RECRUITING AND TRAINING ESL TEACHERS

Philip McAlary

It is increasingly difficult to find qualified ESL teachers more than ever before. As little as eight years ago, many overseas schools were willing to take North American English born persons without a degree and an ESL-type certification. If you had some post secondary education and experience in public relations or instruction, in practically any field, you were able to find employment teaching English in a foreign country.

As competition grows, the governments of various foreign countries are making it increasingly difficult for foreigners to get work visas. Some countries have even passed laws requiring a minimum of a Bachelors degree before considering a candidate for a visa. However, if a young native English-speaking person decides to travel to Asia, he or she would be approached frequently for teaching or tutoring work. Accepting these jobs is illegal, for both the foreigner and the schools hiring. If you're caught, you risk being deported and fined.

When I first started researching the teach/travel business, Japan was the hot place to go. The pay was amazing. Some schools were offering $8,000.00 US per month. Costs were high, but you were still able to save about $5,000.00 a month and live comfortably. That has changed. These high wages are rarely available and the prerequisites at all levels have become stricter.

As a recruiter, I am continually asked questions regarding the ESL or TESOL training certificates. Many schools overseas are not actually concerned if a person has this training. Firstly, they are interested in a university degree. Any other certifications or education is a plus and can make a teacher more marketable.

China is the exception to this rule. If you are a native English speaker, schools in China want to know that you are qualified to teach ESL. A certification, whether it is CELTA, TESOL, TEFL, TOFL, TESL or any other of the many different ESL teacher-training courses available is except acceptable. The Chinese are only interested in knowing that you are capable of teaching their people effectively. I have taken the TESOL certification course and found it to be very beneficial. It helped me a great deal with different levels of English instruction and age groups. The course gave me the knowledge and resources to make my classes more interesting. I highly recommend all potential ESL teachers to take an ESL-type training for basic information. I have also designed a condensed and practical teacher's manual and an Accelerated and Interactive ESL Teacher Training Certification Course to verify to my clients that the candidate I send are qualified.

In my research of various ESL training schools in my area, I found that they charging the students for their courses and upon completion are taking only the top qualified graduates and recruiting them as well. These institutions collect a recruiting fee from the foreign schools. When training facilities advertisements say, "Jobs Guaranteed", it is not realistic as foreign schools have the final right of acceptance or refusal for all hiring. There are always exceptions to all rules. Sponsorship from a multinational chain can bypass most regulations.

If you enjoy people, cultures, learning and traveling, teaching ESL is a great way to immerse yourself into a new adventure. The pay varies and so does the lifestyle, but you will have an interesting time. The benefits definitely out-weigh the negatives, no matter what you may have heard. We get what we put into an experience. We are all different and so are the results. For those with only a little formal education, there are opportunities too. The starting pay may be less, but the experience will be great. A little research is needed to find schools with different requirements. Volunteering as an ESL teacher in a developing nation is also possible. If you are up for a challenge, it's a free education. Good Luck.

Philip McAlary, Managing Director, OverseasEmployment.ca

Back to free information.