Questions About Qualifications

[GarryP]

I am currently employed in an international company but was a local employ so am not on an expat package. The salary and benefits is quite good though, earning nearly just over 140k after tax. However, compulsory retirement is at 55 and will not have enough to be able to sit back and take it easy. I will need to work, but do not expect or even need anything near my current salary. I taught English for over 5 years and quit just over fifteen years ago to take up the job I am currently doing.

I do not have a degree just an OND. What would you suggest I do to prepare myself if I were to go back into teaching 9 years hence? Take an online degree course, etc. I am fluent in spoken Thai and can read Thai to a high level, although I can't write (may seem strange -but true).

Any input appreciated.

[james1979]

I am plannig on coming out to Thailand in January 2009 to work as an English teacher.

I have BSc degree and English is my first lanuage.

Should I do the TEFL online course before coming out to Thailand?

My experience of teaching English is very limited and was wondering what the best area for me would be? Yong children or Adults? University or private?

Thanks

[Martian]

I am plannig on coming out to Thailand in January 2009 to work as an English teacher.

I have BSc degree and English is my first lanuage.

Should I do the TEFL online course before coming out to Thailand?

My experience of teaching English is very limited and was wondering what the best area for me would be? Yong children or Adults? University or private?

Thanks

I'm considering the same occupational move next year and have decided it to be better for myself, students and the teaching profession that I attend an "in-class" TEFL program with at least 6 hours of actual classroom teaching practice. I'm sure that teaching isn't as easy as some like to believe and the more formal classroom TEFL with the teaching practice would better prepare you for the task.

Good luck!

Martian

[mopenyang]

I am plannig on coming out to Thailand in January 2009 to work as an English teacher.

I have BSc degree and English is my first lanuage.

Should I do the TEFL online course before coming out to Thailand?

My experience of teaching English is very limited and was wondering what the best area for me would be? Yong children or Adults? University or private?

Thanks

As far as I am aware, there is no legal requirement for a tefl certificate in Thailand in order to gain a legal teaching position. Your bachelor's degree will hold you in very good stead when it comes to this. I would suggest you attempt to find a position in the area of teaching that interests you the most at this point. In all honesty, it should not be that difficult to do once you get here.

[otherstuff1957]

Depending on what field your BSc is in, you might want to consider teaching Science or Math at an EP program or a Bilingual School. The pay is usually a bit better and Math teachers in particular are in very short supply.

As for the TEFL course, any course with some observed teaching hours will help you with your confidence and teaching skills, regardless of what subject you'll ultimately teach.

[garro]

A TEFL is not a legal requirement, but it might give you knowledge about how to teach. A degree is great, but some would prefer a BA over Bsc - dependent on subject of course. The only thing really going against you is your timing. In January it will be only a couple of months until the end of the school year. Of course if you want to work outside of schools this might be less of a problem.

[mizzi39]

A TEFL is good for vocational training, but like others have stated it is not a legal requirement.

The 6 hours of teacher training is an OK introduction if you have never taught before, but it will not prepare you to teach in front of 30-50 students.

Teaching TEFL in a language school and teaching English in a Govt., private, etc. are totally different (apples and oranges).

My first weeks of teaching matayom at a government school was like "baptismal by fire", but I am happy to say that I have been baptized.

God luck!

[Krupnik]

Take the Cambridge CELTA. It is hard work and expensive but is viewed with very high calliber in terms of ESL teacher training. You can do it in England or here, but you'd have to check the course dates, and you have to take a test and interview to get accepted. In my opinion it has been more than worth it.

As for the area, when you first start out you probably won't be able to be that picky you'll have to apply for anything that comes your way. But you'll soon find what suits you and with a BSC and CELTA you should get a well paid job (for Thailand) pretty quickly...

[Scott]

If your unsure about your long term goals and what you want to do, a TEFL is worthwhile, although not necessary. It will help you in the classroom. Unless you are really quite committed to the education field, a CELTA may be more work and money than you want to spend (but if not, go for it).

You can always get further training if you decide you really like teaching and want to make long term career of it.

[astral]

Depending on what field your BSc is in, you might want to consider teaching Science or Math at an EP program or a Bilingual School. The pay is usually a bit better and Math teachers in particular are in very short supply.

As for the TEFL course, any course with some observed teaching hours will help you with your confidence and teaching skills, regardless of what subject you'll ultimately teach.

As a teacher with some 35+ years of experience I always balk at teaching English.

Yes it is my native language, but just because I can drive a car does not mean I can repair it.

I would think a TEFL course is a very good starting point if you want to teach English as a foreign language.

The Maths and Science suggestions are good, but still expect a steep learning curve,

both the on the subject matter, but also on the teaching and classroom techniques.

[Ijustwannateach]

Moved to Questions About Qualifications.

[rb9]

Hi,

I've been living in Bangkok for about 2 months now. My girlfriend and I moved here after graduation to experience life outside the United States. We've quite enjoyed our time here and I've decided I'd like to look into teaching. I graduated with a BS in computer science with a focus (essentially a minor) in mathematics from a school in the top 10 for computer science and mathematics in the states. I've always enjoyed teaching, but my formal experience is limited. I've done informal tutoring over a variety of subjects, and private coaching in chess. My primary experiences not related to teaching are volunteering as a technical editor for a popular game development/programming website and some postgraduate level research/implementation. I would most like to teach: computer science, computer graphics, automata theory, algebra, geometry/trigonometry, linear algebra, probability, number theory or other closely related fields.

I have not been able to find a ton of information about this online, as the vast majority of jobs and sites seem to be geared towards teaching English. Do I have a reasonable chance of getting into teaching in the above fields here? Any recommendations on who to contact?

Thanks alot!

[mataleo]

all u need is: TEFL certificat and any bachelor u can get it done here (see forum sponsors at top of teaching forum page).

jobs: Ajarn

[leebeeUK]

Hi... yes its mostly geared up out here for teaching English... I think you need to be contacting the International Schools which you can look up on the Internet for the other fields unless your Thai is excellent which obviously gives you much more scope... TEFL & Bachelor Degree are generally required for teaching English and the TEFL Cert will certainly help open doors to schools out here anyway.. nevertheless for the fields you would prefer, International Schools/ Uni's have to be your best bet.. good luck whatever you chose to do... LeebeeUK

Edited October 7, 2008 by PeaceBlondie

[lildragon]

Evening All

After recentley spending five mind blowing weeks out in Thailand this summer (god it went fast!) I made a pretty much instant descion to return there early next year to teach English so I can do something very rewarding in an amazing place.

Of course I'm not as naive to think its all going to be fun and games. After searching alot on the internet as to which course to do I've decided on a Cambridge CELTA 4 week intensive studying in Bangkok.

What I really want to know is (and I never seem to get a straight answer too...) is what are the working contracts like? what kind of length and wages can I expect (I don't have a university degree per se but I've been to Uni and have been told that will work in my favour) as all these factors will change the date of when I return to Thailand (I've been back in Blighty three months now and bloody misrable lol)

So I want advice from any of you guys from the people that just went and did it like I am planning to do and have been doing it a little while to the guys that have been doing it for years, I am eager to learn!

[Loaded]

Evening All

After recentley spending five mind blowing weeks out in Thailand this summer (god it went fast!) I made a pretty much instant descion to return there early next year to teach English so I can do something very rewarding in an amazing place.

Of course I'm not as naive to think its all going to be fun and games. After searching alot on the internet as to which course to do I've decided on a Cambridge CELTA 4 week intensive studying in Bangkok.

What I really want to know is (and I never seem to get a straight answer too...) is what are the working contracts like? what kind of length and wages can I expect (I don't have a university degree per se but I've been to Uni and have been told that will work in my favour) as all these factors will change the date of when I return to Thailand (I've been back in Blighty three months now and bloody misrable lol)

So I want advice from any of you guys from the people that just went and did it like I am planning to do and have been doing it a little while to the guys that have been doing it for years, I am eager to learn!

Remember that the TA in CELTA stands for teaching adults. This course is an excellent course for preparing you for classrooms without children IE language schools, but 80% of work in Thailand is teaching kids in schools with 40 students. How would you manage and discipline such a class? How do you teach such classes? The course makes very little allowance for the differences and needs of Thai students, Thai schools or the Thai classroom. It's a homogenous product that is the same whether you purchase in Peru, Bangkok or Timbuktu.

Plenty of work if you don't have a degree.

Edited October 25, 2008 by Loaded

[PeaceBlondie]

The OP seems to say that he will be given credit for partial university work, short of a bachelor's. AFAIK, that is not true. But what do I know?

Working contracts. The only signed contract I ever saw was for 3.5 months, and I worked for almost two years. Your mileage will surely vary. Wages also vary very much, Shirley.

[Krupnik]

I don't believe there is any course out there that prepares you for very young children and large classrooms.

The CELTA teaches you for adults in language schools that is true but also, it is a pretty rigorous process just to get on the course let alone actually pass it, if you're not up to teaching you will probably realise before you finish the course. If you complete the course and you like the idea of where it's going to take you then you are half way there.

Not many people come here to teach because the idea of teaching English and in Thailand sprung to them - most people came here on holiday first and liked it here and found it as a way to stay. But if you are not up to the challenge of teaching then you just simply won't survive. But many talented and successful teachers have found their path this way. I like to think I am one of them! Goodluck! Keep us updated.

As for contracts and things like that - it all depends on whether you work in a language school, private school, government school, international school, full-time, part-time, etc etc, just be prepared to work part-time hourly paid for a while before you get something secure.

Edited October 25, 2008 by Krupnik

[PeaceBlondie]

I spoke with a friend this week, who says she has nearly given up reading this forum, because of posters like lildragon, who come to Thailand to teach EFL for the wrong reasons. She got her fill of bad TEFL blokes in Phuket, and she's a world-experienced TEFLer herself.

I reminded her of the regular posters in this teaching forum, long termers in Thailand who teach at universities, run TEFL courses, teach specialty subjects, work at real international schools, etc. I told her that I've met more than the usual share of students in TEFL schools, and they generally seem to be diligent, balanced, industrious, intelligent, considerate. And sometimes they do go out on the town on the weekend, or enjoy a beer at the end of the day, or have sex with the locals. Much like teachers at home.

[Krupnik]

Fair enough, but have some confidence in the guy. Just because he doesn't have the skills that you do doesn't mean that he can't be successful. Thailand is hardly the place to come to if you want to climb the educational profession ladder - he just wants to get by in a place he likes with a normal teaching job. Like almost 100% of the people who teach here.

If everyone thought like you would anyone come here to teach??!

[mbkudu]

Hi. I was once in the same position you are in now. It's good that you are doing the CELTA. It will help you in a practical way, but will not be much of a paper qualification without a bachelor's degree. This is the case in many countries. When I first arrived in Thailand with the same dreams that you have, I scoffed at more experienced people who told me to go home and get a degree. After 8 unqualified years teaching, I realized they were right, and I left Thailand for home to save enough money to earn a degree. I have now earned the degree, and will have a better future as a teacher. Would I do it all over again without a degree? Maybe for a few months, but never the length of time I did it. Let me just say one more thing. If you only plan to teach for the fun and experience or travel, then the degree is overkill. If you want to make a career out of it, then a bachelor's degree is a minimum.

Edited October 25, 2008 by mbkudu

[PeaceBlondie]

I apologize to the original poster for not being supportive enough. You can teach in Thailand without a degree. Good luck.

[aussiestyle1983]

You only need a TEFL certificate to be a TEFL teacher in Thailand? I thought you needed a degree no matter what you teach ...................

[lildragon]

You only need a TEFL certificate to be a TEFL teacher in Thailand? I thought you needed a degree no matter what you teach ...................

The lady I spoke too from Cambridge Celta said that it helps the application but it's not essential and if I do an additional grammer course that they provide and pass it I should be fine.

Hi. I was once in the same position you are in now. It's good that you are doing the CELTA. It will help you in a practical way, but will not be much of a paper qualification without a bachelor's degree. This is the case in many countries. When I first arrived in Thailand with the same dreams that you have, I scoffed at more experienced people who told me to go home and get a degree. After 8 unqualified years teaching, I realized they were right, and I left Thailand for home to save enough money to earn a degree. I have now earned the degree, and will have a better future as a teacher. Would I do it all over again without a degree? Maybe for a few months, but never the length of time I did it. Let me just say one more thing. If you only plan to teach for the fun and experience or travel, then the degree is overkill. If you want to make a career out of it, then a bachelor's degree is a minimum.

mbkudo thats a brilliant bit of advice, I think that I will do some traveling and teaching with a CELTA first, because as previously stated I have tried the whole Uni thing before (admitley my area of study wasn't anything English related) but felt I was not ready for it now, I am a wondering spirit and would like to get some of it out of my system before I look too far into the future, if I enjoy it alot it's something I would really consider, is it something I could study in Asia or would it be better to study back in Blighty for it?

and Peaceblondie apology accepted, I can certianly see your point that alot of foriegn kids don't actually care about what they are doing when they teach aslong as they can support their lifestyle. Like I said I do want to have fun out there because hey, I am a young guy but the work I do I will take seriously.

This is brilliant guys keep it coming.

[markdevas]

hi

Education is a very complex matter and I find it difficult to believe that a major career change is based on a whimisical thought based on five week holiday here in Thailand.

[dgwooster]

As for making major career changes....I can't help but think about all the miserable people I've had the misfortune of running into in my life that I wish they HAD made a career change so I wouldn't have to deal with them.

Maybe some of us don't make career changes often enough...? Just a thought.

[Scott]

You need to think carefully about your decision to teach here, especially since you don't have a degree. Where I work, a degree is required and it has to be verified with the University. No degree, no approval from Ministry of Education and no Work Permit. No exceptions (so far).

The trap that I see a lot of people fall into is that they have come here and by hook or by crook managed to get a teaching job. They've settled down (a little) and some are married with a kid or two. They are now a little too old to return to their home country and persue a career or complete their education and they are no longer legally able to work in Thailand. It's not an enviable position.

I will be in a position where I will be release two such teachers from employment. My heart goes out to them, since their options are really quite limited and I doubt that either has enough money for a ticket back home. Maybe for themselves, but certainly not for the Mrs. or the kid (in one case).

A second thing that a lot of people forget is that teaching is work--you have fairly long hours, physically demanding classes and the whims and ways of the Thai Administratration which can make life a little uncomfortable at times.

Thailand is a great place to visit, but it's much less attractive as a place to work.

[mbkudu]

The trap that I see a lot of people fall into is that they have come here and by hook or by crook managed to get a teaching job. They've settled down (a little) and some are married with a kid or two. They are now a little too old to return to their home country and persue a career or complete their education and they are no longer legally able to work in Thailand. It's not an enviable position.

A trap is indeed what it is. I initially came as a tourist like so many and then started teaching with a plan of only staying six months to a year. This plan ended up lasting eight years; seven years too long. I came to a point where there was no viable future without the degree. I had enough sense to look at my situation, stop, think and get out and get a degree. It's fine to do it for six months or a year as a gap year or travel experience, but don't let it go on too long.

Fortunately these days there are more strict visa regulations which discourage young unqualified people from doing what many of us did in the past. It really has nothing to do with capability. Many unqualified teachers are naturals and quite good at teaching, but it is a career path to nowhere as you have said above.

Edited October 26, 2008 by mbkudu

[Loaded]

If this is going to be a career and you plan to make a life in Thailand based on your career, a degree is very important.

If this is going to be something you do for a year or two because you are bored senseless with your present life, you'll get by without a degree. But remember the detached house, pension plan and new car are probably not obtainable.

Most people coming to teach TEFL in Thailand (degree or no degree) aren't looking at this as a career move. Most return to their home country within a year or two having had a bloody great life experience. They are more confident, independent and have memories that won't bore their children. Some just stay on because they love the life, but I have never met anyone who told me teaching TEFL is going to be their career for the rest of their lives.

[Ijustwannateach]

Moved to Questions About qualifications, and a warning to be issued to a poster for making anti-teacher comments. I should remind everyone (especially OP) that the degree-no degree discussion is restricted here.

"S"