Oxford Seminar impressions / Latin America teaching opportunities

[Doctor Wu]

Hello everyone,

First, let me express my appreciation to everyone that helps make this site possible. In the sea of acronyms and often conflicting reports as to the relative merits of various programs that are out there it's nice to have such an organized and informative forum in which to discuss these issues.

My goal at this point is to find a teaching job (preferably teaching adults but I'm flexible on that point) in a Spanish-speaking country. I have a university degree but no teaching experience and it seems that to find a job in an area other than east Asia it behooves one to have some credentials. To this end I'm looking into taking a 60 hour Oxford TOEFL/TESL Seminars, mainly due to its convenient course location (I live in Southwestern Virginia, USA). But after reading the fairly tepid responses the Oxford course in a previous thread I'm wondering if this is a wise expenditure of $995.

So in brief I guess my questions are these:
- What seem to be the requisite qualifications for finding a job in a Spanish-speaking country?
- Impressions of the Oxford Seminar course.
- If the Oxford course is a waste of time, are there better options in the MidAtlantic area (i.e. Washington DC, Richmond, Charlottesville, Pittsburg)?

Any information on any of these points would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dr. Wu

[Margy]

Oxford Seminars... hmm.. interesting. They are just like any other TEFL training centre, so don't have your judgement clouded just because they use the word "Oxford" in their name. They have no relationship with Oxford University whatsoever.

I'm not saying they are bad, just that they are a normal school preparing students to undertake the GMAT etc, and have branched out into TEFL. Personally I like the sounds of i-to-i better as they have a much larger network and reach into jobs around the world. I'm sure they can assist really well with jobs in Spanish-speaking countries.

The Oxford Seminars TEFL course is only 60-hours in-class. There are a number of other offerings at other places, so check out the various curicculums too.

If you want to teach in Spain, it's tough. If you want to teach in underdeveloped countries such as Peru, then it's much easier. You have to think also what you are comfortable with. How much infrastructure and development do you need in the country you teach in...

[merlot]

I would not advise taking the Oxford Seminars course.

I took it in Pittsburgh, PA, and everyone in class had the same complaint: the instructor was very nice, but we learned nothing. We spent most of the time listening to the instructor's stories about her family, while basic questions like, "What's a lesson plan?" were given vague replies.

Also, the Oxford course materials use dumbed-down language in them. After any type of ESL course, including an introductory cram course like the Oxford Seminars course, would-be teachers should leave the course knowing basic terms like "multi-level classrooms", "informal assessments", "teachable moments", etc. I left this course with no more knowledge of the vocabulary of the field, lesson planning, language acquisition theory, etc, than I had before I started.

I do know that not all the teachers are the same, though. If you know someone who had a good instructor, see if you can request that person.

[ICAL_Pete]

Originally Posted by Doctor Wu

- What seem to be the requisite qualifications for finding a job in a Spanish-speaking country?

Unless you already have a valid work visa, finding good jobs in Spain is going to be hard. Regardless of their qualifications, EU passport holders are always preferred to non EU citizens as they represent less hustle for the employer in terms of bureaucracy.

South American countries are definitely more viable if you are an American citizen. Requirements there area usually a degree (in any subject) + a TESL/TEFL certificate (but that’s not always a must).

Remember, though, that wherever you go the less you are asked in terms of qualifications, the less you'll get paid and the more unreliable your contract will be. Bear in mind that a teacher with a TESL/TEFL Certificate will always be preferred to a teacher without one.