Messages by Barbara

I truly, truly believe that having a degree should be a requirement before you even sign up for TESOL. I also think the instructors need to exercise a bit more discretion when signing up students... there was more than one student in my class whose English was less than perfect.

The impression the course left with me is that anyone and everyone can get a teaching job abroad. What they neglected to mention is that in almost all countries, a BA is a legal requirement to obtain a working Visa (yes, China too), that you will be dismissed by employers if you sound as though English is not your native language, and that if you have an even remotely Asian appearance (even if you were born and raised in Canada), finding a job will be exceedingly difficult (hiring teachers has so much to do with the image you'll be projecting to students' parents). I've heard of several cases of qualified teachers not finding employment because they are 40+.

Sadly, it's a very specific demographic schools are looking for - young, educated, and caucasian. (Of course, there are schools willing to broaden their concept of what an acceptable teacher looks like, but in my experience (in China) luxuries such as equal rights just don't exist).

For myself, taking the TESOL course was great and I've been teaching some of the cutest kids in China since February of this year, but for others I've spoken with, their TESOL instructor was less than upfront with them, and now they're jobless and $1000 poorer. I just think TESOL needs to act a bit more responsibly is all.

Christian - a lot of people without post-secondary education are told they'll have no problem finding a job when they sign up for TESOL. Believe me when I say that this is not true. I think it's sad that some people pay so much money for the course, only to find themselves turned down by every school they apply to.

I have a BA, but my best friend doesn't, and it took us months to find a school that would hire us both, even in China (and we, of course, were promised finding a job would be easy as pie). The school that did end up hiring us created a fake degree for my friend (something I didn't know they would be doing until we were already in China). I loved the TESOL course and would recommend it to anyone, but the fact that they downplay how essential it is to have a degree left a seriously bad taste in my mouth.

That said... if you are interested in teaching in icy northeastern China, send me a message and I'll see if anything is available! barbrrrra@hotmail.com

Did anyone else apply to the job in Tarragona, Spain that was posted on this site recently? I've been offered a contract (the school is called Escola Turo Tarragona) and now they're asking me for 350 Euros via Western Union to cover the orientation costs. I have a feeling this is a scam. Has anyone else been offered a job by this school? Thanks!
Barbara