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Teaching and travelling help please
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sarahhelliar



Joined: 30 Sep 2011
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:09 am    Post subject: Teaching and travelling help please Reply with quote

Hi!

I have just recently passed my 120hr online TEFL course, I also hold a Degree but does not have anything to do with teaching and I have no experience. I am also travelling with my partner who has also completed a 120hr online TEFL, however has no degree and no experience.

We have booked our flights to Thailand for the beginning of Febuary and plan to start teaching in April after two months of travelling. I understand that it is hard to apply for jobs online more than a month before hand??

But as i have researched alot I have noticed that its going to be pretty hard for my partner to get a job without a Degree ( unless illegal)

So I have also thought of maybe travelling in Thailand and then going to teach in South Korea or China?

Any advice would be great!!!

I should also add I am 22 and my partner is 24
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can confirm this in the Korea forum, but I believe you will need a degree there, too. Perhaps China as well. Unless you are actually married to your partner, that will pose an insurmountable problem.
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globalcitizen1968



Joined: 03 Oct 2011
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:14 am    Post subject: Re: Teaching and travelling help please Reply with quote

sarahhelliar wrote:
Hi!

I have just recently passed my 120hr online TEFL course, I also hold a Degree but does not have anything to do with teaching and I have no experience. I am also travelling with my partner who has also completed a 120hr online TEFL, however has no degree and no experience.

We have booked our flights to Thailand for the beginning of Febuary and plan to start teaching in April after two months of travelling. I understand that it is hard to apply for jobs online more than a month before hand??

But as i have researched alot I have noticed that its going to be pretty hard for my partner to get a job without a Degree ( unless illegal)

So I have also thought of maybe travelling in Thailand and then going to teach in South Korea or China?

Any advice would be great!!!

I should also add I am 22 and my partner is 24


I've been told you need a degree for S. Korea and China but either one of those places would be better than Mexico for example because the salaries for EFL in Mexico (especially Mexico City) are rediculously low. Stay focused on asia or the middle east if you want to be comfortable financially. Good luck.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:46 am    Post subject: Re: Teaching and travelling help please Reply with quote

globalcitizen1968 wrote:
Stay focused on asia or the middle east if you want to be comfortable financially.


Uh, that's not the case for the Mid East if you only have a non-related BA, an online TEFL cert, and zero experience. (Your partner's lack of a degree won't get him/her a job nor a visa.) Generally, you'll need a CELTA or an equivalent, onsite TEFL cert, plus several years of specific EFL/ESL experience for the better-paying teaching jobs in the Middle East. And some of those positions may require a relevant masters degree. More importantly, if your partner is male, you two would have to be a married couple.

Asia might be your best bet.
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tttompatz



Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can confirm that, for legal work with appropriate visa and permits, your partner won't be able to teach in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

China is also not really possible (unless he works on a wrong visa in a less than popular area and someone has the pull, connections or money to make it happen).

He will be able to find work in Indonesia, Cambodia, etc. but it won't pay much and they may want more than just an on-line cert.

You, with a degree, even with no experience, can find work (legal) everywhere in Asia.

.
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sarahhelliar



Joined: 30 Sep 2011
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the help!

We arent married, how is this an issue? not aware of this one yet lol.

Would he be able to work in other jobs other than teaching without a degree?

When should I apply for jobs, If i want to work in April and how. I have read, in Thailand its best to knock on doors when your there?

Thanks again!
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
We arent married, how is this an issue? not aware of this one yet



It's an issue in the Middle East, not Thailand (or really any other part of the world except the ME). It was posted in response to 'globalcitizen's' suggestion that you consider the Middle East, though your qualifications so far wouldn't be sufficient for decent jobs there.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sarahhelliar wrote:
We arent married, how is this an issue? not aware of this one yet lol.
You've already heard from more than one person telling you that lack of a degree is a serious deficit in working overseas. I mentioned marriage because even with out a degree, if someone is married to another person who has a proper work visa, it may be possible (depending on the country) to get a dependent visa and work legally even if only part-time. Yes, without a degree. Japan, for example.

Quote:
Would he be able to work in other jobs other than teaching without a degree?
Likely not. What did you have in mind? Here in Japan, non-teaching jobs present 2 major problems to expats:

1. they usually need high fluency in Japanese.
2. they usually need 5-10 years of related work plus education requirements (yes, that degree thing again).

Quote:
When should I apply for jobs, If i want to work in April and how.
Go to the country-specific forums and ask this question. Each country will have its own answers. Basically, find out when the majority of jobs start, then backtrack 3-4 months for applications and interviews. Visa processing takes a while.

Quote:
I have read, in Thailand its best to knock on doors when your there?
I can't answer for Thailand, but cold-calling is usually not a very reliable technique for job hunting.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I'd forgot the spousal visa aspect. Glenski is correct on that one, of course.

He is also correct to point out that non-teaching jobs in any country where English is not the major language will require local language skills at least, and likely local qualifications and contacts as well.

However, don't dismiss cold-calling out of hand. It is in fact among the most common ways to get an entry-level job in some parts of the world - Europe, for example. I'm not speaking for Asia, though, where likely this is not the case.

On the issue of a degree, having one is not a legal requirement for jobs in Central/Eastern Europe, where non-EU member citizens can still get legal work permits. The challenges in this region for the OP and partner would be

1. online cert (substandard for this part of the world where CELTA and equivalent is the norm)
2. timing: they'd only have 90 days to find employers who would be willing to hire them AND to jump through the considerable legal hoops to get them work permits (major hiring season is September)
3. already have flight tickets for Thailand:-)
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BadBeagleBad



Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Teaching and travelling help please Reply with quote

globalcitizen1968 wrote:


I've been told you need a degree for S. Korea and China but either one of those places would be better than Mexico for example because the salaries for EFL in Mexico (especially Mexico City) are rediculously low. Stay focused on asia or the middle east if you want to be comfortable financially. Good luck.


Really? I wonder where you heard that. While some crappy language schools offer low pay, there are loads of opportunities for classes in businesses, which pay between 150 and 250 pesos per hour. With the low cost of living in Mexico being about 40% less than in the US, your buying power is equivilent to earning $25 dollars an hour.
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globalcitizen1968



Joined: 03 Oct 2011
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Teaching and travelling help please Reply with quote

BadBeagleBad wrote:
there are loads of opportunities for classes in businesses, which pay between 150 and 250 pesos per hour.


Not really. In Mexico the loads of classes disappear because students cancel, have to work late, figure out they cannot learn to speak English in two months and say forget it or the company stops paying for the classes.

The problem with business classes that BadBeagleBad must have "forgottoen" to mention is that they fluctuate too much. You cannot budget well because one week you have 20 hours of those wonderful business classes and then the next week you have five hours. The salary from teaching private business lessons is like a roller coaster....it goes up and down. You never know what you will make from one week to the next.
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AGoodStory



Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Posts: 738

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 12:38 am    Post subject: Re: Teaching and travelling help please Reply with quote

globalcitizen1968 wrote:
BadBeagleBad wrote:
there are loads of opportunities for classes in businesses, which pay between 150 and 250 pesos per hour.


Not really. In Mexico the loads of classes disappear because students cancel, have to work late, figure out they cannot learn to speak English in two months and say forget it or the company stops paying for the classes.

The problem with business classes that BadBeagleBad must have "forgottoen" to mention is that they fluctuate too much. You cannot budget well because one week you have 20 hours of those wonderful business classes and then the next week you have five hours. The salary from teaching private business lessons is like a roller coaster....it goes up and down. You never know what you will make from one week to the next.


Globalcitizen, the OP is interested in Thailand, China, and South Korea. Not Mexico. Not the Middle East.

Beagle, resist temptation! (Think old face, new name.)
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BadBeagleBad



Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:55 am    Post subject: Re: Teaching and travelling help please Reply with quote

globalcitizen1968 wrote:
BadBeagleBad wrote:
there are loads of opportunities for classes in businesses, which pay between 150 and 250 pesos per hour.


Not really. In Mexico the loads of classes disappear because students cancel, have to work late, figure out they cannot learn to speak English in two months and say forget it or the company stops paying for the classes.


Oh, looks who�s back! Didn�t you get banned? If you have these kinds of students that�s too bad, I have NEVER had them. Too bad for you, Troll.
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jpvanderwerf2001



Joined: 02 Oct 2003
Posts: 1117
Location: New York

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps Laos or Cambodia would be possible? I don't have my finger on the pulse of visa restrictions for those countries, but it seems to me that they'd be pretty lax. You could at least check them out. There's a long-running Cambodian expat site: www.khmer440.com, check that out.
Good luck.
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sarahhelliar



Joined: 30 Sep 2011
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone, I will check Laos out! and go on that website, think im going to stay clear of Mexico but thanks for advice.
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