Help unsure what course to do

[shedboy66]

Hi I'm form Scotland I am looking to start a career in Teaching English to foreign students I want to probably start teaching here in the UK to make sure this career is right for me/gain experience etc before taking the plunge and moving abroad.
What course would everyone advise would be right for me a CELTA or TEFL, also would I need any further teaching qualifications to carryout one to one tuition?

thanks for all and any help

gary

[ICAL_Pete]

Hi Gary,

The UK is a highly competitive market for ESL teachers. Most schools require a Degree and often teaching experience on top of a Certificate.

These schools might also favor a Degree or Diploma from one college (or country) but not another (regardless of the content of these courses). Some employers insist on a traditional on-campus certificate course whilst others recognize the value of online certificates issued by a professional organization.

Basically, requirements vary from school to school so it might be worth making a list of the schools in the area where you'd like to work and contact them to see exactly what their hiring criteria are.

On the other hand, if you are looking at private tutoring on a one to one basis then a quality online TESL/TEFL training course would be ideal to get you started. This will allow you to get a taster of the ELT profession and see if it is really for you before committing your time, effort and finances to get to the next level.

[systematic]

Gary,
There is sometimes not a lot of difference in the prices of on-line and face-to-face courses. If you can afford it, go for the face-to-face course - it will give you practical experience and a lot of confidence.

[ThomasTopham]

I would advise against starting in the UK. ESL teaching is not a particularly prestigious job there, the competition is huge... I just can't see any upside.

On the other hand, as a native speaker teacher in foreign lands you are the respected foreign expert, you can learn a new language and get immersed in another culture...

As to what course to take, just be sure it is externally assessed, and that it includes a practical teaching component. CELTA, Trinity, it's all good and all fairly similar. I'd select a geographic area you'd like to find work in, and go and take the course there - it allows you to get a feel for what students are like there, and you can get the inside scoop on the job market. Often, if you are a strong candidate, you'll get offered work by the school providing your course before you've even finished it.

[systematic]

I would advise against starting in the UK. ESL teaching is not a particularly prestigious job there, the competition is huge... I just can't see any upside.

I will certainly agree with Thomas on that.
Do remember however, that the much revered CELTA is based on teaching adults, but of course the basic principles are the same and there is lots of help on TEFL.net and other forums for ideas for teaching kids, if that happens to be what you want to do.

Here are a couple of links to help you on your way:
Salaries: http://www.nittayo.org/tesol_discussions/viewforum.php?f=7
General & cost of living: http://www.nittayo.org/faq.html#question2
There are lots of TESOL courses in Thailand but this CELTA centre is owned by the retired former Cambridge University ESOL director for Southeast Asia:
http://www.ihbangkok.com/celta_in_cm.html
It's not the cheapest, but the complete package actually represents excellent value.
And do check the warnings on the other threads on this forum.