Thread: My Newbie Plan - Please offer advice to make the plan better :)

Originally Posted by take1risk

TEFL, TESOL, CELTA...wow! This could all really frustrate an analytical guy like me to figure out what course to take. From the research it seems like CELTA is a little more advanced. Oh well, I'm probably going to stick with TEFL. Based on the posts from other members, it doesn't seem to matter as much in landing a job, as does your personality, interview skills, etc.

Yes the acronyms can be a bit confusing at first.

TEFL is the one you need to know, which stands for 'Teaching English as a Foreign Language'. The 'foreign' part just means that English is not the first language of the country you'll be teaching in.

The CELTA is a TEFL course. It's externally moderated & validated by the University of Cambridge in the UK & is a tough course with a real possibility of failure but with obvious benefits; the mutt's nuts if you like.

Other TEFL courses, with the possible exception of SEE TEFL who have ISO:9001 accreditation, are not quality assured by any reputable external body. I can't name names on here but I work with some people who've taken these courses. They were told things like 'Don't worry about grammer, you'll be teaching conversation' & IMO some of these courses are nothing more than a rubber stamp exercise.

I really would advise that, for your own benefit & the benefit of your prospective students, you do take a TEFL course. BTW the only courses recognised by schools are ones with at least 120 hours of classroom theory & 6 hours of observed teaching practice.

Chock dee khrap.

[edit: looks like slamb got there first on some of the stuff I'm about to say, apologies for any repetition!]

TEFL usually refers to Teaching English as a Foreign Language, something we do in non-native English speaking countries. It's similar to ESOL, English for Speakers of Other Languages, which can refer to the non-native English speaking learner being resident in an English speaking environment. Both are generic.

The CELTA is aimed at teaching adults but there is a variant - subject to availability - that can cater to those focussing on children. The Trinity Cert TESOL is the other big one and features a component aimed at teaching the kids. TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, thus can refer to non-native speakers learning English either as a foreign language (like TEFL) or to those in an English speaking country (like ESOL).

EFL is just a short version of TEFL without the Teaching part being referred to but it's just the same.
ESL is English as a Second Language and can also be general and generic of the non-native speaker's location at time of learning English.

You'll probably come to learn all this on a course, but the point is CELTA and Trinity Cert TESOL are your best options if possible, particularly if you ever end up in Western Europe or certain other places.

Following on from that, and to repeat a point made earlier because it IS important, is that a TEFL qualification of some kind definately gives you options for later if you leave Thailand and stick with the industry elsewhere, an increasingly competitive one where TEFL certification is becoming more and more necessary either by law, to keep ahead of your peers or because employers are increasingly demanding it.

The student-centred methodology may not be easy to implement in Thailand but a proper course - that is to say, one with the minimum amount of practicum - will not only give you a little first time experience with the classroom and real bodies, it should also help you to be reflective and provide practical feedback from experts in the field, if only in an idealised way that doesn't always compute with the reality of the Thai education system.
Furthermore, it will build your confidence not only as someone standing in front of 10 to 40 students but also in terms of having the most basic grasp of the lingo and the issues. Sure you can get these from a book, but that doesn't come with the added benefit of the input and support of one's peers on the course, which also brings us to the other good point of TEFL courses which is contacts: I still get job opportunities coming through from my old tutors.

Personally I think you have the right attitude and I'm sure you're going to do just fine. You don't need a TEFL cert in Thailand but it's a sound investment for any non-teacher qualified newbie with an eye on future horizons.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Anna Key

(Smashes bottle on table)

I'll make sure to stay on your good side.

Originally Posted by bet

Use your math degree to teach math. There is a large demand for English speaking math teachers, and you can get a decent wage as one.

As far as the TEFL, they don't prepare you for working in a Thai school. Forget about the 'valuable teaching experience' nonsense that you may hear. You'll pick up far more on the job.

LOL. I looked at the notes from some math course I did back in university and I couldn't even decipher it any more. Math is definitely not like riding a bike.

as long as you have a tefl i dont think it rly matters if the course was 40 hours or 120 or 2 weeks or 6, no one ever asked me. maybe it has for others though?
i found more opportunity by getting out and talking to people rather than searching online.

my advice;
-photocopy everything several times. everything. (bring originals too)
-do an online tefl before you come, i did & several of my friends teaching in korea did too with np
-go to the local farang bars, be friendly and ask around for openings
-get a double or triple entry 60 day tourist visa, could be a while before they give you a work permit
-acclimatize to always being schweaty

Well take1risk, your postings answered a lot of question for me. Thanks. And it looks like we might be seeing each other soon. My plan is very much like yours ( same TEFL school, same place, same time). I am a physicist and would also like to teach either math, physics or chemistry. I am looking forward to meeting you and being classmates and newbies together. I feel a little easier (almost ) knowing somebody who is going to be there with me. Send me a private message (if you can, I am too much a a noowb and they won't let me) if you would like to communicate prior to landing.

Good Luck (to both of us),
CalTucky

I talked to Mr. James Parmalee at the Text & Talk TEFL school this morning. He encouraged me to take classes in Bangkok instead of Pattaya. He seemed to imply that teaching math/science in English was really only happening at bilingual schools which were primarily located in Bangkok, not the vacation cities. I get the impression that if we want to be able to teach math/science anywhere in Thailand, we will need to fluent in the language or be consigned to only teach in big cities where bilingual and international schools exist. Mr. Parmalee seemed pretty convinced that my experience would be better in Bangkok and my initial hiring oppertunities would be easier and pay more for staying there. It seems that might be a good idea to be in Bangkok for a year or so, make some good money, get the lay of the land and learn the language before heading out to the countryside and exploring some more possibly desirable locations. Having the experience and language under my belt will make things a lot easier, maybe.

Does anyone have any comments on this observation.

Thanks.

^
Levels of English are extremely low outside of the bigger towns and cities and more established schools, so the advice might be good.

No point in setting weak goals in life. If I plan on staying for a while, I might as well get to the good stuff as soon as possible.