& Agents
2.3 Which of these appeals to you?
Rank them from 1 (most attractive) to 6 (least attractive). Go to a country and meet local teachers socially Go to a country and cold-call schools
Talk to people I already know who have taught abroad
Ask friends to put me in touch with TEFL teachers they know
Do a face-to-face TEFL course and keep in touch with fellow students and tutors Post on an internet forum
TEFL teachers would always suggest that personal contacts work best. Meeting other teachers socially is a good place to start. Like any sort of job hunting, it’s good to meet people at schools in person and be on the ground and available when positions arise.
Just remember, if you’re not the sort of person who wants to set off and make contacts, that’s fine as well. In particular, if you’ve never travelled before, it’s worth using networks in your home country or on the internet to arrange a job in advance.
Reflection & Action
Decide what you’re happiest with – pick your preferred options from 2.3 and follow up on them.
SUMMARY
l Think explicitly about the networks you can make l Don’t hesitate to ask people
KEY RESOURCES
Online forums:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=30 http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/
The TESLJB-L mailing list (for making contacts, and receiving postings about jobs)
http://www.lsoft.com/scripts/wl.exe?sl1=tesljb-l&h=listserv.cuny.edu
Section 3:
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DID YOU KNOW?
l Job adverts typically spell out conditions clearly l There are some snags you should learn to avoid
First Thoughts
QUIZ In which country…
Do employers often pay for a return airfare?
a. Japan b. China
Can you make the most money?
a. Turkey b. Saudi Arabia
Is the typical hourly rate higher?
a. Russia b. Vietnam
You can find the answers at the bottom of the page.
In this part we look at some general principals regarding what to look for in a contract and your rights and responsibilities as an employee. In Section 7 we look in more detail at conditions country
See what TEFL-Travellers have to say!
I took the TEFL course online, just after I’d moved to Sweden after finishing my Masters. After I’d completed the course I started teaching English at various levels at a couple of evening class organisations. This wasn’t organised through TEFL or anything - I had to sort it out all on my own. I did have a lot of fun, and got to meet all kinds of people. I had to do whatever I could get workwise over there, and money was tight, but my teaching jobs were the ones that kept the smile on my face.
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Louise Clark from the UK
4Conditions
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1.1
Section 3: Finding Good W ork
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The Facts
Go back to Part 1 of this section
Remind yourself of the different types of positions available – at a government school, chain school etc. What kind of position looks most attractive to you? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________
Do you agree or disagree?
Agree Disagree Schools need you more than you need them.
You shouldn’t negotiate.
Ask direct questions about your contract.
Deal directly with a person – avoid emails with ‘Sir/Madam’. Be courteous.
You can break a contract.
We Suggest:
l Schools do need you. If you don’t feel right about a school when you first deal with them, don’t pursue it – there are plenty of other opportunities.
l You can always negotiate – but be polite. Some teachers recommend negotiating after you’ve started with a school and already made a good impression.
l Always ask direct questions so you’re clear about what you want to know (and again, be polite). l You should find out the name of the person with whom you’re dealing. A personal relationship
helps things run smoothly and it’s easier to know what’s going on.
l Always be courteous. Getting angry or even being seen as ‘proud’ is a considerable loss of face in many cultures.
l Many teachers do break contracts if things don’t work out. In view of this, many schools offer a bonus at the end of a contract.
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2.1
2.2
Section 3: Finding Good W ork
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Look at the forums listed in the Key Resources section on page 52
See the types of feedback teachers have given about different schools. What are typical features of good schools and bad schools?
Good Schools Bad Schools
You probably will have found that teachers do not define good schools based only on money or physical conditions. Teachers value:
l Respect from management
l Someone on staff you can talk to about problems l A culture of teaching and learning - not just profit
The most reliable ways to tell if a school is good is if there are positive testimonials from other teachers. Use contacts or online forums.
The first sign of a bad school is when they evade questions or are willing to behave questionably (for example, offering to employ you illegally). If they’re lying to the government, why wouldn’t they lie to you? If anything doesn’t seem quite right, trust your instincts and go somewhere else.
Schools are usually upfront about rates of pay.
What might not be clear are your working hours – which in turn can affect how much money you receive.
What details would you want to know about teaching hours in reference to the below?
l Monthly salary maximum hours
l Hourly rate l Split shifts
l Travel required between sites l Extracurricular activities
We Suggest:
l A monthly salary: ask about maximum hours, because $2,000 for 120 hours is a very different pay rate from $2,000 for 80 hours. As a rule, new teachers would not want to teach more than
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l An hourly rate: ask about minimum hours. For example, $20 might look like a good hourly rate in Prague, but not if you only work five hours a week.
l Split shifts: find out if there are any, and what the possible configurations are. To give you an extreme example, imagine if your teaching hours on one day were as follows: 8:00AM – 9:00AM, 12:00PM -1:00PM, 3:00PM – 4:00PM and 7:00PM – 9:00PM! It wouldn’t make for a very enjoyable life – especially if you were living in a foreign country!
l Different sites: ascertain whether you are expected to go to different branches or, for example, work with corporate clients at their workplace. Consider travel time and how you will travel. l Extracurricular activities: ask what they are and how many hours they involve. Be careful that
‘activities’ are not unpaid teaching in disguise.
Remember:
They need you more than you need them! Don’t be afraid to ask. If a school evades your questions, simply move along.
Also, always be prepared!
Try to determine what will happen if you decide to break your contract (e.g. pose the question on an online forum if you don’t want to discuss it with the employer). Consider having an emergency fund to cover expenses if you’re suddenly out of work.
Reflection & Action
Go back to the jobs you bookmarked in 4.1.
Draft an email to clear up any queries regarding:
l Exact days and hours per week
l Pay l Location l Out-of-class responsibilities l Type of students l Resources l Living conditions
SUMMARY
l Be courteous yet upfront. Ask what you need to know l If it doesn’t feel right, move on
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E
See what TEFL-Travellers have to say!
I was in Qingdao, China! The schools’ grounds were made up of a preschool and kindergarten school and a grade 1-12 school, both of which were made up of Chinese and Korean students, and an American international school, which catered to Korean and Japanese students. I taught classes at all three schools, working with kindergarten-2nd grade. I taught a total of 22 classes (between 30-50 minutes long).
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Lauren Mehl from the USA
KEY RESOURCES
Advice on finding a good school:
http://www.articlesbase.com/languages-articles/find-a-reputable-tefl-school-abroad-649405.html
What to ask a school:
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0503/teaching english_abroad_the_ good_the_bad_the_ugly.shtml
For teacher forums:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/
Blacklist (mainly China and Korea):
http://eslblacklist.com/
Interesting article regarding warning signs of bad schools:
Section 4: Getting Good W ork Introduction Personal Contact
Understand how beneficial it is to deal directly with a person, rather than anonymously, when applying for a job.
Application Letter Or Email
Learn how to make your application stand out in a stack of hundreds – you can also take a look at a model application.
Creating A Teaching Resume
Top tips on how to create a teaching resume that resonates with the needs of employers.
Section 4
Getting Good Work
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Section 4:
Getting Good
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