Is Tefl Cert Enough To Get Teaching Work?

[debbielong]

hi all,

This is my first post so pls be easy on me!

My son (27yrs) is living in Phuket and about to start a TEFL course. He has no degree. The schools he is looking at say he will have no trouble getting a teaching job although not in government schools.

Would you agree with this and which schools in the Phuket town area would you recommend please? They all seem to be about the same price.

i'm sure this has been answered before but i've done a search and it takes ages!

thanks for any advice

Deb

[Scott]

I don't know about Phuket, but he should be able to get work, but may have trouble getting the correct visa and a work permit.

[LucidLucifer]

I agree with Scott, but he can virtually rule out the better jobs with no experience/no degree. By the word of the rules, he is supposed to have a degree in order to obtain a work permit and non-immigrant 'b' visa....but TiT, never say never! It's certainly not as easy as it used to be.

Have you checked out www.ajarn.com

That is the place to be looking for the info you need. Good luck to him.

[Baerboxer]

Hi Deb,

I would advise your son to check carefully. I know of cases of experienced English teachers, who have taught here successfully for several years whose contracts are not being renewed becasue they don't have a degree. Language schools always promise jobs - but they don't issue the work permits. It's also worth checking with the Ministry of Education to see what their requirements are. I'd certainly check all this before spending money, time and effort on a course. Hope this helps - and good luck to your son.

[bangkokgabe]

The good news is he definitely can get a job here in Bangkok. Unfortunately the pay will be VERY LOW, and, as other posters have mentioned, the visa situation is precarious at best. Teaching with just a TEFL cert. is simply not financially sustainable. At 27 his best bet is to enroll in a university and at least complete the bachelors degree. Once he has done this he can either get a USA teacher's certification (any state is fine), or the UK equivalent. I have been here for 5 or so years and was a teacher in the usa public system (certified Language Arts, SPED) before moving to Thailand. I work for an international school in BKK (mid range)and 90-100k baht per month is a normal salary for a fully credentialed teacher at a mid - high range intl school in BKK. That's roughly 3200 USD per month- slightly less than a junior teacher in the states. All of this can be done on-line here in BKK through The College of New Jersey (their may be others but this is the only college that I know for sure where the entire process can be completed from BKK.) hope this helps

[quandow]

All previous posts are quite correct. The largest private school system in southeast Asia is Sarasas. They have many schools and are constantly looking for new teachers. Their high turnover rate is a direct indication of the quality of life for their foreign employees. On the surface, they start their pay around 30k baht/month (it used to be 35k but they are tightening their belts in these tough times), provide a very nice apartment, and usually have a Thai teacher in the room to help maintain discipline. Dig a little deeper and you start to see some troubling policies - the holiday calendar is VERY flexible and, during the two years I worked there, they always pushed the start date back, several times having us teachers come in and do nothing "in case they needed us." One time we were required to purchase a 2000 baht ticket and attend a party during the first week of our vacation. Last Christmas there was a mistake in the meter reading for our electric bill, some teachers were charged up to 6000 baht erroneously, and when the mistake was discovered, only half the money was returned. They will hire just about anybody and there is no requirement for a work permit (I worked those two years on a retirement visa). It is a foot in a door to gain experience, but as previously posted here, I recommend getting the proper education and then work at a real school.

[justaphase]

I had 3 years at Sarasas Bangbon. Back in 2003 when they the free apartments were new and the pay rose to 45K in 3 years. It's okay if you keep your nose clean and fly under the radar. Easy teaching too. I liked it in fact, lots of good mates too.

The electric bills were still messed up back then. Only to my advantage. They had the meters back to front with the rooms so I was billed for an empty apartment every month...

[Krupnik]

Hi Deb

There are some schools who will accept anyone who has white skin and is a native speaker (I assume your son fits this role) and won't even need the TEFL! However, the qualities that they require will reflect the quality of the role. It will probably be low pay, large class sizes, no help with visa - etc. Basically, if your son is looking to get work while he is traveling or just filling time of course the answer is yes he can do it with just the TEFL. If he is looking for some kind of permanent career, without a degree he will find it extremely hard. Hope that helps!

[DrAnna]

In theory the Ministry of Ed require an English teacher to have a first degree (BSc/BA) and a TEFL in order to teach English. However, there are always exceptions. Firstly being a native English speaker and being Caucasian looking is an advantage. I have a friend who has recently been accepted for a job in a Thai government school. He has no degree nor TEFL and he was given a job after a 2 hour interview with the school directly.

Going through language schools can be a pain, as they can be more picky and have many candidates they can send to schools and other establishments, e.g ECC in Phuket have over 50 TEFL teachers on their books.

In my experience the better schools have higher requirements e.g. BIS require PGCE and at least 2 years teaching experience - the salary and benefits are the best in Phuket. However, some of the schools which accept teachers with little or no experience and poor qualifications are either desperate and pay poorly or they are illegal and do not provide proper contracts.

Edited May 6, 2012 by DrAnna

[phuturatica]

You will be able to get a job but the main problem will be the work permit, however anything is possible in Thailand if your boss knows the right people etc.

Those who said that the pay would be very low, well it depends where you end up working!? I work some people who have no degree and are on 50,000 baht per month. However they do not have a work permit, but the company pays half towards their visa runs. I think that's a pretty fair and good deal if you ask me.

The higher paid jobs like international private schools are where a degree is needed.

[CiaranO]

I definitely agree with the previous poster. Anything is possible. It all depends who your boss knows. In the school I work at our boss uses a visa agent as such and he knows everyone and anyone. The guy is a true pro.

[tolstoy]

Phuket though is a tough market for jobs. Who doesn't want to live in Phuket.

Again the other advice given applies to the rest of Thailand. Phuket is a tough nut to crack even for those with degrees and experience.

A saturated job market has made better paying jobs in decline. I was making more 8 years ago than what I am being offered now.