Being a ESL teacher in Ireland

NeonCookies

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place, I couldn't really work out where to put it!

My boyfriend has decided to go down the route of English teaching as a career. He's already spent a year teaching English in Japan. Now, he's planning on doing a CELTA course to get a qualification.

The problem is he doesn't have an undergraduate degree which I know is necessary for working in English Language schools in Ireland. While this isn't a huge problem for us now, as we're both happy to work abroad for a year or two, we are planning on eventually returning to Ireland to live. Is there any way around this requirement to have a degree? He has a Fetac Level 5 qualification, and a good leaving cert. If he were to do the DELTA in a few years would this bypass the need, as I read that this is recognised as equivalent to a Masters level qualification (Level 9 on the framework, compared to the required Level 7 for ESL teachers). I really hope there's a way around it, as he'd make a fantastic teacher

Also, I know there's a Teaching Abroad subforum although I'm mainly looking for advice on Ireland, but any idea on the situation with needing a degree in the UK?

Brimmy

You need an undergraduate degree to teach in Europe as well as a minimum of a CELT or CELTA. Schools that accept you for a CELT course make this clear at enrollment that you will not be qualified to teach in Europe with just the certificate. Obviously there are always circumstances and exceptions if he happens to be in the right place at the right time but not having the minimum requirement would limit his chances severely (not to mention anyone he goes up against for a job is sure to have it). My advice would be for him to complete a long distance Bachelors while he lives abroad.

Seachmall

While it might be an official requirement to have a degree to work in Europe there are still plenty of schools that will accept you without.

I've two friends who've been teaching for two years now, one with a degree and one without (they're travelling together). It hasn't been more or less difficult for either of them to find work (they've worked in Spain and Malta and usually in the same schools).

However I imagine the degree requirement is more strictly enforced in Ireland and the UK (although I have heard it's possible to get a job here without one, but don't know of anyone personally who has done so).