TEFL Finding A TEFL Job
TEFL Job hunting tips from where to find TEFL language schools to how to choose a good one and where to look for jobs teaching English
Spotlight On Italy
It’s hard to imagine a country that outdoes Italy when it comes to the beautiful language, the “old world with modern convenience” atmosphere in cities, the wine, and yes, the Italian men too. When Jessica of the Bootsnall’s Italy travel resource - the Italy Logue - recently pointed me to a list of TEFL resources in Italy, it was clearly time to post on working in Italy.
The sad news for those from outside the EU is – much like in Spain and the UK – it is …
Date: August 17th, 2007 |
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A Solution To Exploitation? Via EFL Geek
EFL Geek had a good find on a topic many of us know and love: exploitation of foreign teachers (or is it?). The article is lengthy, but I think justifiably so as the topic is complicated. To simplify one of the main themes, the author says that teachers often allow themselves to be exploited by continuing to do what their schools tell them to do - work overtime for free, report to the office on their holiday, etc. He suggests they should simply refuse to do those things or move on to a better job.
My opinion:
Date: August 12th, 2007 |
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Spotlight On: Taiwan
Who wouldn’t want to live and work on the world’s seventh highest island, which also has a name meaning “beautiful island” in Portugese? You might not save as much as in Korea, but there are jobs to be found and a fascinating country awaiting you.
Teach English Abroad has an excellent introduction to working in different countries in Asia – you can compare and contrast Taiwan to others. I also cannot speak highly enough about the wealth of information specific to Taiwan at Michael Turton’s Teaching English in Taiwan page. He covers topics like “finding, renting housing”, “are they ripping me off?”, “getting along in the university system” and “can I work illegally” (no).
He points out that as the goal of the site is to present things to avoid, the site may provide a somewhat harsher picture of the country than many would be happy with…so bear that in mind his reassurance that most people have positive experiences. Also visit his Taiwan blog.
Taken fairly randomly from Michael Turton’s site, here are a few tips:
Date: August 9th, 2007 |
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The 411 On TEFL Job Contracts
Conventional wisdom says: never sign something in a language you can’t understand. This makes a lot of sense. In the real world, however, particularly in a field like TEFL, a) sometimes that really is the only legal contract in a country and b) it’s quite possible to lose out even with an English language contract if the school is dodgy. How do you know? Well…you don’t always know. But you try your best, and even when something goes awry, you don’t usually wake up the next morning in the bathroom of a cheap hotel room with a kidney missing.
Some general tips, based on my own experience in three countries:
[Please keep in mind that these are general tips; don’t rely totally on any one source, including the TEFL Logue, for information about something important as what to look for in a contract.]
Look for the willingness of the school to answer your questions in general (though obviously this is no failsafe as a shifty school can lie).
Get in touch with past teachers and include a question or two about the contract (“Did anything surprise you about it?” “What was yours like?”) in addition to questions about the school, students, curriculum and so on.
See how well the school fits your idea of a good one. If you’re not sure, consider mine. This is not directly related to the contract, but I think your overall impression plays an important role in deciding whether a school is “okay” or not.
Look for inconsistencies in general (and specifically, between the job ad and the contract, or between what they told you and what you understand from the contract); if you find any maybe inquire indirectly to see what answer you get. Don’t assume that everyone is out to scam you; there actually are mistakes or misunderstandings sometimes…though these can have unfortunate consequences too.
Date: August 7th, 2007 |
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Everything You Wanted To Know About TEFL Contracts But Were Afraid To Ask
…is not contained in this post. But it is coming in some form soon. Cairogal shared a few examples of TEFL situations gone bad – one friend found out literally as his visa expired and he flew out that he wouldn’t be paid for his last month of work. Another flew to her new job only to find out the school was still being build and her accommodation was in the director’s family home. On the bright side…the flight was already paid for.
Yikes!
A couple of themes I think are worth considering (and will post more detail on in the future):
It’s not always an advantage to sign a contract in advance of arrival, but sometimes it is the only option.
Signing a contract in a language you don’t understand is also risky, though again…sometimes that’s the only legal contract.
Consider visa regulations with an eye to the end of your contract. In countries where you pretty much have to leave and cannot easily return once your visa runs out, you may be at somewhat more of a risk for not getting your last month’s pay or bonus.
If anyone has thoughts or advice on these topics…please leave a comment and I’ll try to take it into account in future posts.
I’ve been cautious before now about posting on a topic like this, mostly because I think that –
Date: August 5th, 2007 |
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Three Tips, Two Blogs And A Handful Of Insight For Non-Native Speaker ESL Teachers
I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of non-native speaker teachers: one of my CELTA trainers, a later Director of Studies, and a number of co-workers (some who were also foreigners like me, just not native English speakers). In many cases, and in my humble opinion, their teaching skills seem to be greater than or equal to those of many native speaker teachers I’ve worked with.
Of course teaching skill is related to training, practice, and personal ability, and not one’s native language. But non-native speaker ESL teachers often face difficulties when finding work, as do those who are for all intents and purposes native speakers but have family roots in a country which is not English-speaking. Despite their skills and qualifications, they may run into employers who are hesitant to hire someone who is not fresh off the “native speaker boat.”
I worked with one kids’ teacher who had spent several years in the UK, but was from the country we were working in. Her initial plan was not to tell the students her name… this way, they wouldn’t realize that she was from there and spoke their language. I’m certainly an advocate of pulling out all the stops when teaching children, and so could sympathize, but it did not seem a very sustainable solution.
Instead of changing your name, or inventing an alias for your students, check out some tips from Hilal’s ESL Base blog. Hilal is a recent CELTA graduate working in Istanbul; you might also remember her from her TEFL Logue interview in March. Ole, an ESL teacher from Norway working in Costa Rica also shared some thoughts on teaching his second language recently at Costa Rica Classroom blog.
Date: August 13th, 2007 |
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Adventures In TEFL Contracts (Finally, The Finale)
If you got to the end of my posts on contracts, you found out there’s more where that came from. When I hear of an EFL teacher in a fix, I almost naturally think: “could it have been avoided?” Often the answer is yes. But the better question is “would the average person have been able to avoid it?” Maybe – but don’t be too sure.
Check out a few of my adventures with contracts:
I signed a contract some time ago in the month of June – not in person, but with a reputable school I knew and had dealt with previously – so I could count on the job in September. The year started great. There were regular seminars and good academic support. Then in October there were several meetings dedicated to the necessity of changing the contract due the school’s dire financial outlook, which they attributed to change in student “demographics” (more early morning and evening students, fewer in the day).
Date: August 10th, 2007 |
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The Best Way To Get A Good TEFL Job
Figuring out where to work in a country on the other side of the world – before or after you arrive - is no small task. But it’s something you can’t avoid in EFL and taking the initiative to educate yourself about things is probably one of the best steps you can take.
It’s hard though: while it is hugely important to make an effort to seek out information “from the source” it is also hard to do. Even “good” investigations in TEFL often rely on taking into account second-hand information. often getting it online. Sometimes it is just not clear where to look for answers to your questions, or even what questions you need to ask. But in the process of researching it, some things should fall into place.
Very rarely will another person have an incentive to look out for you greater than your own. This doesn’t mean you should expect people to lie, or that you can’t trust anyone; it means you should not put all your figurative eggs in one basket. It is precisely you who will face the consequences if that source is wrong, unintentionally or otherwise.
Date: August 9th, 2007 |
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How To Deal With Foreign Language Contracts
It sometimes happens that the only legal contract in a country is one in the local language…what should you do?
Some people may prefer not to work in countries with this regulation at all, but my impression is that this might rule out quite a few. So what else to do? In my opinion:
The school should probably provide you with an English translation. While I wouldn’t put my concerns aside just because the school showed me an English contract, it would raise a red flag if an English language school was not able to provide an unofficially translated one for a teacher’s convenience. Yes, it is the local language, but you are likely being hired at least in part because you are a native speaker who does not speak their language.
If they do provide a translation – this is great – but a school looking to take advantage of a foreign teacher can obviously make convenient “translation” mistakes. It’s also possible to make real mistakes, or just to encounter terminology that really cannot be translated well.
Date: August 7th, 2007 |
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The Case Against Signing A Contract Before You Arrive
New teachers interested in finding jobs online may be starting their searches right now. Should you sign a contract with a school before you arrive?
The evidence for:
If all the details are in place, it generally means you have a job and a set of conditions guaranteed, and you can be sure of that before you pack up and move to another country.
It may well mean you have a place to move into upon arrival, if that is part of the contract.
The evidence against:
It is not always simple establishing that all the details are in place.
Norms will vary by country, but schools usually find it risky to promise a job to someone they have never met, and for this reason prefer to hire in person. Schools depending on online hiring may be those who cannot recruit locally…because teachers who see the school in person or know the local reputation do not want to work there. So by limiting yourself to schools which will hire online, you may be limiting yourself to a pool with a higher likelihood of sketchy schools.
On a similar note, you are making a commitment to a school before you visit in person. An in-person visit can tell you a lot, and signing a contract in advance means forgoing that first hand impression. You’d be unlikely to do this at home.
Date: August 3rd, 2007 |
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