Any total idiot chancers done TEFL & how did it go?

[fit bird]

There are a lot of websites with success stories stories and glowing testimonials but all of these seem to come from smiling young men and women of sound mind with full heads of hair, hearts full of hope and some level of actual intelligence. The kind of people who understand concepts like 'making the most of things' and 'enjoying life'.

It's beautiful to see these people out there doing their thing, really it is. The problem is, as a total idiot useless chancer, I can't help but wonder...
What is the experience like for mental bald comedy fans who sit around in their pyjamas eating wotsits, watching homes under the hammer and posting about wanking off their horrible horrible genitals in H.S. Art?

Do they even have crisps and homes under the hammer in foreign?

Your stories please thanks.

[thugler]

Did the course, got the certificate. Then never went to put it into practice. Just didn't feel right, and heard some slightly bleak sounding stories. Bit of a waste really.

[kittens]

my mate tom did it and now he's living in portugal having a whale of a time working two hours a day and shagging birds and he's the most weird messed up little squirt that ever lived

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm doing an online course now, about two thirds of the way through and quite enjoying it. Once finished I'm planning to teach online rather than in person though, so I won't have to deal with any pesky kids in person and can just close the laptop if they annoy me.

[brat-sampson]

I've been teaching in Prague for over a year now after taking a TEFL course out here in Nov '16. Having a great time. I make more than enough to live on, like my job, know cool people and love the city. They have crisps but call them 'chips', I'm fairly social but not especially attractive, in my early 30s but look younger and have hair.

I'll also say that most people who took the course I was in didn't continue with it as a job for more than say 6-8 months or moved abroad again or just went back home after experiencing the 'magic' of travelling or just teach online or have had to take additional jobs to supplement their income or etc. But as someone who went in with realistic expectations and a desire to genuinely go with it as a career, as well as some requisite luck, I'm doing just fine.

[Captain Z]

my mate tom did it and now he's living in portugal having a whale of a time working two hours a day and shagging birds and he's the most weird messed up little squirt that ever lived

That's TEFL code for 'help I've been kidnapped by a Japanese whaling crew and forced to have sex with the seagulls that land on the boat'.

[Kishi the Bad Lampshade]

It's beautiful to see these people out there doing their thing, really it is. The problem is, as a total idiot useless chancer, I can't help but wonder...
What is the experience like for mental bald comedy fans who sit around in their pyjamas eating wotsits, watching homes under the hammer and posting about wanking off their horrible horrible genitals in H.S. Art?

I did it, and believe me, total idiot useless chancers are a vital part of the TEFL ecosystem. The only danger is that you won't have any motivation to go back home, and will end up being the one who stays their whole life, goes very weird and gets whispered about by all the young smiley ones.

[Z]

the one who stays their whole life, goes very weird and gets whispered about by all the young smiley ones.

at what age does one reach that point?

I've two friends been doing it for a while now, I don't really get it and neither of them seem to pushed but time's ticking on regardless.

[Consignia]

Do you have to learn the local language for TEFL? It seems an awfully generic qualification for something you'd want a teacher to be least competent in the two languages.

[brat-sampson]

Do you have to learn the local language for TEFL? It seems an awfully generic qualification for something you'd want a teacher to be least competent in the two languages.

Nope. After the initial push you're better off learning a different language from a native speaker with zero of your own being spoken in the lessons. I've learned some Czech just for convenience, but I'm not very good and pretty much never use it in lessons. Obviously for total beginners I'm not their best option, but for pretty much solid A2 and higher they're better off without it.

[Kishi the Bad Lampshade]

at what age does one reach that point?

I've two friends been doing it for a while now, I don't really get it and neither of them seem to pushed but time's ticking on regardless.

Roughly speaking, I'd say after five years in the same place. Going to different places, or building some sort of serious life there with a resolute intent to stay after falling in love with the place, indicates it might turn out all right. The real danger is when you stop having positive reasons to stay and just have an absence of negatives ("better than working in a call centre back home").

[Wet Blanket]

I did it, and believe me, total idiot useless chancers are a vital part of the TEFL ecosystem. The only danger is that you won't have any motivation to go back home, and will end up being the one who stays their whole life, goes very weird and gets whispered about by all the young smiley ones.

I briefly considered doing one during last year's annual existential crisis but was put off by regularly seeing this sentiment on forums on the subject. It's a young person's game isn't it? I could see myself, at the wizened age of 33, being a figure of scorn amongst the new graduates, who still think that after a couple of years of TEFLing they'll waltz into a management position in some Top 100 company. If they'd had real jobs first they'd know that the entire economy is based on people lazily drifting into being lifers in dreary offices, and being a ghost in a low intensity job in some pleasantly exotic country is probably no worse than being one on an industrial estate in Selby.

[Bazooka]

This is my second time utilising it, the actual getting the certificate is very straightforward, and it's a prerequisite for the majority of teaching jobs, or the better paid jobs, CELTA is seen as a bit better though.

This is my second time utilising it, did the two years in Korea, now here in Beijing after being back in the UK for 4 years. There are companies like English First who operate in several countries that pay piss poor for the amount of work you do and shit shifts, better to look for private company jobs. The school I work for here in China has teachers with a mixed range of qualifications, they made out a degree and TEFL/TESOL etc was a mandatory requirement (which I have) but upon starting the job I found this was not true. But the more experience and qualifications you have, generally means they will offer you more money, I have a very comfortable life here.

Not done Europe of course, but your money goes much further here in Asia, still lifestyle dependent of course. Anyway, Korea especially was probably the best two years of my life, the cultural immersion is priceless.

[Bazooka]

Do you have to learn the local language for TEFL? It seems an awfully generic qualification for something you'd want a teacher to be least competent in the two languages.

You get a native co-teacher in 99% of classes or you are assigned a helper(basically one of the younger teachers on the lower level of the office ladder) to help you with admin, apartment, bank account etc, so it's not a requirement. It just depends on how easier you want to make your life, some people go for years without learning shit, like saying the English thanks, even if you go on holiday its not hard to learn the retrospective hello and thanks.

My girlfriend I met here has been teaching me Chinese, which is good and bad, the bad being I never really practice it if I am with her because firstly she is Chinese and secondly other Chinese people will assume I don't know a lick of it.

[the science eel]

I've been teaching in Prague for over a year now after taking a TEFL course out here in Nov '16.

Which course?


I've been doing TEFL for 25 years, got the Dip last year, running a weekend course soon in Edinburgh.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

I've been doing TEFL for a while now, and have worked in 11 different countries ( 12 if you include the U.K ).If nothing else, it's made me realise how important that nebulous difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous can be.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I've been teaching in Prague for over a year now after taking a TEFL course out here in Nov '16. Having a great time. I make more than enough to live on, like my job, know cool people and love the city. They have crisps but call them 'chips', I'm fairly social but not especially attractive, in my early 30s but look younger and have hair.

I'll also say that most people who took the course I was in didn't continue with it as a job for more than say 6-8 months or moved abroad again or just went back home after experiencing the 'magic' of travelling or just teach online or have had to take additional jobs to supplement their income or etc. But as someone who went in with realistic expectations and a desire to genuinely go with it as a career, as well as some requisite luck, I'm doing just fine.

If you don't mind, what sort of money does that bring in/alternatively what proportion of your income goes on rent?

Also is this full time tutoring/private school/state school?

And non-TEFL, what are your favourite places in Prague for food and drink?

[brat-sampson]

If you don't mind, what sort of money does that bring in/alternatively what proportion of your income goes on rent?

Also is this full time tutoring/private school/state school?

And non-TEFL, what are your favourite places in Prague for food and drink?

I do just fine for Prague, combined rent + bills + social/health insurance taking maybe 50% of my income, but I could easily find somewhere cheaper if I wanted to. It's almost all 1-1 lessons either with private students or through private language schools, mostly adults but one place is kids. I avoided the bigger language schools after hearing about how they treat their staff (generally they provide decent enough facilities, but the pay's low and they expect to be able to just ship you around the city where/whenever they want at their whim). My impression is they get a lot of churn, due to the number of new TEFL graduates the city/world produces in any given month, combined with said treatment.

Best places are probably just the ones you already know, the city's heaving with nice craft beer houses or spots for a tank Pilsner. Ale Bar north of Andel is a nice smaller spot. Also that Honest Guide bloke's done a few videos that are probably better at pointing out hidden gems than I could ever be.

Which course?

I got mine from The Language House here in Prague. Very knowledgeable tutors, good fun atmosphere, but also still serious enough, lots of teaching experience moulded into the course and very good followup support with a group for alumni and regular activities. In reality I don't follow the strict lesson planning formula they made us use, but there were a lot of other useful tips/tricks in it. Plus now I actually know about grammar.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Cool, thanks. So it's totally up to you to generate your own work?

[brat-sampson]

Yup, or, it was. There's a site called Teacher Creature that's designed to help students/schools find teachers and vice versa which I used for a month, but now I'm in contact with enough places/doing enough regular work that I'm not actively looking for more, but accepting new students with the schools as and when.

[Small Man Big Horse]

...The real danger is when you stop having positive reasons to stay and just have an absence of negatives ("better than working in a call centre back home").

That's 100% why I'm doing the course right now. Though again I'll be based in the UK rather than moving abroad, at least for the next couple of years.

I've been doing TEFL for a while now, and have worked in 11 different countries ( 12 if you include the U.K ).If nothing else, it's made me realise how important that nebulous difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous can be.

This is not the response you gave when I started a thread about TEFL!

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

This is not the response you gave when I started a thread about TEFL!

This is due to being a mercurial headcase (a required qualification of EFL teachers, along with a heavy drinking habit, and having girlfriends that are clearly far too young for you ).

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Yup, or, it was. There's a site called Teacher Creature that's designed to help students/schools find teachers and vice versa which I used for a month, but now I'm in contact with enough places/doing enough regular work that I'm not actively looking for more, but accepting new students with the schools as and when.

Thanks, and given this seems quite informal, how do they verify you or anyone else has the qualifications they say they do?

[Bazooka]

Thanks, and given this seems quite informal, how do they verify you or anyone else has the qualifications they say they do?

Can't comment on Europe, but Asia the vast majority require seeing the original and copies of degrees, TEFL certificates etc, China, Japan, Korea it's a requirement for the VISA.

[Small Man Big Horse]

This is due to being a mercurial headcase (a required qualification of EFL teachers, along with a heavy drinking habit, and having girlfriends that are clearly far too young for you ).

Hey, she's 35! And I have a smoking problem rather than a drinking problem! _{Everything else is correct though.}

[brat-sampson]

Thanks, and given this seems quite informal, how do they verify you or anyone else has the qualifications they say they do?

I mean, I have the certificate if they want to see it. Depends on the school though.

They usually don't.

[The Lion King]

There are a lot of websites with success stories stories and glowing testimonials but all of these seem to come from smiling young men and women of sound mind with full heads of hair, hearts full of hope and some level of actual intelligence. The kind of people who understand concepts like 'making the most of things' and 'enjoying life'.

It's beautiful to see these people out there doing their thing, really it is. The problem is, as a total idiot useless chancer, I can't help but wonder...
What is the experience like for mental bald comedy fans who sit around in their pyjamas eating wotsits, watching homes under the hammer and posting about wanking off their horrible horrible genitals in H.S. Art?

Do they even have crisps and homes under the hammer in foreign?

Your stories please thanks.

I have been living in China for two years and have seen a fair few teachers pass through the schools I have worked at. Most people out here are chancers. Before I came I was a little anxious that I didn't really have much knowledge of the country and it was never my lifelong dream to come here and teach. I thought I would be amongst a load of Chinaheads spending their free time chatting about dynasties and what have you. I realised very shortly after arriving that pretty much everyone here is in the same boat. I have met some absolute nutcases (One strange creature who had recently returned from thailand after spending loads of cash on plastic surgery for his now doll like face who chased a lorry up the road making a gun gesture with his hand because the lorry beeped it's horn at us) who would complain about life out here but then go all weird when I asked them why they didn't go home, as if they were on the run or something. I currently work with one bloke in his 40's and another couple in their 50's and they seem to be enjoying themselves enough. None of them are bald though so this may be irrelevant.

[fit bird]

Total idiot useless chancers are a vital part of the TEFL ecosystem.

Excellent, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks everyone.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I mean, I have the certificate if they want to see it. Depends on the school though.

They usually don't.

Haha... that's mad. So....why does anyone bother getting the certificate?

[Danger Man]

Lots of fake certificates out there as well.