Post: #501

(02-17-2016 04:42 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  

(02-17-2016 03:59 PM)Glass Wrote:  I'm in my early 20's and only have a GED. I'd like to teach English in either Eastern Europe (Serbia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Budapest, Ukraine etc), Madrid, or Taiwan in that order.

Hypothetical: Lets say I took the in class 5-6 week CELTA course in the country that I desired to teach in. Would not having a bachelors degree hold me back from getting work, or will the CELTA be more than enough to 'get me through the door'?

Keep in mind: You might not get into the CELTA course of your choice with just a GED, a qualification that may be technically equivalent to graduation from high school but that is often considered inferior. The classmates on my CELTA course were all college material, bright, academically-oriented people. Maybe that description fits you, but it doesn't describe the GED students I've known. CELTA is a money maker for Cambridge but they care about protecting their brand. Acceptance into the course is competitive in most places.

fuckkkkkkk

Post: #502

@ Glass

Don't get discouraged and down. You can't change the past. If this is something you want to do then follow your dream.

Find a way young jeti

Post: #503

(02-17-2016 03:05 PM)tattiemasher Wrote:  

(02-17-2016 01:10 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  I'm finishing up uni and taking Japanese, so I feel compelled to go to Japan for at least a year to see if I can increase my Japanese skills. I'm kinda dreading going to Japan though since the places I want to be are pretty expensive and teaching English isn't all that great there pay wise.

In all honesty, I'll probably end up in Taiwan myself, I really am interested by their culture and I've never heard anything bad about it. Too bad I couldn't bring myself to take Mandarin classes, something about the language that I just don't like. Curse my school for getting rid of Russian and Portugese . I like Japanese, but it pretty much binds me to going to Japan, which I probably won't be able to afford for quite a while.


Does anyone know how the wages are in places like Vietnam and Cambodia? Will you be living "well" for those countries on a teaching wage?

If you're working closer to a full working week, you can get about $1200 upwards for Vietnam, and definitely less in Cambodia. The cost of living though is a lot cheaper. If you're not living it up or eating at Western places you could probably save half of your salary very comfortably.

1200 per month?

Post: #504

I took the CELTA in Medellin, everyone in it had graduated college and one had a masters, another three had teaching esl experience, this was out of ten of us. It was a demanding 4 weeks, comparable to my senior year finals week but for four weeks, it's no cakewalk and they do screen hard. That being said to not pass it you have to show ineptitude in some manner, think 8% fail.

Post: #505

(02-17-2016 11:49 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  

(02-17-2016 03:05 PM)tattiemasher Wrote:  

(02-17-2016 01:10 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  I'm finishing up uni and taking Japanese, so I feel compelled to go to Japan for at least a year to see if I can increase my Japanese skills. I'm kinda dreading going to Japan though since the places I want to be are pretty expensive and teaching English isn't all that great there pay wise.

In all honesty, I'll probably end up in Taiwan myself, I really am interested by their culture and I've never heard anything bad about it. Too bad I couldn't bring myself to take Mandarin classes, something about the language that I just don't like. Curse my school for getting rid of Russian and Portugese . I like Japanese, but it pretty much binds me to going to Japan, which I probably won't be able to afford for quite a while.


Does anyone know how the wages are in places like Vietnam and Cambodia? Will you be living "well" for those countries on a teaching wage?

If you're working closer to a full working week, you can get about $1200 upwards for Vietnam, and definitely less in Cambodia. The cost of living though is a lot cheaper. If you're not living it up or eating at Western places you could probably save half of your salary very comfortably.

1200 per month?

Yes $1200 a month. That's closer to the bottom end for working full-time in Vietnam. I've not seen many Cambodian ones, though recently I saw one for a fully-qualified teacher starting at $2000 there. Not the same as just teaching English however.

If you're just going for a year out, a basic TEFL certificate will be enough to get your foot in the door. If you're really looking to do it long-term and you have some bank, either get fully qualified as a teacher or maybe go down the CELTA/TESOL road. It can be overpriced but probably bump your wage a bit in the long-term.

There's a place in Vietnam (Apollo English) who do CELTA courses for $1650 and try to hire from those who pass. If you book early you get a discount, if you get hired afterwards you get another partial refund, which would take it down to about $900.

To sum up, it really depends if you want to do it for a year or long-term, if you want to work in other countries later, your starting bank etc.

Post: #506

Hey guys I've been teaching in Prague for 2 years and can say that it's one of the best jobs ever. Let me know if you've got questions I'll try and answer. You can PM me and then we can go to Facebook later.

Post: #507

What's the minimum TEFL requirement for teaching Eng in China?

I'm seeing 80-100 hour online courses for a couple hundred bucks - would one of those do? Do they tend to accept online TEFLs, or is an in-person certificate desirable?

What doors will this open?

What about the better jobs - teaching at Unis, teaching biz english, etc - what more are they looking for? I'm guessing experience.

I have a Masters from a good western uni. Me: Tall, late 20s white male, goodlooking (seems like that bizarrely may matter).

Wondering what the best bang-for-buck qualification would get started in China.

Also interested in info on Vietnam, Korea, Japan - but mainly China.

Thanks guys!

Post: #508

I'm not an English Teacher but after being in China for a few months, I've been around English Teachers and have a couple of Chinese friends who own schools and this is what I've seen so far:

If you're a white guy from an English speaking country, you can walk into any English Training Centre and be offered a job on the spot.

A BA is required (at least technically) in the first tier cities to get a valid Z work visa. In the 2nd tier cities, especially in Northern China, it's not as strict. In the 3rd tier cities, even less.

Since you have a Masters (in which field?), I'd say you'd have a shot at a cushy uni or international school gig or a gig as a corporate trainer.

Do you have any experience in teaching English? If yes, then that will definitely help and boost your chances of getting more $ and better gigs. If not, no biggie, at least when it comes to training centres. For universities and international schools, then that may be an issue.

As far as the usefulness of the online TEFL courses, from what I've seen and heard here from other teachers, it's not a requirement to get a job as a teacher with through an agency or at a training centre. With Unis, international schools, that's a different story obviously. Where it would be helpful to some level, if you've got no prior teaching experience is that it would give you some practice and give you an idea of what to expect and do as an English teacher. Now, in terms of teaching certificates, the CELTA is going to help a lot in getting top gigs at a uni or international schools. So depends on what you want to do and what your goal is.

I personally wouldn't bother with a TEFL if I had a Masters and was looking at teaching English. I'd contact companies directly and try to get in as an in house English Trainer or corporate business english teaching. Or go straight for international schools in the city of your choice.

As to whether go through an agency/agent or on your own, it depends on your situation. Are you on a tight budget? Then get an agent to find you a gig that will provide you with a valid Z work visa and free apart. Yes you won't be paid as much as if you were to look on your own, but you'd have a smooth transition into China. Once on the ground, network as much as you can and within a few months, or sooner, you should be able to line up something better quite easily. I'll post more on that on my China thread.

Post: #509

Just a heads up for China jobs:

New rules in place for university positions, university degrees must now be notarized or verified in the US by either their university notary system or by a lawyer, OR, can be done in China at a US consulate/embassy for 50 USD (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan, Guangzhou.

I work at a university and have been there many years, still applies to me, which seems like another money maker for the US, don't know what China gets out of it.

Post: #510

(04-24-2016 10:01 AM)RichieP Wrote:  What's the minimum TEFL requirement for teaching Eng in China?

I'm seeing 80-100 hour online courses for a couple hundred bucks - would one of those do? Do they tend to accept online TEFLs, or is an in-person certificate desirable?

What doors will this open?

What about the better jobs - teaching at Unis, teaching biz english, etc - what more are they looking for? I'm guessing experience.

I have a Masters from a good western uni. Me: Tall, late 20s white male, goodlooking (seems like that bizarrely may matter).

Wondering what the best bang-for-buck qualification would get started in China.

Also interested in info on Vietnam, Korea, Japan - but mainly China.

Thanks guys!

Hey Richie,

I was recently hired to teach English at a public university in China starting in the upcoming fall semester. I'm also very new to TEFL, I have a bachelors, I am in my early twenties, and not white. To answer your questions any online TEFL certifications are accepted. There are more in depth qualifications like the Celta(which costs $2000+) or an in person TEFL($1000+) but these are only helpful when teaching in the Middle East or Europe. For China, you wont get any extra money or offers for having a Celta. Now if you have the money and just want to improve your teaching or plan to make TEFL a career maybe this route is for you. If you just want to get to China and actually experience teaching for yourself an online TEFL is more than enough. I wouldn't recommend spending over $200 on an online TEFL certification. In fact, you can get a TEFL certification on Groupon for less than $100. Usually these courses will give you a basic understanding of teaching and may actually help you in the classroom If you've never taught before. If you're serious about teaching I know of a course you could finish in less than a week if you have time.

I'm not sure how much looks come into play for University jobs but I suppose being white will help in China. Before I started the process I was a little worried about being a minority. However, during my interview It didn't seem to matter.

Also each University may have slightly requirements for you to get your work permit and Z Visa. This is all dependent on the University and the province that it is located in. There is no one set of requirements for all of China it varies a lot depending on where you work. The bigger cities like Shanghai and Beijing usually prefer some work experience, some may want reference letters, notarized degree, and background check. Again It all depends on the University and the city. For my job I didn't need to notarize my degree, have any references,or a formal background check. My only working experience was informal and part time. Given that you have a masters you may be able to teach in a subject depending what it is in and your experience. Even for normal ESL university positions, some universities offer a slightly higher salary for those with a more advanced degree. Usually an extra 1000 RMB or so for regular English teaching positions.

Generally speaking if you have a TEFL certificate and a degree you should be able to find work pretty easily in China, even for university jobs. Simply put there is just a lot of demand and its just April. If your just looking to get started or want to know something more specific just ask. I've been doing a lot of research the passed few months and I may be able to help. Also, There are plenty of good youtubers who also post about teaching in China. Chinanonstop and Serpentza just to name a few. Good luck!

Post: #511

(04-24-2016 11:24 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  If you're a white guy from an English speaking country, you can walk into any English Training Centre and be offered a job on the spot.

Do you know what the chances for non-native speakers are?

Post: #512

Regnar,
As long as you're fluent, you're good to go at least in 2nd tier cities. I'd venture as far as saying that even in first tier cities, in the smaller training centres, you'd have a great shot. In first tier cities, bigger schools might be pickier due to the sheer number of foreigners there, not so much in the 2nd tier cities.

Not to mention, getting a Z visa for a non native in a 2nd tier city is a lot easier than in first tier cities where they can be very strict. Then once you start working, use your time there to save money, network and keep your eyes open for bigger and better opportunities.

The school owned by my chinese friend in my city has a middle eastern Canadian (white) guy and a couple of Africans. As long as you're fluent in English and are a good entertainer, then you're good to go.

Post: #513

GalahadtheWise, great first post.

Post: #514

(04-25-2016 08:51 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  Regnar,
As long as you're fluent, you're good to go at least in 2nd tier cities. I'd venture as far as saying that even in first tier cities, in the smaller training centres, you'd have a great shot. In first tier cities, bigger schools might be pickier due to the sheer number of foreigners there, not so much in the 2nd tier cities.

Not to mention, getting a Z visa for a non native in a 2nd tier city is a lot easier than in first tier cities where they can be very strict. Then once you start working, use your time there to save money, network and keep your eyes open for bigger and better opportunities.

The school owned by my chinese friend in my city has a middle eastern Canadian (white) guy and a couple of Africans. As long as you're fluent in English and are a good entertainer, then you're good to go.

What about other teaching positions, e.g. business or economic related subjects? Are there many universities that offer international programs where the courses are held in English?

Post: #515

If you have experience and or credentials (at least a Masters but more likely a PhD in these fields) in these other subjects, then you can go to the major universities that do offer programmes in English in person and talk to them.

Where in China are you thinking of going? When?

Post: #516

(04-25-2016 03:27 AM)GalahadtheWise Wrote:  If you're serious about teaching I know of a course you could finish in less than a week if you have time.

I don't get this attitude. Is there no pride in doing a job well done? The world has enough shitty, massively undertrained English teachers already.

For guys who just want to experience foreign living and aren't genuinely interested in language teaching, there are usually better alternatives. Get some skills, get an education first, work abroad in your profession, or just save up in your home country to fund your year abroad. English teaching, especially without substantial training and experience, does not pay well in most areas compared to these alternatives. And yet they keep coming.

For a look at the dark side of English teaching, check out the English Teacher X thread:
/thread-15900.html

Post: #517

VP And Galahad - that is excellent info, thank you both very much.

Sounds like it's a case of maybe getting that initial online TEFL then putting myself out there as much as possible, contacting recruiters etc and seeing what kind of things I get offers for. Seems the Masters helps. Food for thought.

Any thoughts on salaries at different positions - at language centers, and particularly at universities/ teaching biz english? I'd be much more interested in teaching students/adults/professionals than kids.

Post: #518

You're going to have a hard time getting a job teaching something in an English program at a Chinese university with no upper level teaching experience for a couple reasons. They are also relatively cushy positions because their wages are inflated.

Post: #519

(04-25-2016 09:56 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  If you have experience and or credentials (at least a Masters but more likely a PhD in these fields) in these other subjects, then you can go to the major universities that do offer programmes in English in person and talk to them.

Where in China are you thinking of going? When?

I was just asking out ouf curiosity. Teaching interests me a lot, but teaching English not at all. If I were to go to China, I would probably pick a 2nd or 3rd tier city.

Post: #520

(02-18-2016 12:04 AM)AWright Wrote:  I took the CELTA in Medellin, everyone in it had graduated college and one had a masters, another three had teaching esl experience, this was out of ten of us. It was a demanding 4 weeks, comparable to my senior year finals week but for four weeks, it's no cakewalk and they do screen hard. That being said to not pass it you have to show ineptitude in some manner, think 8% fail.

I know this post was written a few months back, but how have your job prospects been after you got your celta? What's the pay like in Colombia for English teachers, liveable wage?

I've read every single page of this thread, the vast majority covers guys experiences in Asia. I have zero interest going there. Anyone have experiences to share in Latin America or Europe? Muchas gracias

The visa situation seems a bit confusing as well..to my understanding the only way to legally work in lat am or Europe as a US passport holder, you need to get a student visa.

Post: #521

^ Yeah would love to hear more from RVF members who have tried teaching in Mexico or Latin America. That is what I'm looking into.

Also, I'm applying for CELTA courses at the moment, and I'm finding these application forms with English grammar questions to be a complete nightmare. I know which answer is correct, but I can't explain why as my technical knowledge of the English grammar is lacking.

Here's a couple examples:

Identify the mistake in each sentence, make the necessary corrections and explain why.

"I've been to Paris last year." I know it should be "I went to Paris last year" but I'm not sure how to explain why.
"Look at the clouds. It will rain." I know this one should have a comma..
"Can you borrow me your pen." I know it should be lend your pen, but again I can't really explain this very well.

Can any of you qualified English teachers recommend some good books or websites to learn this?

Post: #522

(02-18-2016 12:04 AM)AWright Wrote:  I took the CELTA in Medellin, everyone in it had graduated college and one had a masters, another three had teaching esl experience, this was out of ten of us. It was a demanding 4 weeks, comparable to my senior year finals week but for four weeks, it's no cakewalk and they do screen hard. That being said to not pass it you have to show ineptitude in some manner, think 8% fail.

I took mine in Dublin back in 2014 and it was perhaps the most intensive course I ever did. I was absolutely shattered after it and I don't want to go through that experience again for a long time. I paid about €1700 odd for it and it was the best 1700 quid that I ever invested. I had recently been made redundant from a previous job where I had worked for 6 years. I was lucky in that I had made some bank so was able to afford the course fee. All the people on my course were uni graduates, one of them, a doctor. That said, a few there were the oddball type, a journeyman, an out of work soap actor and a dude whose family had a well publicised run in with the banks.

Fast forward 2 years and I'm in a really good gig here in EE. I don't regret doing it one bit. It has completely changed my life and for the better. Anybody who slags off English Language Teachers/Instructors as 'losers' are talking through their arse. I never ever want to go back to my previous existence as a number crunching cubicle monkey in some faceless office block, knocking off at 5pm to return back to my dank and claustrophobic 1 bed in some shithole suburb populated by invasive, loud junkies and tea drinking hipster tossers.

Post: #523

(04-28-2016 11:33 AM)RedPillUK Wrote:  "I've been to Paris last year." I know it should be "I went to Paris last year" but I'm not sure how to explain why.

The issue here is that specific time adjuncts (time adverbials like 'last year') are incompatible with present perfect ('have been'). That's the short answer.

(04-28-2016 11:33 AM)RedPillUK Wrote:  "Look at the clouds. It will rain." I know this one should have a comma..

Here your instincts are wrong. You should not use a comma here, since these are two independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction. (This error is called a comma splice.)

The actual issue here is that we don't use 'will' when making predictions based on visible, present evidence (observing rain clouds); we use 'going to'. This is covered in basic grammar books such as the one mentioned below.

(04-28-2016 11:33 AM)RedPillUK Wrote:  "Can you borrow me your pen." I know it should be lend your pen, but again I can't really explain this very well.

This is not a grammar error per se but rather a common vocabulary error for non-native speakers. In English, the semantic roles of 'agent' (lender) and 'recipient' (borrrower) fulfill different grammatical functions (subject or object), depending on which verb (borrow or loan/lend) is used. This is difficult for students in the many languages where a single verb is typically used for both borrow and loan/lend.

(04-28-2016 11:33 AM)RedPillUK Wrote:  Can any of you qualified English teachers recommend some good books or websites to learn this?

An elementary/basic grammar book for ESL/EFL students will cover many of these points, although without the kind of technical language that teachers are expected to grasp. For example, Basic Grammar in Use, intended for self-study. There's a UK version and a US version. There are also several standard books for teachers. Your CELTA course will probably provide you with a list. The book by Marion Parrott is often mentioned (Grammar for English Language Teachers). There are certainly a lot of web sites for learners where grammar is presented in a piecemeal fashion (stackexchange and wordreference have forums where you can ask questions), but I think it makes more sense to follow the kind of methodical and consistent sequence that you get from a solid textbook such as the ones recommended on your course.

Remember that you don't need to be an expert on grammar to get into a CELTA course. They do, however, want to see what background, if any, you already have, and they expect that you are already familiar with grammatical terms such as 'present perfect' and 'conjunction'. I think you'll find that your CELTA classmates already know these things and perhaps a lot more. It's better to research them for your pre-course application or questionnaire rather than to wing it by making up answers based on your hunches as a native speaker.

Good luck!

Post: #524

(04-28-2016 03:03 PM)Traktor Wrote:  I never ever want to go back to my previous existence as a number crunching cubicle monkey in some faceless office block, knocking off at 5pm to return back to my dank and claustrophobic 1 bed in some shithole suburb populated by invasive, loud junkies and tea drinking hipster tossers.

Excellent description of most (depressing) mid-management (or lower) office jobs in the West! A life any courageous man would want to escape.

Post: #525

(04-28-2016 04:38 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  ...
An elementary/basic grammar book for ESL/EFL students will cover many of these points, although without the kind of technical language that teachers are expected to grasp. For example, Basic Grammar in Use, intended for self-study. There's a UK version and a US version. There are also several standard books for teachers. Your CELTA course will probably provide you with a list. The book by Marion Parrott is often mentioned (Grammar for English Language Teachers). There are certainly a lot of web sites for learners where grammar is presented in a piecemeal fashion (stackexchange and wordreference have forums where you can ask questions), but I think it makes more sense to follow the kind of methodical and consistent sequence that you get from a solid textbook such as the ones recommended on your course.

Remember that you don't need to be an expert on grammar to get into a CELTA course. They do, however, want to see what background, if any, you already have, and they expect that you are already familiar with grammatical terms such as 'present perfect' and 'conjunction'. I think you'll find that your CELTA classmates already know these things and perhaps a lot more. It's better to research them for your pre-course application or questionnaire rather than to wing it by making up answers based on your hunches as a native speaker.

Good luck!

Wow, thank you for the excellent advice. It looks like I have a lot to learn. I've applied and I have an interview coming up in four days, so I will be looking at books like the ones you have mentioned and referring to this post to see if I've actually learned the things you've pointed out here.