Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Discussion about jobs and employment conditions

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COLIN
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Unread post by COLIN »

Well I am willing to accept anything. Apart from keeping my head over water, in my specific case it will be my waist. The 2 private schools sound good to me since I don`t mind working hard which I have always done.
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John V55
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

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COLIN wrote: 02 Dec 2019, 16:13 Well I am willing to accept anything. Apart from keeping my head over water, in my specific case it will be my waist. The 2 private schools sound good to me since I don`t mind working hard which I have always done.
Be very sure they are not good and why they have such a high turnover rate. If they can’t keep the young ones, at 60 years old you’ll suffer. You have to be in-country to apply and most get the six month METV extended tourist visa from Laos for the time it takes to complete the paperwork in Thailand. Permission to work is dependent on immigration, so it’s not guaranteed. This also all costs money.

I can remember one of them, but I’ll ask my wife for the name of the other. At a guess you’ll probably be looking for the air fare to Thailand, plus enough to support yourself for three months and all the costs for the various visas and travel. Not cheap.
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John V55
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Unread post by John V55 »

@Colin

Skimming through the various threads …

Colin, I thought you were living in the US, but elsewhere you say you’re from Guyana? I assumed you were from somewhere like Mexico, but brought up in the US. You’re not Caucasian, over 60, a non-NES and you’re looking to teach English in Asia, or China? Oh my God, Colin the more you open up the less likely your chances are until now you’ve hit zero.

Forget it, don’t waste anymore of your time or money, it isn’t going to happen, honestly. It’s nothing to do with just a TEFL certificate, it’s a combination of circumstances that combined will bar you from every job in Asia.
COLIN
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Unread post by COLIN »

I have an old house here that I can sell to raise the cash, if it is all worth while. Hoping not to invest and have a fall down in the end and be worse off. That was exactly what I was told about investing in a TEFL, to find out that I am still without any progress ha ha ha.
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John V55
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

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COLIN wrote: 02 Dec 2019, 18:38 I have an old house here that I can sell to raise the cash, if it is all worth while. Hoping not to invest and have a fall down in the end and be worse off. That was exactly what I was told about investing in a TEFL, to find out that I am still without any progress ha ha ha.
It’s always worth investing in the future, but only if you’re reasonably confident the investment will produce results. A TEFL certificate for someone who is a non-NES, over 60 from Guyana wanting to teach English in Asia or online is a waste of money. Had you asked before getting the TEFL I’d have said the same thing.
RoisinT
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Unread post by RoisinT »

Hi, am new to the forum and hoped I would pick up some useful info, and I suppose I did. Unlike you young chickens of 60 or so, I am pushing 70. And I have also suspected that there is an unofficial age limit on TEFL jobs. I taught adults in Germany for some years and had absolutely no issues. Loved it. Returned to UK over twenty years ago and tried to keep my hand in, within a very small community. Tutored IELTS candidates and then had a steady evening class preparing students for Cambridge exams. This dried up a few years ago and we bought a holiday home in Germany almost two years ago. Recently decided to look for TEFL openings. Tbh, they are there, but weren’t quite near enough to home. I had a recent gig with an organisation I used to work for. Have explored online teaching, but decided there may well be an unofficial age limit when response was negative after revealing my age when completing online form. A friend of mine has suggested online teaching because she has had such a positive learning experience with a well-known company. Checked out all the videos of teachers, bright, cheery, encouraging and mostly very young. Am not sure that I could compete with born video stars.

There is a culture shock when returning to the UK. experienced it myself. As well as the no credit history catch 22. I settled in but am not happy with present direction and although I tried to adapt to some things I never quite succeeded. We tend to think our future is here in Germany. I suspect I may have to accept that some travel is inevitable if I wish to teach (if you live in the sticks that is a fact of life). Somewhat disappointed that the online teaching seems to be a fantasy rather than a reality. My thoughts are that it might be easier to try and make Thailand work for you, rather than attempting to live and find employment in a place that has lost its appeal. But we all just have to figure out all the personal pros and cons. Wish all fellow teachers well in their endeavours.
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John V55
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

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RoisinT wrote: 30 Jan 2020, 17:47 Hi, am new to the forum and hoped I would pick up some useful info, and I suppose I did. Unlike you young chickens of 60 or so, I am pushing 70. And I have also suspected that there is an unofficial age limit on TEFL jobs. I taught adults in Germany for some years and had absolutely no issues. Loved it. Returned to UK over twenty years ago and tried to keep my hand in, within a very small community. Tutored IELTS candidates and then had a steady evening class preparing students for Cambridge exams. This dried up a few years ago and we bought a holiday home in Germany almost two years ago. Recently decided to look for TEFL openings. Tbh, they are there, but weren’t quite near enough to home. I had a recent gig with an organisation I used to work for. Have explored online teaching, but decided there may well be an unofficial age limit when response was negative after revealing my age when completing online form. A friend of mine has suggested online teaching because she has had such a positive learning experience with a well-known company. Checked out all the videos of teachers, bright, cheery, encouraging and mostly very young. Am not sure that I could compete with born video stars.

There is a culture shock when returning to the UK. experienced it myself. As well as the no credit history catch 22. I settled in but am not happy with present direction and although I tried to adapt to some things I never quite succeeded. We tend to think our future is here in Germany. I suspect I may have to accept that some travel is inevitable if I wish to teach (if you live in the sticks that is a fact of life). Somewhat disappointed that the online teaching seems to be a fantasy rather than a reality. My thoughts are that it might be easier to try and make Thailand work for you, rather than attempting to live and find employment in a place that has lost its appeal. But we all just have to figure out all the personal pros and cons. Wish all fellow teachers well in their endeavours.
Hi Roisin,
It’s like everything else, there comes a time when it all sort of fizzles out and in Asia that’s 60. Most times it’s not official, but it’s there. Unfortunately, the days of turning up somewhere and just getting by are long gone and there are now many visa requirements for places like Thailand, specifically financial and a UK state pension is not enough to live on. No OAP in the UK is getting the equivalent of the needed 1K GBP a month to live in Thailand permanently. Personally, I’m now considering the alternative of six months there on an extended tourist visa and six months in the UK. As regards teaching, once you’ve hit 60 it’s a no-go area. :)
RoisinT
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Unread post by RoisinT »

Yep, guess everything changes. We are doing the cross channel commuting, but at some point I think there has to be a choice. However, if you can continue Asia commutes for now that seems like a good idea. Next generations being shunted into working into their seventies, but where will they find employment? I have found a couple of openings in the meantime. Some travel involved, but doable. Was told that I did the right thing retiring - but apparently happy to take me on for numerous courses. I didn't retire. The department was disbanded. I don't want to retire yet. Have other interests but still like some interaction with various age groups and supplement to pension would be welcome. When you are no longer of service then your life expectancy is reduced. I firmly believe in that. A sense of purpose is essential. Hope you find a workable solution. One that you enjoy.
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John V55
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Unread post by John V55 »

RoisinT wrote: 12 Feb 2020, 19:50 Yep, guess everything changes. We are doing the cross channel commuting, but at some point I think there has to be a choice. However, if you can continue Asia commutes for now that seems like a good idea. Next generations being shunted into working into their seventies, but where will they find employment? I have found a couple of openings in the meantime. Some travel involved, but doable. Was told that I did the right thing retiring - but apparently happy to take me on for numerous courses. I didn't retire. The department was disbanded. I don't want to retire yet. Have other interests but still like some interaction with various age groups and supplement to pension would be welcome. When you are no longer of service then your life expectancy is reduced. I firmly believe in that. A sense of purpose is essential. Hope you find a workable solution. One that you enjoy.
Yes, we all like to think it never ends, but it does. A British state pension being what it is there aren’t many choices available so the future is uncertain. Let’s see how it goes. :)
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John V55
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Re: Goodbye TEFL and a return home to chaos

Unread post by John V55 »

This week is my anniversary. I’ve been back in the UK for one year. I’ve also recently reached the grand old age of 65 and still thankfully in good shape both physically and mentally. :)

As I said in the op, as soon as I got back I could see the social and economic decline that had continued in the decade of being away. It very much resembled what I’d left in 2008, despite the government’s optimistic hype of how successful the UK is, which understandably is what they’re paid to do.

In the year I’ve been back nothing has changed and in fact the pandemic lock-down simple exposed the façade of the ‘gig economy’ as millions of workers and businesses face bankruptcy within one month of economic inactivity.

My wife who remains in Thailand says it’s the same there, as do our Chinese and Pilipino friends so it’s not just the UK, or Europe. Everywhere I see people on a minimum wage salary, or on government benefits and the difference is not much. For instance, I am only around £80 ($98) per week better off working than I would be on government benefits. In other words, salaries for the majority are now little more than voluntary work expenses.

Every social commentator and economist is warning of a depression to come after the pandemic on a 1930s scale!

My advice to those in the TEFL field would be to use this period of inactivity to hone and develop your teaching skills. In the coming few years those who haven’t any skills are going to suffer the most.

Personally, I’m one year off a state retirement pension and hope to live over the UK winter at ‘home’ in Thailand and spend the summer months in the UK, finances permitting.
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