Job Discussion Forums

[Susie A]

Hi there

I posted my first message yesterday ('Seeking wisdom from ESL teachers') and, firstly, I would like to say that I really appreciate the responses that I received.

After reading the responses to my first topic, I have a new question and I thought it would be best to post it as a new topic.

I currently hold a Bach. of Arts and a Bach. of Commerce. I am planning to complete the CELTA later this year. I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am considering returning to study next year to complete a teaching qualification (Graduate Diploma in Education- a 1 yr course).

My question is this: if I was applying for ESL teaching work overseas or in Austraila, how different would my opportunities be if I did it with my BA/BCom and the CELTA as opposed to the BA/BCom, CELTA plus an actual teaching qualification?

Thank you in advance.

Susie

[Glenski]

[Susie A]

Hi Glenski

Thank you for your response.

Sorry for not being more specific. I am not 100% sure of the type of work I would be looking for but I think that I would like to work with adults, secondary school students or business English students.

Other people have indicated to me that if I was a qualified teacher (as opposed to having the CELTA), I would have the opportunity to earn more overseas as an ESL teacher. Do you disagree with this? Please note that money is not my motivator for considering the move into ESL teaching- rather, I am just trying to understand if my opportunities would be different if I did obtain a teaching qualification.

Thanks again.

Susie

[Glenski]

Susie,

"Qualified". Hmm, that word also need some defining. If you mean someone who has been licensed to teach in his/her home country for a high school or similar institution, and has had some experience with such teaching, let's deal with that.

I can only speak for Japan. You will almost always need teaching experience in Japan in order to get a job in the formal schools (kindergarten to high school). You don't need a background in teaching in such an environment; conversation school work qualifies for that. You don't need a CELTA or other type of license/certification in most cases, either. There are exceptions.

If you manage to land such a job, however, the pay is, indeed, more than that of conversation schools. The workload is heavier, too. No surprise. The salary difference is like comparing 250,000 yen/month to 350,000 or 450,000.

[Susie A]

Hi Glenski

Thanks for your response.

Yes, when I used the word 'qualified', I was meaning a person who is qualified to work as a secondary school teacher in their home country.

When you say that it is possible to obtain work in the formal schools in Japan with only teaching experience do you mean that it I found work in Japan at a conversation school, it would then be possible to find work in a formal school in Japan even if I was not a qualified teacher? Do you think that this would be very difficult to do?

From your messages, I am concluding that the CELTA and a teaching qualification from my home country would not make too much difference to my job opportunities in Japan. Am I drawing the correct conclusion?

Thanks again.

Susie

[Glenski]

Maybe we're getting hung up on labels. Tons of people teach in Japan, and the majority of then neither have degrees related to education, nor do they have experience to begin with.

In formal schools, such as high schools, you pretty much can get a job with only a bachelor's degree (any subject) and some experience teaching at an eikaiwa. That's it. I work in a private HS, and that is precisely the case for the 5 of us FT foreign teachers and the 3 PT ones. The two keys are that eikaiwa experience and contacts.