Post: #1

http://www.squidoo.com/top-reasons-not-to-teach-abroad

Interesting read. For those of you that have taught abroad, agree? Disagree? Thoughts? What was your take on your experience?

Post: #2

I can already tell you out gate this article is TRASH with even reading it just from the title alone.

let me read it and ill sum up my thoughts....

1) You lost your job or hate your job

Who fucking likes their job anyway? Only a VERY SMALL % of people get to work at a job they truly ENJOY waking up and going to everyday. So for the most part a job is job. You do it to afford yourself the lifestyle you want.

2) Don't do it for the money

Um hello COMMON SENSE? Who the fuck does it for the money? No one. You do it for the experience. Although fresh out of college 2,300 bucks a month with no rent or car is not bad and you can def save a stack a month. So this point is a complete joke.

3) Culture Shock

I agree that this is an important issue. But with a few minutes searching online you can get a good grasp of what to expect.

4) You won't travel as much as you think

How are you gonna be traveling alot with a 9-5 job? The travel is primarily in the living in a new different country / culture. Even then you will get some time to travel around near by.

5) It's harder than you think

Yea it is harder than you think but his first sentence he is making wild assumptions. Everywhere is diff. Biggest thing is learning how to manage and deal with kids.

Bottom line is teaching ESL is a great easy way to travel and live in other countries for an extended period of time.

If you want to save money than you have Korea.

If you dont need to save money than they possibilities are endless.

Post: #3

I read the article and it bothered me because the guy went over the top using scare tactics. I've never taught abroad, so I'm not in the position to comment on the accuracy of his article, but the scare tactics annoy. I like this comment that was left by one poster:

MaryAnne Oct 12, 2011 @ 10:00 pm
I've been teaching English for the past 9 years, in Turkey and now in China. I agree with all the points raised except one... the money. Seriously- please don't use Central American wages as a model as they aren't representative of a huge percentage of the options out there! My first teaching job was in central Turkey, teaching kids in a K-12. I had just 20 forty minute sessions a week, free apartment on school grounds (so 2 minute commute!), paid utilities, several months of paid holidays a year, and a salary that allowed me to not only travel during the holidays (London, Paris, home to Canada) but also to be able to save about $10,000 during the 2 years I was at that school. In the 8 years since I left that job, I've never hurt for money. Right now in Shanghai, I'm getting between $45 and $100 an hour for doing examining work. My boyfriend gets nearly $4k net a month teaching in a uni here. Both of us have just our BAs and TEFL/CELTA certs. I doubt we could earn that back home, especially considering the cost of living.

Yes, salaries in Central and South America suck. We were there 3 years ago, scoping out work after we left Istanbul. However, there are a lot of places that pay not only a living wage but also a really nice, comfortable wage.

One thing to note: good jobs require a BA and a TEFL certification that's at least 100 hours long with practicum. I used to be a director of a school in Istanbul and we couldn't legally hire anyone without those quals. Online certs are useless. Don't waste your money on those. You don't need a CELTA but something equivalent is totally worth it. Mine was a 240 hour (3 months, plus observed/assessed practicum) course through a small Canadian college and cost about $1000. It was worth it. Don't sell yourself short with crappy weekend courses. They're generally not respected by schools/ministries of education.

Post: #4

I know lots of guys who have taught English abroad.

Uniformly, they thought it was fucking awesome. Got exposure to new country, and mad pussy.

If my career were not good, I'd do it in a second.

Post: #5

What do you need, training and/or certification wise to teach abroad?

Chef In Jeans
A culinary website for men

Post: #6

Teaching English is a good way to get a structured means of making your first international move - assuming you join a reputable program.

As you live and build a network there, you can strategically transition into a "real job" later on in your target city.

I know many people who have done this.

Post: #7

(10-16-2011 10:00 AM)Chad Daring Wrote:  What do you need, training and/or certification wise to teach abroad?

Every thing is dependent on WHERE you go.

Different countries require different things.

Some places you dont need ANYTHING. Some places require a college degree ect.

Post: #8

Interesting. Ive googled in the past and found courses that give you a certificate of types after a few hundred dollars and some time. Are programs like this legit or snakeoil?
http://www.tesol-ua.org/

Chef In Jeans
A culinary website for men

Post: #9

Squidoo is a site for SEO guys to pump their links, so they hype or inflame. I wouldn't take that content seriously.

Post: #10

(10-16-2011 10:36 AM)Chad Daring Wrote:  Interesting. Ive googled in the past and found courses that give you a certificate of types after a few hundred dollars and some time. Are programs like this legit or snakeoil?
http://www.tesol-ua.org/

There is def legit ones.

But the online certs are not very good.

You need one with 120 plus hours and actual observation.

Post: #11

I regret not doing this coming out of undergrad, and I'm in MikeCF's boat; if it wasn't for career, I'd be out there teaching for a year. BTW, is it possible to teach subjects other than English if you have the qualifications, i.e. some kind of science?

Post: #12

(10-16-2011 11:04 AM)Menace Wrote:  I regret not doing this coming out of undergrad, and I'm in MikeCF's boat; if it wasn't for career, I'd be out there teaching for a year. BTW, is it possible to teach subjects other than English if you have the qualifications, i.e. some kind of science?

International or Bi-lingual schools require being a licensed teacher.

Possible to get a Uni gig tho, but you will need a bachelors and most likely a masters degree.

Post: #13

(10-16-2011 10:55 AM)Dash Global Wrote:  There is def legit ones.

But the online certs are not very good.

You need one with 120 plus hours and actual observation.

Anyone have links to legit training courses? Or gone through one themselves? I don't know what to look for in an English abroad training program to compare and contrast them.

Post: #14

I'm teaching English in Costa Rica right now. The best way to go about going into teaching abroad is to get a TESOL or CELTA certification. Anything online is crap, and lots of school directors don't look upon them favorably. In fact, some of the best schools won't even consider you unless you have a non-online certification or tons of experience.

The "Harvard" of certs is CELTA followed very closely by TESOL (maybe the "Yale"). After that, anything else called a TEFL, if it's not online, is almost always acceptable. They're usually 100+ hours plus actual classroom teaching and observation of an experienced teacher.

As for the article, he's being overly harsh, but I don't think it's completely out there. Most of the points are valid, but not the reasons most people get into teaching. I come across a few teachers every now and again who shouldn't have become teachers. Maybe if they'd read something like this, they'd have changed their mind.

Post: #15

jgarcia1f,

why did you decide to teach in Costa Rica? heard the pay is peanuts there.

can you break down your situation for us? school/institute, hours, pay, ect.

Post: #16

(10-16-2011 10:36 AM)Chad Daring Wrote:  Interesting. Ive googled in the past and found courses that give you a certificate of types after a few hundred dollars and some time. Are programs like this legit or snakeoil?
http://www.tesol-ua.org/

Tesol is legit and it's the equivalent of Celta. I've got Tesol. It's where you get it from that matter more. Make sure it's a legit org.

Post: #17

(10-15-2011 11:09 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  Although fresh out of college 2,300 bucks a month with no rent or car is

Damn. I spend more than that a month drinking, partying, and chasing pussy.

Then again, I make that money in 4 days. That's one reason not to teach "Engrish".

Post: #18

I have always considered English teaching as a means for the young, broke, and jobless to build a bridge for themselves to enter an emerging market abroad.

Once there, they often build a professional and social network for themselves and eventually wind up in professional careers. Some, obviously, get stuck as English teachers forever. The younger ones generally are able to break out of that though.

Post: #19

Yeah i truly dont see english teaching as a career that one should take for the rest of his life. Specially when you are one international playboy.

Post: #20

(10-16-2011 01:07 PM)pitt Wrote:  Yeah i truly dont see english teaching as a career that one should take for the rest of his life. Specially when you are one international playboy.

You can get NICE Uni gigs making good money with 4 months off a year to travel.

Alot better life than most people.

Post: #21

I'm an instructor. In my line of work I'm absolutely one the best of the best. If you want to teach there are other alternatives, and can make tons of money.

I teach my peers, and learn from them as they from me. What are you possibly going to learn from teaching children? Teaching English abroad might open doors but going there as an experienced professional will get you further.

Get into a technical trade, get good, and start instructing. After that start your own school.

I'm not hating on you guys that teach English. I just see it as a limited career financially.

Post: #22

(10-16-2011 01:54 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  

(10-16-2011 01:07 PM)pitt Wrote:  Yeah i truly dont see english teaching as a career that one should take for the rest of his life. Specially when you are one international playboy.

You can get NICE Uni gigs making good money with 4 months off a year to travel.

Alot better life than most people.

You call 4k a month good money? I am sorry but i have higher ambitions, 4k a month is not enough to sustain my long term goals (and to earn 4k a month you will need yrs of experience as proven by the comment quoted above).

As YMG said, you may want to become a teacher soon as you enter a country in order to create a good network, after that change careers. But if thats what you really want to do and you dont really care about the money then go ahead.

p.s. Dash dont take this personal but are you a communist?

Post: #23

(10-16-2011 03:22 PM)pitt Wrote:  

(10-16-2011 01:54 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  

(10-16-2011 01:07 PM)pitt Wrote:  Yeah i truly dont see english teaching as a career that one should take for the rest of his life. Specially when you are one international playboy.

You can get NICE Uni gigs making good money with 4 months off a year to travel.

Alot better life than most people.

You call 4k a month good money? I am sorry but i have higher ambitions, 4k a month is not enough to sustain my long term goals (and to earn 4k a month you will need yrs of experience as proven by the comment quoted above).

As YMG said, you may want to become a teacher soon as you enter a country in order to create a good network, after that change careers. But if thats what you really want to do and you dont really care about the money then go ahead.

p.s. Dash dont take this personal but are you a communist?

4K is good money for me and my lifestyle. Granted I dont need a 500K+ house and dont need a 100K car. As long as I can live my life doing what I enjoy than im more than happy.

I dont take nothing personal on a message board pitt. So dont worry about that, but what do you mean by am I a communist? I would consider myself the opposite of communistic ideas. Im all for free-enterprise, and capitalism. I hate welfare, and think everyone should work for what that have. I am against government ownership. What made you think I am a communist? lol

Post: #24

I've heard mixed reviews. Some friends loved it, some hated it.

Not a big sample size, but the three guys I know who had bad experiences were all in Korea.

Post: #25

I can understand how Korea would be unpleasant for non-Koreans or anyone who can't speak the language.

I think career-oriented young people trying to break into a job abroad should start in China, HK, SE Asia - and possibly Taiwan.

The longer I'm in Thailand, the harder it is for me to leave.