Job Discussion Forums

mgm · Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 10

Hi! Here is my story. I have a TESOL certificate and a few years of experience teaching ESL overseas. I would like to eventually teach in Australia, where I am from. I thought I could do a Diploma in Tesol, but I just called UTS in Sydney and they said I need a bachelor degree to apply, which I don't have. Would it be the same to apply for the DELTA? Does anybody have any suggestions on what my next step should be?
Thanks in advance.

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

Basically, your next step should probably to get a degree. If you want to make a career out of teaching English, especially in an English speaking nation, you need advanced qualifications (post-graduate certificate/diploma, masters etc). You need an undergraduate degree to do any of those.

Englishish · Joined: 01 Oct 2009 Posts: 78

It may well be possible to get onto a DELTA course without having a degree - especially if you already have some teaching experience. It will depend if you can convince them that you would be able to do the qualification and this would vary from one place to another. However, since you need a degree in many countries in order to get a working visa, it would be in your interests to get a degree. Unlike many of us who did a degree in a completely unrelated subject and then have to do further qualifications to work in English speaking countries, you'd have the advantage of being able to do a degree in TESOL immediately. (This is assuming you want to stay in TESOL in the future.)

Chris_Crossley

You could, of course, undertake a bachelor's degree by online and distance learning while continuing to work full-time and, by extension, earn money that could go towards paying your tuition fees without having to take yourself out of the jobs market for three or four years.

You might want to enquire with any Australian universities (such as the University of Southern Queensland) about the possibility of studying online, no matter where you are located in the world.

If, therefore, you take, say, six years to complete a bachelor's degree, you will not only have your degree at the end of that time, but you will also have six more years of paid work experience. Both together would, I am sure, become a valuable asset if you were to set yourself on the path to achieving such a qualification.

You could even go on to do a master's degree, also by online and distance learning if you so wished, when you have finished, though be aware that universities may want you to possess the DELTA (or the Trinity Diploma in TESOL or any equivalent elsewhere) if you wanted to work there as a teacher of, say, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), which is what I have been doing in China for the best part of the last four-and-a-half years.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:22 am Post subject:

DELTA and Trinity are open to you. No degree requirement, as far as I know. Just a basic cert and about 3 years' experience. I think there's also an age requirement - 25.

Check out their websites and get the info direct. But it is all possible for you as far as I can see.

Good luck

NilSatis82 · Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 110

Hi, I'm in a similar position to you as I'd also like to do the Trinity Diploma but have no degree. FYI, these are the official requirements.

http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=695

However, I sent an email to Trinity to enquire about the lack of degree and this is the reply I got:

"Yes - if he does not have a degree, then he may be able to take the course if he has more than the requisite experience and can demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to pass the DipTESOL units. So I would recommend he apply for the course of his choice and he can see if he is successful at interview."

Again the DELTA requirements state that you must have a degree but I know of someone who has taken it without a degree.

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/teaching-awards/delta.html

I think it basically comes down to each individual centre on how flexible they're willing to be and also if they think you'd have a realistic chance of passing. If you really want to do the course in that particular centre in Sydney that you mentioned, then it might be worth pushing them a bit more on it to see if they're willing to move the goalposts a bit.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:05 am Post subject:

Dear NilSatis82

I think you have put your finger on it: it is basically down to each centre's discretion, as it is sometimes with age or English language proficiency.

However, I don't think it is expressly stated you must have a degree to do the DELTA. The following quote from the Cambridge website covers a multitude of sins with the skilful use of a hyphen:

"be a graduate and/or have an initial teaching qualification"

So, everybody, apply away to either diploma course. I doubt any centre is going to turn you down during a recession. I'd be very surprised if they did.

Best of luck!

NilSatis82 · Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 110

Yeah, could you imagine a similar situation in which a student who really wanted to take their FCE this year, but was turned away because they hadn't passed their end-of-year upper-intermediate exam or were a few marks short on their placement test? Most schools would be more than happy to take their money of them.

In the end, as long as you can satisfy Cambridge or Trinity as well as show the centre that you're reasonably intelligent and prepared to put the effort in, there's no reason why they should turn you down.