Job Discussion Forums

[Neal]

Hey everyone, i was hoping you could answer some questions for me.

Im a 24 year old male living in Ontario, Canada. I have worked in a casino for the last 2 years and its a fun job but its starting to get to me and iv decided to look into a career change.

I want to teach English in Vietnam. im interested in learning about the culture, meeting new ppl, seeing a different part of the world, and iv been learning how to speak vietnamese a bit over the last 2 years at the casino so i figure Vietnam would be a good place to start.
There is a school here in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, called Oxford Seminars, where i can get certified to teach. It costs around $1000.00 and they garantee you a job or your money back. Is anyone out there familiar with Oxford Seminars and is it legit?

My biggest concern is this: What kind of education do i need? Do i need a University degree or a College degree PLUS the certificate to get a job in Vietnam OR will i be able to find a job with just my highschool diploma and the ESL certificate?

also, once you complete the certificate how soon after do you leave to go teach in another country...i understand you have to find the job first but is it easy or does it take like 6 months to a year to find a job in this?

and how long are the teaching contracts usually? im told one year but are there also 6 month contracts?

I really appreciate you taking the time to read and reply to this. Sorry for making it so long.

Thanks

[Joe Dolce]

I checked their website and their "internationally recognised certificate" isn't. It only takes 6 days and you get no practical teaching experience. Job placement service sounds good but Korean schools offer agents $1000 for providing teachers so it is just extra income for them.

The two real internationally recognised certs are the Trinity College CertTESOL and the University of Cambridge CELTA. They take a month full time (or longer part time) and add up to about 140 hours including 8 hours of assessed practical teaching. These qualifications are the only ones recognised by all institutes worldwide and they can be taken at various schools all over the world. Finding a good one takes a bit of research. Check out forums.

You lack of degree will be a problem at the better schools and it means you can't get a work permit. You can work without a work permit on three month contracts. You will find work but it will probably start out at $12 an hour. You can do better when you get experienced and get to know people here.

Good luck.