I have been doing a lot of research looking for my options. I am leaving the military here shortly and hanging it up for good. I want to be a TEFLer in every way possible. I however do not have a college degree due to my many deployments in the military and "mission coming first".
I want to enroll in a TEFL classroom environment course when I return home in November of 2012(I'm currently in Afghanistan). I intend on enrolling in an accredited online college after I finish my TEFL course and getting a job overseas hopefully.
I realize that I am restricted to certain areas due to not having a degree as of now. I figure that works in my favor in a way, although it does add an extra workload on top of teaching, but 12 years in the military and Im pretty good at multi-tasking. That way I can get a few years of TEFL experience under my belt while I work towards my degree.
After that, the whole world opens up to me. In the meantime however, I have looked at every possible site out there that I came across regarding non degree holding TEFL countries but a lot of them seem to contradict each other.
I'm basically just asking if anyone knows of any updated country list as of this year that non degree holders can teach in.
Any information or posts that can help me and other TEFL newcomers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance...Have a blessed day!!
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hey i know this was posted in January but i have just stumbled upon it now.... I was just wanting to ask if you decided what course you were going to do? online distance learning or a residential school. I was almost sure i was gonna do the 140 hour online course , until i found a cambridge accredited residential school in Prague. Its more expense and very intense but i think its the way im gonna go. I may aswell study for my tefl in a different country rather than here in the uk . Prague looks beautiful and the company i found quarantees to find you a job when u qualify.
No worries. Cheers! :-)
Hi,
I've worked in both Ecuador and Spain without a degree. Ecuador was easier as in Spain most schools will require at least 2 years experience - although that isn't always the case. The famous/infamous Vaughan Systems prefer teachers with no experience which was my downfall with them! However, if you're American it may be pretty difficult to get a visa for Europe, (degree or not) and many schools do demand that you have your papers arranged before they'll even give you an interview.
In Ecuador it will make it a bit harder to get a work visa but you can always get around that somehow.... I had a tourist visa that 'somehow' lasted a year!
I left school at 16 and after that only got vocational qualifications in motor engineering and horticulture. I also have a TEFL certificate. I can work for some people here in Spain but not others... I'm currently teaching soldiers! But I can't teach at the ministry of Education, although I can for the Ministry of Indusrty.
I think it's the level of your qualifications rather than the subject thet is important for many companies as they really just want to tick all the right boxes. Your ability as a teacher will be judged at interview and as an ongoing process.
I would definitely advise you to get the maximum hours TEFL you can do, or maybe do CELTA instead, which I'm currently considering as it carries a little more more weight with some employers.
Thanks a lot Lori and Leroy...that put me at ease to know that China is open to me :) Looks like I will have to find a nice instute to do my TEFL/TEFL in a classroom environment. The biggest issue is me being out of school for so long....But then again when I did a semester of college when I did find a couple of monthes of actual free time after no school for 10 years I did manage to get A's in all of my studies for that semester, which surprised me to say the least. I will be fine as long as I go in eager and willing to learn and do everything I can to get the grade. Once again thanks a lot and I'm sure I will have more questions for you aspecially once you get in country and start doing your thing >.<
I took the TESL course. The school I was at also offered CELTA, but it was more expensive and the content being taught in the course was the same as TESL. The difference is that some schools might want you to have CELTA. Regardless of what course you take, it will be rather intense. There is a lot to learn in a short amount of time. The area that I had the most difficulty with was grammar. It has never been my strong suit. That being said, I had great teachers and supportive classmates that helped me out when I didn't understand things, studied lots, and ended up doing fine on the exam. I think that's why it helps to do the TESL course in a classroom, where you have direct contact with your peers and teachers and can get help easily when you need it.
I was worried about not having a university degree until I started looking for work in China and found that it was not needed. If you are looking in Beijing or Shanghai, more schools are looking for applicants with degrees because this is where most people are interested in teaching and there is more competition for the positions. I found most of the schools I had interviews with asked about international experience and your ability to adapt to living in a different climate/culture. Sometging I don;t have, but will gain from my time in China. Don't let yourself be held back by not having a degree. It seems daunting at the beginning when you are reading things online and you seem to need a degree for everything - but it is possible without one :)
China is one area you may explore. As of now, there is no requirement for a degree, just a TEFL certification will do.
Thank you so much for all the info!!!....On top of that...what type of TEFL certification did you recieve...TEFL/CELTA/TESOL?...I have no degree as you kno and I am 29 and have been out of school for 12 years, and p[eople have said that CELTA is very intense and being out of school for so long, I am kind of nervous about that one...Also I was thinking of doing an actual in-person/in the classroom 140 course. I dont want to do one online, as I want all the face to face I can get. You have a lot of credentials and experience. Im so envious >.< I guess Im just nervous because I dont have a degree and no experience but I have dedication and Im nervous about the corse as a whole being out of school for so long. Once again thank you for everything Lorilynn.
I've copied and pasted your question in to ensure that I don't miss any:
What all experience/certification did you have when you first went to China?
2 college diplomas plus experience working with new immigrants to Canada
Who did you do your TEFL through and how many hours was it?
International House: http://www.sol-group.net/
in Toronto, Canada. They have campuses in US and around the world. My course was 140 hours. Although you can do courses online, I recommend doing them in an in class setting. I feel as though I got a lot more out of it and had the opportunty to observe ESL adult class, and teach 5 classes (each one was 90 minutes long and taught to a group of 12 ESL students - great practice)
how long did it take from when you took your TEFL to the time you got your job?
3 weeks. 2 of my other classmates found jobs in South Korea in about the same amount of time. I think it all depends how much time and effort you put into looking and how organized you are.
Also how did you recieve your job offer and what resources did you use to acquire the jo?
I applied for jobs using Dave's ESL cafe: http://www.eslcafe.com/ and http://www.seriousteachers.com/
After apply and hearing back from employers were interested, I would do an interview over Skype. From there I would have the opportunity to ask questions about the school and what they were offering, see the contract and decide wether I was interested. Looking for work in China went very fast.
Feel free to ask any more questions you might have. I am happy to help. :)
What all experience/certification did you have when you first went to China? Also who did you do your TEFL through and how many hours was it?...Also how did you recieve your job offer and what resources did you use to acquire the job and how long did it take from when you took your TEFL to the time you got your job?...Sorry to ask all of these questions, but you are the only person who has been pleasant enough to answer my questions thus far outside of Briona. >.< Thank you very much!
It really is very confusing. When I was looking into what countries I could teach in, I found many conflicting answers online. You can teach in China without a degree and get a valid work visa. To do so, your employer must vouch with the government that they are confident that you are the right person for the job - meaning that if you do not have a degree and the school is okay with it, you can get a work visa for TESL in China. :)
I realize that some schools dont require a degree, but the degree isnt so much for the school as it is for the visa...Last I checked, in China you need a degree to get a working visa but i really dont know anmore...this is all getting really frustrating...thanks for the info though Lorilynn.
Hi, I am going to China to teach without a degree. Other options are Taiwan, and many parts of Europe are open as well. Of hand, I can think of Spain and Polland. This all depends on the school that you are applying to and what level of education they want teachers to have.
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