My 19-year-old son, the one who gave me gray hair, is doing great now. He is spending two months in Lebanon, doing volunteer work with Syrian refugee families. He is thinking of doing something long term there. Several people, including his dad and me, have told him he needs to get a college degree, because that’s what people overseas want to see. But he keeps coming up with different ideas! He sent me a link to a company that offers TEFL certification - http://www.gooverseas.com/teach-abroad/multiple-countries/international-tefl-academy/29139
Does anyone know anything about this kind of training? Is there a big demand for people to teach English overseas? Does it make sense to get this training before getting a college degree? I feel lost! I don’t even know what questions to ask - any advice would be much appreciated.
My friend’s son decided to take a year off school and teach ESL in China. He had lived in China as a teen (his parents still live there), and he was majoring in Mandarin at a top U.S. college before he took a break. He got certification to teach ESL - not sure if it was the same outfit - and he moved in with his parents, certain he would get a job. No luck. They wanted a college degree. Not sure if other countries are so strict, though.
He likely took this job for yet another purpose though - he followed his then-GF (now wife) there. I think he is heading back to his home country with his wife in the next month or two.
I personally do not pay attention to the English teacher aspect of his life in his blogs. (His wedding/marriage/sight-seeing aspects of his posts are more interesting to me.)
He mentioned “TESOL certificate” but I do not know what it is.
In Asia they really want a college degree. And to see it, the paper, not just stated in a resume. There is demand, but without the degree, it might be impossible as stated above.
My son is teaching English in Taiwan and from what I can tell, English teachers there need to have the same credentials as teachers in general, which includes a college degree. His job is through the government, though, and I do know that there are a number of “cram schools” that are private and might operate according to different rules.
I would try to find an ESL professor, maybe at your local university, and she if he/she has any advice.
We know a few kids who have done this but all were college grads. There are a number of different organizations that offer this ‘certification’ and not all of them are reputable so you need to do your research about the details. Similarly, not all jobs ‘teaching English’ are going to be credible positions.
Two of my kids have done/are doing it, but both had degrees first. One has her TOESL and the other did one of those TEFL programs. I can ask her which it was if you’d like.
I’m so glad I posted here - it seems obvious he really does need the degree first, which is what we’ve been telling him. It’s good to get it confirmed. He has such a big heart - he really wants to start helping people NOW! We’re trying to get the point across that he needs to have the right tools so he can be more effective. It will be fascinating to see what he decides! We’ve told him we’ll help him with college expenses, but otherwise, he’s on his own. He’s the type of guy who would flit from one experience to another for ten years if we financed him! He did raise almost all of the money for his middle east trip himself.
We have a friend who taught in English speaking schools in the Arab areas for years, she recently married a US guy who actually went back to school to get a graduate degree and they are now in China, I am pretty sure he needed the graduate degree, but not sure what they were aiming for. Everything i have heard requires at least a bachelor’s degree.
ML, I would think someone at Fordham in the Middle East Studies department would have experience with this and be able to tell you more about the requirements for teaching in that part of the world
You don’t need a degree if you’re willing to not get paid (Smile.) In other words, volunteer English teachers are welcomed everywhere. But who knows, maybe with your son’s current contacts in Lebanon, he might find a school that will take him. But once he leaves Lebanon, he’ll have a hard time finding paying jobs as an ESL teacher without a degree. Especially in countries with academically ambitious students, such as those in Japan, Singapore or Korea.
For the peanut gallery, no, I didn’t go to Fordham, and I’ve never been in NY for more than a week. I just happen to know of a real person who did and studied a relevant subject, thus making me think someone there would likely know something, and they happen to be in the Northeast as is the OP, to the best of my knowledge.
Thanks for all the info! His thought for the day (which might change tomorrow!) is that he would like to get a college degree overseas, maybe in Egypt. Don’t ask me - he’s a whirlwind. I told him he would need to make sure the school was accredited and that his degree would be accepted in other countries. Otherwise, we’re not contributing!
I’m going to join the chorus. My dd is in China teaching English. She not only had to have a degree, but she also had to have some experience such as tutoring. She is working for Disney English which paid for the courses to get the TEFL certification ( I think that was what it was).