Job Discussion Forums

[mlmaxwell]

I'll be moving to London in January and I'm thinking about pursuing a job teaching ESL. I've heard many of the language schools there like to hire people with non-British accents. I have a Master's degree in education and have been teaching high school social studies for the past two years. I've been reading that most online certification programs aren't worth the paper they are printed on, but I don't have the time or the finances to attend the longer in person programs. Are there any worthwhile programs online? I'm wondering if I could get away with a little more in the way of certification since I actually have a formal background in education. Advice?

[mimi_intheworld]

You probably don't need an online (or otherwise) certificate to do TEFL in London. With your education and experience, what you really need is luck. And maybe some connections? And a trust fund to fall back on? There's next to no money in teaching in the UK, let alone TEFLing in London. If you're doing it for something to fill your time, have at it. If you're thinking of teaching at a Tottenham Court Road language school as a source of rent-paying, utilities-using, grocery-buying income.....good luck with that.

On the other hand, a good friend of mine went to London on holiday, arranged an interview at a language school, did well and was hired. They even went through getting her the sponsorship/work permit/whatever it is now. She has no degree and no teaching experience. And she's American.

So.....go for the experience, don't fuss about an online qualification, and see what happens.

[Perilla]

As Mimi mentions, the problem with TEFL in London is that, in camparison to the cost of living in the city, it pays peanuts - in fact, it pays on a par with cleaning jobs and barwork, maybe even less. Your other problem, unless you have a UK or EU passport, is that you won't be able to work legally. But with your experience etc., you may still be offered work - so long as you have some savings to back you up you might have some fun! I agree with Mimi - don't bother with the CELTA course (or any online rubbish) at this point.

[mlmaxwell]

Thanks for the advice. We are moving there for my husband's job, so Visas are not an issue. I'm also used to working in the lowest paying district in CA, so that wouldn't be a new situation! Ultimately, I really want to continue teaching because I love it. I just don't want to end up in a high school again, slaving away and never having time to actually enjoy the experience of living abroad. I've also thought of applying to community colleges (whatever the UK equivalent is) to teach American History or Politics, but that is off the ESL topic... We will also be there for about two years before they send us to another city in Europe, so I'm figuring some TEFL experience might come in handy wherever we go next.

Mimi, I only wish I had a trust fund to fall back on...

[kotoko]

You say you're going with your husband's work, but if he has a choice of where in England to go to (yeah.. I know, you probably don't...) then Cambridge or Brighton are much better places for ESL teachers. The rents are cheaper and the places nicer

[mimi_intheworld]

[mlmaxwell]

We definitely don't have a choice and will be living in London. I'm very excited to spend some time there. The way I see it (although I'm biased after living in NYC and San Francisco) the cost of living is high in great cities. You pay for what you get... Although I'm not opposed to commuting for better pay and I very much appreciate the tip about Cambridge and Brighton!

[Perilla]

[mlmaxwell]

Thankfully, yes, I will be able to work. That's nice to hear about the London schools. I'd love to work in that type of environment. Do you know of any specific schools with good reputations?

[Perilla]

[Londonlover]

It is a bit of an exaggeration to say that EFL teaching wages in London are on a par with bar work or cleaning. The language schools which pay really low wages(less than �10 an hour) are often the ones who will take people without the required EFL teaching qualifications and ones you probably wouldn't want to work for anyway.
If you are intending to make a living out of EFL teaching for a few years, it is definitely worth getting a proper certificate like the CELTA for instance. This (or similar level) qualification is usually necessary for British Council accredited language schools in London and for those language schools that will pay you more of a liveable wage. You may be able to get around �13-�15 an hour in the better paying language schools with a CELTA or similar. Most teachers in these language schools will be working 30 contact hours a week at peak times, but a problem may be that hours could reduce at slack times of the year, but not sure about this. When I did a short stint at one of these schools a few years back, from early spring to early summer (I left to do some university EAP work), it was not difficult to get 30 contact hours.
A few of the better paying language schools in Central London seem to be:
St. Giles International
Central School of English
The Bell School
There are probably one or two others around. Any suggestions?

[Londonlover]

As stated above, one of the joys of teaching EFL in the London language schools is the very wide range of nationalities. You can get people from 12 different countries in one class. The teaching is great fun.
Something else to bear in mind is that the London EFL teaching scene is generally youthful. The majority of teachers at these schools tend to be (mid-late) twentysomethings. At the school I worked at, the few, older, grey-haired teachers wore shirts and ties and taught in the school's 'Business English' section.

[scot47]

You are in teaching because it is fun ? How many people take a job "because it is fun" ?

[fluffyhamster]

Turning your question around somewhat, Scot47, how many people take jobs that they imagine really won't be much fun? Not too many, probably! (Hopefully?).

[HLJHLJ]