Comments on: Request a Topic http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog How to Teach English Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:43:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ted http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/request-a-topic/comment-page-1/#comment-2384 Ted Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:35:33 +0000 http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/?page_id=15#comment-2384 Hello Kath, You don't mention how you are seeking jobs in China. Are you working just through recruiters or do you intend to go there and job hunt? Your mother is not too old for a visa, but she is too old for a recruiter to place her. Recruiters are paid by schools to find teachers - but schools are often only willing to pay for teachers that are younger and have a degree (the degree makes the visa process easier and sometimes cheaper). You are correct, with no degree and at age 62, your mom is not going to be offered a job in China through a recruiter. That doesn't mean there are not jobs there for her. Job hunting tips for older teachers? <a href="http://www.teflnewbie.com/tefl-for-older-folks-advice-for-the-job-search/" rel="nofollow">Read HERE</a> to get her started. I hope that helps! Ted Hello Kath,
You don’t mention how you are seeking jobs in China. Are you working just through recruiters or do you intend to go there and job hunt?
Your mother is not too old for a visa, but she is too old for a recruiter to place her. Recruiters are paid by schools to find teachers – but schools are often only willing to pay for teachers that are younger and have a degree (the degree makes the visa process easier and sometimes cheaper). You are correct, with no degree and at age 62, your mom is not going to be offered a job in China through a recruiter. That doesn’t mean there are not jobs there for her. Job hunting tips for older teachers? Read HERE to get her started.
I hope that helps!
Ted

]]> By: Kath Burke http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/request-a-topic/comment-page-1/#comment-2372 Kath Burke Fri, 27 May 2011 16:43:58 +0000 http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/?page_id=15#comment-2372 Hi Ted What a great blog. I've recently done a CELTA and plan to go to Latin America... but my question is for my mum. She is 62 and for 10 years she was a school teacher in the UK - she taught ages 5-7. This included ESOL because many of the children were immigrants who didn't speak English yet. She then went on to have a family and a career change. She did a quick TEFL course. And the thing is she's not a graduate. She's been having a lot of problems finding a job - because of this and because of her age. She is not working at the moment and it's getting her down. Since doing her TEFL weekend course she's taught TESOL for a year at a Chinese community centre in Manchester, England. The idea was she was to get a job in China. But then it emerged she's too old to be recruited / for a visa. What job hunting tips do you have for her and readers like her? What kind of schools / countries would appreciate her skills and experience? Hi Ted
What a great blog. I’ve recently done a CELTA and plan to go to Latin America… but my question is for my mum. She is 62 and for 10 years she was a school teacher in the UK – she taught ages 5-7. This included ESOL because many of the children were immigrants who didn’t speak English yet. She then went on to have a family and a career change.

She did a quick TEFL course. And the thing is she’s not a graduate. She’s been having a lot of problems finding a job – because of this and because of her age. She is not working at the moment and it’s getting her down.

Since doing her TEFL weekend course she’s taught TESOL for a year at a Chinese community centre in Manchester, England. The idea was she was to get a job in China. But then it emerged she’s too old to be recruited / for a visa.

What job hunting tips do you have for her and readers like her? What kind of schools / countries would appreciate her skills and experience?

]]> By: Ted http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/request-a-topic/comment-page-1/#comment-2352 Ted Tue, 24 May 2011 04:05:28 +0000 http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/?page_id=15#comment-2352 Hi Penny, I didn't start in TEFL until I was about 39 or so about twenty years ago. So . . . you shouldn't worry too much about being in your "middle years". A good online course - like <a href="http://www.TEFLBootCamp.com/" rel="nofollow">TEFL Boot Camp</a> - is a good inexpensive way to see if teaching English might strike your interest. You don't need to spend US$2500 or more to just get a feel for the work. Fair notice - I am the tutor at TEFL Boot Camp! I hope that helps. Ted Hi Penny,
I didn’t start in TEFL until I was about 39 or so about twenty years ago. So . . . you shouldn’t worry too much about being in your “middle years”.
A good online course – like TEFL Boot Camp – is a good inexpensive way to see if teaching English might strike your interest. You don’t need to spend US$2500 or more to just get a feel for the work. Fair notice – I am the tutor at TEFL Boot Camp!
I hope that helps.
Ted

]]> By: Penny http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/request-a-topic/comment-page-1/#comment-2347 Penny Sun, 22 May 2011 10:43:49 +0000 http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/?page_id=15#comment-2347 I would like to give TEFL a go with working with adults more so than children. I do not have a teaching background or qualifications however my husband does, he is a Senior School Teacher and we both are living overseas....He is encouraging me to find a online course to develope my skills in this much needed proffession globally....What advise could you or anyone give me to pursue this as a career for the future as i am in my middle years of life. I would like to give TEFL a go with working with adults more so than children. I do not have a teaching background or qualifications however my husband does, he is a Senior School Teacher and we both are living overseas….He is encouraging me to find a online course to develope my skills in this much needed proffession globally….What advise could you or anyone give me to pursue this as a career for the future as i am in my middle years of life.

]]> By: Ted http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/request-a-topic/comment-page-1/#comment-259 Ted Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:45:36 +0000 http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/?page_id=15#comment-259 Hi Alex, There are at least two issues at play here. The native speaker issue will probably be okay, especially if you interview and job search in person rather than via email. That way people can hear your speech and draw their own conclusion. A problem with applying through email is that people will often assume that you are not fluent or that you don't have a native accent. Something that is difficult to counter in an email that doesn't get answered. A bigger problem is the 20+ percent unemployment in Spain right now and I am guessing that means finding any kind of work will be difficult. And language schools are probably struggling just like everyone else. Personally, I would job search in a country with a better employment rate. Maybe go to Spain after their economy improves. Just my opinion! Enjoy! Ted Hi Alex,
There are at least two issues at play here. The native speaker issue will probably be okay, especially if you interview and job search in person rather than via email. That way people can hear your speech and draw their own conclusion. A problem with applying through email is that people will often assume that you are not fluent or that you don’t have a native accent. Something that is difficult to counter in an email that doesn’t get answered.
A bigger problem is the 20+ percent unemployment in Spain right now and I am guessing that means finding any kind of work will be difficult. And language schools are probably struggling just like everyone else. Personally, I would job search in a country with a better employment rate. Maybe go to Spain after their economy improves. Just my opinion!
Enjoy!
Ted

]]> By: Alex Acuyo http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/request-a-topic/comment-page-1/#comment-257 Alex Acuyo Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:33:51 +0000 http://www.teflteachertraining.com/blog/?page_id=15#comment-257 Hello, I am a final year International Communications student with the intention of doing a 4 week CELTA or TRINITY course this summer so that i can tefl in Spain come September. I am bilingual (English being slightly stronger than my Spanish) and i am a Spanish national, although i have lived in England since the age of 5. I have been educated in England but maintained my Spanish by speaking it at home. My main concern is that i will find it difficult to find a tefl job in Spain because i am technically not an English native. (Although my English is perfect both oral/written). Do you think this will be the case? Also, if i did my CELTA/Trinity course in july for example... would this give me enough time to find a tefl job in spain for September when school starts? I would really appreciate all the advice you could offer me regarding tefl in Spain, including any recommendations of course providers, whether to do the tefl course in the UK or abroad, etc. Look forward to hearing from you. Hello,

I am a final year International Communications student with the intention of doing a 4 week CELTA or TRINITY course this summer so that i can tefl in Spain come September. I am bilingual (English being slightly stronger than my Spanish) and i am a Spanish national, although i have lived in England since the age of 5. I have been educated in England but maintained my Spanish by speaking it at home.

My main concern is that i will find it difficult to find a tefl job in Spain because i am technically not an English native. (Although my English is perfect both oral/written). Do you think this will be the case? Also, if i did my CELTA/Trinity course in july for example… would this give me enough time to find a tefl job in spain for September when school starts?

I would really appreciate all the advice you could offer me regarding tefl in Spain, including any recommendations of course providers, whether to do the tefl course in the UK or abroad, etc.

Look forward to hearing from you.

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