Comments on: Letter from a reader- TEFL for oldsters

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:21:57 +0000

Thank you all for your comments.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:21:06 +0000

What exactly did you mean by:

‘I took a TEFL course in my 50’s but had no intention of using it to find mainstream work’ and also by ‘My experiences on the course with young fresh graduates who had no teaching experience made me think my decision not to apply for mainstream jobs was right’.

What exactly do you mean by: ‘mainstream work’ and what did you eventually do?

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:44:01 +0000

Age discrimination is alive and well in Thailand. You only have to read some of the ads on Ajarn to see that. If you are much over 40 forget it.

As an experienced teacher at an FE College in the UK I took a TEFL course in my 50′s but had no intention of using it to find mainstream work.
My experiences on the course with young fresh graduates who had no teaching experience made me think my decision not to apply for mainstream jobs was right.

By: Troy

Troy — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:39:55 +0000

I think there are quite a few ‘oldsters’ in TEFL, often people who burn out at their day job and want something different or semi-retirees who need some beer money.

All the same, in my opinion age shouldn’t really be a factor (other than some middle eastern countries whose visa process forbids people over 50something).

Alex may be right in that it can be a bit odd to have a boss half your age, but there are so many jobs available out there that you surely can find your way around that. He does offer some very good advice though, with a solid CELTA I can’t see you being turned down most anywhere.

By: David V.

David V. — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:03:08 +0000

Also, this isn’t exactly the career to get into to build up a nest egg before retirement, so coming into it with a bit of money behind you is probably preferable. I’ve known a few people who love the job after having had successful careers in, say, banking or the military for 20 years as they are already secure for their retirement.