Job Discussion Forums

TedSeastrom · Joined: 20 Oct 2007 Posts: 21

Hi everyone. A middle-aged newbie here. In a nutshell: I'm 51, male, single, and have a BA in economics and lots of non-degree technical training in IT. I have worked several years as a technical writer, most recently on contract at Microsoft. No teaching experience. I'm getting a TESOL certificate through a school affiliated with Seattle University in November (2007). Finances are good, so I don't need to save money. I gather that in some positions age (over 50) can be an issue. I'm looking at Thailand as well as some other Asian (and possibly Latin American) countries.

Questions:

(1) With my profile, what opportunities are their in Thailand?
(2) Would another country be better?
(3) In addition to the TESOL I'm getting in Seattle, would it make sense to get a TEFL in-country, both for localized training and to make connections for job opportunities?

I want to work legally, get the right visa/permits, and be in the best possible working/learning environment--that's more important than income. I'm not looking to have a paid vacation or semi-retire. I want to do real work and continue to develop professionally. Thanks for any thoughts.

Bangkok Hound · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 66 Location: Bangkok

Ted, I don't think you'll have a problem getting a job. The only real negative I think you have is no teaching experience.

Re: TEFL I wouldn't bother with doing it again. Does it offer observed teaching practice?

TedSeastrom · Joined: 20 Oct 2007 Posts: 21

The school has an on-site ESOL class that meets in the evenings twice a week. The Intensive students participate in that ESOL class, in addition to the Intensive's daytime sessions.

Here's a description of the Intensive: "Seattle University College of Education and the School of Teaching ESL have created a cooperative agreement. Any holder of at least a bachelor�s degree from an approved college or professional school can earn The Seattle University Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages for completion of twelve credits with a GPA of 3.0. A Bachelor�s degree plus this certificate is a typical requirement for overseas employment. Classes meet from 9:00am-3:00pm, Monday-Friday for four weeks. The four courses are: Teaching English as a Second Language; Theory and Application, Methods of Language Acquisition; Teaching Grammar to ESOL Students; and Materials Selection and Development in TES0L."

As for getting some additional experience, I may have an opportunity to do a two-month internship in Mexico City in January (2008). Would teaching experience in Mexico be acknowledged in Thailand or other Asian countries?

Bangkok Hound · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 66 Location: Bangkok

Content of the course sounds good.

Experience is experience. It would be recognized by Thai schools. But you'll get a job in Thailand even with no experience, so if Thailand is where you want to be I'd skip Mexico.

BTSskytrain · Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 45

lots of loonies teaching in thailand with far less credentials than you. just pick an area of thailand, get the plane ticket and go. if money is no issue then you might want to consider a more rural area (public school) as you'll get a much better taste of what thailand is all about. the better money can be made in bangkok but bangkok is a big, steamy, dirty, traffic congested place (that i dearly love by the way, ha) and the bangkok lifestyle is certainly not for everyone. i also recommend checking out www.ajarn.com as there are lots of jobs posted there and will give you some idea of the various types of positions available and what each respective job would pay.

the following is a list of various kinds of english teaching situations available:

-public schools (all levels elem. - university)
-private schools (all levels elem. - university)
-private english academies
-businesses and corporations
-international schools (however you usually need a degere in education and full teacher certification to land one of these positions)

Good Luck. You're going to love Thailand.

TedSeastrom · Joined: 20 Oct 2007 Posts: 21

Thanks everyone for the information. I've decided to make my first step in ESL/EFL a smaller one by starting in Latin America--closer to home, more familiar culture. I'm going to do an internship in Mexico City after getting my TESOL certificate. If/when I go to an Asian country, I want to be an experienced teacher so I can focus on adapting to culture and language. This is going to be a book with many chapters. Thanks again!

SpedEd · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 143 Location: Shanghai

You could also consider China. I've over here and I've noted a lot of teachers in your age group. Ask around and get their input regarding their working lives in China and so forth. As you know the salaries are very low over here. I figure there must be something over here for the older teaching crowd.

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

No Moss · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 1995 Location: Thailand

Noob, don't worry about SpedEd. He makes remarks about older teachers--I believe you could call that his specialty. And Ghost will tell you can't work anywhere. Sounds like a personal problem. I'm well over 60, and I make enough money to live well and save without tapping my retirement. I have worked successfully in Taiwan and Vietnam, and I've been offered jobs in Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand.

My secret? I know how to teach, and I can communicate that pretty quickly in an interview. Convince somebody that you can help them, and they'll respond. I'm really picky about jobs.

China is easy, as Ghost says. Lifestyle is the problem here, and I'm ready for the LOS. China? Well, it's the LOS too, except the S is spit. Laughing