there are hundreds (if not thousands) of schools out there that would accept me as an English teacher based merely on my heritage, without the slightest interest in my actual ability. But that doesn't suit me. Like I mentioned in my earlier post: I actually want to be a good teacher. I wouldn't feel comfortable accepting money for some thrown together, ill-prepared lesson.

I'd feel phoney and unsure of myself and that's not what I want...

So, I guess by now I'm sounding kind of idealistic and full of grand pretentions but, the truth is, I prefer to enter into a situation having fully researched and prepared myself... Perhaps a masters degree is over-kill. Maybe a CELTA is more than adequate but, if I were to err one way or the other, I'd rather be over-prepared than under...

But maybe, for a different perspective on this, I'll raise the question I asked earlier: if you were hiring someone to teach English, what would you look for? Would a CELTA get them through the door? Would you prefer someone fresh from college with no background at all? Would you be impressed by a masters?

Thanks again.

[fluffyhamster]

[Gordon]

[sojourner]

Taoist,

I've just sent you a PM. Occasionally, that facility doesn't work very well - so, let me know if you don't receive it.

Peter