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What is a "certified Teacher" in Taiwan ESL lingo?

 
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Paisley777



Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:51 am    Post subject: What is a "certified Teacher" in Taiwan ESL lingo? Reply with quote

Hello,

Let me start by saying that I am a newbie with a BS and a little experience teaching ESL for my local church.

I've been doing a lot of reading on ESL boards and I am leaning heavily toward Taiwan because I enjoy teaching, want to see the world, & would like to put some money away.

I was going to get a CELTA but it looks like it holds little value in Taiwan. However, many jobs say that they need a copy of an "EFL certificate" or that it is "a plus." Also, I see the job ads often require a "certified teacher" or a "teacher's licence."

My questions are:
1) Some of the posts are older so I wonder, is a TEFL cert becoming more valuable?

2) When they ask for a "certified teacher" or "teacher's licence" are they looking for a TEFL cert or an actual MA in teaching?

Thanks in advance
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MomCat



Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 297

PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 3:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Paisley,

A certified teacher is someone who is able to teach in a public school in their own country, in their own State. It's not as much about the degree as about having the "paper" that says you are certified to teach.

As I understand it, the CELTA is British English. Most schools in Taiwan lean towards American English. You may be better off with a TEFL.

Stress your experience teaching at the church. It sounds like your strongest suit.
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LKJ



Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 57

PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paisley,

MomCat is correct about the description of a certified/licenced teacher. Although, the process/standards of certification vary from State to State and country to country. Your teachers at school would have been certified teachers (you would hope anyway). Most overseas ESL schools welcome these teachers as they are considered 'real' teachers � although just like any profession, some are terrible and you wouldn�t want them near your kids.

An ESL qualified teacher is someone that has passed a course to teach English as a foreign/second language. The courses can be taken online or in class and the standard of course (and participant) vary enormously. An ESL teacher is not qualified to teach in a government school back home.

The CELTA course is probably the best ESL course you can take. It takes one month and is hard work. It�s certainly the best known and most respected ESL course. It�s accredited by Cambridge University - hence MomCat's reference to British English - but in fact the courses are run all over the world and do not necessarily follow British English. They focus on International English and are taught by trainers of many different nationalities. The CELTA course is based on teaching adults (which is what the 'A' at the end stands for) but it is a GREAT way to start out in ESL with any age group.

Most young teachers in Asia don't have any teaching qualification (certified or ESL qualified) but you need to decide what is best for you.

I hope this helps.
LKJ

Edit - for the record, a CELTA is an example of TEFL qualification. TEFL/TESOL/ESL/EFL etc are different names for the same thing.
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Ki



Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 475

PostPosted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you plan on getting an MA in teaching English or whatnot be careful as it isn't an actual degree in education. It does allow you to teach at universities but not in the public school system. (Please correct me someone if I am wrong).

Anyway, something to think about if you are thinking of an extra year of education. A Dip Ed may be preferrable to you after all, depending on what you are after.
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Paisley777



Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Texas offers an Alternative Teacher's Cert for those with a BA/BS. It is rather expensive though so I don't think it'll be worth it at this point.

With some of the job ads asking for a TEFL (not a teacher's cert), I guess my only question at this point is whether or not the TEFL cert (of any brand) is worth getting these days or if Taiwan still doesn't need it.

Thanks again everyone!
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ESL Hobo



Joined: 23 Oct 2008
Posts: 262

PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,
With a teachers certificate from your home country you can start out making 80,000NT ($2,424usd) per month in Hinschu(near Taipei), otherwise the starting pay is around 60,000 to 65,000NT ($1,818usd). In UAE you could make $5,833usd per month(with the teachers certificate).

Personally, if I had had the money long ago, I would have gotten either a teaching certificate or a masters in Education(because of its flexibility). A masters in education would open doors to more schools, like international schools and working back home when you get tired of globe trotting. Having a masters in Linguistics is also very good.

It all depends on if you want to make TEFLing a life long job or just a fling.
It might be a good idea to try it for a year then decide. Having a TEFL certificate, which you can do online for around $300, puts you ahead of the next guy in line who doesn't have one, in TW, but it's not required. The most important thing here is to have a BA in any field, be a native speaker and young (between 22 to 40) the younger you are the more your chances of being hired in TW, most of the jobs here are with kids and managers seem to think that kids will relate better to younger teachers. In fact young teachers with little or no experience are welcomed in many schools because they want to mold you into teaching "their way".

best wishes
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SandyG20



Joined: 12 Sep 2007
Posts: 208

PostPosted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hobo - are you talking about the real International type schools in Taipei that pay that kind of money? or other types of schools. The reason I ask this is because the competition for international jobs is fierce. These jobs are more like actual public school jobs in the USA - where a teacher teaches all subjects - not just English. Typically an applicant is competeing with hundreds or maybe thousands of other teachers for these jobs.

That is the same kind of competition that exists in the USA right now for a REAL teaching job.

Now if a person is certified in the high level maths or sciences - jobs are easier to find anywhere.

Hobo the reality is that most jobs do not pay that kind of money in Taiwan.

Not in the private language schools or hagwon type schools.

Even the recruiters (Dewey and Footprints) don't list 80,000 NTD for working at the public schools in Taiwan.

In the USA getting a teaching license means having a 4 year degree - with certain course requirements - depends on what you want to teach - a person has to do real experience in the classroom - and student teaching - while being supervised - and you pay to do this - there are alternative programs - very expensive and time consuming. Lots and lots of work. I am amazed that people think it is easy to become a certified teacher. I am one - and the college I attended really really piled on the work. You will also have to take lots of school, and state/national tests and have high score levels to pass to different levels in the college programs.
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ESL Hobo



Joined: 23 Oct 2008
Posts: 262

PostPosted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have seen these jobs offered in Hinschu NOT Taipei.
I think they call themselves "International" schools but in reality they are nothing like the International schools in Taipei. The ones I saw for 80,000nt per month required 30 teaching hours a week and to stay at the school all day doing office hours when not teaching.
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SandyG20



Joined: 12 Sep 2007
Posts: 208

PostPosted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Prob the one I just did a google search for - the core job was 50,000 for working 830 to 430 - then you get paid an hourly wage for working 430 to 1000 at night - got a private room with a PUBLIC living room -kitchen- bathroom - what ever that meant. So basically it is 2 jobs - not one. The reality is most jobs pay 50.000 to 60, 000 and no perks - whether the applicant has an AA degree or a PHD.
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MomCat



Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 297

PostPosted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are three International schools in Hsinchu. Only one of them pays $80,000 a month. I doubt you'll see any ads for it. The positions, when they're available, are usually filled by word of mouth.
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JoeyKocur



Joined: 23 Apr 2009
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 7:04 am    Post subject: requirements vary greatly Reply with quote

Currently, I am in the process of getting a "real" teaching certificate. As such, I have done a ton of research on this matter.

This is the bottom line, some states have harsh requirements, while others do not. It's a state thing, not a nationally mandated "one size fits all" route to alternative certification.
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