Job Discussion Forums

tomjones7 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 44

Hi, I'm looking for info on teaching either ESL or business skills/English in Montreal or Quebec.
As an Australian is it difficult to get a working visa ?
More to the point, is there really any need for ESL in Montreal ??
Basically I'd like to move there some day and am checking out the job possibilities.
Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated !

Deconstructor · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 775 Location: Montreal

There are many ESL jobs in Montreal. I've been working here for 10 years. The pay is no good: about $14/hr and always part time. I hold 3 jobs to make ends meet.

As far as working visa goes, I think there are many agreements between Canada and Australia and if you're under 30 I think you can easily get a wroking visa. But don't take my word for it; check the Canadian government website.

Good luck.

tomjones7 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 44

Thanks for the tip. I prob'ly wouldn't qualify for the working holiday visa though.
Sounds like it's tough up there.
Thanks again for the info.

sprightly · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 136 Location: England

i'll mostly agree with deconstruct, except that i didn't work anywhere under 20/hr.

but thanks to credit card debt, i too worked three jobs and barely made ends meet.

the work is year round, and there are people doing well, but they spend a lot of time pounding pavement.

Omeo · Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 245

We can teach in Canada? Where do you find those jobs? Thanx in advance.

Noureli · Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 17

I was just wondering how to start looking for an esl job in Montreal. Thanks a lot.

adz595 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16 Location: Scotland

Hi I have just applied for my work visa and plan to head out to Montreal in April time... I have applied to 2 language schools (one has told me to reapply when I have my visa confirmed)... could anyone else tell me other TEFL schools I can apply to?

Thanks in advance.

Taran · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

Hi, I have some TESL training but I'm looking for another course to take. I hope to eventually teach in Montreal. Can anyone tell me what certificates are more recognized by ESL schools there?

adz595 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16 Location: Scotland

Hi, I have signed up for the CELTA course Montreal. I am there for the whole of July to do this.

http://www.celta.ilsc.ca/

From job hunting I realised that this is the course that is mainly accepted and will be beneficial in the long run Smile

VanKen · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 139 Location: Calgary, AB Canada

adz595 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16 Location: Scotland

R2 · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 3

As a teacher in the province of Quebec, here is some info about teaching in Montreal.

CELTA and other TESL programs will only be recognized as certificates here. In theory, to teach in a regular school (K-12 and college) you need a 4 year degree that includes teaching and the subject that you want to teach. Getting your diploma recognized here is difficult as our system can be pretty restrictive.

This said, there is a shortage of ESL teachers in elementary schools right now. They made English mandatory from the first year of elementary this year and there are not enough teachers in the system to provide good services for all schools. If you are lucky, i.e. if you visit a schoolboard experiencing a shortage, talk to people, get an appointment with human resources and prove that you have some "pedagogical credentials" you could land a job in an elementary school.

Teaching for private schools (companies) does not require any particular qualifications (as long as you speak English, you're okay!) But the pay can be as low as 10$ an hour, and I speak from experience here, compared to a starting salary of about 30$-35$ an hour in a regular school.

This said, the cost of living here is a lot lower than in other areas of the world (I had a respectable 2 bedroom appartment in Montreal for 540$ in 2003) but if you teach in private schools, due to low hours, you would probably need at least 2 schools to make ends meet.

You don't need to speak French to live in Montreal as some think, but you would be stupid not to try to at least learn a few words just to be polite with the locals. Having traveled in many countries while working for an airline, I have learned that people are always nicer to you when you can say "Hello, goodbye, thank you, please, may I have... etc" in the local language.

Enough said ;o) All the best to you! Bonne chance.

adz595 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16 Location: Scotland

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

I'm a certified teacher of ESL and FSL and have taught FSL in Ontario and ESL in Quebec. I prefer teaching in Montreal and Quebec in general, as the school atmosphere tends to be more relaxed compared with Ontario where you tend to have a lot of rather difficult Principals to deal with.

My last period of teaching in Montreal happened recently when I replaced a teacher in two elementary schools from December 2006-March 2007 - I taught ESL to grades 1-6, and the pay was decent, netting over $1000 every two weeks from the school board, for teaching about 4-5 hours a day (but in school for 7 hours per day). Most of my students were good, and I saw over 300 students per week, but in that number of 300 were around 10 very difficult students and they are the ones who make your job as a teacher difficult, and I was, in fact, replacing two teachers who could not stand teaching in those two schools because of students who gave those teachers a hard time.

Ghost in Korea

adz595 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16 Location: Scotland

I currently teach in an innercity school in Scotland, my day consists of having chairs thrown at me and being sworn at!!

I would teach ESL kids if needs be i've done it for 6 years here!!!

oooh its all so new