Apologies if this has been asked a thousand times over, but...

Can someone give me some quick advice as to what my situation would be if i were to come to over (with an aim to teach English) with a Diploma of Higher Education in language studies?

Would this be of any use to me or is it a degree specifically i need? I think i know the answer to needing a degree is yes, but im just checking.

Thanks in advance!

In my experience the 'Diploma' does not get you very far unless somewhere on the paper it says "Bachelor of....."

/agree

A Bachelor's degree will significantly help you with obtaining the teaching licence waiver (Which you need for a work permit). Although if you're enrolled in a bachelor's degree course, so working towards a bachelor's degree, then they'll accept that, so long as you have a TESOL or CELTA Certificate.

If a bachelor's degree isn't a realistic option for you, lots of schools will still be interested in hiring you, although you'd have less options to choose from than with a bachelor's degree. Likewise you might have some problems with visas (e.g. Might not get your Non Imm "B", or Visa Extension. Thus risk of deportation if Immigration finds you working + constant border runs for tourist visas), and likewise your work permit (No work permit makes it more difficult, not necessarily impossible, to purchase/subscribe to anything in your own name).

But of course, if a Bachelor's degree isn't an option, it isn't an option. Some guys in the past have gotten their work permits even without bachelor degrees (or without working towards one), although I don't know about recently.