Job Discussion Forums

brevel_monkey · Joined: 26 Mar 2009 Posts: 9

Hi all,

I used to teach English in China during my gap year. I've been planning to go back there after I graduate this summer and start a professional career in TEFL.

I have a wealth of questions I want to ask: but firsts first! Is TEFL a good career these days? I'm pretty ambitious, maybe not in that I want to earn lots of money, but I do want to feel successful in ten years time!

If you are someone that considers themself a professional TEFL teacher who's in it for the long run, would you reccomend the path to others?

What kind of oppertunities does being a TEFL teacher present?

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Yep, can be, but you won't get rich, but you can live pretty well. get an MA, DELTA, or teaching license and that will help.

You could teach in intl schools with a license, the MA or DELTA coudl get you into the Middle East or teacher training. Don't forget about management, liks ADOS or DOS

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Shelly123 · Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Posts: 8 Location: Sydney, Australia

I agree with Glenski - you could go into management, editing, translation...I think it's up to the individual and their creativity. Many teachers I know get stuck in a rut - they refuse to change their material, teaching style and for them, teaching has become a chain around their necks. They don't have the ambition to look five years into the future and think where they want to be and how to get there.

And successful...what does that mean to you? For me, it meant I could teach for six months, then take a few months off to do other things. It gave me flexibility. Not alot of money...but time. For me, that made me happy and justified other aspects of the job.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:42 pm Post subject:

Good list, Glenski.

I'd add teacher trainer to it.

In addition to teaching, I do teacher training at entry level and beyond. Presents some great career opportunities.

Best,
Justin

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:46 pm Post subject:

PS- It matters a lot what you mean by professional career.

There are a lot of opportunities in EFL, but are they the opportunities YOU are going to be happy with?

For me:

Decent salary and benefits now, though I didn't have them in my first years teaching

Have lived and worked on all inhabited continents but one. Plans for that one are in the works.

Have really seen a lot of countries, not just vacationed in them.

Learned quite a bit of quite a few languages

Work that I enjoy on most days

and

work that I feel is worth doing for me and for others

all add up to a GREAT professional career. BUt it's taken a LOT of long days to get here!

Best,
Justin

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: TEFL: A professional career?

mozzar · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 339 Location: France

How long do you estimate it takes to start a reasonably decent career?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

A decent career usually requires advanced qualifications--an MA or a DELTA. And generally you need a bit of teaching experience before you start an MA or DELTA. So a couple of years of teaching + a year or two getting further qualifications and you're ready to start looking for the better jobs--then however much longer it takes to get settled into a job/country that you're comfortable with.

d

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I think the above two posters are right. Though I'd also have to add the type of experience. If you always work in one type of school, like an institute, you should try to expand, get various work experience types and see what you like, then maybe specialise.

jdl · Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Posts: 632 Location: cyberspace

Serious and in for the long haul?

Put in the time to get a degree in teaching B.Ed, M.Ed, with a focus on ELA/ESL; then take yearly in service training/professional development from a recognized mainstream educational body or professional organization with a specialty focus such as special needs, differentiated instruction, administration certification, curriculum development etc.

I have found that a certified teacher particularly at the Masters or Doctorate level moves quickly up the career ladder and is quickly separated from the TEFL pack. The more educationally mainstream and recognizable as a teacher, the broader the horizon.