TESOL for Teaching

Discussion on schools, colleges, universities, educational facilities, teaching, and learning resources for adults and children.
chopsticks
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by chopsticks »

Thanks bapak for the explanation of what's considered locally as an acceptable course.
:cheers:
mabubba
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by mabubba »

Bapak,

Any comments on this course? Below is the excerpt from ECC's website

Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) + Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL)
Take both the internationally recognized CELTA course and our locally recognized TEYL course for US$ 1,600. By combining the CELTA and the TEYL you will be in an ideal position to cope with all the different kinds of teaching situations you are likely to find yourself in when you start teaching.


Thanks :cheers: :cheers:
bapak
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by bapak »

mabubba wrote:Bapak,

Any comments on this course? Below is the excerpt from ECC's website

Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) + Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL)
Take both the internationally recognized CELTA course and our locally recognized TEYL course for US$ 1,600. By combining the CELTA and the TEYL you will be in an ideal position to cope with all the different kinds of teaching situations you are likely to find yourself in when you start teaching.


Thanks :cheers: :cheers:
I have no problem with twhat they are offering..
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johnnyk
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by johnnyk »

chopsticks wrote:Is TEFL just a generic name for the many different English teaching courses and certificates available or is it referring to a recognised award from one examining body as with CELTA ?
I have seen 'TEFL' courses advertised that can be completed in one weekend or just by signing up to do some on-line lessons.
Yes. Its simply the name of the course/diploma. Samesame BA. Trinity College Cambridge and Buttphuk State College both award a BA degree. One is likely better then the other. Who its given by and what is demanded separate the good from the useless.
One weekend? You are just lining someone's pocket.
As an eg. my TESOL was 325 classroom hours, 7 core courses, 4 electives plus a 40-hour teaching practicum. Took over 2 years part time and would have been 11 months full-time. Cost was about CDN$ 3,500.
If in Thailand, do the CELTA.
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Acadian450
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by Acadian450 »

I too am interested in teaching English in Thailand and I have corresponded with Donald at the learning center and will be following up with him in the next few months with the idea of taking a course in August or September. My question is I am over 50 and that seems to be the magic cut off age for a job guarante after the course. Any comments on that folks. Thanks
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by E-Dork »

My question is I am over 50 and that seems to be the magic cut off age for a job guarante after the course. Any comments on that folks. Thanks
You will have no problem finding a job a teaching job at 50+ years old..... won't be in Hua Hin though really. Bangkok has plenty of jobs available... salary ranges as follows.

Tefl/Celta/Delta/Teyl etc. only: 35,000

Any of the above plus degree in unrelated field: 40-45,000

Degree in unrelated field only: 38-40,000

Teaching Certificate plus degree in Education: 50,000++

Above plus Masters: 80,000++

Nothing but ya rucksack: 35,000
If it's within arms reach, there's nothing to worry about!!
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johnnyk
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by johnnyk »

What fun to try living in BKK on 35-40K!
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lomuamart
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by lomuamart »

Well maybe the salary isn't everything. Maybe the teaching is just for something to do and get a bit extra as well?
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by migrant »

lomuamart wrote:Well maybe the salary isn't everything. Maybe the teaching is just for something to do and get a bit extra as well?
That's my thought. We plan on moving over once the "nest egg" is sufficient, but I enjoy keeping busy (and don' play golf) so thought of teaching. Extra money is always nice, but I would hate to move over and depend upon living on a teachers salary.

I've taught some university classes, and many adult education and do enjoy it. :cheers:
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by Spitfire »

You'll earn extra money, no dramas Migrant, for sure, no worries.

As an aside, sorry to sound cynical etc, in many Thai schools/colleges/universities, they have no idea what a CELTA/TEFL/TESOL etc means anyhow, so long as you have one of them then you'll be alright really IMO and be offered a job, CELTA/DELTA is best but I have applied at some place and they have no idea what they are and just offer you a job with 'monkey boy' farang on the same deal that's from an agency and has sweat FA in the line of qualifications and the like.

Many of your average Thai educational insitutions have no idea who to employ and who not to.

Sometime it's 'beggar's belief' really.

If it looks like an orange, then it is one etc, you know man. :roll:

You wouldn't believe the turn-over factor of teachers where I am at these so called 'high-so' Catholic schools and the like etc. :shock:

The crap that many places employ just through need etc is astonishing etc really. :shock:
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E-Dork
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by E-Dork »

Spitfire said...

Code: Select all

As an aside, sorry to sound cynical etc, in many Thai schools/colleges/universities, they have no idea what a CELTA/TEFL/TESOL etc means anyhow, so long as you have one of them then you'll be alright really IMO and be offered a job, CELTA/DELTA is best but I have applied at some place and they have no idea what they are and just offer you a job with 'monkey boy' farang on the same deal that's from an agency and has sweat FA in the line of qualifications and the like.
Spitfire is spot on with this one unfortunately. This is what I was kind of getting at with showing the same salary offered to those with any of the certificates and to those with just their rucksack. Really it is only the international schools that....

a) Have any idea of the quality of each certificate.

b) Gives a monkeys about what you can teach, IF you can teach and..

c) regards the students education to be of the upmost importance and strives to improve their learning experience.

The missus runs a 'teaching agency' as such. Basically all she does is call around the Thai Government Schools finding what positions they need filling and grabbing some chap off Ajarn.com and sticking them in there for 35,000 while she gets a tidy little 3,000 in the bank from each one. I have no idea why the schools don't just do this themselves - maybe they can't read the English in order to navigate the webpage! The only schools which will be very strict on the qualities of the teacher she offers them are International Schools.

The prices of the International Schools are unfortunately quite substantial, but if you are looking for a decent education, unfortunately, they are your only guarantee of a competant teacher such is the laid back recruitment process of lesser schools.
If it's within arms reach, there's nothing to worry about!!
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by johnnyk »

I have doubts about teaching in BKK for "something to do" and a bit of extra cash. The "something to do" can be exhausting with split shifts and over-crowded classes of unruly Somchais who can do no wrong. Most of the "schools" are that in name only. They are businesses and wringing the most out of the teacher for the least money is the game. Very often there are few or no materials, meddling incompetent bean-counters telling you how to teach, no support for the teacher whatever in the face of parents demanding to know why Somchai is not fluent after three weeks despite his absences and his gnat-like attention span.
Beyond international schools, which hire only MAs with GCE equivalent and experience, the best bet is upcountry in a nice city like Khon Kaen. Teach at a college/rajabhat with 12-14 contact hours a week for about 28K, pick up an easy 10K more doing privates and living costs 50% of BKK.
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by Spitfire »

Places like Khon Kaen/Korat/Udon Thani etc then you can now comfortably pull in a basic of 35K a month.

Lots of jobs available in the northeast, salaries going up too these days and living expenses/prices are more reasonable, hence the exodus and explosion of the expat population in such places in the last 5 years.

Agree with JK about teaching in BBK in a 'sweat shop factory' school, it'd suck man, just the 'rack em and stack em' policy in those classrooms. :shock:
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Acadian450
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by Acadian450 »

Thanks everyone, great information, I would like to stay in Hua Hin but it looks like that might be more difficult. The one area I did not get to when I was there Sept to Nov was the Northeast so I guess this would be a chance to see it.

Thanks again
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Re: TESOL for Teaching

Post by johnnymac »

johnnyk wrote:Very often there are few or no materials, meddling incompetent bean-counters telling you how to teach, no support for the teacher whatever in the face of parents demanding to know why Somchai is not fluent after three weeks despite his absences and his gnat-like attention span.
Made me chuckle JohnnyK.

I was told by one of the instructors when I was doing my TP that a classroom of Arab students is probably the hardest to deal with. I subsequently taught some for 6 months and found them to be ok after a few weeks.
Looks like I might be in for a rude awakening when I teach in Thailand :shock:
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