Job Discussion Forums

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Hi

I would like to get some information on getting jobs in Australia- I am a graduate TESOL qualified Kiwi teaching in Japan and am thinking about work possibilities after leaving Japan, probably in Sydney. Kiwis do not need a visa to work in Australia.

One of my friends is teaching in Sydney full-time at a school affiliated to macquarie University teaching English for Academic purposes to foreign students and says there may be possibilities for picking up teaching work in Sydney.

Anyone with information on current salaries, living costs in Sydney and work opportunities for an experienced EFL teacher degree with a Masters degree would be much appreciated.

You can also mail me on [email protected]

Tonester · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:10 am Post subject:

Hi Paul,

As an Aussie I can tell you this:

Sydney is a huge place and it does depend on what part of Sydney you want to live in terms of costs. As you may or may not know that property market in Australia has been booming and rents have increased a lot. However they do say that Sydney has the best opportunities for ESL and other jobs because there are a lot more people who have migrated to Australia living in Sydney than any other part of the country so I do think that you have chosen a good place. For a person like yourself who has had much experience and the qualifications you have I think that your prospects would be great. If Sydney doesn't suit you, there's always Brisbane where there are many Chinese, Koreans and Japanese studying at university. They say that the language schools affiliated with universities are good places to work but I have to warn you that regular teachers in public schools are protesting at their low salaries and although I'm not sure about the ESL field but I have heard from a couple of friends with Postgrad TESOL Certificates that the salaries can be abysmal.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Tonester thanks for your mail

Id actually forgotten about this posting.

Our long term plan is another 2-3 years in Jaapn when my university contract ends, 5-6 months to England on a study leave and then the wife wants to hit Perth, western Australia. Not sure there are many jobs there but it seems to be a nice place to live. I am from new zealand and hae been to Sydney and Brisbane. i have heard the pickings are good in Melbourne too.

Would having Australian teaching certification help? I have a Masters degree but no teaching diploma to teach in Australia. NZ citizen so no problems working there.

Tonester · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:43 am Post subject:

Firstly I'd recommend that you seek employment at a NEAS Accredited school (National ELT Accreditation Scheme) as they have strict standards for those schools in terms of conduct and employee recruiting.

This link should help for general info and also has a list of NEAS Accredited schools so that you can do a good jobsearch:

www.neasaustralia.com

Surprisingly GEOS also exists in Australia, namely Cairns and the Gold Coast (where I'm from) and they are also NEAS Accredited but I wouldn't work there even after I get qualified.

Also in answer to your qualifications question:

http://www.neasaustralia.com/Pages/teacher_quals_elicos.html

http://www.neasaustralia.com/Pages/teacher_quals_amep.htm

I personally see no need for you to get an Australian qualification because you are qualified enough as it is and the methodology would not really be that much different. Just as a matter of interest, in regards to your TUJ Masters in TESOL are the methodolgies you studied centred on America, Asia or were they generalistic?

As I had said to you a while back in the Japan forum, since my mother is also a New Zealander from Auckland and has been in Australia for over 30 years, still isn't an Australian citizen and had no immigration problems you'd have no problem in terms of immigration (although I am eligible for NZ citizenship, I don't really want it- not yet anyway- my passport is Australian). I do think that you may pay a slightly higher rate of tax though........

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Tonester · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 6:02 am Post subject:

Anyway, I think your qualifications would be accepted; I wouldn't think why they wouldn't be but you would need to present your qualifications to NOOSR (National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition) and get them to issue you with a statement of equivalence so that you'll be on the safe side. Then present that along with your TUJ Degree to your prospective employer and I see no reason as to why you couldn't get employed in Australia because NEAS Accredited schools are the most strict with qualifications and considering that you have an advanced degree and extensive experience your pay should be quite substantial.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Tonester · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 8:41 am Post subject:

To answer that question most Australian universities do contract people but I do know that you can still be tenured in some but your research interests need to match theirs. Which brings me to the question: What is the topic of your thesis?

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Tonester · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 12:39 pm Post subject:

Well, I do know that USQ does have a research faculty in the field of Education and TESOL so perhaps there might be a good lead:

http://www.usq.edu.au/education/research/default.htm

Macquarie also has a research centre in ESL and they are highly regarded in linguistics and languages:

http://www.mq.edu.au/research/centre.php?centre=6

Sydney University, a member of the Group of 8 also have a good ESL faculty which is also NEAS accredited:

http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/cet/

These are just to name a few good institutions which I'm sure would be interested in your research topic and you could also lecture at their ESL faculties no doubt.

The site www.australian-universities.com would also provide a list of all the universities in Australia and through their home pages you'll be able to discover even more which would be interested in your field.

Paul, I have to admit that I'm just a BA-Japanese-holding ALT who is finishing the 1st year on the JET Program and doesn't know too much so although I can't comment too much on ESL issues but I'm at the moment looking into getting qualified so that is why I'm able to help you in this regard.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Tonester · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 2:35 pm Post subject:

I may have mentioned this before but the Private SHS in Saitama where I was an exchange student at 5 years ago is thinking of hiring me as a full-time tenured english teacher once my JET time is up and I was told that I would need a "Rinji Menkyo" for them to hire me. I was also told that I would need at least a Diploma in TESOL to get the licence and then would be able to work towards a full teaching licence so I'm planning on doing that then getting a Masters in TESOL via distance ed while working so that I can legitimately call myself a "Teacher" and not one of the many "quasi or pseudo-teachers" who don't want to get qualified and come to Japan for a free ride as you and I have both seen in this forum. I'm planning my future here although I know that it'll be by no means easy at all. The crappy economy and the direction of ESL here makes it pretty grim for most people.

Now, the only reason why this door is open to me is because I was an exchange student at that school, that school is the sister school of the HS in Australia I graduated from, I took a few homestays from that school and one of them happened to be the son of a member of the english faculty there and on top of that the principal is an 85 year old woman who took a liking to me and her daughter the vice principal also seems to like me as well. It just goes to show that Japan is one of those "If you don't know anyone, you're stuffed" kind of places. Funny thing is that I never asked for it, a teacher was resourceful enough to get my phone number and size me up asking if something like that would interest me but he reminded me that there is no promises or guarantees whatsoever, just that they were gauging my interest.

Japan is certainly an interesting place in that regard.........

That Lambert University sounds good but too good to be true though and the fact that they are unaccredited surprises me as to how they can offer qualifications to people. I did read that on the teacher training forum you were making quite a few people aware of that and that it would be a waste of time to take a course from there in my opinion. Now I ask you a question: Do you know anyone who has a "Rinji Menkyo" and if so, what quals did they have when they applied?

On the Aussie Uni topic, did you notice the number of universities that have the same interests as you? I'm positive you could find work easily but I'll warn you again that some places are pretty abysmal pay. I've been looking for the award rates for ESL teachers but haven't come up with anything yet. When I do, I'll give you the link.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Tonester · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Paul. What I meant by a teaching licence was the same one that the Japanese get and was told by this teacher at that school that I can work at the school on a Rinji Menkyo which would get credits towards a full licence and take a couple of subjects at a Japanese university later on then be issued with a full teaching licence. I do know that you have said in the past that the only way to get one of those is to study at a Japanese uni for 4 years. Ok, I'll run that by Glenski. (Maybe he's sick of those type of questions from blokes like me, I'll just have to ask him nicely; don't want to be another Sweetsee[delete that comment if you deem it inappropriate])

As I said, I'm looking for the award rates for ESL teachers in Australia and when I find them I'll tell you what they are. The award rates are set by the state governments so in your case, you'd be under the NSW state award if you want to work in Sydney.

BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I recomend http://www.seek.com.au I've gotten two jobs off of there in the past year when I used to live in Sydney.

Hope that helps.