Teaching Abroad (TEFL)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nix
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Redrum said:
I did the same but if you look at their site now, their job finding service is no longer bundled into the courses. It's a separate thing. I did actually get a job from them but I soon realised that all they actually did is submit an application for me to my current company (Interac), which I could have done myself on Interac's website.
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I used to work for Interac :D I say "Work" but it was more like just acting like a comedian from 8-2 5 days a week. I worked close to Tokyo as I applied while living there already. Was nice to get a feel for the country and now live here working in IT.
 
If you wanted to work in Japan without a degree is that possible? I pretty sure you can be granted a visa without a degree but I'm not too sure as to whether or not you could find work out there with just a TEFL certification?
 
asakura797 said:
If you wanted to work in Japan without a degree is that possible? I pretty sure you can be granted a visa without a degree but I'm not too sure as to whether or not you could find work out there with just a TEFL certification?
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I don't think so. There maybe some small schools that tell you that you can, but I believe that you need a degree to get a visa here. Have a look at the embassy website.

Hope this helps.
 
DeFrEaTs said:
I used to work for Interac :D I say "Work" but it was more like just acting like a comedian from 8-2 5 days a week. I worked close to Tokyo as I applied while living there already. Was nice to get a feel for the country and now live here working in IT.
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Nice. What company are you working for now? My plan was to switch to an IT job but I've been too busy to apply for anything and now it's too late because the new school year starts in a few months. I'm guessing you must speak pretty good Japanese?

asakura797 said:
If you wanted to work in Japan without a degree is that possible? I pretty sure you can be granted a visa without a degree but I'm not too sure as to whether or not you could find work out there with just a TEFL certification?
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Working in Japan without a degree will be difficult. You definately can't work at a public school but it's possible you might find a conversation school or cram school that will take you on.

The visa is not as easy as you think. To get a working visa you usually need to get a job first and then get that company to arrange the visa because the visas need a sponsor.
 
Redrum said:
I did the same but if you look at their site now, their job finding service is no longer bundled into the courses. It's a separate thing. I did actually get a job from them but I soon realised that all they actually did is submit an application for me to my current company (Interac), which I could have done myself on Interac's website.

I'm sure the course was helpful for you and your girlfriend but bear in mind that it is no replacement for a proper course or experience so when you do start teaching, you will probably find it tough. I know I did but then the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

I did the i-to-i weekend course and the internet one (although I never actually finished the internet course).
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Thanks for this, very interesting. I didnt realise that about Interac. I notice theyre a Japanese company so not quite the same situation as us applying to Korea, however the principle of them being an agent for an agent is the same. Im annoyed we trusted in them for so long and didn't make our own attempts to find work. I feel like we'd be a lot further on by now had we gone it alone initially. I always had a dodgy feeling about them, that it was all very much geared to just making money out of people, but my girlfriend talked me around to it. Hmpf, live and learn to trust my instincts I guess!

With regards to teaching, dont worry, Im under no illusions it's going to be easy! At the time we signed up for the online course we just didnt have a month to spend doing a celta course and weren't sure it would be an investment which would pay off in the end. Im still unsure we should have gone down that route, if we can get a job as we are then thats all good, but I am dubious. The whole process became, and still is further becoming, all a bit of a rush, something I was really hoping to avoid!
 
*bump*

Also interested in this - how did you other folk get on? Lil ol me ?

Is it better to set aside about a month or so (annual leave) and do it full time in person? (can it be done in a month??)

Or distance learning?

Are i-to-i reputable?

Mainly want to work in asiatic area. Not europe but would prefer to do a course which *fully prepares* you rather than the bare minimum.

Once i do get the qualification how do you go about getting the teaching job? Just a matter of checking out each country, vacancies or are there agencies who do all the paperwork for you? For example you send them your cv and say you want to work in Japan and then they find the job and arrange the visa and length of stay etc etc.

thanks guys.
 
Nix said:
As title. I'm currently giving this serious thought.

Who's done it? - Me
Where did you do it? - Course in London - teaching in Brazil
How did you go about doing it? - searched a course, did course, took plane.:)
Would you recommend? Maybe;)

Cheers.
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I did a weekend course in London in March 2007, then moved to Brazil in May 2007.

Still here teaching 4 days a week Private classes for Professionals.

didn't realise this was an 'old thread'....

Money is not great but that's becuase of the country and the crisis has hit Brazil hard.

I'd recommend to anyone to do it if they have good langauge skills to begin with, the EnglishyYou can learn again... whether you only do it for 6 months or 6 years is your choice but, I have learnt a lot about myself and Brazil in the last 3 years and this is an experience that I wouldn't have had without teaching English.

Need anymore help - just shout.
 
Surfer said:
*bump*

Also interested in this - how did you other folk get on? Lil ol me ?

Is it better to set aside about a month or so (annual leave) and do it full time in person? (can it be done in a month??)

Or distance learning?

Are i-to-i reputable?

Mainly want to work in asiatic area. Not europe but would prefer to do a course which *fully prepares* you rather than the bare minimum.

Once i do get the qualification how do you go about getting the teaching job? Just a matter of checking out each country, vacancies or are there agencies who do all the paperwork for you? For example you send them your cv and say you want to work in Japan and then they find the job and arrange the visa and length of stay etc etc.

thanks guys.
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I-toI are very good, I did the sam as Redrum, and am teaching in Brazil.

I used them for the course only and found myself work once out in Brazi, to be honest I'd say it's the best way to do things.

Search the work yourself, you have hundreds of site online about TEFL and teaching. it took me about 3 weeks to find a little work.

You have agencies out there but I'm not sure I would trust them.
 
Lots of my friends here in Korea do it, i'd suggest you look into going there. Japan is too expensive whereas the exchange rate is growing massively in favour of the korean won. Some of these guys had no qualifications, seems the better the qualifications, the better the chance you have of getting a decent job. As was mentioned, make sure you arent going to a dump, the hogwan's are notorious for raping you on hours/holidays.

On facebook search for Tom's Job corner, you can see some jobs available and talk to the guy more in depth about what u need etc
 
Shicky said:
whereas the exchange rate is growing massively in favour of the korean won.
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If you mean the pound gets you less Won then yes, when I came out I was getting 1900W/£ now I'm getting 1600W/£.

Sometimes it sucks being paid in GBP when your abroard.

Everybody in Seoul assumes I'm and english teacher when they first meet me infact its fairly common to have people come upto you on the subway and talk to you about english lessons (I'm actually an engineer working out here). From talking to some people teaching here though the money can be pretty good (they dont seem to have much of a probelm paying for their beer anyway) but there are some nightmare tales as well.
 
My dad recently quit his very well paying job, moved in with his girlfriend in Kiev and took a CELTA course through the British Council. He said it was pretty easy, but great. He now plans to teach business English in France whilst drinking wine and BBQ'ing. He only wants to teach to bring in a very basic income to justify doing nothing.
I'm so jealous.
I asked him about it and he told me if I'm serious about teaching abroad do a CELTA in Business English. It'll get you so much further than anything else.
 
House said:
If you mean the pound gets you less Won then yes, when I came out I was getting 1900W/£ now I'm getting 1600W/£.

Sometimes it sucks being paid in GBP when your abroard.

Everybody in Seoul assumes I'm and english teacher when they first meet me infact its fairly common to have people come upto you on the subway and talk to you about english lessons (I'm actually an engineer working out here). From talking to some people teaching here though the money can be pretty good (they dont seem to have much of a probelm paying for their beer anyway) but there are some nightmare tales as well.
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Yeah I dont get paid here since im at university so i've gone from 300k KRW for £150 to around £185 currently. They also all assume im a teacher, its kind of cool not to be as everyone makes a fuss if you arent teaching. Unless you are an american soldier of course in which case everyone hopes u will die.

That FB group is a great link to non-horrible jobs. My plan is to get a PGCE, a few years experience then hopefully work all over the world in international schools. Korea seems the soundest bet to me right now, my friends are laughing right now with the ease of work and money rolling in. If you can get to university level its a complete joke the hours and work for the ridiculous sums of money you get, not to mention banging your students senseless
 
All the ones i know drink very long hours thats for sure. And as its a public holiday tomorrow (childrens day) they will all be out in force tonight.
 
I'm looking to move out to Sudan and teach in Khartoum in September. I got my TEFL certificate through a weekend course with iToi and I can highly recommend the standard of teaching.
 
i work for an english school in japan
the job sucks a bit, as all jobs do
my company's website says you only teach for a maximum of 6 hours a day, five days a week. the only problem is the lessons are spaced out so , actually i'm at work for 9 hours! sometimes i have to work 6 day weeks too.
get paid 250k a month. originally i was in a company apartment and paying them 75k a month. i moved out into a private apartment and i'm paying 43k now.
it's good fun in Japan.
i highly recommend teaching english in asia.
 
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