Want to teach in Asia - starting from nothing

[pecouk]

Hi

I travelled and lived in Asia for 2.5 years (ive been home for 1 year now) and I'm set on living out there for a large amount, if not the rest of my life.

Ive been thinking of ways to sustain myself whilst living there and teaching seems like the best option. But I have nothing, no degree, no qualifications and no experience.

Now unlike some who just jump the gun and go out there and hope to get something I want to do it properly with the goal of progressing as a teacher into a well paid position.

I know that this requires me to have a degree and a teacher certificate (which i believe is roughly 4 years for a degree and 1 year to become a qualified teacher here in UK).

Ive been thinking of the idea of going to university and getting a degree and becoming qualified as a teacher however I was wondering if there were specific degrees that are needed for you to become a qualified teacher and therefore allowed to teach in Asia?

I would love to go to Uni and study something that I have a passion in, 2 courses which interest me a lot are - Photography and Media.

Could i become a qualified teacher in the UK, and therefore allowed to teach abroad if I had a degree in an Arts such as these subjects?

I was wondering if anyone else has ended up teaching in Asia with similar degrees?

[kaithegreene]

You're right about the degree - most countries and schools prefer their teachers to have a degree. However, there are a number of schools who will employ people casually, or cash in hand, and you would need to think very carefully indeed before taking on (very likely) illegal employment.

That said, I don't think it is all that important what degree you do. I think there's a lot to be said for learning about/studying something you're passionate about - it makes those long wee hours of burning the candle at both ends in order to cram for exams not quite soooo painful! On the other hand, if you're sure you want to teach out here why not study English? Or a joint studies degree - English and photography/international studies/whatever?

And whilst you're at uni, you could work as an activity leader on a summerschool in the holidays and get a close up of what being an EFL teacher is really like.

Good luck!

[pecouk]

Thanks for the reply

Yes i don't want to do it in a casual manner because i plan to stay in Asia for a long time, i don't want to be looking over my back constantly.

Thankyou for clearing up my confusion regarding whether a specific degree was needed. That has really eased my mind because i believe i can obtain a degree in something i have an interest in, however something like the English or Maths i probably would not have a chance completing.

I will have a look at what degree options i have but first before i start all of that i need to complete 1 year Access to HE course. It's a shame i can't go straight into Uni but i don't have any A Levels nor work experience (which is usually considered being a mature student)

I could do a 1 year access course in Photography and Film and build up a portfolio and then maybe look at applying for a Uni spot.

Other things that also interest me are nutrition and obviously im quite fascinated by South East Asia on a whole. Its always been my dream to learn another language but i guess its probably best to pick something not too hard just so i can get my degree.

I won't do anything drastic which means i probably won't be applying this september, i guess its good to just work for another year, save some more money and really think it over. Im just too scared to take the plunge and quit my job next month, its all a bit too sudden and would hate to not think about this carefully.

It sucks being 25 (nearly 26) and only realising all this now, i have to start right from the bottom and have a really long (but hopefully rewarding) journey ahead of me

[kaithegreene]

Have you thought of looking at the UK Open University? You do can a degree part time through distance study/blended learning depending on the course you choose. I'm pretty certain you can put a degree together from a variety of different modules, and don't need A levels before you start. Take a look.

You could possibly do a CELTA course before you start the degree course, and do some part time teaching, or volunteer with whichever body runs courses for asylum seekers in your locality, teach summerschool perhaps and generally be ready to go with some experience as soon as you finish the degree.

Good luck.