Job Discussion Forums

[tide]

Do most jobs in require TESOL or other TEFL qualifications?

Thank you, this forum is great.

[Super Mario]

Most jobs require a degree, though there are quite a few out in the sticks that don't.
A TEFL is a bonus if going for a more competitive post. As well, you might pick up some useful information on teaching EFL.

[grwit]

I have a B.A. and a TESOL certificate.

While there were some interesting teaching ideas provided in the TESOL course many of them are just not practical in a chinese classroom.

A lot of the activities that TESOL provides requires group work and the use of technology such as tape/cd players, video/dvd players or a computer etc. At the university where i teach the desks and chairs are bolted to the floor and it seems that the students are bolted to their seats. By that i mean it is difficult to get the students to stand up and move around the classroom. As far as technology is concerned I have a blackboard and a box of chalk. There is 1 room in the english department with a computer and dvd player connected to an ohp. However this is also a regular classroom.

Basically you will not need the TESOL or TEFL certificates. Any teaching ideas that they may provide I'm sure you can find on the internet anyway for free.

[KarenB]

Most schools and universities require a bachelor's degree (in any field). Priority is usually given to applicants who have a degree in English and/or a TESL/TESOL certificate. (Priority is also given to teachers who are already in China and have a proven track record). However, the need for teachers still outweighs the available FTs here in China, so many (most) schools will settle for any teacher with a college degree.

As far as having a TESL certificate without a college degree -- well, there are a few schools that will take you, but it will certainly limit your options.

I agree with the poster above on the usefulness of a TESL certificate. I hold a Bachelor's in Education and a Masters in Communications, and prior to coming here, I took a year of classes in TESL (I didn't get a certificate, although I think I have more hours than most people who have a certificate get). Well, some of it was helpful, but a lot of it wasn't applicable to the Chinese teaching situation. Not only do we not always have a lot of sophisticated equipment, but we're usually just teaching Oral English (and perhaps Writing and a History or Culture class). The one class I wish I HAD taken, but couldn't work into my schedule, was the course on Linguistics, as my students are always asking me how to pronounce some letter of the linguistic alphabet (I now keep a chart for ready reference in my briefcase). One course that I found helpful in my TESL courses was a course on teaching grammer -- we don't actually teach much grammar at FTs, but the students (and fellow Chinese teachers) are always asking questions about this or that grammar -- and usually it's stuff that as native speakers we never think about.

Just prior to getting here, I took a 2 week crash course in TESL, taught by someone who had spent 4 years teaching in China. This was much more helpful, as the instructor, who held a masters in TESL, directly addressed Chinese teaching situations.

I think, over the 6 years I've been here, I've gradually evolved into a pretty good teacher, but it's more due to experience and trial and error than any degree or certificate.

[orangiey]

A degree doesn't make a teacher (unless a teaching degree of course!)

What relevance is a History degree to ESL teaching for example?

A TEFL certificate? Gives you a good foundation of how to approach things and if you have teaching practise on the course then it helps those first attempts to stand up infront of a class. The rest comes with experience.

I got a CELTA and now teach children but the principles are the same. Ensure you use minimal 'waffle' in your instructions etc and adapt what you have and just stick to method that works for you.

[Malsol]

[Calories]

I don't know anyone that teaches with a degree. It's easy to get a job without a degree. Get a tefl cert. though 'cause that's what does it.

[grwit]

Yes KarenB you bought up some moreinteresting points. 1st about the linguistics. I believe that this is very important as most of my chinese students are always asking how to improve their oral english. And the 2nd - Grammar. We as native speakers take grammar for granted. We simply know what the correct grammar is without knowing all the grammatical terms. I think that most of my chinese students would score higher on an english grammar exam than me and the other foreign teachers I have worked with. However passing an exam is one thing, using correct grammar in daily life is another. The students who study grammar still cannot apply it correctly.

Sorry I got a little of the topic there!

Most Universities I know of will not accept teachers without a degree. However there are jobs available in Highschools, Primary Schools and Kindergartens for foreigners without a degree.

[HunanForeignGuy]

[Plan B]

[Neilhrd]

I must reply to Orangiey. I have a History degree and I don't accept that it is useless for teaching in China. I don't try to teach my students English history. It has no relevence for them. But what my degree did give me was the ability to organise my thoughts into a step by step logical presentation. In my experience most Chinese students benefit from a highly structured step by step approach in the classroom rather than the more discursive style of teaching which is popular in some Western circles. My degree did pepare me for this.

I also took my degree back in the old days when getting a degree from a good British university required a command of grammar and spelling. I admit that I didn't know then how and why I wrote and spoke correct English. But having learned to do so when I came to take my TESOL certificate the foundation was there.

My TESOL certificate merely added the ability to explain the grammar in a way the students can understand. Teaching grammar is not fashionable in some circles and, personally, I don't labour it but I do believe that it is part of my job to teach enough for the students to be able to communicate meaning clearly. For example by using the correct tense.

Incidentally most Chinese students expect to be taught grammar and have far more respect for an FT who can than for one who can't.

I agree to some extent with the posters who said that much of what is taught in a TESOL course is not applicable in Chinese situations. But knowing what the options are and the reasoning behind them is a huge help when trying to persuade Chinese teachers and managements to adopt more communicative practices.

For me a humanities degree and a TESOL certificate, plus the all important ingredient of experience, is the ideal background for an FT in China.

I just wish the authorities here would adopt a consistent policy on the issue of qualifications in order to raise standards generally. But it won't happen as long as the decisions about who is, or isn't, qualified are taken by police officers who can't read English CVs or Degree Certificates and are too afraid of losing face to ask for advice from those who can.

Sooner or later the government will have to appoint education experts to monitor the qualifications of teachers and as far as I am concerned the sooner the better.

[Malsol]

Neilherd, of course you are correct if we were talking about a true educational system.

China is not producing educated free thinkers, it is manufacturing robots in factories called schools.

No one outside China respects a Chinese University degree, unless they are a post-grad institution sucking in rmb from Chinese students.

[sojourner]

Neilhrd mentioned that a degree in history would be useful in EFL work in that it could help a teacher to organise his/her thoughts. Quite so.

In many uni jobs, nowadays, FTs have to teach subjects other than Oral English. Should one be required to teach, say, Western Culture, a history degree would be most relevant. But, even if one teaches nothing but Oral English, after formal lessons and in English Corner situations one often finds that students are very keen to ask questions relating to Western Culture. Having a degree in the humanities (eg history, politics, philosophy, Eng. Lit., etc) would provide us with the necessary knowledge to help us to answer our students' queries.

Some people are of the opinion that to teach here, one merely has to be familiar with basic SLA theory and EFL/ESL methodology. But a teacher whose knowledge/skills are confined to those areas would really be a technician rather than a true professional. Students expect us to be well-educated people - which means that we should possess qualifications over and above, say, a mere CELTA.

I find it absolutely amazing that the authorities often allow non-graduates to teach at the university/college level ! Have you ever wondered why our salaries are so low !

Peter

[Plan B]

[OldBlueEyes]

I can tell you that if you want to work in a good school in China and have the respect of your employers, some letters after your name are essential. If you want to be on a higher salary range, the more letters the better. With a couple of masters I made much more than my colleagues with a BA.

That having been said, experience makes the best teacher and a solid teaching background is worth its weight in gold. If you have some methodology and curriculum design experience in your background, you will have a much easier time of it. And be prepared to teach grammar, at least informally. Both the students and your Chinese colleagues will use you as a walking, talking lexicon and grammar book.