I Just Wanna Teach Too

[Tom Kagai]

I have a BA(Hons) degree and i'm booked on a TEFL, which will be completed by the end of this year.

Will the TEFL leave me confident enough to get work legally in LOS even though my hands-on teaching experience is a tad limited?

I've done a small amount of teaching many years ago and still teach Astanga Yoga here in the UK (well, it's different but it's still 'teaching'). I'm well up to speed on office life (and politics) because I've tolerated it here for 22 years.

Should I do some 'creative' thinking on the cv so's not to look like a first-timer?

Well, that's my planned way of heading for a happier life than here in UK and I'd appreciate anyone telling me if I'm setting myself up for trouble, or giving me any tips on covering the 'hands on' without being stuck here any longer.

Many thanks guys.

[kenkannif]

You quals mean you 'should' be able to teach here legally, although as IJWT will testify having the 'right' quals doesn't always (often) mean the school(s) will be throwing your WP at you on the first day. They usually want you to teach for 3 months plus (illegally!) before they even bother to start the application process for you!

I wouldn't worry too much about your minimal experience...like you say you can pad it out and it won't make a massive difference if you had loads of experience (a kind of double edged sword, good for newbies, but a bit annoying to those that have been teaching here for a while!) as again this doesn't always equate to better wages!

[Ijustwannateach]

^Amen to what he said!

In all honesty, I can't recommend *starting* your TEFL career teaching in Thailand- just too chaotic, opaque, and unreliable, with too many uncontrollable variables. If it hadn't been for many years of experience first elsewhere, I'd've been sunk here. It took me FOUR schools (at least one which was billed as "one of the best, blah blah blah") and TWO years to get proper paperwork here- after each employer lied through his teeth to me saying he was processing my visa.

On the other hand, I'm getting on a bit (well, not that old- but old enough to be thinking about getting older)- and shouldn't be taking so many wild risks anymore- if you're just outta college and want a bit of a lark before a serious career, then it could be great for you- you'll survive even if you take a few years at 30K a month.

If the long-range and security is more what you're interested in, I'd suggest STARTING elsewhere [perhaps Japan?], building experience (and savings if possible) and FINISHING/RETIRING here. If you still need any kind of certification, incidentally, it's probably cheaper to acquire here than almost anywhere else.

Good luck!

"Steven"

[Tom Kagai]

Thanks guys.

Actually, I'm 44 so I guess I fall between the boundaries hi-lighted by IJWT. I do have some funds and won't be totally dependant on teaching. I must admit though, the whole "plan" is geared towards a life in LOS, as opposed to holidaying there (I fully appreciate that the two are quite different though). Therefore, the thought of teaching in other countries (Japan etc.) isn't appealling. My gut feeling is that the cost of living absorbs the improved salary pro-rata.

Thanks again.

[fw1]

I agree with Ijustwanaateach. The teaching environment in Thailand is very poor indeed. Most of the teachers there aren't really teachers. Most of the schools offer little/no academic support/development. Being around quality teachers/establishments is very important early on in your career, and you will certainly stuggle to achieve that in Thailand. Even the majority of Dos's are not diploma qualified. If you want to start off on the right foot, I'd have a serious rethink mate.

[PeaceBlondie]

Agree with fw1. If a new teacher seriously intends to make at least a ten year commitment to teaching EFL in Asia professionally, Thailand might eat you up and spit you out within six months. The two schools I've worked at in the provinces have not been willing or able to give me the support I need for development, or sometimes even for daily survival. I'm a survivor, but it's difficult. I don't read on these forums that EFL teachers in Thailand attend English-language seminars, or that they have access to professional journals. The Thai teachers don't sit around the staffroom with me discussing teaching techniques, fine points of grammar, perfecting their pronunciations, etc. (although about half of them do come by on occasion and ask me to function as an English dictionary or encyclopedia, which I enjoy).

Also, if the original poster is 44 with a little money saved up for this adventure but no huge stash of cash, keep in mind that many farang who come to Thailand to teach English don't save anything for retirement. Nada, zero, zilch, soon. At age 44, you need to have a net worth of 30,000 to 100,000 English pounds and be saving over 4,000 pounds per year additionally. It can't be done in Thailand unless you have a master's in linguistics or TEFL, and you could save more if you taught elsewhere.