The Independent
'The world can be your oyster...'
Oct 13th 2005
...if you first get properly qualified and trained to teach
English as a foreign language, says Caitlin Davies
Picture this: a recently qualified secondary-school teacher
stands in front of a class of young Spanish and Italian boys.
She has been hired for the summer to teach English as a foreign
lan guage, and has received one hour's training from her
employer, a Sussex language school. When a boy puts his hand up
to ask a basic grammar question, the teacher is flummoxed. That
was the moment that the teacher (I confess, it was me) realised
the skills needed to teach English as a foreign language. It's
not as easy as it might appear, and you have to be properly trained
if you want a job with a reputable employer. But if you do take
a recog nised qualification, then a whole new world opens
up, providing plenty of opportunity for travel, and even the chance
to set up your own business.
Take 62-year-old Jenny Lawson, for example. She began as an
untrained English teacher at a Chinese private school in Sarawak,
where her Army husband was posted. When the cou ple later
retired to France, she decided to get a proper qualification and
applied for a course in London. She was then 50, without a degree,
and says that the course was very intensive. But Lawson is now
a successful private English teacher in France.
Whatever sort of job you have in mind, ideally, you need a Tefl
qualification. Make sure the course is externally validated by
a recognised exam board or university. It should be at least 100
hours long, and include supervised and as sessed teaching
practice (usually around six hours).
Tefl (Teaching English as a Foreign Language - nothing to do
with non-stick frying pans) and Tesol (Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages) basically mean the same thing. The best-known
qualifications are the Cambridge Celta and the Trinity College
Tesol Certificate, both of fered at centres in the UK and
overseas. There are many other reputable courses as well as introductory
courses that could help you to decide whether Tefl is for you.
Cactus Tefl (www.cactustefl.com) offers advice for prospective
teachers, with information on cours es and how to find work.
It features a number of satisfied teachers on its website, such
as Jane Rogers, who teaches in Barcelona. She finished university
last year and was "desperate to work abroad. I thought teaching
would be the ideal way to experience other cultures". Agnes
Marton, meanwhile, is now teaching in Hungary, after finishing
a Celta course in Budapest. Her students include a six-year-old
boy and a group of bankers who need business English.
Saxoncourt, a recruitment agency, places 600 teachers in private
language schools in 20 countries every year. Paul Mitchell, speaking
for the company, says that it mainly recruits for employers in
Italy and Spain who want people with a Tefl qualification and
at least a year's post-Tefl teaching experience.
To get onto a recognised course you need at least two A-levels,
and, in some cases, a first degree, and to be aged 18 or over.
The cost of a full- time course is between £750-£1,000.
Some Tefl courses are offered through distance learning, which
is far cheaper at £250-2400. But teaching observation and
practice, essential to most employers, are not always part of
the course.
Once qualified, the next step is to find work. Many overseas
employers adver tise posts online, while the British Council
has job opportunities on its website (www.britishcounc il.org).
If you know where you want to work, consider getting the qualification
locally, as this may make it easier to find your first job. Jenny
Lawson says that language schools in France are always looking
for Tefl teachers. However, she chooses to work privately as some
city schools have problems with poor pay, large classes and issues
of discipline.
Her advice to those considering doing a Tefl course and working
in Europe is to be aware of the reality of the job. "The
hours can be antisocial, with many evening classes. You'll
never be rich, and, as with all new projects, things begin slowly
and it can take years to become established. And it's great having
long holiday but, alas, they are unpaid!"
INFORMATION:
Cactus TEFL: 0845 130 47751 www.cactustefl.com
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