Job Discussion Forums

Albulbul · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 364

My office mate Scot47 has taken a fit of the vapours after unjust criticicm here so he has asked me to post this on his behalf.

Some advice on getting into TESOL or TEFL or TESL or whatever the latest fashionable acronym is for Teaching English.

Get a university degree. English or Foreign Languages is good but other fields are usually okay. Learn at least one foreign language to some level of competence. Travel outside your native land. Go and see what lies outside your own neck of the woods.

Get some training. Teachers certification is good and so is exposure to the techniques of EFL training.

If you are going to do it long term expect to have a hard path as a permanent exile from your native land. If you are going to do it for a few years and then go back home try to think about the problems of slotting back into life in your native land.

Learn some humility. Arrogance does not go well with this job.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Well said, mate! I couldn't agree with those words more. Good on scot47. I am a fan of his.

Cool

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

Humility?

johnslat · Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2003 7:57 pm Post subject: Humble Pie

Dear leeroy,
OK - you beat me to it. I'm a big fan of scot47's postings, especially the ones dealing with the Middle East. But scot47 and " humility " in the same sentence? Ah, somehow I can;t quite wrap my brain around that concept.
Well, let's put it this way - if scot47 does possess the sterling virtue of humility, I'll wager he's proud of doing so.
Regards,
John

ntropy · Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 671 Location: ghurba

Excellent stuff. Should be required reading for everyone getting into the field. Agree with every point. Yes, humility. A hard one for many of us, but absolutely required.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

"Oh,Lord, it's hard to be humble when you are perfect in every way."

As so often there is a line from a C&W song to illustrate what a pompous ass this Scot47 is !

But being a pompous ass does not mean that I lack insight !

Jeff Mohamed · Joined: 18 Oct 2003 Posts: 34 Location: Houston, Texas

I don't know whether Scot47 is a pompous ass or not, because I haven't met him or read enough of his posts. However, I thought that the advice in the Albulbul post was very sensible and would be helpful for people thinking of entering the field of English teaching.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Well I rather like being pompous! So there !

Albulbul was kind enough to post on my behalf when I was having a bout of hysteria induced by unfair criticism from some of those AWFUL people who post here.

Really I sometimes feel that one should have sal volatile in one's hand before reading some of these posts !

Thank God it is Ramadan and our vacation is just a few days away.