Job Discussion Forums

[signe]

I'm an american thinking of getting certified to teach english sometime next year and hoping to start in Malta. Does anyone know what the employment climate is like there now or if waiting till next year will hurt my chances since they will be joining the E.U. ? The things I've read so far make E.U. countries sound like a fortress.

[bnix]

The fact they are EU(or are in the process of going EU)will probably not help you in getting a job there.There are probably not a whole lot of jobs for foreign TESOL teachers in Malta anyway.Have you checked around?It is one of the places most people do not bother considering...along with Denmark..Sweden,etc.If you want to see Malta,why not just take a vacation there?I think you are going to encounter a lot of frustration trying to find work there.

[scot47]

Sometimes the news is not what you want to hear. It is EXTREMELY difficult for non-citizens to work in Malta. This question came up a few months back and it was fairly well shown that there is no real chance for foreigners there. One post was from someone who had avcquired Maltese citizenship but still had problems.

[signe]

I have visited malta. I used to have maltese friends there thatsaid it'd be easy to find work and I had an American friend who went and found work. I do believe it took a while for him to be legal, but he worked almost immediately if I recall correctly. Maybe times have changed, maybe it was a fluke. Perhaps it was the maltese connections he had. Sadly, they've all left the country, so I haven't the connections. Well, very sorry to hear that, but thanks for weighing in. It looks like all of the countries that interest me most are off limits. Sulk.

[signe]

oh, and the reason I don't just visit is because I haven't the money for a non working vacation there or anywhere else and because I actually wanted to live there for a while not just spend a week or two.

Thanks again for the reply, sort of what I'd expected sadly.

[scot47]

The way it seems to be is that the jobs are in places where people don't want to go ! Isn't that how capitalism works ? If it is nice you pay them. If it is nasty they pay you.

[signe]

Yes, well that's all a matter of perspective. I'm an american and would like to be elsewhere, but there are droves of people coming here to find work. Hell, according to some of these posts there are people going to mexico to work and are still living off their own money and find the work nasty there too. If you think it's better for you than where you came from, you make the effort, right? I know the world runs via capitalism, but I'm one of those silly people who's hoping there are other currents and currencies in the world and it seems to be what trying to live in a new place, experience a different way of life, and find meaningful work is about right? I'd tell you to take your capitalist cynisism elsewhere, but I guess I was the one sulking and that just invites that sort of comment doesn't it? Or am i overeacting to your joke because I'm sulking. . . no matter. By the time I get moving to another country I think I'll have spent some time working here or at least volunteering so I've got plenty of time to browse. Since you've burst my bubble, how bout telling me where you've found good experiences in your travels?

[/i]

[schminken]

Could you tell us a little about your qualifications? I'm not trying to say 'oh you don't have this particular certificate or qualification so there's no way in hell you are ever going to work anywhere in Western Europe'. I am also American and work in one of those 'impossible' EU countries. It took a lot of work to get here. It wasn't like I woke up one day and thought 'Oh today I'll work in Europe'. It took a year and a half of resume sending, emailing, calling, interviewing, and exploring all possible options. If you really want to do this, I think you can. However, it's going to be very very difficult and part of it is just being in the right place at the right time.

[signe]

I'm not sure I've got any. I'm just beginning the investigative process. . . observed some friends teaching in a visit to malta recently and thought it might suit me so am starting the research. I have a B.A. but it's in Art (do they look at major or just degree?). I've done a little general substitute teaching at highschool/junior high level, and could do more if it would help, but don't want to if it wouldn't as it's not really teaching and I'd rather teach adults anyway. I'm starting next month as a volunteer adult literacy tutor through a local library and am told it is closer to esl work as the students are predonminantly mexican immigrants with very little english. They will provide some training and if I like the work I thought I'd try getting some actual work experience here in the states, and a CELTA certificate from St. Giles in S.F. before I tried applying abroad. Any advice on what would make me an attractive enough canditate for them to take me despite my passport would be a great help now so I can use my time efficiently as I try to gain skills. I'd also love to hear what those of you with experience consider the best way to really work on your teaching skills, as the teachers I've talked to all say they couldn't work without their certs but learned basically nothing from the programs. Thanks.

[signe]

Oh, and before anyone responds to my posting, forgive my defensiveness, but I have a little speech. This site is a great educational resource and I'm grateful to everyone who has responded to me so far. From what i've seen reading the site overall though, I can see where my post could raise alot of hackles. Please save the bile. I'm not some jerk who thinks teaching is a no brain, no skill job I can just drop into and skate through. I'm a perpetual serious student, a responsible employee, come from a family of dedicated teachers and I resent a teacher who wastes the time, trust, and money of their students as much as the next guy. I've wrecked my hand at my current job and need to change careers--fact of life--and everyone's got to start somewhere. I have friends who have studied long and hard to teach and others who've dropped in by accident with great success both here and abroad, so please, I'm sincerely looking for advice about a career path, not some expecting some free easy ride and certainly not interested in listening to a bunch of misplaced hostility. I'd appreciate any advice if you've got it and if not, please, go have a beer and read a good book instead of attacking someone you know nothing about. Thanks, and again, forgive the defensiveness, I've just seen alot of nonsense directed at perfectly innocent beginner questions and I don't see the point.

[schminken]

I wasn't attacking you. I was just trying to get a better understanding of your background. I told you that you could do it if you really wanted. I just wanted you to know it's very difficult to get in no matter what certificates you have. I wanted desparately to teach in Switzerland. It's not EU but there are still some certain ties to the EU. I have two MAs,a CELTA, speak fluent German and Swiss German. My significant other was Swiss. I had made so many trips there to go to interviews and ask people if they needed or wanted a teacher. In 5 years, I got one interview there. Employers just didn't want to sponser the work visa. It was too much time and too much money. They took one look at my CV and saw where I was from and they didn't care about all my qualifications. They just saw Euro signs and beaucracy and extra taxation from the government.The Swiss teachers are already damn good and the level of English is exceptional. You talked a lot about being a good teacher and if you come from family of teachers, you know what hard work it is. It's wonderful that you do care about doing what is necessary to become a better teacher. I think caring about it is the sign of a professional. The sad truth is that in the EU, it's more of a problem of the red tape and expense it takes to hire a non-EU person, not getting more certificates or diplomas (although it's necessary)
All this being said, I think it would be a great idea to do that CELTA course. You have a B.A but usually schools won't hire you without a MA or M.ED ideally in Education, TESOL, or Linguistics. Not to say it's never happened before though. If you want to teach adults in Europe, I think one of the best ways to have a shot at working in Europe is to be able to teach ESP or EAP. If you can combine your English teaching with something like Computer Science or Business English. There is a great need for these things. Are you interested in other countries in Europe? Does it have to be Western Europe?

[signe]

no, no. Sorry. That speech was most absolutely not directed at you, you were one of the people I was saying was so helpful by asking and encouraging. Thank you for your answer, it is just the kind of info. I'm looking for you've been extremely helpful. I was just trying to fend off some others I'd seen, my apologies.

I'm actually open to teaching in a variety of places if I decide it's the work I want to do, so I'm reading around to see if some other place my spark my interest, but there were a few spots in western europe (including Malta) that I wanted to spend some time in. There are many places I've read about so far that look like they'd be very interesting adventures, but not places I want to set up in right away or for very long. Thanks again. I've no idea what an ESP or and EAP is but I'll look around. Computer science huh? Not this girl, unfortunately.

[Rhialto]

Well, as teh resident malteser on this board, I thought Id chip in.

A few years ago, just before I acquired my citizenship, I applied for some jobs in Malta. Despite demonstrating that half my family is Maltese and already lives there, and despite demonstating appropriate qualifications, I couldn't get a visa. Malta only really imports outside workers for professional engineering jobs. If you have a degree as a water engineer, getting a visa is a walk in I think.

Within the EFL field, the only realisitc way to get a job is by getting citizenship first. This requires demonstrating maltese lineage, or marrying and waiting 5 years.

Once Malta joins the EU, a near certainty, it is still uncertain whether EU citizens will be allowed freedom to work unrestricted within Malta; this is one of teh sticking points in the negotiations. A 5 year moratorium was originally requested by Malta's government. This won't help non-EU citizens in any case.

I normally lurk in the Japan forum. Email me [[email protected]]
or shout there if you have any questions.

[Albulbul]

You are all being horrid and wicked and persecuting me ! I have a RIGHT to go and teach in Malta. You are all wicked and spiteful and nasty ! I am going to scream and scream and scream until I am sick !

(With apologies to Richmal Crompton and her character Elizabeth Bott)

[polihymnia]