Job Discussion Forums

[Motley_Crue]

Hi there my name is Joshua, and i really want to start traveling in my life. I heard that teaching overseas is one of the best ways to get some traveling experince. Since some places pay for your food and room and board.

I really wanted to goto japan ever since i was like four years old its just i never had the money. But now i have the chance to get into a TESL course, that is 6 months of teaching for $2100 and you get a certificate. I'm just wondering if this is a good path to take? Is the price and everything worth it? and I heard japan is the best place to go first, considering they pay the most and its just really friendly. I have to decide in a couple days whether or not i want to take this course so any help/ advice is appreciated

[Gordon]

You pay $2100 for a TESL certificate AND you have to work for 6 months? What do they pay you to teach?

If you want to teach in Japan, you need a degree for a work visa. A TEFL certificate will not help you.

[Motley_Crue]

No i meen the course costs $2100 and goes for 6 months, and after you graduate you get a TESL certificate.

[Gordon]

How many hours is the course? How many hours of teaching practicum? What is the background of the teacher trainers?

These are the most important questions to ask before embarking on a TEFL program, IMO.

[Motley_Crue]

[Gordon]

If you have a link of the course, I'll look at it and let you know what I think.

[ls650]

I need to know more information before I can comment. Is this a reputable school that offers a quality program, or is this Suzie running Suzie's House of English from her basement?

[Gregor]

[Glenski]

Don't expect anyone in Japan to pay for your room and board. That is an extreme rarity here.

To have travel experience while teaching, you must realize that you are hired to work, not sightsee. In Japan there are 3 major holiday periods per year, but that's for everyone, not just teachers, so you will find that when you are off, so is everybody else in the country, and travel-associated expenses double or triple.

Plus, many employers don't give you personal days off. It's just too hard to find replacements to cover the classes that you have been assigned to (and that the students have paid for), so you are stuck with the holiday periods I described above.

Moreover, newbies may find that they are in a probationary period, with lower salaries for a month or 2. And, your work week may not give you 2 consecutive days off for your weekend (Sunday, Tuesday, for example). Hard to squeeze in some traveling there.

I agree with the others about the degree. If you don't have it, you will likely not get a job here. Depends on nationality,too.

As for Japanese being friendly, that's relative. Lots of people find them xenophobic, shy, and standoffish (learn about honne and tatemae to know what I mean). As for making a lot of money here, salaries have been fairly high, yes, but so has the cost of living. And, in the past year or two, salaries have been dropping. I suggest you read the Japan forum for details.

[denise]

I`ve met a lot of people who, when they find out what I do for a living, say something like, "Oh, you must like to travel!" Well, yes, I suppose I do, but if traveling were all that interested me, I would go home, get an office job, save my money, and go on vacations.

Teaching EFL is a great way to live in other countries--by that, I mean that you will deal with day-to-day issues, hassles, etc. Finding an apartment, doing your laundry, figuring out the postal service, etc. Not nearly as glamorous as traveling and having non-stop adventures. Plus, as Glenski said, there is limited time for traveling. Not just in Japan, either! You will basically be limited to traveling during breaks in between school terms.

If you only end up teaching EFL for a year or so before returning home to what others might consider a "real" job, then I would still suggest that you go for it. This is an incredible lifestyle. But don`t expect it to be a year-long vacation! You will get international exposure, see new perspectives, learn a lot about yourself and whichever other culture you live in, etc., but you probably will not do an awful lot of traveling. Unless you save up all of your money and wait until your contract ends.

d

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Motley,

If I were you I wouldn't worry about spending money on a TEFL course just yet (though I'm sure there are those who would disagree with me). If you have a degree, go ahead and start looking at the big chain schools in Japan (NOVA, AEON, etc), as that will probably be your best bet at getting your foot in the door. Then if you find you like this line of work, maybe you could get into a certificate program. As stated previously, having a certificate probably won't help you much in Japan...maybe in China, as they're a bit more lax over there, even though they are starting to tighten up.

[Motley_Crue]

ok thanks everyone for your input. So its probably best to get a degree then, not a certificate in TESL huh? and is it "that rare" to get your room and board paid for in japan? Even if you go through aprogram like nova? and would you recommend teaching overseas for travel experince for a young person like me? or should i just do this later on in life and try to save up money then come back to this later on?

[Gordon]

Degree first? YES

Room and board paid for in Japan? Never ever heard of it, especially with a big school. Perhaps some Mom and Pop schools do this, but have never heard of it.

Can't help with your other questions, since I don't really know your ambitions or your age.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

[Jizzo T. Clown]

(double post)