[Joist]

(Original post by abbyheat)
I taught English in a private language school. My classes ranged from 3 year old very young learners through to teenagers, adults, business and TOEFL so the whole lot. I love the experience so much I came home to do a degree in English and am starting a PGCE in September so I can carry on teaching!

I was in Jakarta. It is a bit of a dump but in a charming way. Good cities to look at for teaching are Bandung and Yogyakarta, they are both great and a bit less hard work than Jkt.

One thing I will say is that the country as a whole is hard work. Corruption and poverty are rife. Also, immigration have toughened up on their rules. The actual law now is that to teach English you must be from either the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, be over 25 and have a degree in English Lang/Lit. While there are always ways around this and companies willing to bend the rules/pay a bribe to get you a visa, things are getting more strict.

On the whole though, I loved it!

Thank you!

[Sun!]

Thanks abby! It would be good to hear others stories as well

[Sugar.And.Spice]

Can you apply for TEFL jobs abroad before you actually do the course?

I want to get a job abroad but i don't finish my degree until june, but can i apply for jobs and tell them that i'll be doing it this summer?

[xJessx]

(Original post by Sugar.And.Spice)
Can you apply for TEFL jobs abroad before you actually do the course?

I want to get a job abroad but i don't finish my degree until june, but can i apply for jobs and tell them that i'll be doing it this summer?

Don't take my word for it as I haven't done the course yet but I would think not. They would probably want proof that you've actually passed the course first which is a bit inconvenient but that's why I've applied to do mine in July and then you have August/September to you look for jobs.

Good luck

[Sun!]

You could try applying for some roles before your course, however its much easier to get a job after you get your certificate. Some job, especially in Asia will accept application before you do your course.

(Original post by xJessx)
Don't take my word for it as I haven't done the course yet but I would think not. They would probably want proof that you've actually passed the course first which is a bit inconvenient but that's why I've applied to do mine in July and then you have August/September to you look for jobs.

Good luck

Hi xJessex, have you had your interview yet? What happened?

Hope everything is well.

[xJessx]

(Original post by Sun!)
You could try applying for some roles before your course, however its much easier to get a job after you get your certificate. Some job, especially in Asia will accept application before you do your course.



Hi xJessex, have you had your interview yet? What happened?

Hope everything is well.

Hi No, I still haven't had my interview and I'm getting a bit worried ;S I emailed them yesterday and they said they were just waiting for interview dates to be confirmed but as July is a popular month I don't want to be left without a course if, for some reason, they don't accept me! I've found another english school in Manchester called the Manchester Central School of English but I've never heard of it before Don't know if it might be worth applying to them too just in case... sorry for the rant lol!

[Sun!]

Its bad that they have kept you waiting all this time :/

Manchester Central School is on the official CELTA site as an authorised centre, which is a good sign. Dont much else though sorry.

Bolton College also runs a course if youre nearby to there.

[xJessx]

Yeah, I think I might send an application to Manchester Central just in case but Bolton is a bit of a trek...

[peterbeech]

(Original post by Sugar.And.Spice)
Can you apply for TEFL jobs abroad before you actually do the course?

I want to get a job abroad but i don't finish my degree until june, but can i apply for jobs and tell them that i'll be doing it this summer?

It's fine to apply before you graduate and before you take a TEFL course. For jobs starting in September, you should start applying now as a lot of recruiters interview during June - July.

[peterbeech]

(Original post by xJessx)
A lot of job vacancies in many different countries like Spain, Russia and Germany all ask for the CELTA and some online diplomas may not be widely accepted.

Many schools in European countries insist upon a full-length (i.e. four weeks / 120 hours) face-to-face course. The most important component of a TEFL course is the teaching practice, and over the past few years employers have increasingly stopped accepting online courses as they really don't compare to the classroom experience. Taking an online TEFL course is rather like having online driving lessons without ever getting into a car.

When choosing a course, you should think about the age of the students you're planning to teach. The CELTA is geared towards teaching adults (that's what the 'A' stands for), so if you're going to be teaching children or teenagers other TEFL courses might be more useful.

It's often a good idea to take the course in the country where you want to get your first teaching job. Course providers help with job placements, and the experience of the teaching practice will be similar to the classroom situation you'll be in after the course. Teaching survival English to a mixed-nationality class of adult asylum-seekers in the UK is quite different from an exam-preparation class with Greek teenagers.

[xJessx]

Well, I didn't get a place in Austria so I've been put on a waiting list but at least I have an interview for the CELTA on 23rd May

[Sun!]

(Original post by xJessx)
Well, I didn't get a place in Austria so I've been put on a waiting list but at least I have an interview for the CELTA on 23rd May

Ahh bad times, though it was always going to be very difficult to get a job with the British Council in Austria, and the waiting list is better than nothing.

Good luck with the interview as well, who is it with?

[xJessx]

(Original post by Sun!)
Ahh bad times, though it was always going to be very difficult to get a job with the British Council in Austria, and the waiting list is better than nothing.

Good luck with the interview as well, who is it with?

Yeah I suppose The interview is the Manchester Academy of English.

[Sugar.And.Spice]

I'm going to do a TEFL course after i graduate uni, and wanted to get a teaching job somewhere in europe or turkey. How likely is this that i get a job there? I know europes messed up, but i should be able to find work in turkey right?

[BaBaFiCo]

Oh I'm so confused! I know if I read this thread over and over it would make sense but at the moment it all seems a bit daunting and confusing.

I recently finished university, and was hoping to do a TEFL course this summer (I'd been looking at www.teflengland.co.uk) with the view of getting a job abroad starting the coming academic year 12/13.

First off, how do I know if a course is legitimate/useful? Is TEFL useful at all (everyone seems to rave about CELTA)? However, I'm only looking to do this for a year before doing a PGCE 13/14. What do people recommend I do?

Cheers!

[Sun!]

(Original post by BaBaFiCo)
First off, how do I know if a course is legitimate/useful? Is TEFL useful at all (everyone seems to rave about CELTA)? However, I'm only looking to do this for a year before doing a PGCE 13/14. What do people recommend I do?

That’s a bit of an impossible question to answer im sorry to say, and lots of people will give you different answers.
Where do you want to teach TEFL? If its in the far east then CELTA is the best but TEFL England wouldn’t be an awful choice. If in the UK, Europe (and 'greater Europe'), Latin America etc. then a CELTA is a must.

There's no global TEFL accreditation body. However CELTA is awarded by Cambridge University, so its pretty much as good as you can get. Cambridge University is also the largest provided of resources and examinations for people why learn English as a second language, so is very well respected in the industry. Remember the course by TEFL England is cheap for a reason, it gives you no practical classroom experience which for many jobs in essential.

I would personally recommend the CELTA to you, but its a decision that only you can make.

[BaBaFiCo]

(Original post by Sun!)
That’s a bit of an impossible question to answer im sorry to say, and lots of people will give you different answers.
Where do you want to teach TEFL? If its in the far east then CELTA is the best but TEFL England wouldn’t be an awful choice. If in the UK, Europe (and 'greater Europe'), Latin America etc. then a CELTA is a must.

There's no global TEFL accreditation body. However CELTA is awarded by Cambridge University, so its pretty much as good as you can get. Cambridge University is also the largest provided of resources and examinations for people why learn English as a second language, so is very well respected in the industry. Remember the course by TEFL England is cheap for a reason, it gives you no practical classroom experience which for many jobs in essential.

I would personally recommend the CELTA to you, but its a decision that only you can make.

Thanks! Will look into CELTA more. Would it be possible to do it now and still be able to teach this coming academic year?

[Sun!]

Yes the course takes usually four, but sometimes five weeks to complete full time.
You could easily do the course this summer ready to teach in September or October.
Where do you want to do the course?

[Sun!]

Good luck for your interview tomorrow xJessx!!!!

Make sure you come back here and tell us how it went. Also I can't believe its just 9 weeks until my CELTA starts :O !!!

[xJessx]

Thanks @ Sun! I had the interview yesterday and got accepted onto the course starting the 2nd July!!