Job Discussion Forums

wayne1523 · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 100 Location: Toronto, Canada

Hi everyone. My name's Wayne (22 years old) and I'm totally new here and this is my first post ever. I'm set to graduate this semester as a History Major from the University of Waterloo in Canada and I'm really excited of the prospect of teaching abroad, especially when I figured that I wanted to do it just a month ago.

I was wondering if, in general, it would be a disadvantage to try to teach abroad with only a 3-Year Degree (as I will be graduating with that) vs. the usual 4-year Degree. Would this be an impediment to finding part-time English teaching jobs around the world or would it only make it more difficult if I wished to be a full-time "Licensed Teacher" with a teaching certificate that actually teaches in specialized subjects? (ie: Math, English, History, Social Studies, etc.)

Also, is anybody here aware of a reliable and legitimate Thai program/school/website that is looking for English teachers that require only a Bachelor's Degree and offering a 5-6 month contract starting this coming Fall (August/September) which also does not require any registration fee (joint for TEFL certificate, etc.)? Thus far in my vigorous research, I have only found either websites offering 5-6 month contracts in Thailand that require a registration fee costing beyond a grand or two, or websites/programs that do not require a fee to be paid but obligates you to 10-12 month contracts.

As a freshly graduated student, my intention for now is to only travel around and see places like Thailand for about a half a year before considering any further whether I would like to stay or not. It would seem pretty seemingly ideal for me to teach in Thailand to evade the notorious Canadian winter months while making some money and immerse myself in a different culture, and of course along with some of its inherent geographic attractions such as beaches and what not.

If anybody can help me out that would be really great as I continue to do more research. Thanks a lot everyone and I'm really excited these days. =)

Kiels · Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 59 Location: UK

Hey Wayne,

Look at MediaKids. They're a company operating from Bangkok which place teachers in more rural areas across Thailand in regions such as Issan or towns like Lopburi. Your 3 year degree should be fine. They have positions beginning at the end of May and end of Sept I think. The salary is fine considering the lower cost of living in more rural areas. The schools they place you in are government schools. I didn't particularly like my school but many teachers were happy with theirs. Often large class sizes of 40 +students in each class. You can choose to teach secondary or primary. Some schools are more resourced than others. No fee to join them. 5 month contracts.

tttompatz

wayne1523 · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 100 Location: Toronto, Canada

Thanks for the help, people. I was just thinking that it might be a disadvantage since there are those schools which explicitly note that a 4-year degree is required. Even then, alot of them ask for the transcripts so I was wondering if they would take the 3-year thing into consideration when putting you side by side to your competition.

MaiPenRai · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 390 Location: BKK

wayne1523 · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 100 Location: Toronto, Canada

MaiRenPai, thanks for your extensive reply. (lol, it rhymes)

Well, instead of just starting off and getting a job now freshly new to teaching, I am now considering signing up to a program like i-to-i where I can gain my TEFL certificate in Thailand, pay a fee/tuition, go through the 1 -month training, and look to get a placement as they assure. I have seen quite a considerable number of ads on Dave's Cafe that requires a TEFL certificate, so I might as well get it while I'm in Thailand AND get a placement as well. Maybe this is a better idea? And i-to-i is legitimate, correct? Thanks.

itoi · Joined: 19 Feb 2010 Posts: 6

Hi Wayne,

We are indeed legitimate - in fact we train more people to be TEFL teachers each year than any other course provider.

You might want to log-on to our TEFL community Chalkboard to meet others who have got TEFL certified through i-to-i: http://www.tefl-chalkboard.com/

There's also quite a few people on there who are booked onto the Thailand Internship (I think that's what you're interested in right?) who you can chat to before going: http://www.tefl-chalkboard.com/groups/85-Teach-in-Thailand-Internship

Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to get in touch!

MaiPenRai · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 390 Location: BKK

When looking at TEFL schools, here are a few tips:

1. Male sure you get 120 hours of onsite tutorials (industry standard)
2. Make sure you get at least 6 hours of observed teaching practice (industry standard)
3. Ask to speak to previous grads
4. Ask to speak to the trainers. Ask detailed questions about their teaching experience and knowledge. Remember these are the people who will be TEACHING you.
5. Remember that you are a customer and they are supplying a service.
6. Dont be fooled by courses offering beach side locations. If you are going to STUDY for a course, you should focus on the study aspect. Plenty of time for beach holidays after.
7. Courses that offer guaranteed placements often work with recruiting agencies and basically sell you to the agency. Therefore these teachers often get placed in less than desirable locations and schools.