Be The Change You Want To See

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
 

Topic: How to get started in international teaching.

Post Info
Veteran Member
Status: Offline
Posts: 33
Date:
How to get started in international teaching.
Permalink   
 

The teaching english overseas industry is highly unregulated. Some countries expect their teachers to work countless hours for very little compensation or vacation time, while others offer positions with less work, and plenty of vacation time. Navigating this world can often be quite difficult and daunting, and with each contract usually being 1 year long, most of us don't have a year to waste working a job in a foreign country that we absolutely hate! I hope that this forum will enlighten you.

For beginners in the industry, research the TEFL, CELTA, DELTA courses. They are the equivalent of a associates, bachelors, or masters degree in teaching overseas. TEFL isn't necessary in all situations and you may want to go straight to CELTA. After completion then you will want a job right? There are countless recruiters online willing and able to find you work in the country of your choice. I would highly suggest listening to teachers that are seasoned and have the knowledge of who is legitimate and who is not.

 

Now, go and buy a plane ticket and go pound the ground in a foreign country knocking on every language center door til you get a job! 

...or you could follow this post with simple step-by-step instructions on how to line up a job before you ever set foot outside of your comfort zone. You will know what to ask for in additional benefits as well on top of just your salary to make your stay in a foreign country that much better.

 

STEP 1: Prepare yourself mentally for stepping outside of your comfort zone on a daily basis.

Unpack all your expectations of what you think life will be like as an international teacher and leave them at home before you exit the country. Trust me on this one. Go out into the world with an open mind of just living everyday for the present moment. You should be living this way anyway, because it is the key to ultimate happiness, but internationally its just hard to really know what will happen the next day due to miscommunications, cultural boundaries, and social norms that aren't the norm to you!

 

STEP 2: Research job sites to know what the average salary and benefits are for different regions.

There are more sites for English as a Second Language (ESL) job opportunities than you have time to go through so let me suggest a few sites that are well known throughout the inner circle of international teachers.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

www.eslcafe.com 

This website boasts a wealth of knowledge on job listings all around the world as well as practical tools for international teachers to use inside the classroom for their lessons. You can also read reviews on potential employers which is very important to do when applying for some of these schools. 

www.eslemployment.com

This website is another top site used by many international teachers.

www.tefl.net

This website is another top site used by many international teachers. 

www.tealit.com

This website is for finding employment in Taiwan. This site also lists websites to many colleges that will often pay westerners to take a degree in higher education from their institutes. You can be paid a stipend to get your Masters Degree while you also teach English on the side for extra income and practical hands-on experience.

ADITIONAL SITES COMPILED FROM OTHER TEACHERS

1- teachingthailand.com - my favorite, only because I've had excellent results with them

2- ajarn.com - probably the most prolific, jobs that are posted go quickly - good search engine

3- jobsdb.com - the best range of jobs I've seen. Not just for ESL teachers but focused for expats.

4- teachingandjobs.com - a lot of private sector gigs along with "regular" teaching jobs

5- thailandjobs77.com - simple yet effective, this site allows you to receive notifications when new posts come up.

6- dave'seslcafe.com - an oldie but goodie, it's a little cluttered but employers still use it to recruit. I have before.

7- asiateachingjobs.com - not just for Tefl certs, they have up to date job posts.

 

Two large recruitment companies that are worth getting on board with are:

TEACHAWAY

SEEKTEACHERS

They do require experience in the international teaching world, so if you aren't accepted right away get some experience under your belt and try again.

 

 

 

 






-- Edited by Dustin Watchman on Thursday 22nd of January 2015 10:25:35 PM

__________________
 
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.



Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard