Teach overseas without certificate
Few things in life offer a greater experience than
taking up an overseas teaching assignment. Many have it as an item in their
bucket list to work and live in another country. Before setting off on the
journey of a lifetime with an international teaching career there is a lot of paperwork that you need to take care of.
Visa applications and insurance need to be taken care of and in order to find a
teaching job Thailand you also need
to complete a TEFL certificate course.
Is it possible to teach
English abroad without having a TEFL certificate?
TEFL is an abbreviation for Teaching English as a
Foreign Language and a certificate as proof of TEFL course Thailand completion is necessary for teaching ESL. However,
it is not always necessary to have the certification for teaching abroad. A
teaching job can be acquired without a TEFL under the following circumstances:
You are an experienced
candidate: If you already
have some form of teaching experience, a TEFL may not be necessary. Build up an
impressive resume and show off your teaching jobs and all that you have
achieved on them to make schools hire you when you apply for relevant openings.
You possess some other
certification: Several ESL
teacher certifications are available that can help you with your job search.
Apart from TEFL, a TESOL certificate is also a valid option and is regarded as
an equivalent. DELTA and CELTA are more intensive programs that may not be
suitable for all. Having one of these certifications can help you land a job
and will not mandate a TEFL as an additional qualification.
You have a visa: A TEFL is often the prerequisite for
obtaining a work visa. However, if there is some other visa that permits you to
remain in the country such as a marriage or retirement visa, then chances are
you can skip the need for the certification.
If you are someone who ticks the box for any one of
the above criteria, you can escape having to sit through a TEFL course Thailand.
I don’t have a TEFL
certificate and I am teaching abroad. What will happen?
You can land yourself a job minus a TEFL certificate
but that may not be such a good idea for your international teaching career. In case you choose not to get hold
of a TEFL certificate prior to starting your teaching career, you are likely to
run into a number of obstacles along the way. Here is a look at some of the
most common issues you will be facing.
You will have
considerable amount of trouble in finding work: Finding a full-time job becomes considerably tougher
for those without a TEFL certificate. Many teaching
job Thailand application advertisements clearly mention this as a crucial
requirement, and you will probably face a great deal of hassle reaching the
interview stage if you don’t have the certification. A 120-hour course is
usually the norm. Your resume is at a risk of being cast aside without so much
as a lookover if you don’t mention completion of the certificate course.
You may not be granted
a work permit: There are
certain countries where teachers are required to hold a TEFL certificate in
order to make them eligible for obtaining a work permit. Many often opt for
illegal employment in order to find a way around this issue, using their
regular visas or tourist visas for staying back in their preferred country.
Though a route often employed, it is far from the advisable one. There always
remains the risk of being caught in a legal tangle with officials and the
unstable, uncertain environment is also very demotivating.
You will have to settle
for a lower salary: Teachers
who lack qualification are generally offered lower salaries as opposed to the
ones who have completed several professional and certificate courses. A person
who holds a Master’s degree has access to the highest-paying jobs which are
usually offered by the international schools that follow an American or British
curriculum. DELTA and CELTA certificates are a few steps below that level with
TEFL often turning out to be the bare minimum. Without this qualification,
earning the minimum livable wage could prove difficult in certain countries.
Working without a TEFL is not always advisable even
for those who have the option to do so. However, work as an English teacher is
always available even to those who have not done a TEFL certificate course.
How is a TEFL
certification beneficial?
You may have realized by now that the various
workarounds of finding job without a TEFL certificate have their downsides.
Here is a look at some of the reasons why you should opt for the certificate
course.
Fulfills the legal
requirements: A TEFL is often
required simply for fulfilling your work permit and visa requirements. Those
looking to teach for a short while can get away without one but for someone
looking to have an international
teaching career completing a TEFL course is mandatory.
Develops your teaching
skills: Surely a person
who knows how to speak a language will be able to teach it? No, that’s not a
necessity! There is more to becoming a great ESL teacher than the ability to
speak the native tongue. This is something a TEFL course will help cover. It
will also equip you with the tools needed for transferring your knowledge of
English to the students in an effective manner. You will also get to learn some
tricks of the trade that will come in handy over the course of your teaching job Thailand, such as
classroom management, gesturing, and lesson planning.
Keep yourself prepared
A TEFL certificate stands out as a crucial
requirement for most international teaching jobs. Nevertheless, it can be of
huge benefit even in those situations where it is not needed. Chances are, it
will help make you a better teacher. Not only will it keep you better equipped
for the classroom but also open up more opportunities for you in the future.
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