Job Discussion Forums

[vallillo1983]

hey, I was wondering if you could help me? I am a final year student doing on a 3 year Teaching English as a second language degree here in the Uk and upon completion of my degree I will also be awarded with a CELTA. I have managed to set up a working holiday visa for a year so I will be able to obtain work legally. I am wanting to work in Montreal as I love the city and it's been my lifelong dream. Can i ask, Will my qualifications be good enough to find work? Is there a demand in Montreal or will i struggle to find a job! also do you know the posibilties of changing my WHV into a permant visa?

Cheers for the help

Luigi

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Do you speak fluent (or at least VERY good ie- watching TV, listening to the radio understanding almost all of it with no problem at all) French ?

If so, then it probably won't be very difficult at all. If you don't, then it may not be really easy (but then, you could just as easily luck out and get a job almost right away).

Will your degree include (district?) k~12 certification? In Quebec, teaching (English or anything else) is a four year degree. Of course, there are also a lot of language schools as well and they don't require k~12 qualifications.

This site will probably help, and you can almost definately find some contacts who will really, really know what's what in Quebec.

http://speaq.qc.ca/

Soci�t� pour la promotion de l'enseignement de l'anglais, langue seconde, au Qu�bec

The site is bilingual and this is an entry page to either the English language or the French Language site.

[chickmate]

I have taught ESL in Montreal for going on three years and I'm not even close to being a fluent French speaker. I neither speak French in my daily life (save for the occasionally "merci" now and then) and I have never had occasion to speak French at work.

That being said, there are MANY private language schools in Montreal, some requiring extensive experience and education and some requiring zero experience and a B.A. As you can imagine, the former pay more than the latter.

In order to teach in the public school system (K - 12), you must have a Bachelor of Education and from what I've heard it's difficult even for Canadians from other provinces to be certified in Quebec, let alone those coming from overseas. Right now, however, there is a serious lack of ESL teachers in Quebec and some schools have been granted permission to hire people with Bachelor degrees, but not in education. This is in QUEBEC though, not necessarily in Montreal proper.

Good luck!

[Cecinaa]

Hey chickmate,

I�m looking into teaching English in Montreal, but I�m American. Are Americans allowed to work in Canada and is it easy for them to find a job? I have a bachelor�s degree and four years experience.

Thanks for any information.

Ceci

[VanKen]

[spiral78]

I am American, have an MA TESL/TEFL, and eight years of experience, and I can't get a visa for Canada, without the intercession of my spouse's international company.
I do teach at/for a Canadian uni about six months of each year (I live on two continents, these days, essentially), but only because of my spouse's status. I'd never be able to get a visa on my own.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Just to jump on the negative bandwagon on work in Canada. There's a reason why so many Canadians both with and without formal training are overseas (often feeling trapped there/here), and it isn't that we've all grown sick of the phone constantly ringing with great job offers.

[Vanica]

I stopped in at many public schools in the suburbs of Montreal and offered my services, with my M.Ed. Tesol and New York certification. Everyone said they need ESL teachers -- but please call the district office. Called and sent my cv to every single district office (commission scolaire) -- not one response. That is for teaching in the public schools. Foreign credentials apparently not recognised and/or they don`t really want to teach English by non-Quebecois teachers.
Private language schools in Montreal are a different story, lots and lots of university students at the English language unis might need extra help, many, many, many immigrants want to learn English. But that is a different market.
To get working papers, you would have to apply for Canadian residency and Quebec residency, pay for both (about 2 grand), wait maybe two years. If you have the requisite number of points according to Immigration, you`re in. Quebec is not like the US, you really need to be registered to do anything, the government even knows who you are living with (ie live-in boyfriend/girlfriend) and calculates your taxes and subsidies and what not. If you are a resident, you do receive little surprises in your bank account from time to time -- I suddenly started getting $100 a month for my preschool daughter. That`s a nice surprise, but my master`s degree is not worth anything -- I would have to do another Quebec degree to teach here.[/i]

[VanKen]

[rusmeister]

Also, if you follow the news, you might want to invest in a bullet-proof vest.

[Like a Rolling Stone]

[Vanica]

[quote="VanKen
Welcome to Canada [/quote]

I see you are in Alberta. Isn`t the Calgary school board hiring? Don't they accept foreign degrees, or at least American ones?

Just want to save the $200 to find out.

[VanKen]

[Vanica]

Because it costs $200.

[Vanica]

3000 Teaching Jobs Gone in Quebec This Year

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060919/CPACTUALITES/60918264&SearchID=73257359867992

The days of shortages and the retirement boom are over, says one teacher interviewed for the article.