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Teaching EFL Overseas - FAQA sampling of discussion board postings and e-mail exchanges over several years:
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) overseas is a great career. Following is a sampling of exchanges and Q and A's with numerous people. Questions are on the top - scroll down the page for the answers. Question: Can teaching abroad be the "real deal"? Question: Could the people you left behind at home do this job/life? Question: What about an on-line or distance TEFL Certification? Question: Benefits of getting a CELTA Certification [vs. other certifications]?
Question: Wondering
just how much weight is assigned to the AGE FACTOR by prospective employers in Thailand?
Please tell me how this scenario (a
rough one with big classes in a Thai public school) compares with other
Asian countries.
Any advice for a teacher just arriving? Types of
schools that are good, bad? Is there a particular website that you
like for Job ads?
Question: Can teaching abroad be
the "real deal"?
TEFL can be a
fine career.
You
will be able to increase your time off sometimes by ten fold,
possibly move your work week down to four days and twelve or fewer
teaching hours
- from five or six days and 25-30 hours. It will also allow you to do a little time
in the Middle East and earn some serious money when you want to buy a
house back home and quickly pay it off - and/or purchase investment property
or make investments for your eventual retirement.
Most people don't know that, for example, if you
are totally disabled overseas and haven't paid into [the USA] social security
system for five years, you are NO LONGER covered by SSI).
Don't let these
things be the responsibility of your employer or home country, or
parents - or you
WILL at some point be left out in the cold. Educate yourself in all the
fine points of being responsible for yourself while living overseas.
It's not all that difficult, it's just a time to grow up and pay attention
to the details of your life.
PS: Just a little edit here - as the poster asked a LOT questions .
. .
Question: Could the people you
left behind at home do this job
The people with the real cojones are those who stay
home, work the mortgage,
drive the SUV, pump out the kids.
Question: What about an on-line
or distance TEFL Certification?
Distance learning is fine if you
intend to teach only a year or two or if you are not sure if TEFL is for
you or not.
Question: Benefits of Getting a CELTA Certification [vs
others]
Even the six-week courses can be very intense and if you don't like or
can't get along with your primary teacher(s), it will be a miserable time.
CELTA is the old workhorse, but you find many
people with generic (and much less expensive) TEFL certifications who have no trouble picking up even some of the
very best jobs. To a large degree, it really doesn't matter.
There is some of that in the industry - but
not enough to make a real difference. Most employers (at higher levels
anyway) will make their choice based on what they perceive as your
ability to handle the work. Not on your specific qualification (beyond a
minimum requirement anyway).
One last note - CELTA is adult focused and much more expensive that most
other programs. Other
schools can probably give you more experience with children. Check to
see if a TEFL certification school will give you a variety of teaching experiences.
Question: Wondering
just how much weight is assigned to the
A quality school will place more value on your life experience, patience,
people skills, etc. Thailand is probably one of the more liberal
countries in terms of accepting older teachers, non-native teachers and
other groups that are often discriminated against in other countries.
The problem exists in Thailand too, but to quite a lesser degree than
China, Korea or Japan, for example.
Question: Please tell me how this scenario (a
rough one with
The real problem is that if you are teaching in public schools - pretty much
the worst option in almost any country. Most any teacher would be
loath to teach a classroom of 40-50 young people.
Try also the quasi-international
schools with smaller class sizes and usually a Thai teaching assistant
to help you.
Question: Any opinions for a teacher just arriving?
However, once all that is read - many common themes
will be found - and a general idea of where to go and what to do will
evolve. Then, perhaps, your friend can ask a more focused question.
If you are unsure
how to pick a TEFL school
Which TEFL
Certification Course offers you the greatest benefit?
Learn More about
Teaching English Overseas - TEFL as a Career at:
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