Non graduate means not intelligent ?

[Doyley]

I am newly qualified TEFL teacher (certificate + specialist certificates Large classes Young learners Business English etc.
I am a mature woman (OK OLD) but I have worked in theatre as a trained actress run my own drama workshops and taught drama as a private tutor. I have bags of life experience but I DO NOT HAVE A DEGREE this seems to exclude me immediately from many teaching opportunities. I have already worked in the volunteer section with children but now need to secure a post with at least accommodation food paid for.......... any chance...?????

[jasminade]

Okay, where are you and want do you want to do?

[systematic]

It"s the title of your topic that confuses.
Once upon a time, particularly in the UK, it used to be traditional for people, particularly those who were fortunate enough not to be going to need to work for a living, but also those who might pursue a career in politics or the military, to study the Greats or humanities. Unless one was inclined to a lifetime of academia, research and pushing out papers, these were/are fairly 'breadless' degrees. Nevertheless they were highly regarded as a benchmark of aptitude for learning - the kind of thing that invokes comments like "if you can learn that, you can learn anything!"

Nowadays the value of a degree has been debased by the sheer numbers of people getting them. It may be safe to assume that degrees have not got any easier to obtain, but that the standard of the required preparatory education has improved. Certainly today, a degree is not a measure of intelligence. It is a certification of a successful completion of education at the tertiary level, in a particular subject. Many people up to and including the the generation of post war baby-boomers did not require a degree in order to be accepted for the kind of career that would demand a certain measure of 'intelligence'. Nowadays, in emerging economies such as Thailand it is not possible to get a job as an aircrew, office clerk, or store manager without a degree in something.

No, a degree is not necessary for a responsible, mature, native speaker who wants to teach English. Unfortunately, the governments of most countries have set a degree - in anything - as a requirement for obtaining a visa and a Work Permit.

I have come a cross some very stupid people with degrees.

[Living Languages]

Here at our school I would say that a degree would be a plus but it is not at all obligatory. There are a lot of skills that go in to being a great TEFL teacher that have nothing to do with wheather you have a degree or not. Good luck-

http://livinglanguages.net/english-teachers/teach-english-in-madrid.html

http://livinglanguages.net

[castillo]

Ranchomargot in Costa Rica is looking for an English teacher to teach students and employees. You might be able to get a nice job there. Please write your experiences to jsostheim@ranchomargot.org.
The website www.ranchomargot.org It is a beautiful place and might just be the place you are looking for.

Good luck
Nadine

[zRichi]

Hi

Unfortunately I hit this major wall as well.

At the age of 18 I had to go live on my own after finishing my levels (all a -c) I went straight into work in the IT sector and ended up becoming a computer programmer for Ashridge Business College (a prestigious management college- mostly for MBA's degrees). At 17 I was obviously looking at universities but when my mother died I had to live on my own and look after myself and my brother.
After a while I realised this wasn't for me and booked myself on a CELTA course as I'm not a fan of the UK and wanted a bit more of a peaceful life in somewhere like china ( a small city like Wuhu or Zhuhai).
At 20 I started my degree in English through the open university (so I could do it all from home) and I'm still doing it (22 now) and I've just found out that you can only teach in china on a Z visa.

To get a Z visa you need a BA degree.

This has upset me greatly...as my job was made redundant on December 1st and I have enough money to tie myself over until my Celta course(ending 29th jan) in which case I was going to sell everything and go to china.

But now I can't.

Is there anywhere I can teach? Or have I just wasted a grande on a certificate I can't use?
I honestly don't know what to do now and I'm so upset

[systematic]

Hi zRichie,
There may be a way of accelerating your OU course but you don't state what kind of English degree you are doing. You may find that with your TEFL certification you can start your teaching career closer to home or in the extended EU or Turkey where the demand for a degree might not be so stringent, the cost of getting there is much lower, and where there are no £100 visas to buy, or heavy WP fees.
When you have completed your degree, you would then be able to look further afield.