So I've blatantly bored/annoyed the hell out of the Chalkboard community already by demanding advice on what I should be doing and where etc.
I wholeheartedly apologise. But I still require your clever guidance and wisdom, people.
I would like to go to Spain (Barcelona) eventually, I'm pretty settled on that. I do not have a CELTA however, which I am probably going to have to do to get a job over there. I would do a CELTA here in Leeds.
I am also very intrigued by the Thai/China internships. China is a fascinating place and Thailand is meant to be beautiful. Part of me wants to explore those options.
I am unsure whether to do one of the internships and then try for Spain (probably without a CELTA as I wouldn't be able to afford it due to paying for the Internships) or to just do a CELTA in the next couple of months and head to Spain. Trouble is, I've been told that coming to Spain this summer (or earlier) will be the worst time to come and I will struggle to get work. Apparently the best time to go there is January or September.
So I'm trying to work out what's best to do and what timeframe to do it in - whether I should do an internship and worry about Spain later, do an Internship and then go to Spain afterwards, even though I'll be going at a bad time (Thai internship finishes in October, China in late January I believe), or forget about the internship and do a CELTA here and go to Spain straight after and see what happens, or do something else until September and then hit Barca.
At least it's not complicated.
I'm sorry.
Loading recent content...
What do you think?
Add Your Comment!
Log in to leave a comment or Create an account
Hey,
Well, it does sound as though you have reached a decision about where you want to teach. If the Far East is where you really want to be then I'd say go for it. No matter how much you love Spain it cannot be compared to Asia. In any case, you'll be a lot more attractive to the Spanish market if you get some experience first.
To give yourself the pick of the jobs in the Far East and also to start your career off on the right foot, why not take your CELTA out there? As I said there are seven CELTA providers in Thailand and another two in China (one in Beijing and one in Shanghai). Even if the school where you do your CELTA has no vacancies, you'll often find that they have links to local and national employers who will consider their graduates above anyone else's. Almost two years after doing my CELTA my school still emails me lists of current job vacancies.
Briona
Hey guys, thanks for the comments and advice! I think it's clear that I need to do a CELTA at some point. That seems obvious now.
I'm still drawn to the Far East (Thailand/China/Hong Kong). I've lived in Spain and love it there, and know that I will enjoy living there, but I've never lived out in the Far East and I'm intrigued by the place and I do want to see what it's like at some point. I think I will want to be in Spain long-term, but I can't shake my curiosity for the East...it's there lingering in the back of my head and won't go away!
Do I just get over it (and maybe I will once I'm in Barca), or do I go over to the Far East but still do a CELTA, either before I go or when I get back?!
Pooooooooo!!!
Hey, yeah, I consider my CertTESOL to be the best things I ever did (definitely job wise anyways)! I loved it so much, and it's so reassuring to know that I have that under my belt. I did it in my hometown and they basically said I can have a job any time between March and September (and it's a small home town with a small language school). Schools often give priority to people who trained with them. I think that you will find you have all the support you need as long as you go somewhere with other English teachers. We like to talk to each other, and I'm sure there's no shortage in Barcalona! It also means there is the option of looking for a job while doing your course (although you won't have an abundance of free time at least you are in the country!). I went to uni in Leeds btw, and I love that city (although I did end up being where you are and NEEDING to leave the country)
Hi again (I'm not stalking you, I promise!),
In your position I would put the money you've earmarked for an internship towards a CELTA instead. Having a CELTA means that, subject to satisfying visa conditions, you really can work anywhere in the world.
I was once told that if you know where you want to teach it's worth doing your CELTA in that country. Thus I did mine in Spain although as it happens I've never actually taught there! There are currently 11 CELTA providers in Spain and 7 in Thailand (see http://cambridgeesol-centres.org/centres/teaching/index.do).
One good thing about doing a CELTA in your preferred teaching location is that at the end of the course, graduates are often offered a position in that school. I took my CELTA in Spain in Feb-Mar 2010 and at the end of the course there were two vacancies for anyone who was interested. So even though it wasn't a traditional hiring time, having trained us the school knew what we were like and was prepared to offer some of us jobs. In fact, much of that school's teaching staff is made up from its CELTA graduates.
Hope that helps. Though perhaps I've just confused matters further!
Briona
» Comments RSS