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erica63
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 24
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 Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject: Online TEFL for visa & job |
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Hello everyone, this is my first post although I have read the boards as far back as a year in preparation for my move to Shanghai in June.
I don't have the time or resources to take an in-class TEFL course, although I realize that that would be preferable for experience in the classroom. Instead I am thinking about taking an online course. I have read the previous comments on online TEFL, and there seem to be mixed reviews at their effectiveness in improving one's chances of getting a job. The reason I am wondering if it might be a good idea to take one is that I am worried about my visa application being rejected because of not having 2 years experience. Do you think it is worth getting an online TEFL cert in order to avoid this? Would such a course be acceptable to the powers that be as a teaching cert for the visa? If it will also help me get a job in Shanghai I am thinking of erring on the safe side.
Also, do the number of hours in an online class matter? I am seeing 20, 40, 60, 100 hour courses and I'm not sure which is most worth my time... 100 seems like a little more than I'll be able to do by June (I'm also a full-time student) but many sites have portrayed it as an "official" amount of time to get certified. Since it's an online course anyway, will those looking for 'just a piece of paper' care how many hours it was? Would 20 vs. 60 be a considerable difference?
Thank you for your help! I'll certainly be posting again in the coming months. This board is the most helpful resource I've found in preparing for my journey to China =) |
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lf_aristotle69
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 546
Location: HangZhou, China
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: Online TEFL for visa & job |
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| erica63 wrote: |
Hello everyone, this is my first post although I have read the boards as far back as a year in preparation for my move to Shanghai in June.
I don't have the time or resources to take an in-class TEFL course, although I realize that that would be preferable for experience in the classroom. Instead I am thinking about taking an online course. I have read the previous comments on online TEFL, and there seem to be mixed reviews at their effectiveness in improving one's chances of getting a job. The reason I am wondering if it might be a good idea to take one is that I am worried about my visa application being rejected because of not having 2 years experience. Do you think it is worth getting an online TEFL cert in order to avoid this? Would such a course be acceptable to the powers that be as a teaching cert for the visa? If it will also help me get a job in Shanghai I am thinking of erring on the safe side.
Also, do the number of hours in an online class matter? I am seeing 20, 40, 60, 100 hour courses and I'm not sure which is most worth my time... 100 seems like a little more than I'll be able to do by June (I'm also a full-time student) but many sites have portrayed it as an "official" amount of time to get certified. Since it's an online course anyway, will those looking for 'just a piece of paper' care how many hours it was? Would 20 vs. 60 be a considerable difference?
Thank you for your help! I'll certainly be posting again in the coming months. This board is the most helpful resource I've found in preparing for my journey to China =) |
Hi Erica,
Welcome. Someone should be able to give you good advice here. Not sure about me...
You said you're a student? Is it a Bachelors or Masters course.?If its a Bachelors, will you have graduated by the time you arrive in China?
Many (but not all) employers require a Bachelor degree and a formal TEFL certification as prerequisites. Especially in ShangHai and BeiJing.
It's not clear if you already have a job offer, or not?
Why June? It's when the regular school semester (for schools and Universities, which are the most common employers) is just concluding. Are you planning to travel around in the summer holiday time, or are you coming over for a training centre job? I'm not prying, just seeing if you've thought it all through...
As far as TEFL/TESOL courses are concerned. If you've been preparing for a year and you aren't coming until at least June, then I don't see why you haven't made it a high priority to enrol in a proper inclass course. In fact, you'd still have time to do a part time inclass course even now, I think.
It's not just for the employer to be able to tick a box on your application form... it's so you can be competent in front of a class of students... at least one or two of whom will be hoping you can teach them something... Sorry, that's a pessimistic worse case scenario. Hopefully at least a third of them will be motivated.
I suppose that some of the more professional online courses would be some help. But, I really suggest you try to take an inclass course. Unless, your degree is in education it can be a bit of a shock.
Apparently, a 'good' TEFL/TESOL certificate course should have about 120 hours including 20 hours of practice teaching... or something like that... Look up the CELTA course. That's what I did. But, if you're North American there's probably a similar alternative.
Then again, if you just aim to chat about yourself and your hobbies and interests everyday with the students and call it a class (as a high percentage of ESL conversation teachers do) as a means to stay in China and be able to travel around and see the sights on holidays and weekends, then that's an option that doesn't really require much preparation...
...only half in jest...
Good luck, 
LFA |
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erica63
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:12 pm Post subject: Re: Online TEFL for visa & job |
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| lf_aristotle69 wrote: |
You said you're a student? Is it a Bachelors or Masters course.?If its a Bachelors, will you have graduated by the time you arrive in China? |
I am finishing my last year of a Bachelors in American history/literature at an Ivy League university (tangential question: will the status of my university help me get a job? Should I mention I was an Ivy League student? Do employers care about this in China?). I will be graduating in May, and departing in June.
| lf_aristotle69 wrote: |
| It's not clear if you already have a job offer, or not? |
I don't have a job offer yet, I plan to apply for my visa in about a month and I'm still debating whether or not to go to Shanghai to find work or if I should find it while I'm still here. I've been researching opportunities but I want to commit to a max of 6 months only, so there have been fewer options, and because I've never been to Asia before I'm hesitant to commit sight unseen (although I'm still looking). From what I understand from reading this board, it's possible to go and find a job, and given that I won't be at a public school/university it could be preferable. I'm also a fairly attractive young white American female and I didn't know whether coming in person might help me get a job. I'm aware that when I find employment I will need to travel to Hong Kong to get a visa if I take this route. Any suggestions?
| lf_aristotle69 wrote: |
| Why June? It's when the regular school semester (for schools and Universities, which are the most common employers) is just concluding. Are you planning to travel around in the summer holiday time, or are you coming over for a training centre job? I'm not prying, just seeing if you've thought it all through... |
I'm graduating in May, and have a plane ticket for June 5. I'm planning on traveling around a bit previous to working (I realize that might be necessary for longer than I intended, and will have backup financial support). I'm hoping to get work for the summer, staying longer if I like China (eventually I plan to move into Southeast Asia). I was eager to get out of the US ASAP, which is why I chose June. I was also hoping to beat any Olympics rush. It is my understanding that at the very least "mills" might be hiring at this point. At the very very least I would hope to find a job for Sep. 1 (which will be less than 90 days from my first entry--which is the longest you can extend a tourist visa for, right?)
| lf_aristotle69 wrote: |
| As far as TEFL/TESOL courses are concerned. If you've been preparing for a year and you aren't coming until at least June, then I don't see why you haven't made it a high priority to enrol in a proper inclass course. In fact, you'd still have time to do a part time inclass course even now, I think. |
I've read the back posts on this board for a year back, but I just decided on China and teaching English in the last month which is why I'm behind on this. I can't do a proper course because I simply don't have the money, the online courses are considerably cheaper and would fit much more easily into my schedule. I realize that this will not prepare me in the same way, but with my little experience I think it's the best I can do right now. I'm just trying to sort out whether an online cert without teaching hours will be worth it.
Any other ideas? Would a weekend TEFL course be more useful? Those, too, are considerably more expensive, with fewer hours of training, so I'm not sure if that's a good idea.
Also, I'm not sure how much my experiences will help me in getting a job. When I studied abroad in France for a semester I taught basic English to preschoolers, so I do have some direct teaching experience. I was also an editor/writing tutor working with a school publication which I don't know if I can play off as teaching experience of a sort. What would be the best ways to present these spotty-ish qualifications in order to get a job? Do I need an additional TEFL to be competitive/to get a visa?
Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply =) |
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james s
Joined: 07 Feb 2007
Posts: 676
Location: Raincity
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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| If u have a B.A. in anything u r gold in china. If u go to shanghai, not a penny less than Y20 000 per month on 25 teaching hrs/wk. go there, line up the job and visa, then get earning. Shanghai is ultra expensive. |
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