ESL Teaching - Jobs, lesson plans - View Single Post

chris-tee · Mon 02-Jan-06, 08:30 AM

Ok here is my situation.

I'm 22 years old. I'm not a graduate, i've never been to Uni. I left high school after i graduated from year 10 and have worked in the IT industry ever since. I'm not an idiot - I earn $90,000 a year (AU) in a full-time, stable job with excellent references. I live alone and support myself completely. I come across in interviews as being mature and responsible, with a bubbly personality.
Not having graduated from high school or Uni has never stopped me doing something I wanted to do, and all this working i've done over the years has never left me time to go back for my education anyway.

Recently, I had a talk with the course provider for TESOL. I explained to him that I didn't have a degree, but desperately wanted to live overseas and teach english, it's always been my passion. He told me that without a degree, an Advanced Diploma in TESOL (sounded like a bit of a sales pitch, really), with lots of extra credit subjects would be just as good. He said without a degree, I could still find work if I had a high level of TESOL certification.

Does anyone with ESL teaching experience agree with this? I've read on a few other forums that I pretty much have no chance without a degree. Or if I did find a job I would be treated really poorly and taken advantage of. I don't want to have to give up my dream for something so stupid as a degree. Having a degree does NOT define a person. I'd appreciate some honest responses. What are my chances of finding work, with a high level of TESOL, but no degree...?

Mon 02-Jan-06, 08:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
chris-tee Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 6	Is TESOL a substitute for a degree? Ok here is my situation. I'm 22 years old. I'm not a graduate, i've never been to Uni. I left high school after i graduated from year 10 and have worked in the IT industry ever since. I'm not an idiot - I earn $90,000 a year (AU) in a full-time, stable job with excellent references. I live alone and support myself completely. I come across in interviews as being mature and responsible, with a bubbly personality. Not having graduated from high school or Uni has never stopped me doing something I wanted to do, and all this working i've done over the years has never left me time to go back for my education anyway. Recently, I had a talk with the course provider for TESOL. I explained to him that I didn't have a degree, but desperately wanted to live overseas and teach english, it's always been my passion. He told me that without a degree, an Advanced Diploma in TESOL (sounded like a bit of a sales pitch, really), with lots of extra credit subjects would be just as good. He said without a degree, I could still find work if I had a high level of TESOL certification. Does anyone with ESL teaching experience agree with this? I've read on a few other forums that I pretty much have no chance without a degree. Or if I did find a job I would be treated really poorly and taken advantage of. I don't want to have to give up my dream for something so stupid as a degree. Having a degree does NOT define a person. I'd appreciate some honest responses. What are my chances of finding work, with a high level of TESOL, but no degree...?