Request a Topic

This blog is worth nothing if it doesn’t answer questions that are important to your decision making.

Request a specific topic of interest to you or that you think helps address the issues others in your position may have.  All are welcome.  I will get to them and address each – as soon as possible.

Use the comments box below to get it started . . .

Ted | datetime August 12, 2009 5:02 PM

26 Comments

  • By Tricia, August 18, 2009 @ 3:08 AM

    accredited schools, and employment sites.

  • By Ted, August 18, 2009 @ 4:11 AM

    Hi Tricia,

    Wow! HUGE topic and ever changing. A good school yesterday can be sold and be a lousy school tomorrow – things change quickly around the world. What we will do in this area is take a look at how to check the reputation of a potential employer – that might be the best way to go about it?

    EnjoY!

    Ted

  • By abdelwaheb, September 7, 2009 @ 6:40 PM

    Hi Iwill will be so grateful to you if u help me with some data about course design and evaluation in tefl. Best regards

    Abdelwaheb

  • By Ted, September 8, 2009 @ 6:27 AM

    Hi Abdelwheb,

    Send me an eMail at Ted @ TEFLnewbie.com with some details of what you are trying to do and I will see if I can provide some guidance. You might also want to take a look at http://www.TEFLteacherTraining.com/blog/ for additional help.

    Ted

  • By Margaret, September 20, 2009 @ 6:02 PM

    Hi Ted, perhaps some advice on how to deal with non cooperative students? For example if students persist on using their own language in class?

  • By Ted, September 21, 2009 @ 9:35 AM

    A Good resource to read is the article on Student Motivation over at TEFL Teacher Training
    Take a look and tell me if that might help a bit.

  • By JK, November 24, 2009 @ 11:22 AM

    Thinking about Korea, Japan, or Taiwan. I have a wife and a young daughter. We both have MAs. Can we pull this off? Can we both teach? What about safety for my daughter? Will the family change the accomadations/expenses and, thus, the money matters? Do you know of any similar situations? Any advice, really. Thanks.

  • By Ted, November 24, 2009 @ 11:35 AM

    Hi JK,

    Korea is a better/easier environment for a newbie and with your MAs both of you can probably move up to a university position rather quickly (my wife and I both did – both of us have graduate degrees).
    It would be worth your while to get some sort of TEFL certification even if just an online course before you go.
    Your daughter’s safety? She is SAFER in Japan and Korea than in America. By far. And probably safer in Taiwan too.
    The whole package is a difficult issue to address briefly – so how about sending me an email at ted @ TEFLeBooks.com and we can do a bit of back and forth on it.

  • By SeasonsChange8, January 27, 2010 @ 7:50 AM

    Hi Ted,

    I’ve been nosing around your site and have found a tremendous amount of useful information. Thanks! My question is perhaps a bit specific, but I’m gonna shoot anyway. I’m currently pursuing a masters degree in anthropology, but it’s not allowing for the hands-on experience that I’m looking for. I’m certain that I would like to teach English overseas (hopefully in Korea), and am wondering whether completing my degree would make me a significantly more competitive applicant or translate into higher wages. If it’s relevant, I have undergrad degrees in Spanish and biology. Also, I can’t seem to find a consensus concerning the usefulness of a M.A. in TEFL done online. Are these acceptable in Japan and the Middle East, for example?

    Thanks so much,

    Philip

  • By Ted, January 27, 2010 @ 9:54 AM

    Hi Philip,
    A relevant graduate degree is going to help you a lot more than one unrelated to teaching a language or education in general.
    Yes, a graduate degree will make you more competitive, but for the good jobs in the Middle East (as you mentioned) – relevance will be critical. With a relevant graduate degree university positions are available literally around the world.
    Online MATEFL – MATESOL – I wouldn’t. Yes, they are accepted some places, but even in some countries where they are “accepted” many individual employers and or their hiring authorities will not accept them. So, for example, it is nice that Saudi Arabia “accepts” online education, but when I applied for (and got) a position there, my PGCE in TEFL was thrown out as a qualifier (I had other more acceptable qualifications). Distance versus online education is different. Most places do accept distance education particularly if there is a residential component to it. For example if you must return for two weeks a year to do teaching practice or take exams.
    The issue for many employers is NOT online or distance education. It is HOW do they know it was YOU that took and passed the course. I worked with a man once who had earned a good living in S. America taking college entrance and qualification examinations for others. If an entire course is online, how does the grantor of the degree, know it was you who did the work? And, in fact, that question was what ruled OUT my PGCE in Saudi Arabia. If there had been even a short residential component where I was at the school, it would have been accepted.
    Get the right degree – it will make a huge difference in what you can do. For example I have a Masters degree in Education and a PGCE in TEFL (and assorted other certifications) – but some schools will still prefer to hire that MATESOL or someone with a degree in Applied Linguistics (essentially the same).
    There are some good MATESOL type distance schools in Australia that are relatively inexpensive, look and see what is around. Some of the distance programs are only 12-18 months – not too hard to get that done.
    Good Luck!
    Ted

  • By eric, February 1, 2010 @ 5:27 PM

    I have been looking into teaching abroad in some of the asian countries i don’t have a degree i’d like to know what countries are best for a african american to teach were wil be more accepted.

  • By Ted, February 2, 2010 @ 7:58 AM

    Hello Fatrock,
    Without a degree your options are extremely limited to begin with, especially in Asia where a degree is required almost everywhere. The two best options for people without degrees are Cambodia and Indonesia. Indonesia is relatively liberal in terms of hiring a variety of ethnic groups but has a strong preference for British English and accent AND requires a TEFL certification. Cambodia is also okay, but while a TEFL certification is not always required, you will need something to boost your possibilities.
    A good weblog to take a look at that might be able to provide better guidance than I can is here: http://theblackeslteacher.blogspot.com/ That site has been around a while and is reputable.

  • By Rachel, February 27, 2010 @ 12:35 AM

    Hi Ted,
    I’m about to begin an MA program in Latin American studies in the US, and am also thinking about teaching English abroad at some point. My university (Indiana University) has a certificate program in EFL/ESL. It consists of 5 graduate courses, but they’re online. It seems like these certificate programs through university schools of education are becoming more common.

    The advantage to doing this through the university would be that the courses would be paid for through my assistantship. However, I’m not sure how they would compare to an internationally recognized TEFL certificate, and it’s probably a disadvantage that they’re online. What is your opinion on this type of certificate compared to other types of certification?

    Thank you!
    Rachel

  • By Ted, February 27, 2010 @ 3:30 PM

    Hi Rachel,
    Distance courses are slowly gaining in popularity. And, most people would agree that some training is better than no training. People who object to online certification programs are usually concerned that there is not an observed teaching practice component of the program and if you can get that someone – you can counter the objection. Otherwise – also take a four week regular certification program.
    I have a masters degree in education, PGCE in TEFL and had had experience teaching (not English) before going abroad. I still found a good TEFL program helpful – though with the deeper levels learned in my graduate program I could also see its limitations and work around them.
    “My Take?” – somehow get observed teaching practice in one form or another. If you get it somehow in the online course, just be sure to note it on your resume. Also, something from a regular university often will not even note that it was an online course so the issue may never come up.

  • By Karen Mezouane, March 3, 2010 @ 12:57 AM

    I’m 63 and have a Masters in Education in TESOL. I’ve taught at the local community college for the past 10 years part-time evenings while holding a FT job. I’ve taught beginning through Advanced ESL and TOEFL Prep. I’m wanting to know what countries are best for an energetic, healthy, 63-yr old female? I also know French and German. thanx!

  • By Ted, March 3, 2010 @ 9:54 AM

    Hi Karen,
    Us older folks need to depend more on two strategies for seeking employment. We need to apply for jobs in person, so people KNOW we are healthy, energetic and positive (some of us older guys get a bit cranky). And, we need to seek employment further off the beaten track. It is a real problem in my opinion and so many schools turn away so much talent and it is the students who lose out. My strategy if I was looking for a job right now? I’d go in person to Phnom Phen and hit all the universities. Or, deep into China, or rural almost anywhere where the young and restless don’t want to go. I like a quieter life they days anyway – so rural suits me just fine.
    Not the perfect answer, but one that does work!
    Enjoy!
    Ted

  • By Jay, March 28, 2010 @ 8:57 PM

    Hi Ted,

    I recently thought about going grad school to get a degree in applied linguistics with a concentration in ESL/TEFL. I’m still paying for my anthropology undergrad degree and really dont want to get into more debt. Is it better to have a masters when trying to teach overseas or will a undergrad degree be ok? Or is it better to get a degree in education then apply to jobs overseas? FYI- glad you have this site!

  • By Ted, March 29, 2010 @ 4:12 AM

    Hi Jay,
    Bottom line, having the graduate degree before you head out abroad is always better, but not everybody has the time or money. And as you indicate, you have some debt and don’t want more. Can’t blame you! Going abroad with a bachelors degree is okay too. There are lots of good jobs, but do be sure to pick up TEFL Certification either in-class or online before you go. That TEFL Cert will make you much more competitive for the better jobs than than the people with no experience and no specialized training and only a degree. As this is the “Request a Topic” section I will address this issue in an upcoming post. Thanks for the idea!
    Enjoy!
    Ted

  • By Patti, March 30, 2010 @ 4:56 AM

    I am a little chubby … am curious what countries are harder to be employed in or if there are any countries you can suggest where that is not a significant barrier.

  • By Jay, March 30, 2010 @ 6:57 AM

    Thanks, Ted. I have looked at the Oxford Seminar TEFL certification classes because they offer in-class sessions in my city. Do you know if they are they reputable?

  • By Ted, March 30, 2010 @ 7:59 AM

    Hi Jay,
    Most organizations are reputable. You might want to check out who your teacher trainers will be. Some schools hire relatively inexperienced and under-qualified instructors. http://www.TEFLprogram.com can give you some tips on what to look for in a school and instructor. My bias as a semi-retired teacher trainer is that your teacher should have a graduate degree in education/TESOL/something related and/or a Post Graduate Certification in TEFL (a DELTA would be okay too) and should have taught for at least 5-8 years in at least two countries. More than half of what you learn in a TEFL Classroom comes from the experience of your teachers/instructors. Very little experience and little formal education means you will get the standard curriculum, but not much more.

  • By Ted, March 30, 2010 @ 8:07 AM

    Hi Patti,
    Unless you are hugely overweight it probably isn’t a problem anywhere. Be aware though, if you are “out of shape” that many schools in the developing world might be on the third or fourth floor of a building with no elevator and you might find yourself running between floors to get to a class on time. I taught at a large college once where the buildings were spread out on different hills and one class might be on the fifth floor of one building and I would have ten minutes to make it to my next class down the five floors, down the hill, up another hill and up another 4-5 stories. Even though I was in reasonable shape I would often arrive at my next class out of breath, sweating profusely and not quite ready to take up the reins of the class.
    Be aware also that many cultures don’t have the social inhibitions about commenting on your size. I worked in a college in Taiwan where the secretary once told me that I was “getting fatter and fatter every day”. She did this across a large room with many people in it. And yes, I was chubbing out a bit at the time. It actually hurt my feelings a bit and I wanted to say, “Yes, but you are ugly and I can lose weight”. But – I fully realized that her statement was not intended as an insult, just as a friendly comment.
    One good thing though – all those stairs and the frank social comments may well help you get back in shape!

  • By Jason, June 1, 2010 @ 12:59 PM

    Hello Ted! First I would like to commend you on your site. I have found so much valuable information here. The one question I have is about teflbootcamp.com. Is this a reputable tefl site? I can’t afford a course at my local college at the moment so, I think an online course is my best bet.I will be teaching in China if that helps. My girlfreind lives in China and she says this is all I need to teach English. What are your suggestions? I’m so excited to begin this journey. Thanks for all your help!

  • By Ted, June 2, 2010 @ 9:02 AM

    Yes! TEFL Boot Camp is a member of the College of Teachers in the UK and of the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching for Foreign Languages) – see the FAQ page and also the footer on any page of the website.
    TEFL Boot Camp is perfect for China. The cost is low, the content is what you need. My bias? I am the Academic Director for TEFL Boot Camp.
    Let me know if you have more questions, happy to help if I can.
    Go get ‘em!
    Ted

  • By Kate, July 6, 2010 @ 2:50 AM

    Hi Ted,

    I’ve spent only 30 minutes browsing your site and it seems like a great resource – thanks!

    I’ve just graduated from university and I am a single parent. I’d love to teach English overseas and I think it would be a fantastic experience for my young son as well. I am a little concerned about his education and childcare in a foreign country though. Do you have any information on how difficult it would be to enrol him in school and find reputable childcare? I don’t have a very strong preference as to which country to teach in – my priority is making this big change as easy as possible for the kiddo.

    Any information you might have would be much appreciated!

  • By Ted, July 6, 2010 @ 8:31 AM

    Hi Kate,
    I am going to make your question a post – but as it won’t be online for several weeks, I will answer your question via email. Enjoy!
    Ted

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