Teacher Discussion Forums

I would like to pursue opportunities abroad, so I am researching the field of ESL education. I would very much value any input, from those currently working in the ESL field, on any of the following questions I have drawn up.

1. Describe what duties do you perform in a typical day?
2. What is the education/training required for this position?
3. Would you recommend a particular school for training? Where did you complete your training?
4. What experience led you to your present position?
5. What is the outlook for ESL teaching?
6. Are there any major trends happening or changes that you expect to occur?
7. From your perspective, what are the main challenges to working in this field?
8. What advice would you offer a person working in this field?
9. What are the skills most important for this type of work?
10. Do you utilize any software programs in your work?
11. What is the typical career path in this field?
12. Can you offer any input on the potential salary range for this position?
13. How is advertising and recruiting done?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I gratefully appreciate any advice you can give.

Best regards,

Leisl

I like question number 7
7. From your perspective, what are the main challenges to working in this field?

I think one of the major challenges to the English teaching field world wide is the problem that anybody pay an exorbitant amount of money for a very short TEFL certification program and be a "teacher" of English. And the TEFL certification business is good, they are popping up everywhere. The market is inundated with scams and fly by night operations in almost every corner of the world. In my opinion, the TEFL certificates offered by all businesses need some serious regulation otherwise eventually they are going to be seen as without value.

This affects my job because it cheapens the image of the work I do.

Meow……..negative and unnecessary, my two least favourite things.

Would anybody else be willing to help me out? I am basically looking to travel long term and I was advised that teaching english was a great way to experience different cultures, learn languages and empower others with knowledge with at the same time. Hmmm….. travel to foreign countries, financially, yet modestly, support myself abroad, and not be just another beached whale western tourist on some anonymous beach in Thailand or? I’ll get the tar, you bring the feathers.

I would still welcome any advice from anyone willing to answer a question or two from an honest inquiry.

Thanks!

Leisl wrote:Meow……..negative and unnecessary, my two least favourite things.

Read some of the posts from those out in the field, talking about huge classes, poor working conditions, and difficult situations. If you don't know how things might be, how will you be prepared? Clearly those teaching do it despite these hardships. They post here because they want to do a good job, and there are a lot of ideas from people teaching in different situations. If you read some of the threads perhaps you will get a feel for it.

my apologies, it was not my intent to offend anyone in any way, I simply found the tone of the response post to be somewhat disparaging. I have navigated through this site quite extensively and I have found it to be an excellent resource for professionals in the field. I thank you for your straight-forward response, and I look forward to receiving any others.

I too do not want to be negative. But I am not going to lie to you either. Lorikeet's advice is sobering. There are many rumors about traveling and teaching English and that it is a lucrative job. I am beginning to see that the same people that say this, have a lot to gain off your hard work and little pay.

These people are:
1. English Schools that treat their teachers like slaves and make a handsome profit by promising much and then they can't deliver.
2. TEFL certification programs, who want to tell you about the wonderful "cultural," yet modest, experience you will have abroad. This basically means that it will be like it was in college. You have to get creative with the little resources you have ESPECIALLY if you have any debt or dependents when coming. If you have both, I would not advise coming unless you have some connections or support system where you are going.
3. Recruiters, place people in TEFL courses and/or schools.
4. "Volunteer programs," which basically mean you pay someone else so you can go work somewhere else.

You can find yourself working in China or Mexico and getting $600 a month and "survive" since the cost of living in these places is so low. But with the average pay of less than a thousand US dollars a month, you can't expect to retire off just teaching English.

I think to make the big money in this business you need to run your own school or be an administrator in a very successful one. OR work in a place like Japan or the Middle east which have somewhat decent salary ranges in the 25k+ a year. But the cost of living in those places is high as well.

So to end on a more positive note, here's what I advise people wanting to get into this field. Go back to school and get a Masters in something related to teaching English or Education. (All you need is a bachelors in anything and that will let you teach just about anywhere) Get some classroom experience at a local school volunteering, working as a teacher aid, or teaching something. Wherever you are going, take a few thousand dollars or more to float you by until you get settled in. And bon voyage! This way you can go teach just about anywhere and when the time comes for a promotion, you have the background to do it.

I think all the horror stories from English teaching, and there are many, comes from the would-be traveler who has no teaching experience, credentials, or money, and gets sold an "idea" about teaching abroad from recruiters, English schools and the like.

Some people are real happy teaching English. I am one of them. Do I make lots of money? No, but I will find a way to in the long run. But that's true for any profession. You always have to start at the bottom and the rewards come later as you slowly build your knowledge and experience.

This is something left out of those job ads and brochures about teaching English abroad. It take YEARS to get good at this job. I have my Masters in Education, teaching credentials from the States, taught at community college and now in middle school, volunteered so much, worked as a teacher's aid for a couple years and substitute taught. I am just now, 7 years later, beginning to profess in what I do.

I have nothing to gain or lose by telling you my perspective on the English teaching field. I don't want to discourage you either. But I think you will thank me later if you can take what I say to keep you from getting into a situation like on www.englishschoolwatch.com

Joshua posted this again on the International Job Forums/Job Discussion Forums; it might be interesting for those who haven't yet explored that part of the Cafe to compare what's been said here with the comments there.
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=31277

Those are great questions and when I answer them I will post them here and on my website. But before then I would just like to quickly respond becasue what lies behind most of what we do as a career, any career is how much money can we make. Can I survive at this? But not only survivie but thrive?

As most people realize being a teacher doesn't pay a lot. I guess that is probably true everywhere in the world. Of course there are exceptions and usually those exceptions have to do with those who teach privately and those who give seminars and workshops and such.

There are some countries where the pay is better than others. Usually Asian countries, especially Japan, are places that a person can teach and be well paid. Of course, then again, depending on the situation. I have a friend that lives in Japan and has written an ebook about how to be a successful teacher over there. A person can make a six figure income there but private teaching is the key.

If you want to check out his ebook go to
http://www.english-teaching-info.com/teaching-esl.html
Scroll down the page to the Super Teaching in Japan link

This ebook is a great resource with lots of great info and things to do, and strategies even if you don't plan on teaching in Japan. I learned a tremendous amount reading this and I've been teaching ESL since 1979.

Anyway, besides the money factor, which I think is secondary, there is the joy of teaching ESL and the fun of meeting different people from all over the world and the adventure and the experiences.

I currently teach in New Orleans...well, since Hurricane Katrina I'm not teaching at all but hope to start again in January. Teaching ESL is such a big and important part of my life. I've met wonderful people and made wonderful life long friends from all over the world.

If this is something you want to do to heck with the details and find a way to do it. I fell into it by accident and've never regretted it.

Hope this helps,

Richard Bienvenu
Author-Publisher-ESL Teacher
www.english-teaching-info.com

OK, now I am going to attempt to answer these questions.

1. Describe what duties you perform in a typical day?
In a typical day I prepare for classes using a variety of material at my disposal. Since our school doesn't tell it's teachers how to teach or set the curriculum, it allows for flexibility.

I can feel out the class, the students, the day. I usually go into class with at 2 or three things we can do for that day. I just get a feel and decide which thing to do. So my dutues are basically preparing for class and teaching. We don't give tests and rarely give homework.

2. What is the education/training required for this position?
First and foremost in our school we need to be native speakers, next is teaching experience, then at least a high school degree. ESL certification is not required at our school although some teachers have that. The most important is experience and teaching ability.

3. Would you recommend a particular school for training? Where did you complete your training?
I would recommend ICAL if you need to be certified to teach. It's an online course that's relatively inexpensive and it's recognized all over the world. You can go to this web page to check it out:
http://www.english-teaching-info.com/en ... japan.html

Also, a good way to "train" is to find some kind of teaching position volunteering for a while. Just a few months is all that would be needed to get a feel for it. And it doesn't even have to be teaching English.

My training started when I taught ESL in Seville, Spain. I've never completed my training and I think that any teacher that thinks their training is complete is in trouble. There is always more to learn, always better ways of doing things, books to be read, articles to absorb, other teachers to talk to.

If you are asking if I got an ESL certification, well then the answer is no, I never have. My experience and recognized teaching ability has qualified me to teach over the years. Any school worth its salt would rather have an experienced teacher over a merely certified one.

However, personality is the key. There are many experienced teachers who shouldn't be teaching. And then there are those who are just natural born teachers who have had little experience. So if you got certification with a good attitude and a natural, gregarious, open-hearted personality then if I were hiring I would go with that over a dud whose got a lot of experience.

4. What experience led you to your present position?
When I started teaching in Spain it was by accident. I was looking for a way to stay in that country for a year and the dean of a school I met in a pub there suggested I come in for an interview. I did, was hired on the spot, the rest is history.

After teaching in Spain I took a job in Portland, Oregon with a private language company. I taught private lessons to executives from DaimlerChrysler (you know, they make Mercedes) from Germany. I got hired because of my experience and because I presented myself honestly and professionally. That is key when going for an interview. Dress well, be clean shaven, smell nice, speak professionally and be honest.

As far as the honest part, one question I was asked was "If a student asks you something you don't know the answer to, what do you do?" I said, "I would tell them I didn't know the answer but I would find out on the break." In other words, don't assume that because your an English teacher you know all the answers.

5. What is the outlook for ESL teaching?
Teaching ESL can be a lucrative business if you know how to do it right. But knowing it and implementing it are two different things. You can travel all over the world as an English teacher.

Yes, you may hear of people who have had some bad experiences but that's true of anything. Don't let the naysayers and complainers on the Internet stop you from pursuing this or really pursuing anything in life. In any profession there are always less than ethical people.

If you get a job at a school and it's the pits, quit when you can and find a better position. There are great schools all over the world. And they are not hard to find. If you have a bad experience just chalk it to, well, ...experience... and move on to something better. There is always something better.

6. Are there any major trends happening or changes that you expect to occur?
I must confess that at this point I don't know of any major trends happening in the field of teaching English as a Second Language. There is a lot of info on the Internet, some good, some not so good.

7. From your perspective, what are the main challenges to working in this field?
The main challenge is finding a good ESL teaching position. In other words a good ESL school to teach in as well as a good situation meaning the country or city along with all your inherent needs like transportation, home, food and social life.

Now a good teaching position would include a positive supportive environment with administrators and teachers of high integrity and students who are dedicated and willing to learn. (We have a very friendly, family environment at our school. How do we know? The students have told us this. Finding a situation like this in any job is rare.)

Then of course you want enough pay to not only cover your expenses but will leave you money left over you can put in a bank. Living hand to mouth is no fun unless that's the kind of adventure you want to take. (By adventure I mean not getting paid enough but being resourceful to work around it and come out smelling like a rose. That can be fun in it's own way.)

You must look forward to going to work each day. If not then there is something not right with the school or you're not cut out to be an ESL teacher. Teaching English should be fun. OK, so you'll have your days when you'll feel you'll have to drag yourself to class but when you get in class you have to be able to "turn it on" and deliver a good session despite how you feel. It's very important to have a positive, optimistic attidude. Be cheerful, smile a lot.

Other challenges are having to deal with students that give you problems, being in control of class, putting together material for class that gets the job done but also doesn't bore the students. Variety is very important so having a lot of things to do at your disposal is very important.
Become knowledgable in other fields. Read, read, read. Magazines, history books, business material, art are all fodder for your lesson planning. Never stop learning.

8. What advice would you offer a person working in this field?
It's important to be persistent, consistent, dependable, upbeat and you must dedicate yourself to your own ongoing training and development.
One of the best ways for you to learn how to be a good teacher is to become a good speaker.

The best way I know to become a good speaker is to join a Toastmasters International club. They have these all over the world mostly in English speaking countries. Look in your phone book or go on the Internet and find a club near you and join.

You must feel comfortable in front of a room and learning speaking skills is invaluable. It will also help you with interviews and communicating one on one. Even if you are teaching now you can still learn a tremendous amount by being in a Toastmasters club.

Also, learn something about NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). This is tremendously valuable tool for you to be in control of your classroom especially if you teach kids. With adults it is not as crucial but still knowing these techniques helps a lot. To read an instructive article on this go to: http://english-teaching-info.com/nlp-classroom.html

9. What are the skills most important for this type of work?
The skills necessary for teaching English begins with having the patience of Job, being consistent, authentic, honest, understanding and firm. Also, it real important to be entertaining without being silly, enthusiastic without being hyper, fun without being lax and light hearted without being airy fairy.

You want your students to look forward to and enjoy your classes. But you also want them to respect you. You want to be able to make them laugh but not laugh at you. You have to be impeccable and of high integrity. You must position yourself as the leader of the class and that what you say goes. Also, you must be willing to admit mistakes and be humble enough to realize that you don't know everything about English.

10. Do you utilize any software programs in your work?
No, but I do utilize English to Go an Internet site that for a small fee offers some daily lesson plans from current events . I have this service. I recommend it. Check it out at:
http://www.english-to-go.com/index.cfm?rc=468

11. What is the typical career path in this field?
Honestly, I don't think there is a typical career path in any field. But if you were to press me on this it seems that a natural path would be from teacher to admistrator to owner of a school.

However, I wouldn't want to be an administrator, I like teaching too much. How about this: own a school, be one of the teachers and hire someone as administrator. (I wouldn't let the students know you own the school though, own it anonymously maybe through a trust or corporation.)

Another thing you could do after getting lots of experience is to teach people how to teach ESL. Teach at an ESL certification school or college or open your own school teaching teachers.

Also, write an ESL book or create a website or ESL game. Travel around the country giving ESL seminars for ESL professionals. Be an ESL consultant. Find some kind of niche and market to that. There are all kinds of opportunities.

12. Can you offer any input on the potential salary range for this position?
Salary can be as wide and varied as the stars. It depends on the school, on the country and whether you teach privately or not.

As a private teacher you can name your own price. Does $50 an hour seem too high? Well, it's not. How about $80 and hour? Some teachers are charging that in Japan. It's better to have a few students at a high price than a lot of students at a cheap price. The students who pay more will put a higher value on their lessons than those who pay bargain prices.

13. How is advertising and recruiting done?
Each school is different depending on the market they are trying to target. Our school mainly markets through referrals and word of mouth and we have a website (www.mli-esl.com) that brings in a few students.

But we don't have as many students as we'd like. Before 9/11 the school was full and thriving. Since then with all the changes in immigration policies it is a lot more difficult for students to get into the US so our school is barely surviving.

We need to develop new tactics to get more students but the school has been very slow to implement changes. It's been in business 42 years and the owners just want to keep doing things the way they've always done it. In a post 9/11 world this is clearly not working and is frustrating to the teachers who would like to teach more students and get a much needed raise.

An article could be written on each one of these questions. I've only scratched the surface.

In my free ebook "Teach Abroad Survival: 23 Hot Tips for Your Teaching Success" I discuss more in depth these above questions and a lot more. You can get this ebook by going to:
http://www.english-teaching-info.com

Hope this helps.

Richard Bienvenu
Author-Publisher-ESL Teacher
www.english-teaching-info.com