Am I eligible to work as an English teacher?

[Scatterbeetle]

I am 31 years old and have been working as a legal secretary for the 14 years since I completed Year 12 in Queensland in 1991. I have not completed a tertiary degree of any sort.

Is there any chance I would be eligible to work as an English teacher in either Japan, China, Taiwan or Korea? (Stated in order of preference.)

[gfell]

Unfortunately you have just missed out on the Working Holiday program to teach English in Japan.

However, not all is lost. If you have a Diploma, it's still possible to get a work visa to teach in Japan. However, it would be very difficult to gain work if you are in Australia. There would need to be some risk on your part to actually fly to Japan and actively seek work.

I have seen casual job ads in Japan which may help you as a stepping stone to finding your teaching job. Such jobs as bouncers for a night club, handing out flyers for English schools etc. The pay may not be the best (approx. ￥1000~￥2000 per hour), it can take the pressure off and meet your living expenses.

Taiwan and Korea are like Japan. They both require a tertiary degree to find work and be granted a visa.

China is much easier and definitely worth pursuing based on your background. Although the pay is much lower in China, so too are the living expenses. You may even consider 1 month volunteer work in China as an option.

Hope the above helps.

Cheers!

[Scatterbeetle]

Thanks so much for your response.

Originally Posted by gfell

Taiwan and Korea are like Japan. They both require a tertiary degree to find work and be granted a visa.

Is there any particular reason for this? From what I've seen, having a tertiary degree doesn't necessarily mean you have a good grasp of the English language. Is there another way to prove yourself without having a degree or diploma - a test of some description?

[Hypiereon]

Best way to "prove yourself" without any sort of degree is to get TEFL certified. There are several good ones (I went through i-to-i to get mine) out there, but I didn't get it because I needed it, I went through the course so I would have "paper proof" that I knew what I was doing.

Do you need to know what you're doing in China to get a job? Absolutely not, however, no experience at all teaching or being in a classroom setting can be REALLY frustrating especially if they stick you with a class who has a very low English level to begin with. I've seen foreigners come and go rather quickly just because of the frustration factor in the classroom alone - but then add in all the other stressors of going abroad and they soon find reason to leave, change schools, or react in all sorts of ways that leave the Chinese rather dumbfounded.

Chinese colleges and universities do require a BA degree, and this only makes sense form an educational point of view. Who wants to be taught in a college by someone who never graduated from one?

That said, there are many businesses that have set themsevles up as crash schools where no degree is necessary, but definitely a plus. Then there is the possibilty of teaching in middle schools and primary schools where the requirements are definitely lower.

Best way to prove yourself is get that TEFL Certificate and two years of experience. By then your options should really open up, and you'll have a better sense of what life in China is like and what is available.

A word of warning - be careful in your school selection. Ask for the contract up front, research the school online (check blacklists here and at BuXiBan.com) and ask the school you want to teach at for the e-mail addresses of other teachers who have worked there before. Minimum 5 and preferably 10 is the rule of thumb here.

I also have a list of "Negotiating points" to make sure are included in any contract, as well as a sample contract where most of those points were added in by myself. There is another very good website with very good advice concerning scams and contracts at http://www.bearcanada.com/eslmain.html

[Scatterbeetle]

I was looking around on i-to-i a bit earlier, and it's good to hear positive opinions on it.

Thanks so much, Hypiereon. You're a marvellous help!

[felini]

Originally Posted by Scatterbeetle

on for this? From what I've seen, having a tertiary degree doesn't necessarily mean you have a good grasp of the English language.

Correct! However, having a degree shows that you were motivated to further improve on your education. The fact that one could finish there university degree also shows dedication and perseverance. Going to Uni is not just what you learn, but also shows what type of person you are.

A lot of low IQ guys graduate from Uni. They struggled to get thru their course and hence should be congratulated on their efforts.