Finding a job
Job hunting, under-the-table work and sending documents home.
Ask the Right Questions to Find the Right TEFL Job
Searching for jobs teaching English in another country can be daunting. In many cases, you're asked to sign a 6, 9 or 12 month contract without ever meeting your potential employer face to face.
ESL Spain Resourse: Pain In Spain Blog
Thinking of teaching English in Spain? Finding it hard to sort through all the info out there? Pain in Spain is one TEFL blog which is long overdue for a TEFL Logue review.
Thoughts On A Job Post #14
It’s been a while since the last thoughts on an EFL job post - about ten weeks, to be exact.
Comparing AEON, GEOS, Interac And Westgate In Japan
Nowhere do chain EFL schools about as in Japan, so if you’re considering EFL in Japan you’ve probably heard of or thought about working for AEON , GEOS , Interac , and Westgate (and possibly Nova,…
Working For A Chain: GEOS In Japan
If you’ve read about the JET Program , AEON , NOVA , Interac and Westgate here at the TEFL Logue and wondered "what about GEOS ?" you’ve found the right post.
Resolving School Disputes With EFL Judge
Maybe you’ve heard the one about the teacher who arrived "home" – to the flat the school had been renting as part of the employment package – to find the locks changed.
So Visa Changes Won't Cut It ... What Would Work?
I recently took off on a mini- or not-so-mini-tirade about Korea visa procedures , which might seem odd as they don’t even affect me personally.
Thoughts On A Job Post #13
What follows is a real email I received; while I have twelve past posts with real questions and comments on real job ads , note that THIS IS VERY CLEARLY AN EMAIL SCAM, AND MY COMMENTS ARE SARCASTIC…
TEFL In Eastern Europe
(New EU: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia; Pre-EU: Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro,…
TEFL In Western Europe
(Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein , Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the…
eslHQ Makeover
eslHQ has a new look. Check out my original review of the site for the basics – and a summary of some of the reasons I think it’s cool – and read on right here for the latest.
How To Scope Out A Potential Teachers' Room
If a school has answered a variety of questions to your satisfaction , you may proceed to the step of visiting.
Top 10 TEFL Fears - Addressed!
1. I’ll set off without a job arranged and I won’t find a job. You probably will; do research before you go to see how your qualifications stack up and what the market is like in the place you intend…
Questions To Ask About The Curriculum, Or, Spotting A Scam Part 2
It came up in a post on spotting scams that sometimes “scam schools” don’t even care what their teachers teach (or even know what they should teach) – they just want students to enroll and pay.
Can You Spot A Scam?
TESall.com is one of my regular sources for EFL news, and whenever I venture into the message boards (which is unfortunately not as frequently as I should), I come across even more useful stuff.
"The Secret To Looking For Work Abroad" From Brave New Traveler
“In my experience, it seems that simply standing upright and speaking several relatively coherent sentences in English is sufficient to land the job.” Perhaps a bit of a colorful exaggeration, but…
Breaking A Contract - Right Or Wrong?
Debating right and wrong in absolute terms is usually a recipe for disaster, perhaps nowhere more so than when it comes to TEFL.
Five Ways To Avoid Being Overworked, From Yahoo's Penelope Trunk
I’m becoming a fan of the career advice of Yahoo’s Penelope Trunk. Her advice seems to draw a great deal of angry criticism as comments, which may just be par for the course when lots of people read…
Spotlight On France
Paris. The only bad thing about it, aside from the labyrinth-like Gare du Nord, is that a certain hotelier decided that his “colorful” daughter would share its name.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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…
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?
Teach English In Korea: Spotlight On Korea
Korea is one country that does not really need any more promotion to attract droves of native English speaking teachers.
Use TESall.com To Help Find A Good TEFL Job
TESall.com has an neat feature that TEFL jobseekers would do well to check out and utilize on a wider scale.
Thoughts On A Job Post #14
The purpose of this is to share the thoughts of an experienced teacher (me) - who’s found her own jobs before - on a random job ad, the details of which I’ve removed to make it unidentifiable.
Give Me Five Minutes And I'll Tell You How To TEFL Your Way Onto TV
1. Get a TEFL certificate (not always required, but recommended) 2. Find work teaching English in China . 3. Learn some Mandarin, before Mandarin-speaking foreigner in China become commonplace. 4.
What To Do After TEFL
The Guardian Abroad recently featured an article on what to do after TEFL, when you get that pesky feeling that it might just be time to go back to wherever you came from.
Retiring In ESL?
Jaunting off to the exotic, ideally warm and sunny, destination of your choice, buying some simple property and teaching ESL to pad your income is not a bad retirement plan at all.
Spotlight On Sri Lanka
This island nation, located south east of India in the Indian Ocean, has not had an easy time in the recent past – Sri Lankans have experienced twenty years of civil unrest, and in 2004, the…
Thoughts On A Job Post #12
I'm back yet again with a new job post and my thoughts on it. As usual, I’ve omitted details so that this ad is not immediately identifiable.
Advice For Discrimination?
From time to time, questions and comments come up about foreigners experiencing discrimination or worse because of their nationality, religion, race, etc.
Spotlight On Section: Table of Contents
If you're interested in a particular country, look for a post on it here. Also find links to some regional overviews.
Spotlight On Eritrea
Eritrea? Yes! Voluntary Service Overseas (see the TEFL Logue post on VSO ) is a non-profit organization which coordinates the placement of volunteers with professional qualifications, including a…
Are ESL Job Sites To Blame For Unsavory Schools?
The topic of ESL or EFL job sites as the cause of the tefl world’s woes comes up every now and again. Should job sites take responsibility for screening job ads?
Spotlight On The UK (Summer Camps)
It is common knowledge that many EFL/ESL teachers fare relatively better abroad than at home – there are definitely exceptions but many people quite accurately assert that wages are not particularly…
Spotlight On India
Home to uniquely phrased signs in English and the best veg food in the world: India. I spent five months there and found the diversity in landscape, culture and language remarkable.
Yet Another Look At Under The Table Jobs
Inquiring minds want to know about under the table jobs – so here are some common assumptions about under the table jobs and my take on them.
Thoughts On A Job Post #10
I’ve omitted details so that this ad is not immediately identifiable. The purpose of this is to share the thoughts of an experienced teacher (me) - who’s found her own jobs before - on a random job…
New Bootsnall Job Site
The team at Bootsnall asked me to let you know about the latest cool development – it’s not a new Treasure Hunt Contest , but rather a job site .
Spotlight On Kazakhstan
When was the last time you considered working in a –stan? I’m always intrigued when I see job ads for Kazakhstan .
Signs Of A Good School, Part 2
Finding a non-dodgy school ranks high on the agenda of many TEFL job seekers. But how can you know if a school is “okay” or not?
Making The Most Of Your Summer Vacation
With summer just around the corner, I asked Tedkarma to share his thoughts on relevant-to-TEFL summer vacations.
Online Resource: Find A TEFL Job With ESL Job Feed
If you're looking for a TEFL job, check out the teacher’s section of ESL Job Feed , a useful source of international English teaching jobs.
Spotlight On Egypt
Are you a taken with pyramids, bustling markets, heiroglyphics and Cleopatra? Culturally considered part of the Middle East, geographically part of Africa, Egypt seems the obvious and I have to say…
Thoughts On A TEFL Job Post #11?!
I’ve omitted details so that this ad is not immediately identifiable. The purpose of this is to share the thoughts of an experienced teacher (me) - who’s found her own jobs before - on a random job…
Should I Post My Resume For EFL Jobs?
Both TEFL.com and Dave’s ESL Café offer teachers the chance to post their resumes so registered employers can peruse them.
Job Satisfaction Survey And TEFL
I recently spotted an article about job satisfaction , and which jobs the most recent General Social Survey – in which researchers randomly select and interviews more than 27,000 people representing…
Spotlight On Chile
Chile of course a long thin country, but did you know it is over 2,700 miles from north to south and never more than 150 miles wide?
Morning Or Night? A Consideration When Finding TEFL Jobs
In addition to these questions to ask at an interview , it’s important to ask yourself: when do I want to work? I’m personally more of a night person.
Other Jobs Abroad: How Does TEFL Stack Up?
I’ve met a fair number of foreigners working in non-TEFL jobs abroad, and while I readily concede that many of those jobs have clear advantages over TEFL, either in the pay, working conditions,…
On Taking Responsibility: From The Korea Times
A second-year participant in the EPIK program in Korea recently published an article in the Korea Times (thanks to Tesall.com for the link) essentially saying teachers need to accept more…
Spotlight On China
Have you become caught up in the 2008 Olympic excitement yet? If so, what better place to head to teach than China itself: an intriguing history, culture and written script too, good food that varies…
Signs Of A Good School
Honesty Of course this can be hard to assess – how do you know? It’s hard. But I’d give a lot of credit to a school that attempts to show you an accurate picture of things and doesn’t paint…
Interac In Japan
Interac has been operating since 1972 and bills itself as Japan’s leading provider of Assistant Language Teachers; typically ALT’s will work alongside a local teacher, in this case in all levels up…
Notes On A Job Post (9)
I’ve omitted details so that this ad is not immediately identifiable. The purpose of this is to share the thoughts of an experienced teacher (me) - who’s found her own jobs before - on a random job…
What A Business Degree Did For Tedkarma In TEFL
Tedkarma, experienced EFL teacher, teacher trainer and TEFL Daddy site founder, is back with some more advice for the TEFL Logue, this time not only on where you might fit best in TEFL , but on how…
What A Business Degree (And Experience) Can Do For You In TEFL, by Tedkarma
Part 2 of Tedkarma’s advice on combining business training and experience with EFL – for more from Ted, including free online TEFL training, visit his website at www.TEFLDaddy.com .
Thoughts On A Job Post, 8
I found something similar to the following info some time ago and could hardly believe my eyes. I don’t really understand how or why things like this even get off the ground…but they do.
Sending Documents Home And Back
Situation: you have to send off some documents to an office in your own country (maybe to get your Certificate of No Criminal Record ), and you are already overseas. You need them sent back.
Thoughts On An EFL Job Post - Part 7
I’ve omitted details so that this ad is not immediately identifiable. The purpose of this is to share the thoughts of an experienced teacher (me) - who’s found her own jobs before - on a random job…
TEFL Watchdog Sites
There are a couple of online sites devoted to identifying – for lack of a more precise word – bad employers.
Spotlight On Thailand (?)
Maybe you saw The Beach or even just Brokedown Palace and have wanted to visit the “land of smiles” ever since.
Thailand EFL Outlook
By Ted Karma Ted Karma has once again taken some time out from TEFL Daddy and lent his expertise to the TEFL Logue, this time on the topic of current job prospects in Thailand.
Spotlight On The Czech Republic
The home of beer. A language which produces a tongue twister like this: strc prst skrz krk. The home of Skoda, which means “damage”, even in that language.
EPIK In Korea
EPIK is the Ministry of Education sponsored English Program In Korea , where native speakers with Bachelor’s Degrees teach conversation in primary and secondary public schools – they may also assist…
Signs Of A Bad School
Tesall.com pointed out a new article entitled Consider Your Teaching Job Carefully : Bad English Language Schools Can Happen To Good Teachers at Transitions Abroad; information like this is long…
Signs Of A Bad School, Part 2
What’s not so spot on: This is part 2 of my thoughts on Consider Your Teaching Job Carefully : Bad English Language Schools Can Happen To Good Teachers at Transitions Abroad.
What Can You Do If Your School Treats You Badly?
Keep in mind that working and even just traveling abroad presents a full set of difficulties.
Spotlight On Costa Rica
“The new Hawaii”, “Central America’s jewel”, and (sorry, Bootsnall, this is from Lonely Planet) “their coffee is sublime.
Branching Out: ESL Writing And Blogging
I must admit, the position that sparked the idea for this post is in fact that of Spring Break Blogger : a Seattle-based events production company is looking for two individuals to blog about events…
Thoughts On A Job Post - Installment 6
Once again, I've added my thoughts to a job post - I certainly can't confirm that this is a good or bad job, but my comments might give some direction to jobhunters in general.
Top 10: Peace Corps Blogs And Other Resources
If you're looking for a high profile way to teach in a developing country, you've probably heard about the Peace Corps. What better way to find out if it's for you than by following a few blogs.
ESL Job Sites (For Jobs In English-Speaking Countries)
So maybe last week you asked Should I Teach ESL In My Own Country? and decided yes…or at least maybe. But where to start looking for jobs?
How To Dress For ESL Success
*First of all, know that it’s standard to ask your school if they have a dress code – different schools even within the same country will have different norms, so asking doesn’t mean you are…
Spotlight On Vietnam
The TEFL Logue has recently seen some amazing photos of Vietnam and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to highlight some resources connected to the country as well as some basic info about…
Dealing With Your Boss
Interacting with people from backgrounds and cultures different from yours is one of the perks of teaching abroad, but cultural differences that are amusing in class or on the street may lose their…
Thoughts On A Job Post, Part 5
I’ve omitted details so that this ad is not immediately identifiable. The purpose of this is to share the thoughts of an experienced teacher (me) who’s found her own jobs before on a random job ad.
TEFL Mystery #1: Food Coupons
Payday is always a happy day at the TEFL Logue! But something weird happened this past payday: I got an envelope with some coupons in it, for food. What's that about?
Should I Teach ESL In My Own Country?
Upon their exit from EFL, the question “Should I teach ESL in my own country?” crosses many teachers’ minds.
Working In Latin America: An Overview
General Teachers generally recommend searching for jobs in person, usually in late February for South America to catch the school year at the right time (and August for Mexico and Central America…
Thoughts On A TEFL Job Post: Part 4
I’ve chosen a posted EFL job ad, removed identifying details, and included my thoughts and questions in the text.
Korea TEFL Tips From "Mike"
A teacher who I’ll call “Mike” is currently hard at work in Korea, but took some time out to share some insight on finding a job, working, and living day to day in Korea.
University Degree Requirement For EFL Teachers
An article (scroll down)I found on Tesall.com got me thinking about this. Certainly, in many countries teachers are in fact required to have a degree in order to obtain the proper work and residence…
More Thoughts On A Job Post (That Would Be Part 3)
Once again, I've chosen a posted EFL job ad, removed identifying details, and included my thoughts and questions in the text.
Becoming A TOEIC Rater
If you're an experienced English teacher living in the US and you have a secure, high-speed Internet connection, you may be able to get paid to rate candidate's TOEIC spoken and written responses…
Branching Out From EFL With Proofreading Work
One way EFL teachers branch out is by getting involved in proofreading work. (Other possibilities include becoming an examiner .) Occasionally proofreading work comes through schools, but generally…
Certificate Of No Criminal Record For TEFL
**Update** As of December 2007 (or earlier) it appears that the estimated time for an FBI Certificate of No Criminal Record is 16-18 weeks, not the shorter time it took when I wrote this post.
Should I Pay To Be A Volunteer English Teacher? Not So Much
One of my pet peeves is when a company seems to be fundraising by including volunteers without being straightforward about how the money required is being used.
Should I Pay To Be A Volunteer English Teacher? Well, Yes
It depends on what you are ‘getting’ – accommodation or food, formal training or an airport pickup are no-brainers. These things have a clear cost associated with them.
Thoughts On A Job Post Part 2
As in Part 1 , I've more or less randomly chosen a posted EFL job ad, removed identifying details, and included my thoughts on it in the text.
Finding A Job: Table Of Contents
Profiles of Countries or Employers Working For A Chain Working For A Chain: Westgate In Japan Working For A Chain: English First Working For A Chain: Berlitz Working For A Chain: International House…
More On "Under The Table" TEFL Jobs
Under the table jobs - what are they? These are jobs which you don’t have legal permission to work – it could be a full-time job at a school or part-time or even occasional private lessons.
Thoughts On A Job Post: Part 1
Many potential EFL teachers wonder: how can I tell if a posted job is any good or not? The answer is: it's hard.