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Fiona333
Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:57 pm Post subject: new on this path |
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Hello
I am 35 years old, and looking to change my career to teaching english overseas. I have had this dream since age 18, and situations presenting themselves now reveal I may be able to do this.
I have a BScN (Hon) with minor in Psychology.
I have no debt or dependents.
I hold both Canadian and United Kingdom passports.
My goal is to live comfortably and save some money at the same time.
I live a very modest lifestyle.
My question:
Where is the best place to earn my initial certification/education? I have looked at Oxford Seminars and like that they offer placement assistance for life, however it is a weekend course and I am not sure if that is going to be enough to give me the skills and confidence I desire.
I look forward to your reply. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Where is the best place to earn my initial certification/education? I have looked at Oxford Seminars and like that they offer placement assistance for life, however it is a weekend course and I am not sure if that is going to be enough to give me the skills and confidence I desire. |
Depending on where you want to go, short/online courses aren't considered to meet the minimum standard for certification (I think they are OK for Asia, but others will chime in on that; I can say that they aren't considered to meet the standard in North America or Europe, and I think not in Latin America either).
The basic standard for courses in most places is 120 hours on-site, and including (key) supervised teaching practice with actual students (not peer trainees). CELTA, SIT, and Trinity are name brands, but there are generics out there that meet the standard.
Again depending where you want to go, consider taking a course in the country where you want to start. A good training centre will help you handle logistics like airport pickup, housing during the course, and local orientation. Your practice teaching students will be really representative of those you'll work with when you start, and fellow trainees can form your first social network. A local training centre can also give you invaluable information regarding reputable local employers.
So far as 'job placement,' don't hold your breath. Read the fine print. They will at most give you contacts in the countries where you want to be, but rest assurred that you will be responsible for writing a CV/resume, cover letters, going through the application process, possibly teaching demo lessons, negotiation contracts, and all the other things associated with securing a job
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| My goal is to live comfortably and save some money at the same time. |
This sounds like you will need to go to Asia, most likely (perhaps obviating the need for certification). You are eligible to work in Europe with your UK passport, but salaries in this region are basically subsistence level - you would need to expect to live fairly frugally, with enough money to enjoy the country you are in, but not to save up anything much. Ditto North America at the entry-level. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject: Re: new on this path |
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| Fiona333 wrote: |
Hello
I am 35 years old, and looking to change my career to teaching english overseas. I have had this dream since age 18, and situations presenting themselves now reveal I may be able to do this.
I have a BScN (Hon) with minor in Psychology.
I have no debt or dependents.
I hold both Canadian and United Kingdom passports.
My goal is to live comfortably and save some money at the same time.
I live a very modest lifestyle.
My question:
Where is the best place to earn my initial certification/education? I have looked at Oxford Seminars and like that they offer placement assistance for life, however it is a weekend course and I am not sure if that is going to be enough to give me the skills and confidence I desire.
I look forward to your reply. |
Skip the "Oxford Seminars" program. They sell dreams to people who want extended vacations in exotic places on back-packer wages not education that will serve you in your job search or career.
If you are serious about a career change then look at a top end TEFL cert like a CELTA, Trinity or SIT cert TESOL. If you stay in EFL or teaching abroad then longer term (beyond a gap year or 3) you may be looking at a DELTA, Dip TESOL, MATESOL or post grad B.Ed/PGCE/PGDE/M.Ed depending on where your personal goals lie.
If you are looking at just a gap year or 2 then the reality is that, depending on where you want to go to, you may or may not "need" a TEFL cert to get a job (it is always a good idea to have one though). In almost all of Asia, as an example, the TEFL cert is not needed but a degree IS (for the visa).
Pick a corner of the planet and you can get more specific advice as to what you need, where to get it and what sort of remuneration package to expect.
. |
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Fiona333
Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:07 am Post subject: Thankyou |
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| Thank you for responding to my questions. Most appreciated. |
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DrGrafenberg
Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:11 am Post subject: |
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My situation is pretty similar to yours, I did a CELTA course last year, aged 36 and I've been teaching in China just over a year now.
I can see myself having a pretty comfortable life over the next few years, it's not without it's challenges though !
The CELTA really did help with the confidence, I've never done any teaching before and the course gave me some good basic skills as well as letting me loose on some real students.
I did the course in Vietnam and then applied for jobs straight after. Again I think that helped in that I was already out of Britain and had the mindset of "yes I'm really doing this". Plus the cost of living is so cheap out here if you have a few savings.
I definitely don't regret doing it. |
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OneLove23
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 8
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Fiona333,
I also recommend doing CELTA or a certification with 120 hours in person and supervised teaching with actual students. I initially went through a company like Oxford Seminars in Canada and it's fine for some countries in Asia but that's it. It's not recognized for teaching in Canada or other parts of the world. So even though CELTA is expensive, the low quality courses are up there as well. It's better to spend a bit more and have good training.
Once you know if you like teaching you can look at furthering your education if it aligns with your career goals (ex. DELTA, MA TESOL, Applied Linguistics, Bachelor of Education, etc).
Best of luck! You'll love it!
OneLove |
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Fiona333
Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 3:42 am Post subject: Hello! |
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| Hello, I am writing this post from my new apartment in Wonju, South Korea. After attaining my CELTA part time I got a job in SK in a private school teaching english to children. I am so far happy to be hereI'm just happy to be employed, and housed, and in this beautiful city. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:04 am Post subject: |
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Congrats!
And thanks for letting us know how things worked out  |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:17 am Post subject: |
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| That's awesome. I've heard it's beautiful there. |
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