I'm New To The Idea, Help?

[Mike23]

I'm a 19yr old 2nd year university student in Canada and I've talked about wanting to go travel abroad for a long time now and I'm looking into the best ways about doing that.

I could of course, just go and travel like a tourist but I love culture and want to immerse myself more than passing through hotels and packed historical sites. I just started considering the idea of teaching english abroad, that way I'd be able to work a bit and also get to \"live\" the culture more. From what I've been reading in this site, it seems that there are only a few specific ways to go about doing this. So I have a few questions/points:

1. [Realistically] Do only those who've gone through a certification course get work?

-The prospect of going through a [somewhat] expensive and seemingly intensive certification course doesn't seem very appealing to me. Especially since it seems not all certs. get any job at all, let alone one that makes the expense worth while.

2. Is it always/only/most likely going to have to be a difficult and uncertain process to go about being able to live in the country [any E.U.]?

-From what I've read here it seems to be somewhat of a 'wild card' as to whethor or not one will be able to actually live/work in Spain? This only makes it all seem less like a good choice...

3. I have 3 years of high school spanish and one intermediate university course. [total of 4 courses over 4 years] And I am currently in beginner italian and will most likely take the second beginner italian course next semester. Are these not both assets to teaching english? Not only will I have a simple knowledge of spanish [or italian] which will undoubably enable me to pick up the languages quicker but it will help me communicate with students better, therefore helping them more. That is also compounded by the fact I've had 4 language teachers im my language learning history and that helps me understand the ways about going to teach language.

4. It seems that my dreams of doing this over the summer are just dreams. To teach english in the E.U. at least, it's only realistic to go for a whole year, correct?

5. All-in-all if feel pretty lost about this all, I wish I could do this but it seems there are many road blocks in the way and I'm not sure if there is anywhere I can really seek help on this issue?


-Thankyou for your help, and sorry if I rambled a bit, but like I said, I'm a bit lost on all this.

Mike W.
Canada



 

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[Mikahl]

Hello Mike,

I have just finished my CELTA and I'm on the ground looking for work in Andalucia. Here is the situation as I see it:

First, TEFL certificates vary in quality. From what I can gather the two best are the Cambridge CELTA and the Trinity TESOL are the two most highly regarded. You'll notice that they require certain prereq's be met. Don't worry about those because if I can meet them than any dumbass can. I'm sure I'll get blasted for this, but don't waist your money on any other TEFL cert. The academies do know the difference, or at least think there is one. It is possible to teach without a cert but typically not here in Spain.

Second, being a non-EU national can be a bit of a f&%@ker but it is NOT impossible. The Spanish really don't give two sh!*$ about paying someone under the table, much to the angst of the other nations. They would prefer to use an EU national, but if your personable and likable then they may give you the job anyway. This is true for any job you apply for anywhere in the world.

Third, the summer is not a good time to come and work in Spain. First, its unbarebly hot. Second, the only places that will hire you are business English contractors and private firms. You might also be able to put together a string of individual private lessons. In the UK they have language summer camps. They don't have those as much here in Spain. It would be better to do a course at the end of July beginning of September or the end of November. some teachers are going to return to their respective countries and decide that they don't want to teach any longer, leaving empty slots in academies.

If your just coming here to learn the language and immerse yourself in the culture it might be better just to do a spanish course with one of the language academies here in Spain. You'll be with other students from other nationalities and Spanish may be your only common tongue. You can also ask the academy for an 'intercambio.' That's a student that is studying english and wants to practice. They speak in English half the time and the other half you get to practice Spanish. I don't recommend doing a study abroad program with an American university. You will only be with American 'pijos' that don't come hear to learn a language. They come hear for a 3 month spring break on Mommy and Daddy's tab. I did a Study Abroad trip through my uni. The first semester was wasted because I spent all of my time with americans because it was easier. I decided to stay for another and avoid americans like the plague...my spanish improved at an exponential rate.

At any rate good luck,
Michael



 

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[Mike23]

Thanks for the info!

I have to ask though, really, in your opinion how much of a risk is it to go there, do the certification and then get a job? The whole deal seems like it's quite a risk to take on as it all seems uncertain.

I am confident in my ability to do the course, be personable, and intice an employer to hire me, but still the whole process seems very 'iffy'.

Aslo as far as the school exchange goes, I can [if i decide during Januaryish] apply to a program in Vico Italy where we go and directly through the university, learn intermediate italian in italy. The course all-in-all seems a bit expensive and I really dont want to limit my experiance either.

Do you know anything about finding information on spanish schools that I could apply to as an exchange individually [my university doesn't have anything formally arranged]

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[Mikahl]

I only know of one person that has accuired a job without certification. The process is 'iffy.' There is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to find a job. I am currently without a job. I have my certification and I am sending my CV out to as many academies as a possible. But it may turn out that I can't get a job here in Spain. I am only hoping. There isn't anyone on this forum that will be able to give you a course of action that will ensure you a job. Make a plan and run without. It could be that you come here with a full bank account and end up with nothing. Could be that you come here find a job, fall in love with teaching and never go back home. All you can do is run with it.

Good luck,
Michael  

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[stasia]

All I have to say is this: Timing is everything.  

I have lived in Spain for a year and before that I taught in Prague.  In both places I have seen qualified teachers with experience unable to find jobs because there simply weren't any, and I have seen people whose only qualification was being able to speak English get almost full-time teaching hours because a warm body was needed.  It is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.  You have to just put yourself out there and walk through a lot of doors and hope that they are looking for someone.  But I would still say that YES, qualifications help.  definitely.  Good luck to everybody.    

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[tonytorero]

It's refreshing to see, on this thread as well as others, so many front-line Café members pitching in and offering so much heart-felt, sincere advice to our newer members. Thanks to stasia and Mikahl and everyone else. Keep this up. You're making our job as admins/moderators easy and enjoyable!  B)  

Have a  :cafe: con leche on us!  :wub:

   

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[OhMyStaz]

3. I have 3 years of high school spanish and one intermediate university course. [total of 4 courses over 4 years] And I am currently in beginner italian and will most likely take the second beginner italian course next semester. Are these not both assets to teaching english?

I live in Holland now, and spend about half my time communicating in Dutch.  It's definitely a benefit to me in teaching English - and I've sold it as such - but not in the ways you've mentioned.  One of the REALLY cool things about being a native speaker of English who likes to travel is that you can get these jobs WITHOUT knowing the language of your target country - the classes are held in English, because immersion is theoretically the most efficient way to learn at certain levels - so your job - again, in theory - is really just to speak English.  So in that respect, there's no benefit in knowing any other languages.

However - having studied a language in school, in my experience, will make you a much more empathic teacher - better able to understand your students' blocks and shyness.  Knowing Spanish shows that you have an interest in Spain in a way that I can't claim - for example - so if it were you against me in a hypothetical competition for a job - you might win out because you speak spanish.  But i would imagine (and i don't know, in spain) that my certificate would shift the odds in my favor.

Having a certificate, in addition to showing that you know that your students are supposed to spend more time talking in class than you are (i haven't mastered this one yet!) - shows that you are serious about teaching.  from what i've gathered on these boards and others i've seen - and from checking out want ads - schools are looking for serious teachers - so giving them that impression could also raise your chances of getting a job.

that's my two cents.  [smiles]

 

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