Job Discussion Forums

[figgie]

Hi

I passed the Trinity TESOL certificate in 2005 (I already have 3yr Ba). Since then I have had a few teaching posts in the UK, but nothing that has given me a serious amount of chalkface hours.

As a development in my career, I was considering the DELTA. I could then secure a teaching post in the UK, and a wage (something about the DWP tightening up on visa scam schools and qualified staff). However, to get the hours I am going to have to work overseas (leaving wife and baby ) for about 12 months. I have an interview for this in the next couple of days.

Will a DELTA open doors? Or should I go for an MA or B.Ed or not?! The plan is, get hours before its too late, do DELTA open doors and get job to support little family then continue to progress.

Any advice is appreciated as my head is overloaded from trying to research all this! I know the experience will be beneficial (full time, 22.5 scheduled hours a week, one year contract), but if I get it its in Asia. Can't just 'pop' home for a weekend break!

[sheeba]

If I were you I would do both .You can find courses that begin with a first year doing the DELTA and then move onto the Masters . You do 3 years in all and get a DELTA and a Masters- by distance.

[figgie]

Hadn't considered that kind of course. Thanks for the tip.

[gstieglit]

I would think carefully about getting the MA from distance. If you have wife and family, I would get the MA from school with walls that has a strong teaching component. With wife and family, you will need full benefits like schooling for the kids, plane tickets for family and health insurance. I believe the schools that offer these types of benefits still value an MA from a traditional school more than they value one from online.

[figgie]

[gstieglit]

They are not rare, but competitive. Schools that offer these types of benefits want the most qualified people they can get. I believe that the effort for a traditional MA is worth it if you plan on staying in the business.

[tedkarma]

[figgie]

Thanks for the positive replies guys.

I had the interview today (and 'the man' might even be reading this now....!). There is a position available for me! But maybe I'll look at Korea for more money. That's the thing. I know a bit about the employer and they look great, but Thai pay is not all that.

[Sheikh Inal Ovar]

There are many teachers in the Gulf with distance MA's ... just as there are many respectable universities that offer distance learning courses ...

[tanuki]

Heya, figgie

I seemed to have missed your GOAL for needing lots of teaching hours.


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What kind of teaching job would you most like to get in the UK?

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You say you want to get a "teaching post in the UK". What KIND of teaching post? In a private language school teaching foreign students? In a government school on their ESL program (for children of migrants, predominantly)? As part of a community college or government program for Adult Migrants? At a university Academic English/Prepatory Course?

The answer to this question seems VERY important to me because you say that "to get the hours I am going to have to work overseas (leaving wife and baby) for about 12 months".

This may not necessarily have to be the case.

There are PLENTY of EFL schools in the UK and the workload is usually greater than the job you mentioned (22.5hrs, I think, right?). Most colleges in the UK would be around that figure somewhere; some would be a couple of hours above that. For a full-time position.

And if you have a Trinity Cert, then I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get one of those positions--these colleges are after a Trinity Cert or a CELTA. So there's no reason you can't get the number of classroom hours you need to qualify for starting the DELTA (if that is, indeed, the best path to go down, depending on your answer to my main question).

The DELTA will put in better stead for higher up the chain jobs (perhaps even becoming a DoS if that interests you *shudder!*) within EFL. Read that again: "within EFL". And on Adult ESL programs (possibly Academic Programs in university prep courses, but they're increasingly asking for MAs and (not unreasonably!) plenty of experience with teaching exam prep (IELTS, FCE, CAE, etc) as well as EAP.

But the DELTA (by itself) will count for nought in government schools. If you want to teach in a government school, you have to be a "real" teacher with a PGC (I think it's called in the UK, can't remember, it's ben a while and I don't got one, like). I believe that this is a post-grad qualification and since you already have a BA, you should be good to go on signing up for one of those. The cost is probably about equivalent to a DELTA, but to be honest I have NO idea.

You can a PGC at all major universities and anywhere good post-graduate diplomas are sold. Unlike the DELTA, though, it will qualify you to work in a government school (on an ESL program) and give you a better shot at International School jobs (both in the UK and abroad).

Add an MA a few years down the track and you get a bit of a payrise, more chance of promotion, I suppose, and you're on the track to academia and/or management.

So... you need to answer my original question: What KIND of job do you want?

You have a BA and a Trinity Cert. Your next step would probably be either a PGC if you want job type A, a DELTA if you want job type B, etc.

After you do that, we should be able to offer you clearer advice.

Hope it helps!

Tanuki

[figgie]

Thanks again for the help. This is a really difficult decision.

I would like to teach in private schools, however these are the jobs I am finding it hard to locate in the UK. The motivation for getting more teaching hours by going overseas is so that I am more able to undertake a DELTA.

From what I understand about working in the UK, the DWP requires schools to employ teachers who are qualified with PGCE, B.ed, DELTA, City & Guilds or an equivalent (this stipulation is to crack down on visa scams run as 'schools'.). I have been for interviews and I cannot get the jobs because I don't have the qualifications.

I understand what you are saying about teaching ESOL to an immigrant population in the UK as I did this in 2006. But it was sessional work with all the student administration done in unpaid hours. Come Christmas or Easter and the work dries up! Not good.

I feel a little stuck.

[tanuki]

Heya Figgie

This clears up what kind of schools you're gunning for in the UK (I THINK...), but don't feel limited to finding work in a government or community-run ESL program (i.e. one for immigrants); there are about a MILLION privately owned schools in the UK that cater to foreign students who mostly do NOT want to live in the UK (i.e who are not immigrants)--they go to an English speaking country to improve their level of English/have a holiday on Daddy's credit card with the only way to action that being to say they want to learn English to get a better job/to learn English to get a better job, or a promotion, or entrance to a better course, or to immigrate to an English-speaking country/to prepare for studying in an English-speaking country... etcetera.

Surely you know about these places?

There are HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of them in the UK!

Okay, the ones not accredited by the British Council I wouldn't seriously consider working in, but there are still lots to go 'round. There's not necessarily any need to up stumps and move to another country.

You could just move to another city in the UK. Then you'd only be 4 or 5 hours drive at most away from your family.

But I'm willing to bet that with a bit of searching, you can find such a place pretty close to home. You might have to commute an hour each way each day, but then you decide whether or not it's worth it in terms of not going away from your family, not having to go through the grind of moving to a foreign country and then settling in, dealing with culture shock when you'Re away from your family as it is, and so on.

Not that I'm NOT recommending living abroad! I've been doing it for some time now--in different places--and I HIGHLY recommend it. But the concern in your initial post seemed to revolve around being away from your family.

If this is really NOT the issue at all, then get a job abroad and enjoy the experience, get your classroom hours, do a DELTA, go back to the UK and apply for the jobs you want.

If it IS a legitimate problem, then investigate the route I've just suggested.

I think that's all I can contribute on the matter so I won't be checking this thread again.

I really wish you the best of luck with getting to where you want to go!

Regards,
Tanuki

[figgie]

Again, an insightful commentary. Thankyou!!