Читать книгу Spendthrift's Guide to Teaching ESL Abroad - Benjamin Jelen - Страница 4

Getting Started

Now you have a basic overview of the English language teaching industry, and we’re ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of how you actually do this. So, let’s start at the most logical place- with you. Personality and your own history and experience heavily factor into where you want to go, what you want to teach, and how long you expect to do it. Your ideas on these topics may change over time, (maybe by the time you finish reading this book!) Regardless, it’s good practice to establish a “baseline” for your expectations.

So, ask yourself these questions: Who are you? And, what do you want?

Write your answers down in a notebook or on a scrap of paper, and come back to it later to see if it has changed.

Sidebar: Do I need to speak the language?

This is probably the most common question that will be asked of you when you tell people about your decision to teach English overseas. The answer’s simple; No.

Actually in many countries, especially Asia, your employers will actually discourage you from using the native language in the classroom. Again, this is not pedagogically or scientifically founded by any means; in fact, having a true bilingual teacher is widely acknowledged to be the best case scenario for budding language learners today. However, it has long been the educational style of the day to teach only in the language of instruction; English. This little bit of history and style that has (as of yet) refused to go away has opened up a career to thousands and thousands of native English speakers around the world.

Personal Evaluation

Now, let’s consider your background in a little more detail. This is essential for determining what jobs you are qualified for.

Consider your Education

Education is probably the first thing that you need to consider. For most decent paying jobs (that is to say those that are not volunteer, or living below the poverty level) you will probably need at least a bachelor’s degree to get a visa in a foreign country and teach. (However, if you’re only looking to teach English, during a holiday, as missionary work, or through charity- then this probably doesn’t apply to you.) However, most people who are going into teaching English are doing so, at least at some level, for economic remuneration. If you don’t have a B.A. at this point, you may be out of luck in any for profit teaching endeavor.

In many cases, education, and the type of education you have is directly related to the countries you can get into, and the companies or schools which will accept you. If you’re starting out in teaching abroad fresh out of College, and have no ESL certificate or endorsement, then your best bet in terms of countries is limited. You will probably be limited to somewhere in South Korea, China, or Japan. Both South Korea and China accept people with only a bachelor’s degree and no formal English Teacher training. Japan does as well, but is a little more selective on its applicants and depending on your location, you may have to fly to an interview site in the US or UK to “try out” with hundreds of other would be teachers. You may also find marginal employment and places like Mexico, Chile, Thailand, and Vietnam. However, as a general rule, most respectable employers that you might want to work for will require some sort of endorsement for teaching English. Luckily, this is not hard to get if you put your mind to it.

If you’ve spent any time on the Internet you know that you can get an ESL or TEFL certificate very easily; simply by paying for one. While this is slightly unethical, the truth is that in most entry level jobs this sort of certificate will work just fine. If you’re only going to be working for one or two years to pay off loans and do not intend to make any sort of career out of English teaching, this may very well be the way to go. I’ve also met many dishonest people who have fake degrees, certificates and even doctorates, which have been accepted by less than thorough hiring committees! (I don’t advocate any dishonesty at all. Generally, you will learn things the hard way if you don’t learn it in school). Also, don’t expect to learn anything if you get your degree from a “diploma mill” that just makes money off of granting fake degrees. Education is a great idea (even if it is just a little bit.) If you are at all concerned about the perception of yourself and your country abroad, then it would be a good idea to go with some idea of what to do in the classroom. Once you are on the job, however, you tend to learn fairly quickly if you pay attention. So, the decision of what type of training to pursue is up to you. We will discuss the types of training available next to help you flesh out your ideas on the subject.

If you want to increase your chances of gainful employment (in a job that you also have a shot at enjoying), and develop some good skills in education on the way, it’s highly recommended that you take a reputable certification course. There are a range of provider’s available; Oxford seminars, Trinity TESOL and Cambridge examinations- to name a few. The most basic programs are ones that you can take online. In truth however, the real hallmark of a “high quality” training course is an observable teaching component or “practicum” (which necessitates face to face instruction in an actual classroom by a trained professional.) Reputable courses usually are 120 hours of training, part of which (30 hours or so) is observed teaching practice which is then evaluated. You can also get different endorsements; for Youth and Young Learners, Academic s, Adults, or Literacy. At the beginning, stick with the most general course you can and shy away from these endorsements until you really know what you are doing.

Notes on Education

If you are a graduate qualified, mid-career professional looking to switch jobs you will probably have a world of opportunities open for you abroad. Still, a basic course on English teaching methods is recommended so that you have an idea of how to teach effectively.

In terms of certification, be wary of “destination certification” courses (i.e. webpages which exhort ’Get TESOL certified in Beautiful Spain!’) Often these sites promise immediate job placement after training. There is almost always a “catch” (usually a high tuition fee.) Destination programs vary in quality as a rule, and unless they are backed by one of the “big names” above (Cambridge, Trinity, or Oxford), are generally scams and should be avoided.

Wait! What about my degree! Does Field of Study Matter?!

Yes and no. Having a degree in English, linguistics, or language related field is a definite plus; at least from a practical standpoint. However, it is by no means necessary when you’re first starting out. Lots of people with degrees in economics, art history, underwater basket weaving, or liberal arts have made a go of teaching English abroad. People seem to assume because there is a high level of qualification required from teachers in the United States, England, and Australia that this must be true in other countries. While this may be true for some public school teachers in very selective countries, it is usually not true in the private sector, and definitely not true in most countries with a high demand for English training. Remember much of the “product” being sold in English language teaching is more about advertising and selling “the dream” than actual language training services. (That is not to say that you can’t provide both though!)

If you are serious about getting into teaching as career, you should be aware that the industry itself does tend to segregate people based on their educational background, especially where elite positions are concerned. Therefore, if you are looking for University work as a Professor, or upper-level business training assignments at well-respected organizations , you should probably have a bachelor’s degree, and most likely a graduate degree in a relevant field of study such as English language teaching, TESOL or applied linguistics- and a good deal of demonstrable experience if you expect to get hired.

Experience

This is another question you should think about. A good start is to list your teaching experience if any. This may very well be “zero” if you are reading this book as a beginner. It’s OK to be a “zero”, but try to think of anything and everything that might apply as some sort of ‘experience’! Employers do notice; especially experience with young children such as summer camp work, or after school camps (even if it isn’t in “English.”)

Many jobs require 2, 3, 4 or 5 years of experience. This will initially limit your options starting out, so don’t expect to walk into a University classroom overnight. The best jobs also require specific types of experience in EAP, ESP, or with speakers from different linguistic or cultural backgrounds. Don’t let this dissuade you from applying, but remember there’s lots of well qualified applicants out there that have been at this a long time; and if you are new, a lot longer than you.

Resist the temptation to fabricate your resume or experience. This may get you in the door, but it will make for a miserable experience for both you and your employer. Be honest with yourself! If you need to start at the bottom and at a less than desirable job, that’s okay, because you’re going to be building the skills that you need to get to the next level. It’s always better to walk before you can run, as the adage goes. You will always remember where you started, and appreciate each job that you get that is a little bit better.

Again, if you have absolutely no experience then you should try to think of other experience which makes you a well-qualified teacher. Were you a summer camp counselor who dealt with international students? Did you tutor an exchange student in High School or College? Teach at a literacy camp? These may not be “professional qualifications”- but if you are starting from the ground up, they are better than nothing!

Thinking about this beforehand will help you when you write up a resume, and cover letter. It also will prepare you mentally for potential interviews after you get started applying!

Goals

Thinking about your personal and professional goals is probably one of the most important steps in deciding who to teach, and where to teach. There is an amazing diversity of assignments available to you based on your tastes and preferences. At this stage, it’s important to be realistic about your goals and priorities at this stage in your life. Also consider the basic accommodations that you need to be comfortable. It’s a great idea to be as realistic and honest with yourself as possible; don’t delude yourself in thinking you can “make it” in a situation which your gut or mind revolts at. For example, don’t even consider working in the Middle East if you really hate the heat and are uncomfortable about Muslims. It’s good to challenge yourself to expand your horizons- but start small and take small steps!

The basic things that you should consider are-

1. Lifestyle

2. Personal Taste

3. Financial Needs

4. Professional Goals

5. Personality and Psychology

6. Opportunity

In this section, we will look at each of these in turn.

Lifestyle

This is perhaps one of the more complicated questions to answer on the list. The question of “lifestyle” is complicated because it deals with “ideals” which are often quite different from reality. However, having a set of ideals as a baseline will greatly improve your chances of finding a job you really like. Start by asking yourself these questions, and recording the answers.

1. How many hours am I willing to work in a week?

2. Do I prefer working mornings, days, or evenings? Am I OK with split shifts?

3. What days of the week am I comfortable working?

4. What sorts of locations are unacceptable to me?

5. What is my ideal work location?

6. Who do I want to teach?

7. Do I need to live around other foreigners?

8. Do I need to live in the city, or am I comfortable in a rural location?

Don’t expect to set out and find an ideal job which matches all of these criteria. Think of these as your values; some compromise should be expected, but too much compromise probably means that you will end up severely disliking a job once it has started. Also, keep these questions in mind as you move through your career, the answers may change. That’s okay!

Changing Priorities

When I first got into teaching, I didn’t have a whole lot of priorities. I wanted weekends, and about 8 hour work days. My idea of a good job was shaped more around what I thought a good job was- which was mostly the standard idea of “a weekend, vacations, decent pay.” During my first two years, I realized that these were not the only things I cared about. I cared about having a “weekend” and having one of my friends abroad became increasingly important. I thought it was very important to live in a city where I had access to at least some ‘Western’ food (You would be surprised at the amount of McDonalds, Starbucks and Costcos in some parts of the world where you would not expect them.)

A year and a half later, after completing graduate school, my priorities had totally changed again. I wanted to work only 40 hours a week. Money was less important to me as I had made some savings. I absolutely detested teaching in the evening (at this time I was teaching from mid-morning to 11 o’clock or later some nights.) My passion for teaching children had changed and I wanted to teach adults, or at least University students. Luckily, a great position opened up on the beach in Mexico. A comfortable, 40 hours a week complete with ‘siestas’ and ocean views. Sometimes, changing values motivate you to change your situation.

Personal Preferences and Idiosyncrasies

The next thing to consider after the basic questions we discussed above are things I like to term “personal idiosyncrasies”. Some people call them “pet peeves” or “affectations”, but I find these terms only address the negative. I find it helps to separate these into “wants” and “repulsions”. Everyone has them (if you don’t, you just haven’t found them yet!) Think about the things that really bother you.

Here is my list, compiled through years of experience.

Wants

Repulsions

Fresh Food

Noodle slurping

Fast Internet

Coughing and sneezing without covering mouth and nose

High Water Pressure

Wet Bathrooms and Bathroom Stalls

“Clean” Electricity that doesn’t damage electronics

Excessive Staring

Friendly People

Excessive Fried Food

Toilet Paper

Dried Fish and Squid Products

You can probably tell that this list has evolved over the past years through all the locations I have lived. There are some curious items on that list. Nothing on the list you make should deter you from accepting a contract, or following an opportunity. It’s more of an exercise to prepare yourself for the little challenges that tend to sneak up on you, and be aware of your own emotional triggers. These triggers tend to be “the last straw” when culture shock starts to set in.

In my third year, I literally quit one country “because of poor water pressure” (In reality there were a mounting list of “real” concerns about my lifestyle that had been mounting up, but at the time, the water pressure was all that I could think of.)

Financial Needs

For many new teachers, or those just getting into the industry, this is the biggest determining factor in choosing the best location to look for work. This is a little more complicated than “how much money do I need to make?” You should consider…

1. Startup Cost (airfare, living costs until first paycheck, visa costs, etc.)

2. How much you need to bring in to pay any financial obligations.

3. Your desired rate of monthly savings.

4. The cost of living in a given location.

5. The relative strength of the local currency.

Again, there is no job that will satisfy all of your wants and needs, but identifying your own situation is a good start. If you are always strapped for cash and unable to pay your bills, then you are not going to be happy, and probably not meet your contract’s expectation or goals. Be as realistic as possible, and look at your checkbook or balance sheet if you have one (if you don’t this it’s a good time to start!)

In terms of initial startup costs, some can be quite demanding, while others less so. Some countries (notably South Korea, Japan, and some locations in The Middle East), will pay for costs such as airfare and furniture stipends up front. Countries with standard arrangements such as these are usually the most convenient for the cash strapped beginning teacher.

The second thing to deeply consider is the balance between your desired rate of savings, the relative cost of living, your salary, and the historical strength of the currency. It’s rare for a country to be positive in all of these factors. Usually, if a country has all of these it quickly experiences a “bubble” of English teachers. It works like this- Native speaking teachers suddenly become cheap to hire because of a positive exchange rate for that countries’ currency. Having been a commodity previously, they quickly come into fashion as demand for training increases. Soon everyone in the industry is moving, or at least talking about the new location. It can be tempting to jump countries in a heartbeat. Be aware though, just like in the economy, bubbles tend to “pop” which can significantly change your job prospects and your balance sheet overnight.

Bubbles are also one reason to always be aware of the big picture and hedge your bets. Never keep too much of any one type of currency.

Sidebar: On Bubbles and Economics- Japan, Korea, and Dubai

The three biggest “bubbles” in the ESL industry in the past twenty years have been Japan, Korea, and Dubai (in that order.) These roughly correspond to economic conditions in the world abroad. For Japan, interest in English was at an all-time high in the 80’s and 90’s; schools where opening up on every block and many large corporations teaching English to students, and professionals were making millions; then came the Asian Financial Crisis. Quickly, consumer demand pulled back and teachers were suddenly let go. The most notable of these was NOVA; who cut several hundreds if not thousands of teachers off and never paid them for their last two months of work due to bankruptcy. Today, it is much more difficult (though still comparatively easy compared to other areas of the world) to find work in English Teaching in Japan. During the “boom” pretty much any native speaker could get a job.

Korea was a similar story. It weathered the Asian Financial crisis slightly better than Japan. Its “boom” began in 1998 and continued well into 2007. Today, South Korea still has a vibrant teaching industry, however it’s “bust” came in 2007. Nearly overnight, South Korea’s currency (the “won”- pronounced ‘wahn’) lost close to 30% of its value within a week. I was caught in this crisis and felt the pain of my 40,000 dollars in rainy day savings quickly becoming much, much less.

In 2010, Dubai experienced a similar phenomenon which extended to many industries (Dubai’s population is composed of between 80-90% foreigners.) The sky-rocketing cost of living and declining currency value sent many expatriates fleeing for the exits; literally. The government spent weeks cleaning up leased luxury cars that we just “abandoned” at the airport.

The moral of the story- Bubbles are good, while they last, but never turn your back on a good thing!

For the budget savvy novice, Asia is probably your best bet if you are strapped for cash. It is really hard to beat a South Korean contract for the first go around teaching abroad. The currency is still moderately valued; the cost of living is low. Employers typically provide airfare, and a furnished apartment. Medical care is readily available and cheap, and in many cases provided by your employers. South Korea has a good standard of living, and a vibrant community of foreigners to “show you the ropes”. Most other contracts available to beginners even hold a candle to these benefits.

The next best bet economically is probably Taiwan. It has a similar foreigner culture compared with Korea, is moderately warmer, and still cheap. The standard of living here is a bit lower than South Korea, and you can expect to pay airfare and accommodations for most contracts. The plus side? Taiwan is semi-tropical, with lots of nice beaches!

Japan comes in a distant third financially. Don’t be persuaded by potentially high yen exchange rates. If you are going alone, remember that costs are astronomically high in Japan! This applies to food, electricity, transportation, you name it! To illustrate this point 50,000 dollars a year is considered “minimum wage” in Japan. There are ways to save for sure, but Japan is better left to working couples, or being put off until you can get a contract that pays enough to offset the high cost of living. Japan also has a bit more of an isolated foreigner community and is a poor starting choice from a social perspective.

Of course, finances are only one part of the overall picture, but they are important to consider when you are just starting out!

Professional Goals

The next question you should consider seriously is “Why do I want to teach English?” Equally important are the questions “What do I expect to get out of my experience?” and “Where do I want my career to take me?”

If you are just starting out, any experience may well fit the bill. However, if you have your sights set on becoming a University Professor, or a business trainer, you should try to accumulate experience that will lead you to that goal now. Almost all experience in ESL is learned on the job; much of it by serendipity or accident at the beginning. There are entry level positions in each sector (General, EAP, and ESP), so taking a less than desirable job that gets you closer to your key goal or demographic may be worth considering. It may even be worth considering taking a less than desirable location or salary to get the experience you want more quickly.

If you are thinking of ESL as a career for more than 2 years, then you should approach it from the perspective of “the long con” (no you don’t need to actually ‘con’ people!) You should however, approach every job in terms of the experience it has to add to your resume. If you want to teach in Universities, then there is no point in starting in a school that only has General English classes, unless this is your only option. You want an opportunity to develop key skills, for the future. Think about these things as you begin to navigate the job search boards! Don’t be persuaded to accept a job which doesn’t get you where you want to go!

Personal Psychology

Thinking about your personality can be difficult, because we most often distort our own perceptions of ourselves. Maybe it’s a good idea to talk with friends to get a better perspective on the questions in this section. Knowing what type of person you are and what “makes you tick” can pay dividends in regards to your experience on the ground in a foreign country. Ultimately, you should strive to pick a country which suits you personally. Foreign environments often play strange tricks on you, so have an idea of who you are

1.) How would I react if no one around me spoke or understood English?

2.) What would I do if I had virtually no friends around me?

3.) How would I react to strangers staring at me in a hostile or creepy way?

4.) What would I do if I felt that my safety was in danger?

5.) How would I react to not fitting in?

6.) What would happen if a group of strangers started laughing at me in public? How would I react?

These questions can seem a little creepy, or depressing. These are extreme examples of situations you might be placed in while living in some foreign countries.

Most likely, it is hard to tell how you would react before being in this situation. However, if any of these really (and I mean REALLY) bother you, then that should shape the type of assignment that you look for. Answering these questions and having friends answer them is also a great first step to preparing yourself for potential unexpected situations that you might encounter abroad- in public, or in the classroom.

Opportunity

The most practical aspect that may affect your choice of a job is opportunity, and your current situation. This is easy to apply to almost any situation by answering the following questions.

1. Do I have the necessary startup funds?

2. Are there available opportunities in the country I am going to?

3. Do my qualifications meet the visa requirements and those of employers?

4. How soon do I need to leave? Is there time to get the visa paperwork completed and make all arrangements?

5. Is it the season for hiring in this location?

6. How soon do I need to start making income?

7. Can I get legal permission to work in the location I am interested in?

By answering these questions, the decision of balancing lifestyle, personality, psychology, finances, and education quickly becomes easier. These are pragmatic questions that can help you decide on virtually any job or contract.

Sidebar: On Hiring Seasons

Most hiring seasons in ESL are country specific, and there are openings in most countries during their open hiring season. If you don’t see openings in the areas that you want, be patient.

The Northern Hemisphere usually follows a typical “Western” hiring schedule; recruiting in spring and summer for fall placements. Many of the big industry centers are in the Northern Hemisphere however, so work in these areas can generally be found year round.

The Southern Hemisphere usually hires in February-April for example, which corresponds to the school year in much of Latin America and Africa. Japanese Universities recruit during this same time for the following fall. Of course, with enough of a market, there will always be openings in certain high volume countries.