TEFL, teaching english and having a surf......

frag420

HI,

I would like some advice please. I have decided that there is nothing for me in Ireland. I have applied for loads of jobs and nothing has been forthcoming. I have always wanted to travel and experience other cultures and thus I have decided to do a tefl course and get the hell out of dodge(ireland).

I would like to go somewhere such as Indonesia or Mexico or similar. Basically somewhere where I can teach and have a surf.............trying not to be too picky!!

Has anyone any experience working in either of these places or somewhere similar?? Where did you do your course?? Where did you go? What were your experiences? What recruitment co's did you use to get a job? At 30 am I to past it to go??

Can you work abroad and come home teaching English in ireland during the summer months??
I have been reading up on both TEFL and CELTA courses. As i am unemployed cost would be an issue so which would suffice to get me going??

Any and all advice appreciated and postcards for those that reply too!!


thanks


frAg

cloneslad

The countries you are looking at have poor pay for the tefl industry. there will be enough money to keep you going out there but you will not have a great deal to travel around other countries or to pay back any loans or make regular visits home to Ireland.

What qualifications do you have?

30 is not too old!!

frag420

I have an hons degree so far. Looking at various tefl courses and celta. Undecided as to which ones to do?

What countries would you recommend??

What kind of experience have you had cloneslad?

Cheers

frAg

cloneslad

frag420 wrote: »

I have an hons degree so far. Looking at various tefl courses and celta. Undecided as to which ones to do?

What countries would you recommend??

What kind of experience have you had cloneslad?

Cheers

frAg

It's hard to go wrong with the celta course. They are most popular in Europe and are also liked in Asia too. Tesol is preferred more in Northern Europe (from what I have heard).

It's quite hard to get jobs in south east asia at the minute. There is a lot of competition with people searching for work there at the moment. I would always recommend having a job lined up before you go to any country so far away. It could be an expensive job hunting trip if you go there without a job lined up and find yourself without one for a few months.

One on the guys teaching with me was offered a job in Mexico but he turend it down to come to Korea as the money wasn't very good. His ex g.f has just moved to thailand to work, she had to pay her own flights and will make just enough money to survive the six months she is there and enjoy herself but will not really make enough to pay her flights home.

I have an hons degree (from the college in your area) and a masters degree from the university of Ulster. I came to Korea to teach in February 2007. I work for a private school, we have about 900 students at the minute. It's a good job, I teach 21 hours a week which is a nice amount, not very stressful at all.

livinginkorea

frag420 wrote: »

I have an hons degree so far. Looking at various tefl courses and celta. Undecided as to which ones to do?

What countries would you recommend??

What kind of experience have you had cloneslad?

Cheers

frAg

I think Korea or China would be a good choice, especially China seems to have a lot of jobs. Korea as Cloneslad said is getting more difficult. Have you any intention of doing an MA? With so many BAs around in Korea the competition is getting fierce and I have seen a lot of jobs advertising the same amount of money for a BA as they did 7 years ago (2 million won).

Korea pays for flights and housing (by law) so it seems like a good location for graduates to start compared to other countries where you would have to pay your own way and find your own apartment. You could ask on the International Board of Dave's ESL for more information about choosing a country.

phelixoflaherty

Try Achill.

cloneslad

phelixoflaherty wrote: »

Try Achill.

After Hours is that way

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or possibly maybe that way

either way, it's not here

frag420

Hey,

Cheers for the replies. Have been in Spain the last week and only hetting to read your replies now. Been looking more and more into INdonesia. Seems like a cool place. However I may go to Thailand or Korea to get the ball rolling.

Regarding doin a MA that was my intention for this sep but I just cant afford it.

Celta seems very expensive. As its three times more expensive than most tefl courses is it really that worth it considering that I would have to take a month of work, get new accomodation for the month aswell as food etc??

Or I could do a course sat/sun every weekend for a month??Has anyone any recomendations from the courses they did before going?

As for Achill......................meh


frAg

See Ye

I trained up a lass on a CELTA course last autumn - she was heading off to Brazil teach and surf. I think cloneslad has answered most of your questions but I'll just add that the average age of CELTA trainees is rising - taking the last half a dozen courses I've worked on the youngest trainee was just 20 and the oldest just into his 60s. I haven't ever sat down to work it out but the largest age group is probably 25 - 35. All this to say that 30 is far from being too old.

As to qualifications and their relative merits have a read round this forum. What it still comes down to is that the CELTA is the most widely recognised. AFAIK of the 20 or so teachers where I work only two don't have the CELTA.