Category Archives: General Info
What resources are out there for ESL/TEFL Teachers?
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ESL Teaching Jobs – 10 Important Things to Consider When Deciding on an ESL Job
Picture by Rex Pe http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldendragon613/
ESL teaching jobs are a dime a dozen but there are 3 very important questions you should be asking yourself before and while you are performing your search for the perfect ESL job. There are also 7 crucial questions to ask the institution that is considering you (or that YOU are considering) before or after you have made contact with them. What you will learn here are those exact questions. Let us read on and explore these questions and the reasons why I recommend that you ask them.
1. Is the position in the country you would like to visit?
If you are interested in China, be sure to just check out the ESL teaching jobs in China. Checking out other positions in other countries will only confuse you.
2. Do you want to teach in the country or the city?
As I said before, there are millions of positions out there. Are you considering an ESL teaching job for the money or for the chance to immerse yourself in a different culture and have it funded by a teaching job?
If you are looking at an ESL job for the money, then I recommend you hit the bigger cities. For instance if you are considering China, then I would only look at positions in the bigger cities of GuangZhou or Beijing. Shanghai’s cost of living makes it impossible to save anything. The reason I say this is because cities tend to pay double, sometimes triple that of their country counterpart because the cost of living is so much higher than in the country.
If you are looking to immerse yourself in the culture and your income should be just enough to support you, then I would recommend trying to find a position in the country. The money won’t be anywhere near what it would be in the cities but you will be FULLY IMMERSED into the culture of the country. You might even be fortunate enough to land a room with a family of nationals. Then you will TOTALLY experience the culture first hand!
3. What qualifications do you need and do you have them? (IE: TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, etc…)
Each country has their own requirements and regulations and they are quite different from each other. Some countries are VERY strict about you having your Bachelors Degree in any major (such as Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan) and some like China just look at your ability to teach and the fact that you would be a “Native Born English Speaker” as they put it. Also, many countries will choose you over others if you have some ESL training such as TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, etc.. These courses can be had at home easily and very inexpensively. I have seen signs that advertise that you could have your TESOL certification over the course of a weekend. Those ones I would be leery of. But generally speaking, you can have your TESOL certification over the course of a couple weeks and the cost varies from school to school. It usually is below one thousand dollars at the time of this printing. I highly recommend you start with this as soon as you have made your mind up about teaching esl.
4. Does the institution cover your flight or reimburse your flight costs before or after your contract is finished?
Some institutions will pay for your flight to get to the position. Most Korean jobs are like this. Others will cover the cost of your flight (to a certain dollar value) AFTER you have finished the contract. But beware of this one. Sometimes they will try to find reasons to keep the money, similar to your landlord trying to find reasons to not reimburse your damage deposit. But don’t let that deter you from your dream of teaching overseas. Most institutions are honorable.
5. How many hours per week will you be expected to teach?
Be very, VERY clear on this one. Make sure you KNOW exactly how many hours you are required to work each week. I know of MANY teachers that have been USED by the administration where their contract said 25 hour work week and they ended up working 50. Your time is YOUR TIME! If it is not something that YOU decided to do, then that time just became THEIR time and your pay won’t go up any higher than what the contract said. Make sure you know HOW MANY HOURS and What the hours are.
6. Are you living on or off campus?
Living on campus can be convenience or a nightmare for you and/or the school. By living on campus you usually have a 5 or 10 minute walk to or from class BUT this could also make it too convenient for your students to come knocking on your door. You will get no privacy and are totally bound by their rules. On the other hand living on campus usually will consist of covering the cost of the accommodations, electricity, water and food. That could be a big savings in itself.
7. Are your accommodations shared or private?
As you can probably guess, living with a strange person could turn ugly or you could become best of friends. But if you prefer to live alone, then do not even consider the postings for ESL teaching jobs that only house you with someone else. They are now OFF your short list.
8. What is your compensation for overtime?
Make sure that your overtime rate of pay is WRITTEN DOWN! Don’t just go on what the ad says or what the administrator you talked to said.
9. Does the institution cover the cost of your housing/food/transportation?
This one is self explanitory. If they cover it, you save money.
10. MOST OF ALL…What is your pay?
With ALL these things, make sure they are on the contract you get sent to you from the school. Then when you get there, make sure that the contract on their end is the same as the one YOU have. There have been stories that after something has gone wrong and they check the contracts, it turns out that they are different. Something has been changed without the teacher noticing it.
All in all, its just a case of common sense and using your head. Most teachers, after finishing one contract, end up going on and signing another contract. If not with their existing boss, then with another one.
If you are REALLY interested in teaching ESL overseas then you owe it to yourself to check out ESL For All. There is VERY IMPORTANT information there to help make your decision one you won’t regret. Check out ESL For All today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelvin_Nikkel
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Teach English and Live Abroad? Your Top TEFL FAQs Answered
Image by CTJOnline via Flickr
Firstly, the demand to learn English is huge… There is an estimated 1 billion learners of English worldwide. In many countries demand for learning English outstrips supply. Learners improve their English in a variety of ways; they attend private language schools, take English classes by phone, learn English in-company and take 1-1 lessons. To meet this need English teachers are in constant demand; preferably with a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of other Languages) Certificate. In short, qualified English teachers are needed worldwide now and for the foreseeable future.
Below are 4 questions we are often asked at our language school by prospective EFL teachers.
1) I haven’t got a teaching background. Can I teach English?
Most people who train to teach English have no teaching background. They come from all walks of life and jobs. We’ve trained students, chefs, a retired solicitor, nurses, mainstream school teachers, the list goes on and on. A teaching background is not essential. What is helpful is a flexible and friendly personality. While in some countries a degree is necessary to teach and native English speakers are preferred, this is not always the case as it is an enormously wide and varied TEFL world.
2) I can’t see myself teaching large classes of kids.
Do I have to? While many can’t imagine themselves in front of a class; a good TEFL certificate will prepare you well for delivering successful lessons. But if teaching English a class is not for you, don’t worry. As mentioned earlier, many learners prefer a 1-1 environment, particularly business people and so you don’t have to teach large classes or children if you don’t want to. You can target the students you want to teach.
3) How do I choose a TEFL course? There are so many out there
You can train to teach English online, in-class or even over a weekend. The choice can be bewildering. Your decision may depend on cost; a good online course costs around 200-400 GBP whereas an intensive 4 week course can be around 1000 GBP. It may depend on where you want to go. In more competitive English speaking countries such as America, Canada and the UK an intensive 4 week CELTA or Trinity is generally advisable. Outside of these countries, an online course can take you far but won’t mean every job is open to you. Whichever you choose, ensure you select an established, accredited provider as a guarantee of quality. The advantage of an online course is that you can combine your general TESOL training with a specialism such as young learners, 1-1 or business so you can get to specialise early, making you stand out from those with a generalised TESOL certificate only and giving you an advantage in employment.
4) What are the prospects like? What can I earn?
While it’s difficult to be exact, as a general rule of thumb you can usually expect to earn enough to live on in Western Europe and live well by local standards in Eastern Europe. Some of the best contracts can be found in Japan, China and South Korea and the very best in the Middle East. Teaching English is not generally a source of great wealth in itself although there are other interesting off-shoots. Our TEFL graduates have opened their own schools and franchises, established lucrative freelance networks of 1-1 students, written TEFL books and gone into management. To check out typical demand, pay and contracts in your country of choice, try typing ‘TEFL jobs Japan’ into a search engine, for example. This simple method of research will give you valuable insights into what to expect. A reputable TEFL school should also be able to give you an overview and advise you on what course is the best fit for your dream location. We advise many in this way every day.
It is not just money and the possibility of living abroad that make TEFL so appealing. EFL teachers can carve out part-time teaching to fit around their family commitments or to supplement a retirement income or other job. The flexibility of TEFL is often part of the attraction.
Your next step
If you think TEFL might be for you, explore your visa options via the consulate or embassy and research typical pay and conditions via the web – or contact any good TEFL school for an overview of what to expect in your country of choice. Enroll on an accredited TEFL/TESOL training course and you will be one step nearer to starting your new life overseas. Teaching English can be a wonderful way to live, teach and earn abroad as well as personally enriching and rewarding. Thousands embark on this new career every year. Could you be one of them?
Louisa Walsh is passionate about teaching English and is partner in TEFL teacher training company Global English http://www.global-english.com/ She is also Manager of Phone English; an online English training school where you can learn English by phone http://www.phone-english.net/Englishforspecificpurposes.html for interview English, business or general English training.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louisa_Walsh
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6112828
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The Ability to Travel is one of the Main Benefits of Teaching English as a Second Language
Image via Wikipedia
Most people would love to have the opportunity to travel and see the world however doing so can be extremely costly. One way to be able to see the world and not have to spend large amounts of money is to teach English as a second language. In fact you will not only have the opportunity to travel but also get paid too.
Teaching ESL allows you to work in numerous countries around the globe a experience a culture first hand. It can also mean you have a home base in various regions of the world enabling you to explore that continent.
You can read more about various ESL destinations in Asia in our country guides Click here
The video below details the personal experiences of an ESL teacher and the things she experienced in her teaching travels in China and Korea.
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Top 10 Reasons to Teach English Abroad
Image via Wikipedia
Everybody has one. You know, that list of things you want to do before you die? Some people might call it a “bucket list.” Whether your list includes skydiving, a cross-country road trip, or swimming with sharks, there’s one more thing you need to add: teaching overseas. Read on for the top 10 reasons to teach English abroad.
1. You Get to Experience Other Cultures First Hand
Teaching overseas is so much more than a 9-5 job. When you teach English abroad you are not just a tourist, but you are living in a completely new culture, taking in a whole new world of experiences first-hand. You will spend all of your time with a group of people whose lifestyle is completely different from what you are accustomed to. You will live in a new city, have completely unfamiliar accommodations, and if you have an adventurous palate, you’ll have ample opportunities to try new foods, and sample new tastes. For some this may seem scary, but after years of living in just one place, this can be incredibly refreshing and challenging.
2. You Get Paid to Travel
When teaching abroad you not only get paid, you get to travel too! While salaries may sometimes seem small compared to potential earnings in America or Great Britain, you should earn enough teaching to live comfortably and the opportunities for travel are priceless. Living in another country is the perfect opportunity to explore the region, and many countries are so close together you can visit several hotspots all in one short trip. For a yearlong assignment, most teachers enjoy about 3 weeks of time off, as well as local holidays – ample time to explore your new surroundings!
3. You Get Valuable Work Experience
Whatever industry you work in, experience working in a foreign country enhances any resume, and teaching is no exception. An overseas teaching assignment on your resume lets potential employers know you are open to new challenges, work well with others (even if they have different backgrounds or views), have extensive leadership skills, and you can take on any situation thrown at you. 4. You Can Save Money
While most teach English abroad programs do require you to pay for TESOL or TEFL certification and flights, in the long run you can often save money teaching overseas. Living costs depend on a number of factors including the country you are working in, the region, and personal spending habits. But in general, most teachers are able to earn enough to live comfortably, and in Asia, most teachers recoup the program fee, and still add to their savings. While teach English abroad programs are not for people who are strictly interested in “making money,” teaching overseas will allow you to live and travel in another country for a lot less than you would be able to otherwise.
5. You Meet New People
While teaching overseas you will come into contact with individuals who, like yourself, love traveling and helping others. These people come from all over the world and who knows – they could end up being travel buddies, best friends, or even the love of your life!
6. You Get Experiences and Stories to Last a Lifetime
You can make even more friends everywhere you go with the great stories you gain from your international living and teaching experiences. You may not be living in five-star accommodations, and you may encounter some truly strange things, but the experiences will stay with you much longer than those grasshoppers you ate in Thailand.
7. You can Beat the Economy Blues
The economy is rough right now, and you may be struggling to find a job – especially if you’re just out of school and lack work experience. When you teach English abroad you gain valuable experience for your resume while travelling all around the world, which is 1,000 times better than telling future employers you sat at home watching soap operas while the economy recovered.
8. You Get to Give Something Back
It’s not all about what you get out of it – for many people it is about what you can give back. English is, in many locations, the language of international commerce, which makes it an essential skill for non-native speakers to acquire. When you teach English abroad not only do you help your students improve their English, but you widen their horizons with your experiences of life beyond their borders, and actually improve their prospects in life. Through your activities both within and outside of the classroom you will be making real contributions to the success and well being of others.
9. You Get the Chance to Learn a New Language
Schools hiring EFL teachers do not expect you to speak the local language (they are more concerned that their teachers are native or native-level English speakers, and that they have been thoroughly trained in TESOL/TEFL methodology), but immersing yourself in another culture is a great way to learn the local language. As part of training, most programs will offer local acculturation and language training, and many schools offer additional free or low-cost local language training, as well.
10. You Get to Have Fun!
Last but not least, teaching overseas is fun. This life-changing international experience empowers you to create your own personal adventure in spite of current economic conditions. So what are you doing for the next year of your life? Have the adventure of a lifetime when you teach English abroad!
| Language Corps offers programs in 21 locations in 18 countries all over Asia, Europe and Latin America for talented people who want to teach English abroad. All of their programs include an intensive, four-week TESOL training and certification program for teaching English overseas, pre-departure support, and job placement assistance. Some programs include language/cultural training, guaranteed job placement, housing and excursions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Simmons |
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