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Moving Overseas to Work

It seems that our economy is fucked... That and I need a change. I have always wanted to work in different countries, cultures and so on and yeah... I've considered TEFL.
I was wondering if anybody else has done work abroad, or can make any suggestions or ideas?
My flatmate, an aussie, said that Australia is great at the moment and I'd be able to get a bar or admin job easy.
Obviously I've made a thread for TEFL. I love working with younger people and English is a skill I have.
I have a degree in human rights... A bit of a waste of time if you ask me. I haven't had a chance to use it and I am feeling like I never will...
Anybody who has any ideas... I'm all ears.
I was wondering if anybody else has done work abroad, or can make any suggestions or ideas?
My flatmate, an aussie, said that Australia is great at the moment and I'd be able to get a bar or admin job easy.
Obviously I've made a thread for TEFL. I love working with younger people and English is a skill I have.
I have a degree in human rights... A bit of a waste of time if you ask me. I haven't had a chance to use it and I am feeling like I never will...
Anybody who has any ideas... I'm all ears.
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Comments
Bear in mind the economy is pretty much fucked everywhere...
But if you don't mind a taking low paid jobs I'd try to Australia for a year. You're not going to get that good a job, but it'll give you experience of being aborad and shows you are open to change and taking some risks, which never does harm on your CV
ETA - and the most important bit is that it'll be fun
Youd probably also hate the racism
TEFL might be useful but a proper teaching course so you can teach children or adults might be more useful
As of tomorrow, I am officially debt free :cool: Which means I can start saving up!
I've decided on TEFL and also on Latin America... Obviously, I'll need to save up money to get out there (would say... £4K be enough?). I think it'd be good to learn a second language and am interested in the region in general.
So, gonna be living as cheap as possible for the next year. Will probably cancel my gym membership or at least cut it down substantially so I can save more and will probably return to Wales a month-5 weeks before I fly out, to do a course, so I can live for free and study and see my friends.
Say I went to South Korea to teach, how much cash would I need stored away before I go?
You've basically got four main costs:
- flights
- initial living costs
- bureaucracy
- training costs
The latter of the four is very dependent on the country you want to teach in, and can basically be split into countries which require certification, those that don't, and those that officially do, but you can still get work without it (albeit at the bottom of the barrel). But if you need qualification, it basically means you need a CELTA or equivalent. Prices for that are here. As you can see, they vary massively, but are fundamentally the same certificate everywhere in the world.
So then you're down to your basic start-up costs. Again, it depends on many different factors, and you often have different norms in different countries. In some countries (Taiwan, Korea, China and the Middle East, typically) it's possible to get jobs that will pay for accommodation and flights, but as you might expect, these aren't generally the best-paying schools. In Japan, some schools will offer you accommodation without the large costs usually associated with moving into a new apartment (security deposit, X months rent in advance, etc), but you have to pay for flights, etc. In countries like Vietnam or Thailand, it's not unreasonable to move there first and apply from within the country, but you're less likely to get any of the other perks (though my school does offer a $750 relocation allowance for people hired from outside the country).
Bear in mind that competition is stiff in this sector at the moment, and there are a lot of people in your position. Somewhere where flights and accommodation are paid and no teaching qualifications are required is going to attract a lot of people just interested in getting out of the current economic situation. South Korea has always been a favourite of Americans looking to clear their student debts, because the pay is high and the entry requirements are low (and they're effectively locked out of large parts of the European market because of labour laws). And with very high unemployment among young Americans atm, I expect a lot of them will be looking at this career option.
Oh, and as a feminist, you might be in for a shock in South Korea by all accounts.
I would strongly suggest you start reading the forums on Dave's ESL Cafe.
Have a look at the job board to see what's expected in different countries:
International
Korea
China
But for low startup costs, I suggest looking at employers that hire abroad from Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan. If you're looking at doing this slightly longer-term, I suggest saving up and doing the CELTA.
Do you think it's worth me trying? I currently have a government job which may look reputable, I am good at standing up in front of people and projecting my voice... I just haven't taught before, beyond assisting young people to find work (kinda teaching them).
But yeah, I'd definitely do it. I would suggest that before you go to any interviews, you get down to International House London and ask them if there's any chance of you observing one of their lessons (preferably a kids and adults lesson, because they're quite different).
I think your decision depends on how you view teaching. If it's just a way to get to live abroad for a year, then don't waste money on expensive certificates, but don't expect a job with rigorous professional standards either. However, if it's something you're genuinely interested in, and think you may do it for a few years, then get qualified before you start working abroad, and you'll get a lot more from the work part of your experience. I guess the third option is just use a year working in Korea or Taiwan to save up the money to get qualified.
I do love working with younger people. To be completely honest, I'm aiming for somewhere in Latin America in the long run, both because of language and because I'm interested in the region. If I could do a year teaching in Korea or Taiwan, then afterwards, I could go to Latin America and then in a few years, do a Masters degree, hopefully being at least conversational in Spanish, but also hopefully having contacts, more knowledge and a bit of experience from my chosen country...
Kind of a three year plan. :razz: One in a place I can save, two in a Spanish speaking country, then I'll return to the UK and see if I wanna do more, or study further.
Ambitious, I know...
Oh, and bear in mind that South America has notoriously poor wages for ESL teaching.
I don't know where in the Americas you're thinking of, but there is a lot work. Like IWS said the pay isn't great but - at least here in Mexico - it's more than adequate for a single person to live and I have been able to support myself and the kids without relying on savings from back home.
I have CELTA and DELTA qualifications but I am waaaaay over-qualified for this part of the world (the vast majority of jobs anyway). CELTA will help you immensely in terms of being prepared to stand in front of the class and understand the materials and what's required of you. My job and the content now are hugely different to what I was teaching before, but the basics are always the same whether it's kids or adults, business or general English. It's a great investment.
If you have questions about teaching or about teaching in this part of the world in particular then I'm always happy to advise or share what I know. I know a lot of people here who have taught in Chile, Peru and Colombia so I can find out a lot about those places too if any of those spark your interest. Chile really appeals to me but, to be honest, I LOVE life here in Mexico.
I hope you go for it as it's a life-changing experience, as cliché as it sounds. The people you meet - students, other teachers, locals, travellers and so on - are just fantastic. I never imagined I'd be in Mexico now but I'm so happy.
I am gonna do this, YEAH! :yippe:
And am off to Spain for a couple of days in June with a mate, so we're gonna check out some language schools, maybe they'll even let me view a lesson or two and I'll get an idea of the place. If I like it and prospects look good, I'm signing up for Spanish lessons locally, putting cash in to doing a CELTA in the evenings around work and going for it in 2012.
P.S. Does anybody know where I can find a CELTA course in London that's not on a week day?
Example:
Just on Spain, International House Barcelona has a great reputation. Have you decided where you want to teach yet?
Am I right in assuming that CELTA is the actual qualification that you'd gain (or one of the ones available) and that TEFL is a catch-all term?
Also, how am I meant to distinguish between which colleges/schools run a decent course? In Brighton there are a number of places offering TEFL courses and they all charge different amounts for different length courses which seem to have different content. Are there choccy-teapot courses/schools/qualifications? Is there a central regulatory agency who keeps tabs on these people?
CELTA is a qualification gained over one month intensive study (or part time) and is one of the most popular qualitications (apart from TESOL).
I can't say a whole lot more sorry... I am hoping to do a CELTA course if/when I can afford it.
ETA: That said, as of next month I am super frugal and have a temporary promotion... So I may start a full time course after I've done a marathon next May. Then I could try and use it to earn a bit of cash on the side, so I can save up and go abroad.
Anyone else?
I don't know too much about it myself, as haven't done a TEFL course, but have you seen this article on direct.gov? It has a pretty good explanation and links to more information about accreditation and a way to search for courses to find one that suits you.
Hope it helps,
LauraO
I hadn't seen that, cheers! It's a good starter for ten.
Of the possible courses, the most widely recognised is the CELTA, followed by the Trinity Certificate. Anything else worth a damn will be roughly similar in price, so I would suggest you go for one of these two, because then there's no question in the employer's mind. Where you really get the price differences is in locations. I would seriously look at doing it overseas, because for the cost of a short flight to Poland or Hungary, you could be saving a lot on your course fees and living costs.
But if you're interested in doing it in Vietnam, let me know, because I get money for recommending people.
Are you saying that the only course I should do is a four week, full-time course? Or that any course I do should be the equivalent of a four week, full-time course? I'm currently in full-time employment and can't take four weeks off to study full-time. I have seen part time courses in Brighton that run over 12 weeks, but I'm not sure they add up to the same amount of being-taught time as a full-time course would.
Are the courses on the list you linked bona fide recognised qualifications?
Where are you thinking of working when qualified? Do you have a degree, btw? Because that is also a requirement in most non-EU countries for visa reasons. Even countries that require no teaching credentials will demand a degree.
OK, cool - I'll make sure any course I do has the six hours of observed teaching practice included.
I have a degree in Computer Science which seems to be fine as far as entry requirements go.
I'm not certain about destination yet. I've been thinking about China, India, Vietnam or the Philippines.