teaching english in asia / other jobs

Hello, i am wondering if anyone knows any good websites or organizations that will send me to Asia to teach english, or whatever it may be...Thanks!

 

do you have a TESOL/CELTA?

 

nope i sure dont what is that and do i need one?

 

It's certification to show that you can teach english as a foreign/second language.

In most S.E Asian countries you probably won't need one (You definately will in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, large cities in China), but you will earn more money and get better jobs if you do have the qualification..even more if you have a degree on top.

 

You can still earn decent money without one, as long as you've finished Uni/college, and you go to one of the richer Asian countries, like Korea or Japan.

This isn't because the schools care about your... skills... it's more because you need a BA or diploma to get a visa.

You really DON'T need a TEFL or CELTA for S. Korea or Japan... I don't know where this fountains person got her info. Foreigners are in high demand, and mostly they just want a white face to give their school a certain image.

If you have a BA, you can go over to Japan with NOVA... they're ALWAYS hiring. Actually, I think you can get part-time work with NOVA if you don't have a BA yet... especially if you're young and they like your face. In fact, some employers expect you to come over, party your ass off, be really lax with the kids...

Try typing 'Dave's ESL Cafe' into google and you'll find heaps of recruiters for South Korea, and lots of information about basically everything you need to know.

 

Generally, if you have the TEFL/TESOL certification, aswell as a degree, you will be in the highest pay bracket. And yes, the degree is usually essential (in Japan, Korea and Taiwan) for citizenship...however not always.
Also, nowadays people will mainly ask for certification (not everybody, but most) to know that you are qualified and competent. Whilst I was in Japan, I was offered work without it, but I advise you get qualifications because of the pay brackets. These people are paying good money for good teaching, remember.


Also, I advise you NOT TO WORK FOR NOVA! If you're off to Asia and want to work for a large company...I definately recommend working for Shane and not Nova. However, Shane specialise in British English, so you tend to need to be from the UK or commonwealth countries.

So, I wouldn't listen to everything this Heywood guy says, because he's pushing you towards a bad company who provide bad service. I had many friends who were at Nova (both students and teachers) who transferred within the first couple of months.

 

But NOVA will land you a visa, at which point you are free to go to any other school you please... or just quit and do privates or something.

I wasn't pushing anyone to go over with NOVA... I hated working there, and pretty much everyone I worked with hated working there, because it's a shit place to work. They stick you in a cramped, often dingy staff room where you prepare and shoot the shit before you go to teach people in tiny glass cubicles with a table and chairs, all of them small enough that you can smell what everyone around you had for lunch. They make you wear a suit that gets ruined by screaming children who maul you with their dirty little hands, and very rarely have anything resembling respect for you. It's an experience I couldn't be forced to repeat, but it's an option if you're clueless and have a high tolerance for all the endless amounts of company bullshit... but even if you don't, the Visa they help you secure is YOURS for the full year, and you can take it and fuck off if you want... you can live in a tent on a beach in Okinawa and do the occasional private lesson if you want!!!

But if you want a definite way over then they're always looking, and you don't need a TEFL. I don't think any private school is going to get upset if you tell them you don't want to work for NOVA and would rather work for them!

I just don't think it's fair to say that you definitely need a TESL to work in Japan or S. Korea, which is completely untrue. I was making 280,000 yen per month (2800 USD) without any teaching qualifications at all, and everything is set up for you when you get there.

So if you're like a recent liberal arts grad stuck in a shit job and can't make enough money to do a decent TEFL course, then you don't have to worry about scraping up enough money and then sweating it out in two jobs and a course for a year or so if the main purpose is to get a decent-paying job and see the world.

NOVA is the easiest way over, as their interview process is basically nothing... they tell you about Japan and then ask a couple of pointless questions in an interview before wishing you well on your way. And even if it's bad and you can't bring yourself to leave, you still get a month of vacation (two weeks paid, two weeks unpaid)... and you can see and do a lot in a month! I've heard that some schools are really shit, but some branches are okay, and a few might even be bearable... I ended up at one that wasn't so bad, even if it was still pretty bad because it was NOVA.

And if your main goal is to one day be a great teacher who makes a difference, you can still do the CELTA afterwards, when you have enough money...

I don't know, it's up to you... but if you have huge debts and no qualifications, NOVA is a great place to start out. It's like MacDonald's... it's evil, it's corporate, it loves money more than anything, and it provides a shit service that probably does way more harm than good simply because it can get away with it, but the point is that it's fucking STABLE... you know exactly what you're going to get, and it could be a whole lot worse! I mean, plenty of people out there would be happy to NOT PAY you AT ALL, or fire you without giving you any sort of help whatsoever...

 

Shane do exactly the same sort of thing, in regards to sorting out visas, accommodation and the like. You just need to apply through Saxon Court and they sort everything out for you.


Anywhos, bes of luck!

 

I found this thread to be a fair and accurate summation of what you can expect at NOVA.

http://www.teachoverseas.ca/reviews/index.pl?read=2

I'm not out to get you, I promise... I know the interview procedures for some of the schools can be difficult and leave you feeling awkward because they sometimes ask you to teach a demo when you have no experience. But don't worry... sometimes they are looking for 'fresh' teachers!

But unless you know someone who's over there and can help you, or someone who can help you to make sure you don't get screwed, then I would highly recommend going over with a chain school in the beginning, because they know how to handle foreigners and are usually sensitive to the fact that this is probably your first time living in another country!

For example: NOVA had someone meet me at the airport, and before you leave they provide you with a list of fellow travelers who are going on the same flight or arriving at the same time, so you're never alone in the beginning. Also, everyone I met at the airport and on the plane, even though they were going to different locations, was just as nervous and excited as I was. One of them was going to the same town, and he had studied Japanese and it really helped us to get around... our first few days in Japan were spent traveling to Nikko together, and it was a really good time! I really can't imagine having my first travel experience without that support...

So I would definitely recommend going over with a chain school and then after getting settled you can make up your mind about whether or not you like it or if you want to do something else or what's right for you.

If you're nervous about winding up in a bad place, just ask them not to put you in a big city (where most of the busier schools are) and say you'd rather live in a medium-sized city or town, and I think you'll find that the atmosphere is more relaxed. They will definitely accommodate your request.

I had a blast in my first few months because it's very exciting to be there, and everyone I met was really nice, even if they were a bit disillusioned... and I suppose at first it's hard to imagine how they got that way. But gradually, I found out why.

Still, I really hope you do decide to go because it's definitely something that people usually regret not doing!

 

Also, there's GEOS, and AEON who are basically the same... and, like NOVA, they accept Americans.

If you're interested in Korea, then I would definitely go through a recruiter. They'll also meet you at the airport and show you to your accommodation. Some of them are assholes, but I found 'people recruit' to be very enthusiastic about helping (and wonderful people as well), and they set me up in a decent school. Heyya was especially cool... calling me regularly and making sure that everything was going well!!! EnglishWork are also very nice... Sally is a real sweetheart! Just make sure you ask for exactly what you want and don't jump at the first offer... as a rule, split shifts and weekends should be out, because you can definitely do better. You need a degree for that, though...

Taiwan is a big shock to the system at first... it's noisy, polluted, crowded, the traffic is INSANE and you have to pay for your apartment, but after the first month or so, you just soak it all up and the people are warmer and more sincere than anywhere else in Asia! It can also be more difficult socially... well, depending on where you end up.

Anyway, there are some options for you!

 

wow guys thanks a lot, this is a lot of info! I am definitely thinking about doing some teaching overseas, in about a year or so. most likely somewhere in Japan. So this will be a great start, thanks for all the help!

 

http://www.ajarn.com check it out.

 

Best of luck, dude!
And just remember...the world's your oyster!

I'm back in the UK at the moment, but I've been teaching a lot recently. It's amazing how much work you can get! I'm mainly working privately doing 1:1s at the moment, but I'm planning on heading away again when the summer ends.

 

Try this: Shenzhen College Of International Education, Shenzhen,China.
This school teach Chinese students A-Level courses. It is quite a warm place( i mean both the weather and the people).

I am going to graduate from there in 2008 !!

 

Aye, if you want to earn some cash..China or the Middle East is where it's currently at. China due to the 2008 Olympics and Middle Easr because nobody really wants to go there, particularly women.

 

I myself was thinking of Vietnam, if anyone knows about that.

 

I saw an ad offering $7500 American a month to teach in the Green Zone in Baghdad.

As for the Middle East, I've talked to people who have taught there and it's not exactly a party, but if you're willing to suffer the extreme (not George Bush extreme, I mean, unthinkably extreme like you've never experienced before) conservativism, then you can make okay money, though you'd probably be better off in Korea... but without a degree, Korea can be tough to get into. Also, you need a criminal check and a drug test for it.

Vietnam is probably a great place, actually. Good climate. Thailand would be amazing.

Everyone in the ESL world goes here for job listings:
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/

 

Can i say something?
if you guys wanna teach english in "South Korea"
you need an education license before you teach in korea.
and we don't welcome losers or potheads
and pls follow a social rules and get a etiquette

 

Unfortunately, if you come to Korea, you will also have to deal with people like this^^. I only wish I could say there aren't so many of them.

 

what is he talking about?
i say true if have no education license but teach in Korea.
that is crime. its just advice what is problem with my thread?
Americans don't know law?