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Are people who teach English abroad LOSERS?

I thought this might be a good career for me, rather than doing unsatisfying stuff, but it seems a lot of people think TEFL (teach English as a foreign language) teachers are losers.

How can having a degree (often in education) and teaching kids in a foreign country make you a loser? The money is great too in most countries. Free accommodation, free utility bills, and still at least £1000 month disposable income.

That's more than the average graduate gets these days.

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Reply 1
Avatar for gemmam
gemmam
17
I didn't know that they were considered losers :confused:

It's not something I would be interested in doing myself but I know a few people who've done it/currently doing it and they enjoyed it.

Posted from TSR Mobile
We had a teacher at our Sixth form who used to teach in UAE she told us she was earning 76k a year with free accom, and utility bills. The only downside was not being able to see her friends but other than that she found it great and was extremely happy with the job.
Reply 3
Avatar for whorace
whorace
2
what the hell

anyone who thinks this is a loser

what can be more awesome than living in a foreign country teaching languages

*STRONG BIAS*

(I might want to teach languages abroad)
Original post by gemmam
I didn't know that they were considered losers :confused:

It's not something I would be interested in doing myself but I know a few people who've done it/currently doing it and they enjoyed it.

Posted from TSR Mobile


A lot of people consider them losers because they don't have the qualifications to teach in the UK. Some of them don't have a degree either, they just do an online TEFL certificate and hey presto, now they go to China or Thailand and teach primary school kids. I guess that's a little bit dodgy, but we're not all like that.

The kind of people who do TEFL are usually unemployed people with nothing to stay in the UK for so they run away. 1 or 2 years later, they return to the UK and begin being a loser again - no job, no flat, living with parents, and that TEFL certificate will not mean anything in this country.
Reply 5
Avatar for whorace
whorace
2
Original post by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
A lot of people consider them losers because they don't have the qualifications to teach in the UK. Some of them don't have a degree either, they just do an online TEFL certificate and hey presto, now they go to China or Thailand and teach primary school kids. I guess that's a little bit dodgy, but we're not all like that.

The kind of people who do TEFL are usually unemployed people with nothing to stay in the UK for so they run away. 1 or 2 years later, they return to the UK and begin being a loser again - no job, no flat, living with parents, and that TEFL certificate will not mean anything in this country.


Rofl

That's only because our system is bureaucratic and dumb.

I don't care what other people think, a career where I can travel abroad teaching languages is perfect.
first time i have heard this? lol
I fear this is going to be a dumb question, but say you wanted to teach English in China, would you have to be able to speak Chinese?
Reply 8
Avatar for whorace
whorace
2
Original post by The Wavefunction
I fear this is going to be a dumb question, but say you wanted to teach English in China, would you have to be able to speak Chinese?


Nope, it is much more difficult to teach however, it is actually possible to teach a language without knowing the other language.

I've even heard it's preferable to some schools as it forces them to adapt to English.
Reply 9
Avatar for gemmam
gemmam
17
Original post by The Wavefunction
I fear this is going to be a dumb question, but say you wanted to teach English in China, would you have to be able to speak Chinese?


No you do a course which teaches you how to teach english; you don't need to know any other languages.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by The Wavefunction
I fear this is going to be a dumb question, but say you wanted to teach English in China, would you have to be able to speak Chinese?


NO!

Schools employ you to be "fully immersive" in English. You are not allowed to speak Mandarin/Cantonese in class, certainly not with primary/secondary students anyway (Kindergarten age may be different).

No knowledge of the foreign language is required - although many schools offer you weekly Mandarin lessons for free, which is kind of cool.
Reply 11
Avatar for whorace
whorace
2
Can someone answer this question for me.

What is the point of going to university for three years to get a teaching degree and racking up all that debt?

If you want to work in the UK it is essential. But why is it essential?

Let us say you wanted to teach English

Would it not just make sense to take an exam in English proving fluency?

Everyone knows you learn on the job anyway, and furthermore in some subjects such as sciences it is even more desirable to have spent that time working. If i've worked in a lab environment why can't I just switch straight to teaching? Why do I need plebes telling me about silly teaching theories that have no basis in science?
Original post by Error404OLE
We had a teacher at our Sixth form who used to teach in UAE she told us she was earning 76k a year with free accom, and utility bills. The only downside was not being able to see her friends but other than that she found it great and was extremely happy with the job.


Dubai and Abu Dhabi are amazing for teaching English - but Saudi is even better!

If you can get a job in Saudi Arabic teaching employees of Aramco then you can save £200k over a 3 year period. I know somebody who did this. He lived on a second wage (private tutoring), and all his accommodation was free (albeit in an expat compound).

If you work for 5 or 6 years in these countries teaching English, you would have saved up enough cash when you come back to the UK to BUY A HOUSE OUTRIGHT, no renting or mortgages lol.

I just don't know how anyone can find these people to be "losers"
It's a really good way to get out of the country and travel tbh. I'm actually planning to do it at some point so I can see learn about other cultures etc.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by gemmam
No you do a course which teaches you how to teach english; you don't need to know any other languages.

Posted from TSR Mobile


How can you teach chinese kids english if you can't communicate with them in the first place? rofl
Original post by gemmam
I didn't know that they were considered losers :confused:

It's not something I would be interested in doing myself but I know a few people who've done it/currently doing it and they enjoyed it.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Just Google "TEFL Losers". :frown:
most country wont let you in without degree because you need degree for visa.

biggest problem is in asian muslim country teachers cannot eat bacon or drink alcohol which is two of the greatest inventions of all time. how can you teach properly without such fuel for the body? it is crazy to think teacher can teach arab children in such heat with no bacon or alcohol.
Reply 17
Avatar for whorace
whorace
2
Original post by baconsarnieeater
most country wont let you in without degree because you need degree for visa.

biggest problem is in asian muslim country teachers cannot eat bacon or drink alcohol which is two of the greatest inventions of all time. how can you teach properly without such fuel for the body? it is crazy to think teacher can teach arab children in such heat with no bacon or alcohol.


Not in the EU

Lots of places really need teachers. This is a great way to get them.
Original post by ChickenMadness
It's a really good way to get out of the country and travel tbh.


Yes true - but do kids' parents want to think that you're only teaching them because you're looking forward to sunbathing on the beach on your day off?

Many people don't like the notion of people "teaching to travel". It sounds lazy, maybe that's where the animosity comes from? :confused:

And also, another important question - AT YOUR AGE, this kind of job seems cool, but would you respect a guy in his 30s/40s doing it? What would that say about him?
Original post by whorace
Not in the EU


most 'country'.

eu is not a country is it? you need learn to understand geography bro. im fed up ur ****.

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