Job Discussion Forums

[whitehorsebob]

I am debating wether it is worth my while to pursue TEFL/CELTA/TOEFL certification. I am a retired teacher with 12 years experience teaching French as a second language both at the elementary and adult levels. English is my first language. Any suggestions or comments? Thanks.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

What methodology did you use to teach French? When did you teach French?

Where do you want to teach? To whom do you want to teach?

[eslstudies]

Many TEFL jobs require a specific qualification, eg CELTA or equivalent. Others would take your existing qualifications and experience as sufficient.
In a pedagogical sense you probably wouldn't gain much from a course, but the tear-off parchment could improve your employment options.

[whitehorsebob]

Thanks for your replies. I retired from teaching two years ago. At the elementary level I used what was called the communicative approach. The focus was on student participation. Songs, games, role plays and student presentations were used. For the higher grades I supplemented these activities with targeted grammar exercises. A curriculum guide was provided.

For my adult students I designed my own curriculum. I used a variety of resources including a language laboratoy. I focussed on pronunciation, vocabulary building and theme centred role plays. Some grammar was also taught.

I would prefer to teach adults although I would not reject teaching kids. At the moment I am most interested in teaching in Latin America or perhaps Japan.
whitehorsebob

[Glenski]

As far as Japan is concerned, you are eligible for entry level work, or perhaps (uncertain about this since you retired) international schools. Yes, even with your years of experience at home, it was teaching French and it was teaching at home, not in Japan. International schools will require a teaching license from your home country, plus a couple of years of experience. Entry level work means conversation schools (a huge step down from your current teaching), or being an ALT (either through the JET Programme or a dispatch agency, both steps down in a sense).

No CELTA is needed. Japan's market is flooded, however, especially since NOVA just went bankrupt and put several thousand teachers on the streets, so any advantage you can get will be an edge. One position here just had 400 applicants, and a French person got the job because of her immense qualifications, even though it was a conversation school position.

[whitehorsebob]

Thanks for the information Glenski. I have followed some of the postings on the Japan forum and I know about Nova. I do have a valid teaching license and twelve years of experience but I dont think I want to restart my career as such which is what I assume would be involved at the International Schools. Money is not a primary motivation since I do have a pension. Rather I am looking for a chance for some cultural exploration. I also find somewhat to my surprise that I actually miss teaching though perhaps not the workload. I did apply with Westgate but I was screened out before the interview stage which surprised me a little but I guess is a sign of the times. What I had in mind is a shorter term assignment probably at one of the better conversational schools but it seems now is not the time.
Regards,
whitehorsebob

[SocratesSon2]

You would indeed benefit from getting a certification of some kind. Whether or not it is actually useful in a practical sense is a subject of some debate. My opinion is that it is pretty worthless.

As to experience versus such credentials, I think that's obvious, experience wins out every time. If only those who came to china were not required to have a degree, which is not marker of teaching skill at all, but instead had to take an 8 hour test measuring their actual real world knowledge of the subject to be taught. Now that would weed out the losers and backpackers right there. College degrees are a dime a dozen, real knowledge and understanding is not.

For the working conditions to improve here, the losers, i.e. back packers with no teaching ability in the early to mid twenties, need to be weeded out. A test of this nature would do the trick. If said test were re formatted every month this would also cut down on cheating. However this makes too much sense, measuring actual knowledge versus a rank or title bestowed by a useless piece of paper. Therefore the unqualified and ignorant recent grads and backpackers of the world will continue to come here, and continue to take jobs that pay peanuts. This in turn reduces salaries for the rest of us. Oh well, such is life.

[anninhk]

If you are not over 60 I suggest the NET scheme in Hong Kong. Personally, I would suggest the PNET scheme as the workload is not as great as the secondary level and you are more free to teach 'fun' lessons as the pressure of exams - though great - is not as great.
I came here in my middle 50's and despite all the negative comments from a lot of people, have really enjoyed the experience for the most part and Hong Kong is a great place to live.
You can work before 60 - after 60 it is at the discretion of the school and I am hoping to stay another year.
Look at www.edb.gov.hk - Net scheme for information or look at the Hong Kong forum- although you might be put off there by all the negativity!

[MO39]

[keepwalking]

If you are still considering Latin America and haven't ruled out teaching kids, check out the LAHC website. This is the Latin American Head's Conference and has contact details for all the British schools in Latin America. These schools serve the nationals of the country in which they are based, rather than the international community, but use aspects of the British curriculum to draw up their own programmes of study. Generally they have a British Head and some British staff. They usually offer 2-3 year contracts and other benefits such as medical insurance, flights, help with finding accommodation etc.

[whitehorsebob]

Thanks so much for all of your input. I am looking into some of these suggestions.
regards whitehorsebob