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TEFL/CELTA/CELT answers...
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hi, just wondering about your background. What education have you done to secure a job teaching English in Thailand? i have two years done in an IT and also plenty of first-aid training, i am looking into doing a TEFL course where i am from and going teaching somewhere, (anywhere!) and looking for advice...Zero years teaching english at this point, just secured my first position and starting in Thailand in May. Wrapping up an i to i 140 hour TEFL course at the moment which was very useful to me; I finally know what a lesson-plan is!!
I read in other forums that an MA in education or a PGCE(i) is very useful for getting into the higher-paying mid-tier schools in Thailand. Also, I heard if you are studying for an MA in Education you get an exemption from having to do those mandatory TCT teaching tests that they have in Thailand...
A shame about the sub-forum, it's hardly that controversial a request?! The powers-that-be consider a 'Christmas Gift ideas' sub-forum to be of merit but not ESL/TEFL... hmm :rolleyes:
If i do the tefl course, can i just start applying for jobs and expect to get hired?
Was it all done via the internet?
Thanks for any information you can help me with0 -
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sweetthing wrote: »Is that CELT only, or do they also accept the CELTA?
When you do the CELTA you can pay an optional extra €40 euro to have your degree checked and the administration done to issue you with a CELT as well. Even though they're essentially the same thing I went for it because, let's be honest, how often do you get a chance to 'buy' a genuine qualification so easily?
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hi, just wondering about your background. What education have you done to secure a job teaching English in Thailand? i have two years done in an IT and also plenty of first-aid training, i am looking into doing a TEFL course where i am from and going teaching somewhere, (anywhere!) and looking for advice...
If i do the tefl course, can i just start applying for jobs and expect to get hired?
Was it all done via the internet?
Thanks for any information you can help me with
Yes, all done via the web.
Not sure where you're thinking of going but in terms of Thailand, I've been told that the success rate for job applications is much higher for those that are already in the country at the time of applying. If applying before you go then an agency might be your only choice. I applied to AYC, heard reasonably good things about them so I'll take the risk, need some experience under my belt.
Education: Arts degree, Lib & Info Studies/History (Major/Minor)
Diploma in Social Science / Cert in Journalism
140 hour TEFL online with 2 days of in-class modules including teaching practice.
Spent 10 years working in a multinational in terms of work experience.
Jobs: I sent off an email to an agency that was advertised on the i to i TEFL jobs board, they replied and asked for a copy of my degree, passport, CV with colour photo, and TEFL cert. Got offered a job two days later, signed the contract and booked the flight. One catch tho, I can nominate a region I want to work in but won't know the exact location until closer to the time. The agency bascially do the hiring, short-list the applicants and then the schools divide them up between themselves, so I could end up anywhere in that region really. I don't mind as I'm looking for some experience plus I know Thailand quite well, been there a good few times before.
Ajarn.com and Thailandteaching.asia have great info for Thailand, a lot of stuff on there that would help you no matter where you end up really.
eslcafe.com has also been mentioned to me, haven't had a chance to look at it tho.
esljobfeed.com looks pretty good too
englishteacherx.com is good for laugh, but there's plenty to be learned on there also, a little more informal in tone (which I kinda like, less BS)
For general info and insights I like this guy's blog:
teachingenglishinaforeignland.blogspot.ie
Would you consider doing the TEFL over there and going from there? I'm thinking about doing a CELTA course over there at a later stage - I've been looking at ECC, they seem reasonably priced. A CELTA would definitely have more sway than an online TEFL cert: eccthai.com/training
Hope this helps 0 -
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JayC5,
Yeah that's my issue, no degree but would be really interested in this. I have looked a little into the doing a course over there alright, i might have more of a think about that... I still have a lot to get through in terms of finding things out but would love to go and do it... I wouldn't like to go all the way to do the course and have no job either when I could apply from here and do a course locally, but as you said, being in the country probably helps as well... My work experience isn't all that relevant to this either, primarily Retail and IT.
That TEFL course you have done is the one that I was looking to do... There is one on next weekend locally so I might call up and try get more useful information and advice from tutors...
Thanks for the response anyway, I appreciate it...
No problem.
From what I've heard you can get work there without a degree if you have a TEFL cert, but you will be working under the table as you won't get a work permit. So, at any stage you could be asked to leave the country if they run a spot-check on the school - I've heard of this happening also. Plus you'll have to do a visa run every few months to extend your tourist visa. A lot of hassle by the sounds of it, but if you're only looking for a few months work you'd probably get away with it - especially if you were out in the sticks. Expect low pay though and F all rights, not that you'll have those anyway in Thailand.
Oh and if you stay there you'll never be allowed own a property (I don't know anything about starting your own business...). I think they'll allow you an apartment and that's it. If you marry you can buy a house in your wife's name but I'd exercise extreme caution with this choice, if you don't know why then I recommend you do some research on Thailand before you go and read up on some of the 'strange' stories - Stickmanbangkok.com is a good starting point, he's also got a good article on teaching english on his site too, covers most of the basic info you'll need.
However, to completely contradict what I've just said:
This is Thailand we are talking about, a country of organised chaos. Nothing is ever as it seems and the rules appear to be 'makey-uppy' at the best of times. Do some research and if it seems doable I'd say go for it - what's the worst that can happen other than being asked to leave, if so just pop next door and work in Cambodia
Plus, you won't be on your own, there's plenty of people working unofficially over there, just make sure that you do a good job for the kid's sake if you do end up teaching. While it'll be a paid holiday for you, it's their education you're undermining if you don't man up and do the job you're paid to do. Capiche?
I'm sure you can work in Cambodia without a degree, this wouldn't be a bad option as you'll only be a one hour flight away from Bangkok or a few hours by bus which is pretty cheap, around a tenner or so, maybe even less. I'd check out Phnom Penh if you're interested, not a bad spot and very cheap. If it's the experience you're after and a different lifestyle you would do worse than spending a few months there, a good few westerners floating around also. Good night-life, eye-catching lassies and cheap food. Beats living in the Celtic Dodo by a long shot.
I wouldn't let not having a degree put me off to be honest - if you're out of work in Ireland take the leap and expose yourself to the unknown - ya got nothing to lose fella, take a look at the links below. If I were you I'd hit China or Costa Rica; I can't help you out with any info on these two but I have been to Cambodia and really enjoyed it. Don't expect 'Imperial Leather' soap in the jacks and you'll do just fine!
According to their reply in the comments of this article you can teach without a degree (in Thailand) easily, no harm in dropping them an email, maybe even doing your TEFL with them if they have a branch based there - some companies guarantee a job placement if you do your cert with them, might be just what you need!
No degree, no problem
Country chart for teaching ESL
Also, you say that you're experience isn't relevant...? - judging by your username I assume you are in your late twenties? So, you are young, presumably white? (I ask this as Thais are a bit racist to non-white teachers, allegedly... filipino teachers get half what caucasians get) you've been brought up in the affluent western world, you speak fluent English and you have work experience, which also includes IT experience. You have a lot of things going for you there already, especially with the IT aspect. I've seen teachers in my day that couldn't operate a TV/video setup... Are there any other elements that you could use to sell yourself? - did you ever work with kids, sports camps etc? Business experience, such as internships? From what I've read there's a big push to standardise English in South East Asia at the moment or at least up the pace (Thailand are the lowest ranking in terms of English - see here), something to do with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) blueprint. I don't know too much about it but it appears to be something similar to our EU with English set as the 'lingua franca' i.e. standard language of business. If anything this will create more openings for teachers over there.
I was talking to one guy on a forum recently that wasn't happy with the salary he got teaching in a local school, so he put on some smart threads, gathered up a few copies of his CV and went and visited all the established hotels in his area offering to teach the staff formal/business English. He got hired by a handful and doubled his money working the same hours and was essentially his own boss. Food for thought.0 -
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Hi,
What can I expect to be asked in the interview and exam? How can I prepare? I really want to get onto the course and I'm really nervous.
At my interview I was asked some questions like: Why I wanted to teach? What would I teach a group of adults in their first class? What problems might one face when teaching adults? There was a couple of other ones in there but nothing too tricky or surprising.
I was asked three questions regrading grammar. The interviewer put two similar sentences in front of me and I had to describe how one was different from the other (that was the formula for all three questions)
All three were based around tenses as far as I remember so I'd recommend reading over them.
When you say exam I'm guessing you mean the pre-interview task that the college said they'd send you?
That's roughly five sections each covers a form of grammar e.g. tenses, verbs, pronunciation. Which might sound a little daunting but you can research your answers and you don't have to know it all, that's why you're looking to do the course!
Hope that helps.0 -
The Gibzilla wrote: »At my interview I was asked some questions like: Why I wanted to teach? What would I teach a group of adults in their first class? What problems might one face when teaching adults? There was a couple of other ones in there but nothing too tricky or surprising.
I was asked three questions regrading grammar. The interviewer put two similar sentences in front of me and I had to describe how one was different from the other (that was the formula for all three questions)
All three were based around tenses as far as I remember so I'd recommend reading over them.
When you say exam I'm guessing you mean the pre-interview task that the college said they'd send you?
That's roughly five sections each covers a form of grammar e.g. tenses, verbs, pronunciation. Which might sound a little daunting but you can research your answers and you don't have to know it all, that's why you're looking to do the course!
Hope that helps.
Thanks, that's great! No, I have just an hour to do the pre-interview task, just before my interview. I don't have the opportunity to take it home or do research on the spot so I need to prepare for it now.0 -
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SeantheMan wrote: »Started my 4 week CELT yesterday. Wow, so much information coming at me.
Have my first teaching practice on Friday, nervous as hell, then another one on Monday and Wednesday.
We were being taught how to plan lessons etc today.
Teachers are absolutely excellent, we had a lesson on our first day whereby the teacher had us all communicating in Thai ...without her ever using a word of English. Her goal was to show how it feels for a learner of a foreign language...it worked.
I can really see how it's more beneficial to be learning in a 'in-class" environment as opposed to the online TEFL courses.
Having to do homework too !!...hard getting back into that after 10 years on not doing it.
Enjoying it so far, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of doing TEFL, to do CELT instead, assuming they have the extra time and money.
I was suprised to hear though that out of the 16 people in my class, I was the only one looking to travel abroad. The rest all plan to teach English as a foreign language in Ireland (which you obviously need the CELT for)
Best of luck with the CELT Sean, I've been thinking about doing the CELTA myself in the future. Any chance you can give us a brief synopsis of the course, what you found difficult/useful/annoying etc when you get through it?
Cheers 0 -
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Best of luck with the CELT Sean, I've been thinking about doing the CELTA myself in the future. Any chance you can give us a brief synopsis of the course, what you found difficult/useful/annoying etc when you get through it?
Cheers
Well, First week and half done.
It's pretty intensive.
If you're unsure about grammar etc, don't worry, they teach you about it on the course....we've been given lessons on the tenses, modal verbs etc etc.
In fact, we had a lesson on Modal verbs on Monday, and then had a 2hr TP on Wednesday. I had never done Modal verbs in my life, as I went to an all Irish school, so was a bit nervous (TP = Teaching practice - you do 1 hr, your partner does the 2nd hour) whereby you had to teach them modal verbs.
The first teacher had to introduce a topic, set up some activities...which would lead into the grammar, I'd take over, do the grammar, then reinforce through controlled and freer practice.
You are shown how to do all this and plan lessons etc . The course, as before is intensive, but definitely worth the money so far. I came out of the lesson with a real sense of accomplishment.
The lesson was given as a "free lesson" , school normally finishes at 1 or 2 for the students, and then free lessons are offered from 2-4pm for those who wan't to do more, which is where we teach for the first 6 TP's. Our daily schedule is 9-5 for the 4 weeks.
The 7th TP will be in an actual morning class which they have paid for....so by the end you will have a total for 6hrs actual teaching practice (1+2 = 30mins, 3-7 =60 mins)
Today we analysed some grammar books, new activities to use, and did some practice and analysis of Whiteboard work for grammar presentations.
You are constantly taught how to elicit, drill etc.
My next TP will be a listening practice, I'm the first teacher this time, so I have to set up a general topic and elicit information related to the topic, play the CD for them to scan, see if they managed to guess what the topic CD was about, then go over it again in a more controlled practice for scanning. (I was the 2nd teacher in TP3 , so I had to do the grammar point after the first guy introduced the topic via a written passage on something)
There is also a lot of homework, but...you gotta commit yourself for 4 weeks, it's worth it.
My class is quite diverse too....ranging from 22-63 yr olds, people of different professions and nationalities too, 16 in my class.
So if you're unsure that you won't "fit in" ...don't be.
BTW, I am doing my course in CES Dublin on Dame Street. Can't recommend it enough.
I'll keep you updated 0 -
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