Job Discussion Forums

[sheikwannabe]

I am Canadian 60yrs old in good health and I want to investigate ESL teaching. I always have to teach my foregin expatriate staff ESL and have had some praise from the staff and management for same.

I only have some college education having an undergraduate Humber College course holding certificates in Purchasing,Inventory Contol,Supervision Human Relations and Supervision Communications part of the PMAC (purchasing management of Canada) program plus high school.

I have 20 yrs work experience in oil and gas engineering and operating gas plants in Sudan,Syria,Iran,Qatar,Japan,Romania,UAE,Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

I work contract work 2-6-12 months per contract and would very much like to have the luxury of 12 months work at a time and a teaching career to help me continue travelling and working overseas if the schools will have me. I am healthy and I can mobolize in 48 hours.

I will take a ESL teaching course and present myself to these recruiters, does anyone have any advice like what particular course to take and what countries are best for my particular situation and how much money can a person like me earn?

Sheikwannabe

[Glenski]

[PAULH]

The only countries you could conceivable work in in Asia are China and Thailand. The rest require a university degree to obtain a work visa. EU countries require you be an EU national to get a work permit. That only leaves countries in latin America, except Mexico. Where are you interested in?

[stillnosheep]

Your experience teaching efl to foreign and expatraite staff and your managerial experiance should stand you in good stead. Definitely get an EFL qualification. The two most respected and well known types of courses, internationally, are those run under the auspices of the Cambridge board (CELTA: The Certificate in English Languiage Teaching to Adults) and the Trinity certificate. Both are intensive one month courses with a high proportion of observed teaching practice and requiring observation and providing a critique of experienced and traineee teachers. They prefer their trainees to be degree holders but make allowances for people of degree calibre whose life-experience indicates that they are capable of taking, and passing, the course. You wil be fine. Courses tend to cost around US$2-3000, depending on when and where they are taken.

If you are lookinjg to make the big bucks, stay out of EFL! Many of the (relatively) well paying countries demand a degree before a work permit to teach will be issued. In some cases this can be waived if significant experience of teaching EFL can be shown.

Re Individual countries: What paulh said.

There are quite a few older teachers out here who changed to a career in EFL quite late in life and seem to have found their niche.

Good luck!

[spiral78]

You also mentioned 12-month work...that's a bit rare (at least in my experience) in EFL, though it's normal to be able to cobble together a summer school stint to supplement a regular contract.
I agree that your specific experience might be a useful way into ESL - but it's for sure that you won't be in a position to make big bucks, short of committing yourself to some serious additional study.

[P-T]

Have a think about Russia in general, Siberia in particular. Massive oil & gas producers, your background would be invaluable.

I have plenty of students who work in the oil & gas industry, & most of them are desperate to improve their English language skills in their field of work. I do my best, but I'm no geologist or engineer.

My contract runs from mid January to end December, so close enough to 12-months.

All the best!

[ls650]