Job Discussion Forums

[lifestream]

I was wondering what the criteria was when looking for a school, and I have a few questions.

1) Is a degree endorsed by Trinity College et al. crucial?

2) I am from Canada so would a program endorsed by TESL Canada be sufficient?

3) If two programs are both endorsed by TESL Canada would the amount of hours/work the program provides be important or is the school's established reputation more important?

Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for TESOL schools in Ontario/Toronto? I am currently looking at Coventry House but their Trinity College endorsed certificate seems like quite a lot of money. What is the general amount one should pay for a standard certificate?


Thanks!

[spiral78]

What do you want to do with your cert once you have it?
Different parts of the world have different requirements for certification. If you plan to teach in Canada, then obviously the Canadian recognition is all you need. However, I'm guessing you intend to go abroad someplace, otherwise you likely wouldn't be asking to begin with - right?

[lifestream]

Yes, I do plan to go abroad, however I'm not completely set on where I want to go yet. I still have two years left in university, but I'd like to get a certificate as soon as I can so I can apply abroad once I graduate.

I plan on teaching between 1-3years abroad and then will return to Canada and begin searching for a job that conforms to my major (political science). I am aware that middle eastern and far eastern countries require at least a BA degree, but that isn't a concern for me as I plan to teach once I complete my degree.

I hope that helps

[Gautsch]

I think the Cambridge CELTA is your safest bet as far as international recognition goes. Unfortunaetly, it's also rather pricey...

[spiral78]

You mention Middle East and Far East. Middle Eastern schools (assuming you mean Saudi, Emirates, Oman, etc) usually require a related MA + experience. You're not likely to land a job there upon graduation with a BA, regardless of certification.

If, by Far East you mean Asia, that's more realistic. Many Asian countries hire from abroad, meaning that you could get certified in Canada and then apply for jobs.
If this is what you're thinking of, then I too would recommend a name-brand certification, probably CELTA.

To apply for European jobs, the most general route to take is to get a certification from a training centre in the country where you want to start working. Most schools in this part of the world do not hire from abroad.

I think that Latin America also prefers locally-certified teachers and that hiring from abroad is not as common - but I'm not that knowledgable about Latin America!!

[naturegirl321]

[lifestream]

[spiral78]

Asia and Europe are very different.

Reputable private language schools throughout both 'older' EU member states and 'newer' EU member states rarely hire from abroad.

This is because Europe is generally a highly-desirable area for newbie teachers. The demand for teachers is not nearly as strong as in Asia, so standards can be more stringent.

Historically, too many European schools were burned by candidates who either didn't show up, or who proved to have misrepresented themselves in some way when they did.

Furthermore, presumably you're aware that, as a Canadian citizen (assuming that you don't have dual citizenship), you can't work legally in the older EU member countries - France, Italy, Spain - in any case.

North Americans can still get legal working papers for most of the new EU member countries like the Czech Rep and Poland, etc., but these countries will join the Schengen group in January and laws will likely change, though so far as I know possible changes in possibilities for legal working permits for North Americans are as yet undecided. I was asking around in Prague last week, but so far I haven't found any concrete answers to this question for the Czech Rep, at least.



There are numerous training centres in Europe, which offer a standard 100+ hours onsite including a teaching practicuum. This means that, for jobs in Europe, there are numerous candidates here on the ground, CVs in hand, ready to show themselves in the offices of private language schools looking reputable and responsible.

Part of the value of taking a course in the country where you want to start is that your practice teaching students will be representative of the students you're going to actually be working with.

Beware of North American-based courses that do not offer supervised teaching practice with real students and feedback from experienced teacher-trainers. They are well-advertised, but are NOT generally considered to be adequate for newbie teachers in Europe.

[spiral78]

I should suggest that you read through some of the country-specific forums below. You'll get much more to-the-point information there. Then, you'll have a better context for further questions that you might have.

[lifestream]

EU shouldn't be a problem as I can become a dual citizen (Canadian/Italian) via jure sanguinis. Although as far as I can tell Eastern Europe and countries which were formerly part of the communist bloc require more teachers than Western Europe.

However, I'm not really all that picky. I think the only place I wouldn't want to teach in the EU is Moldova and I know that Poland and the Czech Republic are pretty heavy hitters when it comes to ESL contracts. However, wherever there is work I will go.

My main reason as keeping Asia as a backup is basically because I'm more fascinated by the history and architecture of Europe and there's an excellent budget airline system. Also I feel that I won't have such a great feeling of culture shock in most EU countries in comparison to Asia, and culture shock can destroy your outlook on teaching in a foreign country.

I was also wondering how I would be able meet basic necessities while taking a CELTA course in Europe if I am not working. Would I have to save something in the range of $10,000 in order to find accommodation/money until I finish my course/find a job? If so then I doubt it would be worth my trouble going overseas at all and might as well use that money to pay off student loans.

Also could it be possible to arrange a Working Holiday Program or Young Worker exchange program through specific consulates?

Thanks for you replies though, they've been very helpful thus far.

I've decided to eventually complete CELTA, there are only two places in Toronto. I can't tell which one is better at this point.

http://www.lsc-canada.com/contact_us
http://www.lsi-canada.com/celta/

[spiral78]

Good. So, I'd suggest that you start the process of becoming a dual citizen right away, so that you won't be bound by non-EU hiring restrictions, whether you go to Western or Central Europe.

CELTA will be recognized in Europe, even if you actually take the course in Canada. Just beware of some of those heavily-marketed North-American based courses that don't offer a teaching practicuum. There are newbies on the forum who've been burned by these, later realizing that their certifications aren't accepted in Europe.

I wouldn't say that Central/Eastern Europe requires more teachers than Western Europe. However, you may see more adverts because pay rates are lower, and the Western European positions are more attractive to teachers from the UK.

I'm not sure what you mean by the Czech Rep and Poland being 'heavy hitters' when it comes to teaching contracts. Maybe you just see more jobs advertised for these two countries? Although, there probably ARE more jobs there than in Slovakia or other smaller/less populated countries with weaker economies.

Finances are another matter.
You can expect to make enough in Central/Eastern Europe to live all right in the country, but not to pay off your student debts, save money, or travel extensively outside the country, even on those budget airlines!

Yes, you will need some savings before coming. This is because language schools pay monthly, AFTER the month worked. Landlords will want rent monthly, BEFORE the month starts. Additionally, they will want one month's rent as a security deposit + the month's rent up front, and you may have to pay the equivalent of a month's rent to an agent, if you need one to find a place.

You can count on having to support yourself from savings for a minimum of two months, and possibly three, while at the same time you will have start up costs in terms of accomodation.

Further, remember that schools in Europe, unlike some in Asia, don't pay for airfare. They usually don't provide accomodation either (unless you're in a very remote area), but should help you make contacts to find suitable accomodation when you get here.

For working holidays and young worker programs, you'll need to check embassy websites. There is some information on the France forum below regarding assistant teaching positions that might interest you.

[lifestream]

Generally would you say the only places you can save some money are in Asian countries?

[spiral78]

Asia and the Middle East. But ME gigs require advanced qualifications and serious experience.

If you expect to save anything as a newbie, with just a BA and a basic cert, you need to focus your research on Asia (probably S. Korea). You will find better info on the country-specific forums.