Big Step

Do you have anything better to do in life?

There is a job site for people wanting to teach English abroad...I looked at it, very interesting, Unfortunately, cannot remember the address....I'm sure you will be able to find it via Google. Loads of jobs and information. Happy hunting, and good luck. Taught English in Mexico, enjoyed it.

I enjoy the fact that Nauta goes on a rant about OP's English but doesn't take the time to check their own.

As for the question at hand, you will find that in most places, teaching English is probably not going to be a way of making any money, you may earn enough to live on but chances are you'll have to dip into your savings so I would suggest you save for more than just a couple months. Some places, like Japan or S. Korea may pay better but are much harder to get a job. Also aim to work somewhere for a year, not just a couple months.

Good luck

Edited by: ToadofToadHall

Check out this site for jobs:
www.eslcafe.com (Dave's ESL Café)

Sorry - I'm with Nauta here.

You say I have little interest in others' opinion of my English skills as I have already done a pre-CELTA test which qualified me well enough to do the actual course and teach English to non speakers at beginners level.

But how about when those 'others' are your potential future employers?
And how about giving value to your potential students?

Organisations which teach CELTA have a vested interest in taking your money.

If they teach you and you fail it's not their fault is it? And they've still got your money.

(Of course, you could use your legal skills - which you're tired of already - to argue that they shouldn't have taken your money, but I think you'd lose your case.)

Your grammer, punctuation and ability to communicate clearly in the language, leaves much to be desired

Since you're being pedantic, it's "grammar". Or were you being ironic?

Nauta (travelinstyle) has some fair points hiding behind the cantankerous old man role he so loves to play.

A few thoughts spring to mind that don't seem to have been covered by earlier posters:

Do you have a British passport? If your passport is from a non-native English speaking country, it is impossible to work legally in many E Asian countries, including Korea (where I taught English for 2 years) and Taiwan (where I'm teaching now).

I have a CELTA, and the opportunity to use a lot of what I learned is woefully lacking. Teaching phonics to 7 year olds doesn't require a massive and far-reaching grasp of English grammar. Pronunciation, however, IS important. North American accents are king in this part of the world, and it's hard enough to get a job in some places if you have a British accent, let alone an accent from somewhere else or unusual pronunciation.

Have you considered going overseas to take your CELTA? I would recommend a residential course rather than one you can commute to from home. It's a fairly intensive month, and you'll be up to your neck in lesson planning and essay writing. Best not to have to deal with a commute, and cooking your own dinners etc,, on top of that.

I did mine with International House in Thailand. They have full board courses in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. My course in Chiang Mai was excellent, and good value when you consider what was included. Airfare apart, I doubt it would cost any more than doing it near where you live.

+Organisations which teach CELTA have a vested interest in taking your money.
If they teach you and you fail it's not their fault is it?+

They have a vested interest in taking your money AND in you passing the course. On my course, a couple of people weren't really up to scratch. But they got plenty of one-on-one attention from the tutors and they both scraped a pass in the end. I guess having a couple of "fails" would negatively affect the statistics from that particular testing center, something which the tutors (and CELTA themselves) would be keen to avoid.

Re: money:

Bring at least 3 months living expenses if you're striking out on your own. You can get away with taking less if you're heading to a pre-arranged job (which is usual in eg. Korea). Here in Taiwan and many other places, you'll be stepping off the plane and starting from scratch. You'll need to find somewhere to stay when you arrive, find a job, put down a deposit on an apartment, buy essential items for your apartment, and a million other things before you even get close to getting your first pay check. And the chances are, that pay check will be none too impressive when it does arrive.

Dominic, yes grammar not grammer, typo. I'm sure however you will agree there is a difference between one typo and continual spelling errors. Nor am I planning on teaching English which would mean even if I misspelt every second word, it would have no relevance.

I still think the OP is not addressing the real issue. Teaching English for a 'few months' is not the solution to his problem.

^ Indeed, he needs to commit to at least a year. Most places will insist on a year's contract anyway. Getting a CELTA is a good first step to show you're serious.

I'm sure however you will agree there is a difference between one typo and continual spelling errors

I agree, of course. But when a post criticizing grammar or spelling contains a mistake, I am unable to resist pointing it out :-)

Thank you guys and girls for contribbuting valuable informations - I appriciate it imensely. You now who you are!!!

Dominic in particular, thanks for your advice. No, I am not a UK passport holder, but an EU one. I am aware that it is more difficult for non-native speakers to get English teaching jobs abroad. However, I have read many success stories and I am confident about my language skills and my CV (which, I have read, helps with applications for teaching jobs) Is this true, by the way? In terms of pronunciation, I have a very clear English accent - part of my education and subsequent training in law included elocution lessons which resulted in my accent being more posh then it should be. I can easily convert to American accent if it would help.

I do prefer taking the CELTA course here, before I go away, and I am not so fussy about where I go. Also, I am not looking to make or save any money from teaching English abroad, but merely to sustain myself during my stay there - is that possible? Does it depend on the country or the city where one teaches? Or, will I need another source of income and/or savings?

Many thanks.
Best

Edited by: Travelino

Edited by: Travelino

I am confident about my language skills and my CV (which, I have read, helps with applications for teaching jobs) Is this true, by the way?

In my experience, employers here are most interested in how you look. If you're white, good-looking, slim, blond-haired, preferably female and aged around 25, then your chances of getting employed rise sharply. Any combination of these factors will help. Always supply a flattering photo with your resume. Sorry, but employers won't be very interested in non-teaching related experience.

All the confidence and language skills in the world won't be much use in Korea, where as a non-native speaker you simply aren't eligible for an E2 visa so cannot legally live and work there. You could try to find "under the table" work but I wouldn't risk it, you'll expose yourself to very unscrupulous employers and you'll have to keep leaving the country on visa runs.

In Taiwan, especially in the city where I live, the problem is one of oversupply of teachers. Every job gets many applicants. Why would a school owner hire a non-native speaker, when they have a ready supply of Americans to fill every job vacancy? It's hard enough to find work here as a Brit. A few people who are native speakers of French and Spanish scrape a living here, but demand for these languages is low.

Check which countries you can realistically work. China and Cambodia might be possibilities. In most places, you'll be earning good money by local standards (although usually not by Western standards), so provided you get enough teaching hours you'll be able to sustain yourself.