Job Discussion Forums

[MidEastFeast]

We're both 24 years old, fresh UCLA grads, and thinking of teaching English overseas. I have a BA in Anthropology and he has his BA in English. We each have a few years of experience teaching English part-time to immigrants (we both attended the same Islamic high school in California and taught some of their students).

We'll be taking the TESOL/TEFL/TESL certification program in February.

My friend is flying to Dubai tomorrow, and although the schools are apparently on break, he'd like to stop at a few places to speak with staff/drop off our resumes.

Any recommendations for where he should go, or for our journey in general?

Just to note, I was born/raised in the U.S., but am of Iranian origin. Friend is of Iraqi origin. We each speak English, Arabic, and Farsi, and are no strangers to the culture.

[Eisenhorn]

Ah yes the belief that the middle east is a giant ATM filled with desperate locals who will pay massive amounts of money for fresh college grads with a BA.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it isn't true. It may have been in the 80's, but now a days, the locals throughout the gulf want MA's and experience. (Any of the decent schools anyways.)

At a minimum you need a CELTA (not some generic online TEFL cert) and 3 to 5 years of full time experience.

Now with your qualifications, go to ASIA. Try china, japan, korea, thailand. Many of those places LOVE to have native speakers w/bachelors and no real experience. You can get your experience and at the same time get an MA in TESL/TESOL/applied linguistics. After you have spent 3 to 5 years there, THEN you can get jobs in the middle east that have decent pay.

[helenl]

And while Dubai may be more "liberal" on the surface than other places in the GCC - you are not married. Therefore you cannot legally live together (many do, but it is against the law and subject to arrest, deportation, and even lashes) and certainly you wouldn't tell anyone that you are living with someone.

As for dropping by, he might find some people around, but probably not those in a position to give advice on opportunities.

This is not a drop in job market - you need the correct documents (both in quals and working/residency) to work in the GCC - anyone who would hire you without is probably not someone you want to work for.

[veiledsentiments]

[MidEastFeast]

Thanks for the responses.
We're two straight males.
The TESOL certificate program is with a company called Oxford seminars, the program costs $1,200 USD and includes 40 hours of in-class preparation (and 60 hours online). The company also does job placement, and after speaking with one of their reps, they said they'd guarantee us something in the UAE or Oman.

Would it really be that difficult for us to land K-12 teaching positions?
My friend has cousins in Dubai and one of their kids was complaining about having a terrible English teacher, some 21 year old Pakistani guy.

We're not looking for much, just (partially?) covered housing and anywhere between 7.5-11k AED each. Is that seriously too far a stretch for soon-to-be certified young, cultured, well-educated university grads with teaching experience?

[helenl]

The better "real" international schools require a teacher certification - not an ESL certificate.

7.5 -11 k each might be possible at one of the least desirable schools but if housing is only partially (and probably not at all) covered you'll not be seeing any savings. You won't get annual tickets, you won't get medical and I'd be darn sure that proper working papers were in place or in the works (you will have to take various medical tests/x rays, fingerprints and possibly a security check) in order to get a proper working visa - all of which happens AFTER you arrive. If you don't pass one of these, you're out.

You will need transportation, payment for utilities, furniture, some $ for some kind of entertainment - Dubai is an expensive place.

Something is not necessarily good (or adequate) no matter what you are being told

[veiledsentiments]

[spiral78]

Unless they've changed it, Oxford trainees teach a lesson to their peer trainees. VS is absolutely correct: this is NOT considered to meet the standard minimum for cert courses. CELTA, SIT, and Trinity are the name brand courses that DO meet the standard.

Look for:
120+ hours on site
at least 6 hours of supervised teaching with actual language students

An Oxford cert will not help you on any competitive ESL/EFL job market.

[Eisenhorn]

[spiral78]

[Eisenhorn]

Spiral...

Thanks, I missed the number of hours. This sounds like the great "tefl certs" you can get scammed out of online... but then again, maybe it will be respected... but I wouldn't expect it.

As for the pakistani teaching english at the local high schools...they make about 3 to 5k a month, often w/out housing.

[spiral78]

Eisenhorn, here's the real scam bit with this particular cert:

[Eisenhorn]

Oh no, the keyword in that post is SOMETHING. Hey guys, I can get you something w/ a bachelors degree and w/out a celta... it pays about 5K a month and w/housing you may make 7.5k a month (if they are willing to pay you housing... may schools that would take you won't pay housing.)

SOMETHING is easy to get. Getting 7.5K to 9K w/housing w/out a CELTA or a minimum of a bachelors degree in english and minimal experience? Doubt it. And if you are given a position that pays, we can expect that it won't be in anything like a 'real' school.

[spiral78]

Checked and agreed, Eisenhorn. 'Something' (except that Oxford's 'job placement' consists of putting a grad in touch with schools or a recruiter: grads are responsible for all negotiations - not exactly what most people think of as 'placement').

[veiledsentiments]

So... one can do one's own placement by visiting any job website? Or googling the name of schools?

VS