Job Discussion Forums

[taliatalia818]

Hello! I have always wanted to teach abroad and am receiving my masters in TESOL in the U.S. I will be completing my coursework this May and will need to complete a practicum which I was hoping to do abroad.

I am having trouble finding a program that will not require me to pay them for a TESOL/TEFL certification.

Ideally, I am looking for a program that will allow me to work there without my certification so I can use it as the last requirement of my graduate program. However, I am also interested in finding work when I have my TESOL certification. Where do I begin looking?!

Any help would be much appreciated!!

*Talia

[nomad soul]

Talia, you should first check with your university to confirm if your intentions won't be problematic because what you propose may not fulfill the requirements for a graduate-level program. For example, my practicum had to be supervised by an MA in TESOL or Applied Lingustics holder with a certain amount of supervisory experience. The coordinating teacher also had to have an MA in TESOL or Applied Linguistics. There were specific standards for my practicum portfolio that I had to address, and I was required to write six, 2-hour lesson plans and post-teaching comments relevant to my observed teaching in addition to a lengthy reflective essay. My practicum was worth 3 semester credits at 45 hours per credit which came out to the requisite minimum of 135 hours for the course. But because I completed an ESOL practicum, I don't need a TESOL certificate and don't see why you should either. Again, check with your department head. They should also be able to help you set up an appropriate teaching situation for your practicum in your area.

[spiral78]

[denise]

I did something similar for my MA. I taught in a summer camp in China during the break between my 2nd & 3rd semesters and used that for my practicum. Several students in my program went this route, but we got approval from our professors beforehand. I kept a daily journal and videotaped at least one lesson (can't remember how many), which I then watched with & got feedback from my practicum instructor when I returned.

If such an arrangement is feasible for you, it's still way too soon to start looking for summer jobs for next summer. Try doing a job search in or around March.

d

[Glenski]

What needs to be done in your practicum? How long does it have to be?

[naturegirl321]

Just make sure to get the agreement in writing if your uni agrees to it.

[taliatalia818]

Thank you for all of the feedback so far!

I'm not sure how long the practicumm must be so I am going to meet with my advisor to find out.

If I decide to wait until I have my tesol certification, any idea of the best place to look for a job?

Talia

[taliatalia818]

[tttompatz]

[sounion]

I know I have found some postings for various work on www.goabroad.com However, they have a lot of listings for a TEFL/TESOL course that the places you so you have to sift for an actualy posting.

www.teachanywhere.com might be some help depending on your quals outside of the MA TESOL.

www.idealist.org is something I have used before. Source out the posters, some may also be asking you to pay to teach...don't do that.

Hmmm...you can, of course, check out dave's

Just be sure with any postings or offers to fully source it out and make sure you fulfill visa requirements, they're legit, you have enough money to cover: flights, insurance, housing, start up money for a month or 2, etc. Teaching abroad requires money to start.

[taliatalia818]

[sounion]

So are you asked to return after this practicum for more school work?

6 weeks practicum might be hard to swing abroad if you then need to turn around and come back.

If you wait for your TESOL, Asia is usually a great place to start since there is often a large demand, quick and easy travel, you can find a job quick in areas that aren't going to pay as much but that are going to be more rural and thereby give you a truly cultural immersion.

China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, etc.

Check out the forums for those specific countries should you be keen on one in particular since they'll have great info for the job hunt.

Also, strike Western EU countries off your list as us Americanos can only work there illegally or if we have some super quality that would make our employer petition their own government to let us in. Central and Eastern EU is more forgiving to us though.

[naturegirl321]

Does your uni have any agreements with schools in other countries? Or unis in other countries? that might be worth checking into.

[sounion]

Also Talia, you are doing an MA, what are your qualifications outside of this degree?

If you have a technical degree, for instance, it might mean you have a good chance at teaching business English or IT English, etc, which would affect your search.

I would assume your MA program would have an office that would be dedicated to this inquiry, BUT, should it not, you can always sign up for a recruiter. Straight out of my M.Ed. program I signed up for Carnae Sandoe ($40 per year at the time) and emphasized my interest in teaching abroad. They are the ones who helped me get my job in Singapore next year. There are many others as well, search the forums for some great links!

[Glenski]

IMO, hardly anyone is going to hire you for 6 weeks, pay you, and monitor you as a complete newbie overseas. Your setup costs abroad will be prohibitive in most cases, I would think, and you are unlikely to get a work visa for that short a time. For all of these reasons, I'd suggest doing it in your home country.