Post: #826

(10-23-2017 10:46 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there good resources to tell what TEFL certificates are credible?

As I have mentioned previously, CELTA is the one to get. The overwhelming majority of schools and corporate organisations/clients require it as a minimum. I paid nearly $2k for mine and it was one of the best investments that I ever made. It has paid me back a thousand fold.

Post: #827

(10-24-2017 04:54 AM)Traktor Wrote:  

(10-23-2017 10:46 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there good resources to tell what TEFL certificates are credible?

As I have mentioned previously, CELTA is the one to get. The overwhelming majority of schools and corporate organisations/clients require it as a minimum. I paid nearly $2k for mine and it was one of the best investments that I ever made. It has paid me back a thousand fold.

CELTA is useful in East Asia and SEA? Always got the vibe that CELTA was more of a European thing.


Yeah, CELTA does seem to be like the most credible. Just trying to judge the investment, who knows if I will do this long enough for it to be worth it.

Post: #828

(10-24-2017 07:05 AM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  

(10-24-2017 04:54 AM)Traktor Wrote:  

(10-23-2017 10:46 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there good resources to tell what TEFL certificates are credible?

As I have mentioned previously, CELTA is the one to get. The overwhelming majority of schools and corporate organisations/clients require it as a minimum. I paid nearly $2k for mine and it was one of the best investments that I ever made. It has paid me back a thousand fold.

CELTA is useful in East Asia and SEA? Always got the vibe that CELTA was more of a European thing.


Yeah, CELTA does seem to be like the most credible. Just trying to judge the investment, who knows if I will do this long enough for it to be worth it.

CELTA is universal. You can travel anywhere with it. Think of it as a trade like plumbing, civil engineering, electrician, carpentry, block layer etc.

Why do you want to go teaching English? Is it just as a stop gap for a few years or are you going to make a career out of it? These are questions that you need to ask yourself.

Post: #829

Anyone have any advice for teaching English in Latin America? Taking a gap year after graduating from and need to find something that'll put a roof over my head and feed me. Spent a semester in Chile earlier this year, and I'm feeling like 6-9 months more of Spanish will really take me to the next level in my journey to master the language.

Post: #830

(10-24-2017 12:19 PM)Traktor Wrote:  

(10-24-2017 07:05 AM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  

(10-24-2017 04:54 AM)Traktor Wrote:  

(10-23-2017 10:46 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there good resources to tell what TEFL certificates are credible?

As I have mentioned previously, CELTA is the one to get. The overwhelming majority of schools and corporate organisations/clients require it as a minimum. I paid nearly $2k for mine and it was one of the best investments that I ever made. It has paid me back a thousand fold.

CELTA is useful in East Asia and SEA? Always got the vibe that CELTA was more of a European thing.


Yeah, CELTA does seem to be like the most credible. Just trying to judge the investment, who knows if I will do this long enough for it to be worth it.

CELTA is universal. You can travel anywhere with it. Think of it as a trade like plumbing, civil engineering, electrician, carpentry, block layer etc.

Why do you want to go teaching English? Is it just as a stop gap for a few years or are you going to make a career out of it? These are questions that you need to ask yourself.

I think I might do it for two years, I don't think I will make a career out of it. So I am really more so looking for a certificate that will give me some (legal) options, and get my feet reasonably wet. If I were set on making this a career I would probably get a CELTA without much thought.

Is CELTA cheaper if you do it in an Asian country, or because of its connection with Cambridge it doesn't matter?

Post: #831

(10-25-2017 12:56 AM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  

(10-24-2017 12:19 PM)Traktor Wrote:  

(10-24-2017 07:05 AM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  

(10-24-2017 04:54 AM)Traktor Wrote:  

(10-23-2017 10:46 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there good resources to tell what TEFL certificates are credible?

As I have mentioned previously, CELTA is the one to get. The overwhelming majority of schools and corporate organisations/clients require it as a minimum. I paid nearly $2k for mine and it was one of the best investments that I ever made. It has paid me back a thousand fold.

CELTA is useful in East Asia and SEA? Always got the vibe that CELTA was more of a European thing.


Yeah, CELTA does seem to be like the most credible. Just trying to judge the investment, who knows if I will do this long enough for it to be worth it.

CELTA is universal. You can travel anywhere with it. Think of it as a trade like plumbing, civil engineering, electrician, carpentry, block layer etc.

Why do you want to go teaching English? Is it just as a stop gap for a few years or are you going to make a career out of it? These are questions that you need to ask yourself.

I think I might do it for two years, I don't think I will make a career out of it. So I am really more so looking for a certificate that will give me some (legal) options, and get my feet reasonably wet. If I were set on making this a career I would probably get a CELTA without much thought.

Is CELTA cheaper if you do it in an Asian country, or because of its connection with Cambridge it doesn't matter?

Yes it's cheaper when taken outside the US, or England. Though I took it in the US, I hear another benefit of taking it in your country of choice is that you get connections to schools/employers in the area.

Post: #832

(10-24-2017 12:40 PM)Maistre Wrote:  Anyone have any advice for teaching English in Latin America? Taking a gap year after graduating from and need to find something that'll put a roof over my head and feed me. Spent a semester in Chile earlier this year, and I'm feeling like 6-9 months more of Spanish will really take me to the next level in my journey to master the language.

Doable, but very difficult. I can only speak for Argentina but I assume the situation is the same if not worse in other countries. There are already plenty of English teachers. National citizens who have dedicated 6 years of university to get their positions. They'll be able to explain grammar better than you whereas you'll have better pronunciation and vocabulary. So your appeal is conversational classes. Which means language institutes, as public/private schools will almost always prefer a certified, local teacher. Most expat English teachers don't last, and the ones that do have found a niche or adjusted to the struggle.

Let's say you find a suitable institute and they're either willing to sponsor you for a work visa (doubtful) or willing to pay you in negro (under the table). It's not like they hire you and give you a full schedule of classes. They maybe start you out with 2-3 classes a week. They pay you dirt cheap, you have to cover your transportation costs, get paid once a month, and many times have to plan your own classes. So you'll need to find a few institutes to try to fill out your schedule or market yourself and deal with flaky private students. Hard to make ends meet that way.

Not to mention all of the start up costs to get situated. You'll need to have a fair amount of savings to get up and running. You have to find an apartment, which is a bitch in most countries and damn near impossible in others, furnish it, and then if you're lucky you can afford a healthy diet and luxuries like gym and nightlife.

Are you getting the picture? It will be a struggle for at least your first year. A better option is teaching online where they pay you in dollars. If you're just looking to improve your Spanish I'd say travel around Latin America, find a way to freelance a bit, volunteer, and practice speaking with locals. As much as I love Latin American culture, and have no regrets about my decision to move here, it can be very hard at first to make enough money to fully enjoy the life the culture has to offer.

Post: #833

Is there any advice in general about going the online route? Last year I started an online TEFL course and was 3/4 of the way done before other things came up and I never went back to it. I was never passionate about teaching English, but I had heard teaching enough hours can get you to survive in the cheaper countries.

If I were to teach English, I'd prefer the online routes for flexibility of hours and movement. Is this sustainable living in certain countries? Are there any websites open to those with lack of experience or certificate? Is video connection a problem in third world countries to teach online?

Any advice is appreciated.

Post: #834

(10-24-2017 12:40 PM)Maistre Wrote:  Anyone have any advice for teaching English in Latin America? Taking a gap year after graduating from and need to find something that'll put a roof over my head and feed me. Spent a semester in Chile earlier this year, and I'm feeling like 6-9 months more of Spanish will really take me to the next level in my journey to master the language.

My advice: Given that your stated goal is to put a roof over your head and improve your Spanish, why not work at home first and save up, then go. Even a crappy minimum wage job back home will pay more than teaching English in Latin America. Then you'll have time and energy to play when you're on the ground.

Also, teaching English is not a good way to improve your Spanish. Think about who you'll be surrounded by. This is why English teachers have such shitty Spanish, even after years of living/working in the country.

As for CELTA, it's a substantial time and money investment for those who have never taught English and don't even know if they want to make a career of this. I wonder what minuscule percentage of CELTA graduates end up teaching for more than a year. It's a beginner credential, a point that often gets lost in this thread. You're not suddenly an in-demand master teacher with access to career-track positions just because took a four-week course.

Post: #835

(10-26-2017 02:51 AM)yankeetravels Wrote:  Is there any advice in general about going the online route? Last year I started an online TEFL course and was 3/4 of the way done before other things came up and I never went back to it. I was never passionate about teaching English, but I had heard teaching enough hours can get you to survive in the cheaper countries.

If I were to teach English, I'd prefer the online routes for flexibility of hours and movement. Is this sustainable living in certain countries? Are there any websites open to those with lack of experience or certificate? Is video connection a problem in third world countries to teach online?

Any advice is appreciated.

Do you have a degree?

Post: #836

(10-31-2017 05:53 PM)Road_Less_Taken Wrote:  

(10-26-2017 02:51 AM)yankeetravels Wrote:  Is there any advice in general about going the online route? Last year I started an online TEFL course and was 3/4 of the way done before other things came up and I never went back to it. I was never passionate about teaching English, but I had heard teaching enough hours can get you to survive in the cheaper countries.

If I were to teach English, I'd prefer the online routes for flexibility of hours and movement. Is this sustainable living in certain countries? Are there any websites open to those with lack of experience or certificate? Is video connection a problem in third world countries to teach online?

Any advice is appreciated.

Do you have a degree?

I have a bachelor's degree

Post: #837

(10-31-2017 06:05 PM)yankeetravels Wrote:  

(10-31-2017 05:53 PM)Road_Less_Taken Wrote:  

(10-26-2017 02:51 AM)yankeetravels Wrote:  Is there any advice in general about going the online route? Last year I started an online TEFL course and was 3/4 of the way done before other things came up and I never went back to it. I was never passionate about teaching English, but I had heard teaching enough hours can get you to survive in the cheaper countries.

If I were to teach English, I'd prefer the online routes for flexibility of hours and movement. Is this sustainable living in certain countries? Are there any websites open to those with lack of experience or certificate? Is video connection a problem in third world countries to teach online?

Any advice is appreciated.

Do you have a degree?

I have a bachelor's degree

PM Sent

Post: #838

Anyone know some easy countries or places to teach English that offer a nice lifestyle and access to nice girls? South America, of the beaten path FSU or Southeast Asia are my preferred area's, but I am open to other suggestions. I also prefer that I can just book a ticket and visit some schools instead of applying through internet.

The pay in not important. I'm not planning of making a career out of it. Just a job that I can do for a couple of months or 1 school year. If it can cover my basic expenses it would be fine. If needed I can supplement my income with savings.

I'm wondering if I could get hired with my my profile:

White guy, 30's, good looking, Some years ago I worked 5 years as a counselor with abused and neglected teenagers in a group home, which should give me some credibility and gives the impression of being trustworthy. At the moment I work in the financial sector but don’t really enjoy it. I’m just in it because the pay is good. I have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from a non western country. Unfortunately this is not recognized in western countries and I don’t think the countries with jobs will recognize it.

My English, well I don't know if it's good enough and I do think I make small mistakes when writing or speaking. I also don't have a native accent, but I don't have a terrible accent either. I think I could do a good job teaching basic English, but bad when it becomes more advanced.

I don't have any TEFL qualification and wonder if those internet courses are worth taking. Do they actually learn me something new? Are employers impressed by basic internet courses? I also do not want to take a more advanced course.

So, if anyone knows some nice places where I can just show up and get hired?

Post: #839

(11-10-2017 05:56 PM)Midnight Cowboy Wrote:  Anyone know some easy countries or places to teach English that offer a nice lifestyle and access to nice girls? South America, of the beaten path FSU or Southeast Asia are my preferred area's, but I am open to other suggestions. I also prefer that I can just book a ticket and visit some schools instead of applying through internet.

Southeast Asia is a better bet than FSU or SA.

(11-10-2017 05:56 PM)Midnight Cowboy Wrote:  The pay in not important. I'm not planning of making a career out of it. Just a job that I can do for a couple of months or 1 school year. If it can cover my basic expenses it would be fine. If needed I can supplement my income with savings.

I'm wondering if I could get hired with my my profile:

White guy, 30's, good looking, Some years ago I worked 5 years as a counselor with abused and neglected teenagers in a group home, which should give me some credibility and gives the impression of being trustworthy.

Teaching ESL is Asia is generally the equivalent of working at a fast-food restaurant like McDonalds. No one cares how reliably you look on your resume. They are more interested in putting you in the kitchen and seeing whether or not you can flip a burger correctly.

(11-10-2017 05:56 PM)Midnight Cowboy Wrote:  At the moment I work in the financial sector but don’t really enjoy it. I’m just in it because the pay is good. I have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from a non western country. Unfortunately this is not recognized in western countries and I don’t think the countries with jobs will recognize it.

If you don't have a degree or passport from a Western English speaking country, you're most likely to have to work illegally on a tourist visa.

Enforcement against that type of thing is fairly strict in China, Japan, Korea and Thailand, but lax in Vietnam and Malaysia.

(11-10-2017 05:56 PM)Midnight Cowboy Wrote:  My English, well I don't know if it's good enough and I do think I make small mistakes when writing or speaking. I also don't have a native accent, but I don't have a terrible accent either. I think I could do a good job teaching basic English, but bad when it becomes more advanced.

I think what you are saying is that you are not a native speaker and don't hold a passport from a qualifying country (generally Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and South Africa). If that's the case, you probably won't qualify for a work visa (for teaching purposes) in China, Korea, and Japan as well as probably Vietnam and Thailand. I'm not sure how strict the qualifications are in Malaysia.

(11-10-2017 05:56 PM)Midnight Cowboy Wrote:  I don't have any TEFL qualification and wonder if those internet courses are worth taking. Do they actually learn me something new? Are employers impressed by basic internet courses? I also do not want to take a more advanced course.

Higher end qualifications matter in Hong Kong and Korea. I don't think anyone really cares much in China (outside of legitimate schools that don't specialize in ESL), but have a 120 hour ESL cert is mandatory for a teaching visa in China now.

(11-10-2017 05:56 PM)Midnight Cowboy Wrote:  So, if anyone knows some nice places where I can just show up and get hired?

Vietnam/Malaysia is probably your best bet. Immigration in both places are still very lax and many teachers (even those perfectly qualified for a work visa) simply teach illegally on a tourist visa because there's virtually no enforcement in either country.

The pay isn't great, but you could certainly get the one year touristy experience you are looking for.

Post: #840

Most ESL jobs rarely last longer than the 1 year mark. Especially in China and SEA. Most teachers I know rarely keep a job longer than 6-12 months. The jobs aren't stable, Asian management tend to be micro-managing fucking morons, and ultimately you'll find it's hard to save money. They'll fire you for literally anything and everything.

I hear this is less the case in Korea and Japan, because it takes a lot of work to bring teachers over and get them on the proper visa.

Post: #841

What's a better place to save more money for a teacher starting out - Vietnam or 2nd tier city China?

Post: #842

(11-29-2017 08:35 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  What's a better place to save more money for a teacher starting out - Vietnam or 2nd tier city China?

Probably a 3rd tier city in China. Vietnam still pays pretty low, but I've heard rumors that many companies in undesirable cities are paying better salaries for entry level positions than they are in Beijing because no one wants to move there.

Post: #843

(11-29-2017 09:12 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 08:35 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  What's a better place to save more money for a teacher starting out - Vietnam or 2nd tier city China?

Probably a 3rd tier city in China. Vietnam still pays pretty low, but I've heard rumors that many companies in undesirable cities are paying better salaries for entry level positions than they are in Beijing because no one wants to move there.

Undesirable cities in China or Vietnam? I'm assuming you mean China.

Thanks for the reply.

Post: #844

Cost of living in VietNam is a lot cheaper, even compared to 2nd tier cities in China. CoL is rising everywhere in China each year. The schools won’t let you work on a tourist visa any longer either, and they’re pretty adamant about having the proper documents e.g. degree and CELTA or TEFL. Even the ‘illegal’ kindergartens and language centres, lol. Vietnam doesn’t care so much yet, from what I hear. Also, you can buy a motorcycle easily and get around anywhere in Vietnam. Sounds way more convenient. China has outlawed the ebikes and scooters almost everywhere. Commuting on subways packed full of farmers gets old after a while.

I did some research and salaries aren’t that great in Vietnam yet, but they aren’t bad — topping out around $2100-$2300 / month? But that’s with one job). But the country is booming, and salaries are projected to rise. It will be the new China. Something tells me you’d want to get in on the ground floor for that. When you factor in the costs you’ll probably make and save about the same, if not slightly more in VN compared to a China tier 2.

Post: #845

(11-29-2017 10:38 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 09:12 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 08:35 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  What's a better place to save more money for a teacher starting out - Vietnam or 2nd tier city China?

Probably a 3rd tier city in China. Vietnam still pays pretty low, but I've heard rumors that many companies in undesirable cities are paying better salaries for entry level positions than they are in Beijing because no one wants to move there.

Undesirable cities in China or Vietnam? I'm assuming you mean China.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, undesirable Chinese cities.

Now, to be clear, some of these undesirable Chinese cities may be charming places to live. The thing about China is that there are so many cities with more than a million people that most of us haven't even heard of the majority of them. There's probably a lot of affordable places with under 100k that could have a real sense of community and friendliness that would rival a major city and living and working there for a time could be entirely enjoyable.

However, no one desires to go to these cities, because they can't. They've never heard of them. Therefore teachers have to be coxed their with salary levels that offer a better standard of living ratio than salaries in first or second tier cities.

Depending on who you are, these cities will probably suck to live in once the novelty wears off. Living somewhere that has absolutely no people that you can legitimately relate with is a challenge for most people long term. You could be in for a very lonely time as in these sorts of places, the only non-Chinese you'll ever interact with will probably fall into one of two categories: either the bitter, jaded expat who has been in China for too long or the young, idealistic liberal type who just recently graduated university and is just spending a year or two ticking off the "international experience" box on their resume.

Of course, that would probably also be the case for most Vietnamese cities other than Hanoi and HCM.

I haven't confirmed this information. I've simply heard one or two rumors that suggested this. However, training centers tend to drive a hard bargain anywhere and universities/high schools almost always pay poorly, so I'm guessing it's mainly kindergartens that may be doing this.

One such source was a Chinese-American guy who thought he was a lot smarter than he was (and claimed to be a forum member, but wouldn't tell me what his username was), so I wouldn't assume that there are these great paying jobs waiting for you in 3rd tier cities. But it may be worth investigating.

Post: #846

Oh yeah, I'm day 4 in Vietnam working Tesol. It's not so bad weekends are where you have to work loads though.

Post: #847

I got a job in south america earlier this year using just my native language since I have no accent and all. If you are a native english speaker and not a Colombian you can pretty much get a english teaching job if you just make one simple post onto a FB group. Pay is better than native colombian teachers here. Also its quite easy to get into netflix series or movies here. They need gringos or people who look the part for them and in certain cities its hard to come by gringos.

Post: #848

(12-04-2017 07:23 AM)WomenLuvDeez Wrote:  I got a job in south america earlier this year using just my native language since I have no accent and all. If you are a native english speaker and not a Colombian you can pretty much get a english teaching job if you just make one simple post onto a FB group. Pay is better than native colombian teachers here. Also its quite easy to get into netflix series or movies here. They need gringos or people who look the part for them and in certain cities its hard to come by gringos.

I think the bigger issue is the pay. Sure they pay more but salaries are still brutal in basically all of South America. Its not a horrible idea of something to do when your in your early 20's for a year (as an experience), but when you get older you either need to be teaching in a top international school or be working in a more lucrative market, ie China or the Sandpit.

Sure you can get by but the second you have unexpected costs it eats into your savings or worse.

Post: #849

(12-04-2017 07:57 AM)Road_Less_Taken Wrote:  

(12-04-2017 07:23 AM)WomenLuvDeez Wrote:  I got a job in south america earlier this year using just my native language since I have no accent and all. If you are a native english speaker and not a Colombian you can pretty much get a english teaching job if you just make one simple post onto a FB group. Pay is better than native colombian teachers here. Also its quite easy to get into netflix series or movies here. They need gringos or people who look the part for them and in certain cities its hard to come by gringos.

I think the bigger issue is the pay. Sure they pay more but salaries are still brutal in basically all of South America. Its not a horrible idea of something to do when your in your early 20's for a year (as an experience), but when you get older you either need to be teaching in a top international school or be working in a more lucrative market, ie China or the Sandpit.

Sure you can get by but the second you have unexpected costs it eats into your savings or worse.

That pretty much sums it up.

There's no shortage of people around the world who think that non-locals should be thrilled to accept the pay-rates available in their country just for the honor of working there.

They assume that since the entry level pay for ESL positions are higher than a typical local salary, it must be a great deal.

False.

When you combine the crime and corruption, the low quality housing options and other unpleasantness, economically speaking, most Westerners would be far better of staying in their own country and working at Burger King.

If you have zero or limited ESL experience and just want to earn some money to support yourself during a period of shoestring travel, it's not a bad option, but it isn't a serious career opportunity. By working jobs like that, you are basically sentencing yourself to have no choice but to accept absolute poverty if you end up retiring in your home country and barely anything better if you were to settle in a South American country.

Keep in mind that it's not cheap to fly home to see family wherever you are from and your income will hardly make it possible to afford to do so, let alone save enough for retirement to compensate for a future with continual inflation on some level.

No matter how qualified you are, the locals will view you with contempt for expecting an income level that offers a lifestyle comparable to what you'd be able to achieve in your home country. They consider living on $25K per year in a fairly expensive city "rich" even if it means that you can see your own family more than once every two years.

They'll also be more than happy to use gringo or whatever pejorative term they prefer to refer to you, which will come attached to the assumption that your only qualification is your native language skills and skin tone and you should shut the fuck up about earning a livable income, because your job isn't even work in their mind.

Post: #850

25K a year haha. You'd be lucky to make 10K working in most of these South American countries as an English teacher.

I almost considered it in one of my younger stupider days.