Another how easy can i teach thread

[dietribr]

I've done a good amount of reading up on different countries to teach abroad. Essentially cambodia is top 3 and this forum has been a huge resource.

Quickly about me....white, 26, native english speaker from US and have a bachelors in history. No celta or tefl or really interest in getting one. WIll have a decent nest egg to fall back on (5K us in savings). I have backpacked asia when i was younger and can live moderately cheap.

my 2 questions : ( one i hate to ask as im pretty sure i know the answer.)

First, with my qualifications i should be able to find a 10/hour job pretty easily in less then a month just by being on the ground?

second, most countries have a specifice time table to try to be in country to help on finding a teaching job. So far it seems it has no bearing what time of the year to come over. Would december/january be an okay to come over or would that be on a mandated break? what would the best month be to come over there.


Thanks a lot in advance, and im really sorry if these are rudimentary questions.

[MoodyMac]

$5000 will last you a while depending on your lifestyle. You should survive for 5 or 6 months living quite well in a local sense. You could even last a year if you live moderate to poorly. That sort of money would tide you over for 5 years if you were a rural Khmer.

US degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on, due to the fact that no one from USA can spell English correctly.

But you should find a job here before your money runs out. I did and I'm a high school drop out.

[NedK]

You'd probably find a job, though not at one of the "better" schools and they would question your lack of a TEFL/CELTA . In fact, I question your lack of a TEFL/CELTA, particularly since you didn't mention any other teaching experience. Any other jobs you are interested in? You could apply at auto-body shops, even if you aren't interested in learning how to fix cars first.

If you want to be a legitimate teacher who has a clue about what they are doing heading into it, get some training in the field. There is a reason your BA in history alone doesn't allow you to teach history in America. I'm sure you know a lot about history, but teaching has its own specific body of knowledge and skills attached to it. It isn't rocket science, as they say, but it isn't quite as easy as it looks either - most people flail around like jackasses and feel like a comedian who is bombing up on stage when they start, and some people never get past that. Furthermore, teaching a second language is another sub-set of skills and knowledge, with its own difficulties involved.

And some people are naturals, while others end up being terrible at it. And that is often related to their own degree of enthusiasm for the profession, whether they are putting in the effort or not. So, if you haven't taught before, be warned that for some people it is a nightmare of a job. My brother was a substitute teacher for a while, and he HATED it. Obviously he wouldn't have gotten licensed if he thought it was going to be the worst thing ever for him to be doing, so you can make a guess as to how you'll react, but who knows.

You might find a place at $10 per hour, but they could look at your total lack of any specific knowledge whatsoever regarding the field of education as a real downer, and only offer $8 or something. This is probably one of the few places on the planet where you'd find a school (at least they'll call it that!) who would hire you without getting some kind of training first. They aren't going to train you on the job - they'll want you up and running on your first day.

How about this: Ok, you don't want to get your TEFL/CELTA. So go and volunteer as a teacher somewhere until you leave. There are organizations that teach Adult Basic Education or GED as well as English for immigrants just about everywhere, and they would take you on as is, and maybe pair you with a more experienced teacher there for a while to assist them and see how it is done. It will be SOMETHING teaching related to put on your resume, and you'll learn a lot doing it.

[vladimir]

US degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on, due to the fact that no one from USA can spell English correctly.
.

You just made a friend.

[cambod]

US degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on, due to the fact that no one from USA can spell English correctly.
.

You just made a friend.

Even my degree had spelling errors on it.

[mookuy]

"how easy can i teach" ... ... ...

[AlwaysBeClosing]

You have no interest in getting a teaching qualification? Don't bother coming then - I imagine that attitude will roll over into your work.

[NedK]

US degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on, due to the fact that no one from USA can spell English correctly.
.

You just made a friend.

I doubt you'll ever find any spelling errors in my posts, that would be a true rarity. Nor will you find errors in grammar beyond various intentional uses of informal language or the occasional lapse in judgment. Despite all of that, I never correct people on their spelling or grammar, because it is the Internet, and nobody really cares. I don't care, but if I were to make a lot of mistakes in my writing it would have to be done intentionally, and that would be an odd choice.

I really hope that you're at least British if you're going to take shots like that, because it would be entirely objectionable to hear it from an Australian. They are wonderful people, but nearly incoherent at times when speaking. Sorry, it's just true. I'm not sure who who makes less sense after a few drinks - a Scotsman or an Australian, tough call.

I do think that there are plenty of people attending Universities in America who aren't really cut out for higher education, but at some point the decision was made to force everyone to attend college whether they were interested in doing so or not, or had any aptitude with academics. It used to be possible to get a well paying job with a H.S. diploma, but we decided it would make more sense if we just dismantled our entire industrial base and had all our goods manufactured in China, and then paid less for them - which is good, because without jobs nobody has any money to spend. Now the vision for America's future is that we'll have an entire economy based on people selling hamburgers to each other. You work at McDonald's and I'll work at Burger King, and when we patronize each other's establishments, everybody wins.

[pattyflipper]

This is probably one of the few places on the planet where you'd find a school (at least they'll call it that!) who would hire you without getting some kind of training first.

Actually, this is extremely common in this part of the world. Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam - they all do it.

I quite agree with your other remarks, though.

[vladimir]

US degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on, due to the fact that no one from USA can spell English correctly.
.

You just made a friend.

Even my degree had spelling errors on it.

A lot of my friends are American, they are less two-faced than other nationalities, but they cannot spell. It's not a big deal, I'd rather have a dyslexic straight - forward American than a two-faced 'friend' from anywhere else, whose sole reason for association is to put me down to make him/her feel better.

I've actually changed my mind about Americans lately: their foreign policy still stinks, but individually, at least they talk straight,

[Frans]

US degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on, due to the fact that no one from USA can spell English correctly.
.

You just made a friend.

I doubt you'll ever find any spelling errors in my posts, that would be a true rarity. Nor will you find errors in grammar beyond various intentional uses of informal language or the occasional lapse in "judgment".

judgment?

Sorry couldn't leave it

[NedK]

A lot of my friends are American, they are less two-faced than other nationalities, but they cannot spell. It's not a big deal, I'd rather have a dyslexic straight - forward American than a two-faced 'friend' from anywhere else, whose sole reason for association is to put me down to make him/her feel better.

I've actually changed my mind about Americans lately: their foreign policy still stinks, but individually, at least they talk straight,

Blaming the average American for America's foreign policy isn't really sensible. I'm not involved in the decision making process. They don't consult me. And I don't agree with most of it. Every four years, they might ask me to choose between two assholes that are both more or less dedicated to militarism, corporatism, and just generally advancing the interests of the powers-that-be at everyone else's expense. At least the authoritarianism and corruption in Cambodia is done out in the open, without a lot of delusional pieties about freedom and democracy.

Most Americans are fairly straight-forward (or lacking in any sense of tact). Some Mid-Westerners have an aversion to voicing criticisms, and like to be passive aggressive. Certain East Coast destinations have a reputation for producing loudmouthed assholes. I'm sure you've heard about the American South. Yeah, it's like that in places, unfortunately.

Perhaps some of us aren't able to spell, but I won a few Spelling Bees, before I was old enough to understand how nerdy that is and quit. If you think the spelling problem was bad before, just wait until we're several generations into the internet / mobile phone / messaging era of communications and then marvel at how the English language has become a pidgin in written form in mere decades.

[jm]

NedK is talking sense here.

As for spelling bees there was a BBC show this month that reported that Brits thought they were excellent spellers but in fact most surveyed stunk. Most couldn't spell necessary.

[eire]

To the original poster: I'm not in Cambodia as yet, but I can tell you that reading

No celta or tefl or really interest in getting one

wasn't very nice. Did you ever stop to think that the people you are asking advice from have actually put in the 'hard yakka' in gaining such certification, not to mention the investment of time and MONEY!? How do you think they might feel towards 'helping' you? Maybe I'm mis-reading your post but your attitude really leaves a bit to be desired. If I start on the the negative impact that uncertified 'casual backpackers' have had on 'salaries' in China, I'd be here all night!

[vladimir]

NedK is talking sense here.

As for spelling bees there was a BBC show this month that reported that Brits thought they were excellent spellers but in fact most surveyed stunk. Most couldn't spell necessary.

jm, like you I don't care about certificates/ accreditation, attitude is way more important