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mikeffd
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Posts: 25
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 Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:04 pm Post subject: TESOL for WHV? |
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Im going to be arriving in Kyoto in January. Im debating taking a TESOL course.
Is it worth it? The course will set me back about a grand. Will it help me get a job teaching english??
thanks |
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womblingfree
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 826
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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It won't help you get a job in Japan one bit.
If you plan on teaching when you get back then if you're from Europe, Australia or plan on working for the British Council it may be worth it, but if you're from the States I doubt it would mean anything.
MA/Med/PGCE are the qualifications to do if you wish to teach as a career. TESOL/TEFL/CELTA will help your understanding of ELT however, so if you can spare the cash do it. Just don't expect to be able to implement anything you've learned at a private language school. Might be useful for ALT work and to complement an MA though. |
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mikeffd
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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Im from Canada, and Im looking to teach english.
Will the employers not think anything at all of a TESOL degree?
Without a university degree (or any degree) how do WHV people get hired?? |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:09 am Post subject: |
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| mikeffd wrote: |
Will the employers not think anything at all of a TESOL degree?
Without a university degree (or any degree) how do WHV people get hired?? |
Not a tinker's damn. WHV holders get jobs just like anyone else... WHERE they get jobs is the issue. Since a 6-month WHV can be renewed only once up to a maximum of one year, the employer must realize that their WHV employee is good for only up to 1 year, OR must switch over to a regular, working visa -- at which point, conventional wisdom says you should have a 4-year university degree in order to do so (I'm not about to get into a debate over whether you absolutely need one or not -- but as a general rule you do).
Most of the employers that specify that they need someone with a university degree say so only because they realize that they will likely need to sponsor their employees' visas, but if you have a WHV, you don't need to have that. Practically speaking, Japanese employers only care that you are a native speaker and that your attitude, work ethic, energy keep students happy and things running smoothly. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:24 am Post subject: Re: TESOL for WHV? |
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| mikeffd wrote: |
Im going to be arriving in Kyoto in January. Im debating taking a TESOL course.
Is it worth it? The course will set me back about a grand. Will it help me get a job teaching english??
thanks |
I assume you mean a TESOL/TEFL certificate, right? I think it would help, especially if you don't have a degree. It will help, you'll learn something and give you a foundation to go from. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:34 am Post subject: Re: TESOL for WHV? |
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| canuck wrote: |
| I think it would help, especially if you don't have a degree. It will help, you'll learn something and give you a foundation to go from. |
I agree with that (it will help you know how to teach). But whether it will help to secure a position? For a lot of places, the most important job skill is having a pulse -- I know of plenty of people who have gotten work in Japan on WHVs without a TESOL paper . |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:36 am Post subject: Re: TESOL for WHV? |
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| mikeffd wrote: |
Im going to be arriving in Kyoto in January. Im debating taking a TESOL course.
Is it worth it? The course will set me back about a grand. Will it help me get a job teaching english??
thanks |
It won't help you get employed in many places. Those places that don't ask for you to have a degree certainly won't require a TEFL certificate. If you're thinking of working for NOVA then a TEFL certificate could even be a hindrance.
The questions you should ask yourself are:
Are you thinking of teaching long-term? If no, don't take a TEFL course.
Is the course a well-recognized one such as CELTA? If no, don't take the course.
A Working Holiday Visa can be obtained with or without a TEFL certificate so you probably won't benefit from taking the course unless you prefer having lighter pockets. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:47 am Post subject: Re: TESOL for WHV? |
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| JimDunlop2 wrote: |
| But whether it will help to secure a position? For a lot of places, the most important job skill is having a pulse |
Sad but true. I'm sure we all have worked with someone and hoped that pulse stopped.  |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:50 am Post subject: Re: TESOL for WHV? |
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| JimDunlop2 wrote: |
| But whether it will help to secure a position? For a lot of places, the most important job skill is having a pulse |
Sad but true. I'm sure we all have worked with someone and hoped that pulse stopped. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:39 pm Post subject: Re: TESOL for WHV? |
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| canuck wrote: |
| Sad but true. I'm sure we all have worked with someone and hoped that pulse stopped. |
Yeah. And in my case, that person happened to be the manager.  |
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