Hi, I'm a 24-year old American native with a progressive degenerative cerebellar disease known as SCA. I've been passionate about TEFL in Southeast Asia since I graduated high school, but never worked towards a degree because due to my condition I would be unable to continue a career in about 20 years anyways.
Anyhow, I would love to be able to teach English abroad in SEA (China, Vietnam, etc.) before my speech and coordination decline.
I would be traveling alone, and I receive a small but seemingly sufficient (in SEA) disability check monthly, in my US bank account, and I believe am ready to enjoy a few years or more of my life abroad teaching English.
My main concerns are what kind of certification I should be looking at (I saw UNI-Prep and i-to-i advertised a lot) and what kinds of cities/schools I should be looking at as a plausible reality for a non-degree holder with no teaching experience.
I thought maybe volunteering as a teacher in Vietnam for a few months while living off of my disability income would be a good idea for initial experience, but I have no idea exactly what I am getting into. I do however realize that "working" on a tourist visa in Vietnam isn't technically legal, but I think it would be a good experience.
What do you guys think? What would you suggest I do and how would you go about doing it?
Thanks a lot for any replies.
Any advice for an aspiring TESOL teacher with a disability
Moderator: Josef Essberger
Re: Any advice for an aspiring TESOL teacher with a disability
Hi there and welcome to the forum,
The other issue you may face is that many of these countries require you to undergo a medical before they issue you with a work visa. I suspect, though I don't know for certain, that you would be rejected outright on the grounds of your condition.
That said, there are some things you might look into. First, internships (as offered by TEFL providers). I would never ordinarily recommend them as you pay through the nose for them, and receive very little in return. However, since they tend to last only five months, employers/providers appear to be able to exploit a loophole in the law, allowing them to bring you over on a business visa, which may not require you to have a degree. How legal these are, I don't know. You'd need to do your own research.
Another option would be to look for a volunteer programme. Though I've never volunteered, I've done a lot of research into it, and my provider of choice would be Ecoteer (http://ecoteer.com/). You pay a small fee to become a member, which gives you access to hundreds of projects. You contact the project organisers directly, which cuts out the middle man and reduces costs. They appear to offer internships as well, but I've never looked into those.
The other thing you could do is simply have a holiday, and look for ways to volunteer when you're there. However, if you enter a country on a tourist visa or a visa waiver, you MUST NOT accept money, food or accommodation for any 'work' you do. That would constitute breaking the terms of the visa.
Hope that helps, and if you have any other questions, please ask.
Briona
First things first, a Bachelor's degree is a requirement of the work visa for most countries in Asia. Without one, you will not be able to find legal work.Jwick wrote:I've been passionate about TEFL in Southeast Asia since I graduated high school, but never worked towards a degree because due to my condition I would be unable to continue a career in about 20 years anyways.
The other issue you may face is that many of these countries require you to undergo a medical before they issue you with a work visa. I suspect, though I don't know for certain, that you would be rejected outright on the grounds of your condition.
As I've already mentioned, the reality for a non-degree holder is that there are very few options open to you. In terms of qualifications, online TEFL certificates are much of a muchness. If an employer accepts them, any one will do. My advice would be to choose one that's 100-120hrs in duration, as that's the industry standard.Jwick wrote:My main concerns are what kind of certification I should be looking at (I saw UNI-Prep and i-to-i advertised a lot) and what kinds of cities/schools I should be looking at as a plausible reality for a non-degree holder with no teaching experience.
There's no 'technically' about it - working on a tourist visa is illegal the world over. If caught, you risk hefty fines, jail and/or deportation and a lengthy ban on re-entry. Only you can decide if that's a risk you'd be willing to take; I certainly wouldn't.Jwick wrote:I do however realize that "working" on a tourist visa in Vietnam isn't technically legal, but I think it would be a good experience.
I apologise if the above all sounds very blunt, but the reality is that teaching is no longer open to all who fancy a stint abroad. I've been teaching for six years, during which time I have seen standards being raised, entry requirements increased and laws being enforced, and this looks to be the trend for the foreseeable future.Jwick wrote:What would you suggest I do and how would you go about doing it?
That said, there are some things you might look into. First, internships (as offered by TEFL providers). I would never ordinarily recommend them as you pay through the nose for them, and receive very little in return. However, since they tend to last only five months, employers/providers appear to be able to exploit a loophole in the law, allowing them to bring you over on a business visa, which may not require you to have a degree. How legal these are, I don't know. You'd need to do your own research.
Another option would be to look for a volunteer programme. Though I've never volunteered, I've done a lot of research into it, and my provider of choice would be Ecoteer (http://ecoteer.com/). You pay a small fee to become a member, which gives you access to hundreds of projects. You contact the project organisers directly, which cuts out the middle man and reduces costs. They appear to offer internships as well, but I've never looked into those.
The other thing you could do is simply have a holiday, and look for ways to volunteer when you're there. However, if you enter a country on a tourist visa or a visa waiver, you MUST NOT accept money, food or accommodation for any 'work' you do. That would constitute breaking the terms of the visa.
Hope that helps, and if you have any other questions, please ask.
Briona
Experience teaching in Vietnam, Portugal, Poland, Spain, the UK, and Qatar