Job Discussion Forums

[vox]

I am looking into teaching abroad next year. I'll only be 19 years old, however. Alot of the places I'm interested in teaching at say you have to be 20. Alot of the certification courses also ask that you are at least 20.

So when did you start? Do you think 19 is too young, and I wouldn't have much of a chance of getting a job?

[chinwubachu]

hi vox

for nearly all teaching positions in asia you need to have a degree, hence why most places say 20-21.....

most important things is the degree if you have that....then i dont see why you can`t

best of luck

[vox]

I will have an associates degree, but not a bachelor's.

I know it might be better to wait until I'm 20 to go abroad, but I don't know how much more of this minimum wage life I have left in me. I know pay isn't great when you start, but I'd be happy even if I could just break even!

[denise]

It`s difficult, but not impossible. Difficult not only because of the degree requirement, but also potentially because of students`perceptions of such a young teacher--however qualified and ready you may be, schools might think that students wouldn`t trust your abilities.

That said, though, there was someone working at my school in Prague a while back who was only 19, or maybe only 18. She had taken some time off from her BA program and had taken a TEFL course. I think she was as interested in studying at a university in Prague than she was in teaching--maybe teaching was a way to fund her stay until she got a better idea of the university system. Anyway, the point is that it is doable. Just not easy!

I started when I was nearly 24, and most of the other students in my TEFL course were roughly the same age, give or take a year or two.

d

[expatben]

I was 20 when I started I think 20 somethings can go into ESL. Be careful though some people love to rip off inexperienced teachers and 20 somethings could be a target.

[Glenski]

vox,
A lot depends on the country you are interested in. Where would you like to go?

Age becomes a factor sometimes. You would be much younger than your students in some cases. So, you can't expect them to take you seriously as an instructor.

Inexperience doesn't matter so much in some cases. Here in Japan, the conversation schools hire people without experience because they want to mold them into their own image using their company formats.

However, your biggest weakness right now is lack of a bachelor's degree. So many countries require one for the work visa. You wrote:

[afowles]

Welcome to the club, man.

I started teaching when I was 22 (right after college) and I was always the youngest expat around. This was in a medium-sized city in Southern Poland. Most of the teachers around were in their mid-20's, so that made my social life a bit difficult, but not impossible. Same here in my slightly larger city in Western Poland. I'm always the youngest. And now I'm 24! I'm the youngest teacher in my school!

I would recommend that you finish your BA (why not in TESOL?) and get a CELTA or equivalent. Then, when you decide to move and find a job, you'll take whichever city you land in by storm.

[/quote]

[denise]

[afowles]

[bjwellgo8]

I don't know what it's like in other countries. From my recruiting experience in China, it depends on the types of schools and students you are going to teach.

It's very difficult but not impossible, as someone said. There is a very slim chance to teaching in a college or university. But I did have sent two 18-year-olds to a college in Xinjiang and they did very well. Kindergartens or language schools that only want EF to play games and talk to the kids are more likely to hire young teachers. And in those places, a pleasant personality and enthusiasm is more important than a degree and experience.

[merlin]

hey, vox:

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Well said, merlin.

[Moore]

The biggest problem I can see is that people expect a teacher to look older: to look like their teacher did. My flatmate here in Madrid who's 22 ends up lying and saying he's 25, although he does teach adults business English.

Apart from that, the way to get paid ok is to put yourself as far as possible from easy sources of English teachers: if you're in a more remote place then people will be a lot happier to settle for someone a bit further from the norm. You might also consider voluntary work overseas, if it's just the being abroad and doing something interesting and rewarding part that counts.

If you're very well-presented and enthusiastic, then your youth may well be some sort of bonus compared to a good many of the jaded worn-out hacks who abound in this profession.

[Justin Trullinger]

[ntropy]

Let's flip this around. In what countries do they discriminate against "old" teachers. From your experience, list an age in a specific country that they won't look at you.