Prospects Without A Degree?

[skinnymat]

I am looking into doing a online TEFL course and then travelling to Thailand and looking for work as a teacher.

What are the chances of getting a job now if i do not have a degree to go with the TEFL qualification?

Is it a non starter with the new clampdown by the Thai government?

Any advice would be great.

[Loaded]

Still plenty of schools employing with wps, and without wps, without a degree. There's a teacher shortage and the schools need bodies in the classroom.

Think twice about the online TEFL. Teaching skills aren't learnt from notes. Besides many employers won't recognize it as a TEFL.

[PeaceBlondie]

I always appreciate Loaded's remarks, but I can't share his optimism. skinnymat, there's only a skinny chance that you'll find easy pickings here with only an online TEFL course, no experience, new in Thailand. Skinny or a slim chance you'll be legal or happy. I suggest you stay home, or try teaching organic fertilizer production in eastern Albania, or ice castle manufacturing in Riyadh.

[mbkudu]

A few years ago lots of posters, including myself, probably would have said something like, "Come on over; you'll find lots of work, don't worry about a degree or a tefl certificate. Experience? You learn by trial and error." Not the case anymore. The fun freewheeling days seem to be over. There is still lots of work, but the legalities, visas and risks have shifted somewhat. If you've got no degree, you're safer and better off being honest and saying you don't have one than to submit a fake one. If a school asks you to get a fake one or will provide you with one, best to not take up that offer.

Edited February 13, 2007 by mbkudu

[aussiestyle1983]

It should be easy for you to get a job here without a degree, even without a TEFL, however, you wont be able to get a teachers liscence and a work permit, so you would be working illegally (like about 50% of everyone here)

You would risk getting into serious trouble, but to answer your question, yes you will be able to land a job here for at least 35K per month in bangkok.

Never lie, if you are prepaired to admit you dont have a degree, you can still easily find a job, but never submit fake doccuments or you might end up in some deep shit..............

Edited February 13, 2007 by aussiestyle1983

[paulsmithson]

What an insult to the true professional teachers eh!!!!!!

Yeaaaaaa anyone can do that job-------------<deleted>!

[DrFisher]

It is beyond me why anyone would encourage someone to break the law! Seriously if you are thinking about committing an international crime commit one that pays better than $750 per month.

[Lucifer]

What an insult to the true professional teachers eh!!!!!!

Yeaaaaaa anyone can do that job-------------<deleted>!

I think they mean,...anyone can GET that job

[PeaceBlondie]

Do an online 4-hour course in dental surgery, go to Belgium, and be a dentist. An online 13 hour course in law, and practice law in Scotland. Sure, anybody can do it, and those Outer Hebridianites will welcome a foreigner who speaks perfect Arkansan.

[Loaded]

I'm starting an online course for people wanting to start their own online courses. Any takers? You can apply online.

To the OP sorry about the sarcasm but not much respect within the teaching profession here for online teaching courses.

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm going to clean up this thread. Too much sex talk here. Continue and warnings will be issued.

[Grover]

you could do freelance work as a private tutor,

illegal of course.

[skinnymat]

Right!!!!!

Firstly, thanks for all the replies. Good or bad, at least its all input into the discussion.

I am very serious about learning to become a teacher and think that i will do an online course over here in the UK and then when i arrive in Thailand i will start to do the next course up to gain experence at working in a classroom environment.

I think that the online course will give me a chance to see if i like the teaching profession and also whether i am going to be qualified enough to do it! Im 34 and have worked in the printing trade for the past 18 years so i am looking for a complete career change.

Anymore input and advice on this subject from anyone would be good and if anyone can recommend any courses that would be great as well.

Thanks.

Skinnymat

[Jack Jones]

I'd go for one of the one's that is going to give you classroom experience, you need to know what it's going to feel like to get up in front of a class of kids. It will also tell you whether you like it. You can learn the theory online but unless you do the practical, that first day will be awful painful.

For courses in Bkk the Text and Talk TEFL and the ECC CELTA are widely accepted. Pieces of paper won't make you a teacher but they're a start to the skills you will need.

[aussiestyle1983]

I would recomend you do the RSA CELTA offered by ECC once you arrive in Thailand.

But, if you are going to do a course online anyway, I recomend the I-to-I course, I think the website is www.onlinetefl.com and I actually think there is a link to it in a pined thread in this forum.

I did that course before comming here and you get a tutor which you communicate to through e-mails. They send you a Grammar book which has an 800 question test you need to complete and fax to I-to-I before you pass, I think you need to get 75% to pass. You also have 10 other moduels you need to pass. After each module, you send it to your tutor and wait for a reply if you have passed they will activate the next module for you on the website, if you dont pass, you have to re-do it again untill you pass. Most of the questions/ answers are in short answer or essay form and there is a fair bit of work that goes into it. You also need to watch a DVD they send you and answer questions about the teaching style in the DVD. It will deffinently help you have some sort of idea what you will be doing and it will help you understand more about the English language and how it works. You will also learn about lesson plans and other TEFL teaching techniques. But that course was deffinently worth the $420 AUD I paid for it afew years ago. I have since completed and RSA CELTA and have almost finished their DELTA (Diploma programme) as well. But yeah, the I-to-I online course is worth the small price tag and it will give you some insight into what you will be doing. Once you arrive here, then you might want to consider a 120 TEFL course.

[aussiestyle1983]

I forgot to add.

I am not suggesting the online courses are anything compaired to the 120 hour TEFL courses where you attend classes and practise teaching, but I am suggesting based on experience that an online course is not a bad idea for you because you can do it before you come here and you will gain some understanding of how TEFL teaching works. If you like the course and are still keen to teach TEFL, then you could do a longer course when you get here. By doing the online course first which is alot cheaper, I feel it would alos prepair you and make a full 120 hour TEFL course easier for you, since you would have already gained some insight from the online course. So by all means, try the online course, if you pass it then you will at least have a recognised TEFL qualification and you can continue you TEFL studdies further from there. But like others have said, you will not get any classroom teaching experience. You will get to watch a DVD of a TEFL teacher in action which you need to answer many questions on, but you will not gain any confidence from this when its time to stand up in front of a real class of paying students. Good luck............................

[Casanundra]

If I was in your position, I would suggest that you stay in the UK for the next few years and go and do your B.Ed. (Don't foregt they pay you a small stripend to study as a teacher) and to forget the online course because you will be wasting your time and money.

Once complete, then and only then come to Thailand and do a TEFL or a CELTA. That way, you will be giving yourself the best of all worlds as well as opening up your employability to the international schools that pay significantly more money than the other dross you may find yourself working in for a measly 35k.

Failing any of the above happening, why not just change your name by deed poll to someone who has a spare degree or two hanging on the wall and just ask them to give you one of their spare certificates for a small fee.

In fact, you can have one of mine if you like. All you have to do is just change your name by deed poll to Mr. Cas. A. Nundra, pay me a 100k or so and you will be ready to go

Edited February 16, 2007 by Casanundra

[aussiestyle1983]

I wouldn't waste your money and especially your time doing a BEd in the UK just to be a teacher in Thailand, especially without having tried it first.

Most of the courses in the BEd would have nothing to do with TEFL teaching in Thailand. Unless you were teaching in an International school and following a Western style curriculum, the BEd would not be even as helpfull a just doing a 120 hours TEFL course like the RSA CELTA. Before wasting money, you need to see what teaching here is like, so come here, do a TEFL course and get some experience (it might be a good idea for you to do TEFL placement, where you work for a 4 month contract and earn your TEFL) You would get alot of experience and if you want to continue, enroll in an international program at a UNI here in Thailand and get a degree if you want, it would be alot cheaper than back in the UK.

[PeaceBlondie]

aussiestyle, I thought that was Casanundra's point: that getting a proper B.Ed. and certification in the UK would prepare him to teach in international schools anywhere, and not be treated like a jerk or a twit in the regular schools at 35K. Excellent idea, naturally. In fact, if he does that, he won't need any TEFL cert such as CELTA-DELTA-FORMELTA because he'll be teaching in English!

[aussiestyle1983]

blondie: Remember that this lad is wanting to do this to "try something new" therefore, I wouldn't recomend to waste 3-4 years and thousands of quids to get a BEd when the guy might come here and hate teaching (for many reasons) That is why I would adivse him to do a course that will enable him to get a job to see whats its like, before jumping straight into the deep end and wasting years and money on something he might not use.........

[Ijustwannateach]

I would say that while there will always be a lower end of the market here for which qualifications will remain fast and loose for the forseeable future, at the middle and upper ends of the pay scale and the school reputation parents will be getting savvier and pressure will be on to have i's dotted and t's crossed.

[yoshiwara]

Invest in a proper TEFL in UK eg at International House

...after 2 years TEFLing sort out your degree.............

Edited February 18, 2007 by Ijustwannateach
Link removed

[Ijustwannateach]

I've deleted a couple of posts. Please be aware that as per local subforum guidelines, the degree-no degree issue is restricted. As far as is known, it is possible to work legally as a teacher in some contexts without a college degree.

[Boo]

My local adult ed centre run a part time CELTA Level 4 module 1 + 2 course here in the UK which once completed means you can teach English as a 2nd language in the UK as well as elsewhere in the world. I was thinking of doing this during my maternity leave from work as we do plan on moving back to LOS in future & the local school in hubbies home town have said they would have (legal) work for me should I want it.

I don't have a degree but this course doesn't require one but as it is a recognised teaching qualification in the Uk would I be right thinking that Thailand would also accept it as enough to get a wp??

No suggestions to do a degree in the UK please, I work full time & with a new baby on the way have neither time nor money to do one as I will be going back 4 days a week once the mat leave is over so have to fit the main courses in during my maternity leave & take 1 day a week off work to complete the practical teaching experience.

[PeaceBlondie]

Boo, I think the whole CELTA course was the firstest with the mostest, and still has the reputation of being the best known world wide. It's a separate argument as to how well a course in England would prepare you for teaching kids in Thailand, since the final letter in the acronym stands for 'adults.'

If one were young, degreed, and wanted to make a real career and profession out of teaching EFL forever and everywhere, there's nothing wrong with a CELTA. But if you just need a TEFL certificate to teach in Thailand, especially to kids, then we can all argue for 199 posts (which isn't allowed, anyway). Good luck on your work, studies, and maternity.

[Boo]

Thanks PB, Yeah I thought about the A=Adult aspect of it but figured that any decent teaching basis was better than nothing!!!

I am approached a lot when we are in issan by adults for private tutoring for them & their kids too. Apparently the local school is so keen on ANY foreigners teaching English that they have an unqualified german guy with no experience doing 2 days a week & after meeting hubbies old english teacher (thai lady) I can say that a german with basic english skills would be better than her SO a Brit with a qualification & a bit of experience could really build a niche for herself

I plan on doing some volunteer work at the local school here in the UK with some of the immigrant kids too once I am qualified as if we move, it will probably be for the long haul so will be a career change of sorts & I agree with what you say about the teachig kids part. Totally different to adults & needing a whole different approach (I am hopeing my own kid will assist me in this knowledge too!).

My company (large Investment Bank) also run programs for staff to do volunteer work at innercity underprivilaged schoools with a high immigrant populace so I will be getting in on that too as it is all good expereince. We don't plan on going anywhere for a few years but I like nothing better than being organised The CELTA will also be useful if we ever do decide to come back to the UK I suppose.

You never know, the rules may change again before then but for now it would seem that CELTA is the best way for me to go.

[thomo]

sex

Skinnymat, ECC have a 2 week introductory TESOL course for $400. For only a bit more than an online thingy it'll be a thousand times more useful (to you as a teacher). If you can finance 2 months here, doing this then taking 2 weeks off then doing a month long CELTA will will be a great way of doing things. Their website is worth checking out.