Job Discussion Forums

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Hello all. I'm an old hand at EFL (have been teaching in Fukuoka, Japan for nearly 20 years) but a complete newbie in other countries. I plan to first teach in Indonesia, then some other SE Asian countries, and possibly Latin America. Since I have my own school here, own a condominium, and have permanent residency, I'll be using Japan as a base.

I have two questions. First, I've read a lot about getting certified, but who is best? At the moment I just have a bachelor's degree in Political Science. I also have a level one certificate of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test if that is helpful in any way.

Secondly, what about age discrimination? I would be beginning this odyssey in my mid-fourties and would like to continue as long as possible I think. Does anyone have good information on this?

Thanks in advance!

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

CELTA is the best recognized and is British English. TEFL International is second and is easier for Americans to complete. I'm leaning toward SIT's TEFL--they aren't quite as well known but they have a sterling reputation due to their masters program.

Cdaniels · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:11 pm Post subject: 20 YEARS???

I think a certificate program for you will be a total mismatch, unless you were doing it for research purposes for your own business of course!
Much better for you to just go out and teach I think. I also mistrust any organization that insists on younger applicants (I recently found that mass phone sales companies in the US insist on younger salepeople- and those organizations are really disreputable)
SIT seems okay, but their graduate school is based in a small liberal outpost in Vermont. Its not exactly the bastion of academia, although its a nice place to retire to or to stop on the way to ski lodges in the winter season. Wink

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:24 pm Post subject:

You got somethin against liberals, do you?! Very Happy

Or against Vermont? (That may be more understandable.)

Shocked

Justin

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

[quote="Cdaniels"]Much better for you to just go out and teach I think.

Really? That's what I'd like to do, since I already know how to teach English very well. So I just go to Sumatra, travel around and find a spot that I like and a school that will pay a livable wage by local standards? That's really all I'm looking for. That and rainforest birds.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

Why don't you do one of the distance MAs in TEFL available in Japan?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Philip. I don't think you need a tefl certificate. Check with countries you are interested in though, but I doubt you will need it.
Vietnam might be a good place to head to, very cheap and they pay a decent salary as well.

Chris_Crossley

Unless there was a genuine need for you to get a TEFL certificate even with about two decades' worth of EFL teaching under your belt, I simply would not bother if I were you.

A TEFL certificate is really only for those who are totally new in the game and need to prove to prospective employers that they have done some training with some kind of evidence of practical teaching.

If anything, you could consider a DELTA or equivalent. This is the kind of diploma that would be handy for people seeking jobs as directors of studies at private language schools. You certainly would not need an MA for that kind of job, anyway, since schools would not pay you any extra for having a master's degree necessarily.

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

Cdaniels