Any ESL teachers here?

[CrispyDelicious]

I know we have teachers here, maybe even some professors(?), but I am curious if anyone here teaches English as a Second Language, specifically. I am finishing up my second B.A. (one in philosophy and this one in english) and am about to apply to my uni's TESOL program. Everyone I've talked to has only good things to say about teaching ESL, and I'm so incredibly stoked to be applying to this program. So ESL teachers, if you are out there, what are your thoughts on your profession?

[MakiSupaStar]

I've taught adult school ESL at the conversational level. Additionally, most of my 7th and 8th grade students are ESL.

[CrispyDelicious]

Did you do ESL before becoming a teacher at elementary level? How/why did you make the switch?

[funkybass4ever]

I work in a district with a large population of esl students. I have subbed in those classes and the students are really great for the most part- the students are really enthusiastic if you know their native language since many are very shy and not confident with their English language skills yet.

I am finishing up a credential in Special Ed Mild/Moderate and am still in school . Good luck finishing up your second degree, it will be worth it

[MakiSupaStar]

The Adult ESL for me was a night job while I was subbing. It wasn't really hard to make the switch, and I would venture to say that the kids (depending on the ESL level) are more adventurous than the adults as far as trying to speak. Still, I switched to the kids simply because it's a full time teaching job in a good district where I had opportunities and possibility of tenure.

[armywalaby]

I looked into it. There was an online certification that seemed legit.

www.teflonline.com

[CrispyDelicious]

Originally Posted by armywalaby

I looked into it. There was an online certification that seemed legit.

www.teflonline.com

I considered a cheaper/shorter course elsewhere, but I have a feeling that people will respond more to a university-taught program than one purchased online. Especially if I'm going to aim for jobs in colleges.

[MaHei]

If you want international recognition, I recommend the Cambridge CELTA course.

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/t...rds/celta.html

Teach for a few years, come back and do the DELTA - You'll be well educated regarding ESL and EFL.

[Jake-leg]

I taught ESL at a private school in Tokyo for a couple of years, and now I've been teaching in Seoul for nearly 15. One year was at a private school, two at a Korean high school, and 12 so far at a university.

There are lots of variables, of course--where you teach, how long you expect to do it, etc. The money is usually OK, and some people save a lot of money. Others just drink it all, or spend it on traveling. It can certainly be a great way to see parts of the world and meet a variety of characters from other parts. I've known several people who have spent a year or so in more than 10 countries. For something like that, the CELTA is a great thing to have, but your uni's TESOL program may be equivalent.

There are drawbacks, of course. It's hard to maintain a collection of basses when you're moving to a different continent every year. Friends and coworkers come and go pretty frequently, and some people struggle with loneliness and homesickness.

In Korea, most universities want at least a Master's degree, but there are exceptions. Two BAs (especially one in English) plus almost any TESOL certificate will certainly qualify you for many good jobs in many countries. Private institutes can be fun places to teach. Universities are a bit more "serious," but we're still not on the same level as the Korean professors. The pay is fine, and my vacations are obscenely long. I teach two 16-week semesters every year; summer and winter classes are optional, with extra pay. If I don't teach during vacations, I have 5 months off each year. If I teach both summer and winter school, I have only 3 months off. (Vacation classes are just one month.)

After nearly 15 years in this country, I've become fairly settled, of course. For me, it's just a job that happens to be several thousand miles away from my hometown, which was what I wanted. Even if that isn't what you want, it can be a wonderful thing to do for a while.

[Mark Wilson]

I don't teach ESL students, but I do work in a college library, so a lot of ESL students come in and out.

On behalf of everyone who shelves books, WILL YOU TEACH THESE PEOPLE TO PUT BOOKS BACK WHERE THEY GOT THEM?!?!!


Drives me up the ******* wall!!!

[armywalaby]

Originally Posted by Jake-leg

I taught ESL at a private school in Tokyo for a couple of years, and now I've been teaching in Seoul for nearly 15. One year was at a private school, two at a Korean high school, and 12 so far at a university.

There are lots of variables, of course--where you teach, how long you expect to do it, etc. The money is usually OK, and some people save a lot of money. Others just drink it all, or spend it on traveling. It can certainly be a great way to see parts of the world and meet a variety of characters from other parts. I've known several people who have spent a year or so in more than 10 countries. For something like that, the CELTA is a great thing to have, but your uni's TESOL program may be equivalent.

There are drawbacks, of course. It's hard to maintain a collection of basses when you're moving to a different continent every year. Friends and coworkers come and go pretty frequently, and some people struggle with loneliness and homesickness.

In Korea, most universities want at least a Master's degree, but there are exceptions. Two BAs (especially one in English) plus almost any TESOL certificate will certainly qualify you for many good jobs in many countries. Private institutes can be fun places to teach. Universities are a bit more "serious," but we're still not on the same level as the Korean professors. The pay is fine, and my vacations are obscenely long. I teach two 16-week semesters every year; summer and winter classes are optional, with extra pay. If I don't teach during vacations, I have 5 months off each year. If I teach both summer and winter school, I have only 3 months off. (Vacation classes are just one month.)

After nearly 15 years in this country, I've become fairly settled, of course. For me, it's just a job that happens to be several thousand miles away from my hometown, which was what I wanted. Even if that isn't what you want, it can be a wonderful thing to do for a while.

+1. There are always a lot of flyers up around post here about jobs for ESL teachers in many different areas in Korea. I've seen them vary from requirements of some college - masters degree. I would imagine the ones who want just some college don't pay too much and it might be an elementary school?

OTOH, we had a program here called Virtues, where GIs would volunteer to go to a middle school and "teach English". I've been to these, and it's more about a positive interaction with an American. All of the students are 14 year old girls that just want to talk about American guys.

Where's Maki? There's a job for you.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by armywalaby

+1. There are always a lot of flyers up around post here about jobs for ESL teachers in many different areas in Korea. I've seen them vary from requirements of some college - masters degree. I would imagine the ones who want just some college don't pay too much and it might be an elementary school?

OTOH, we had a program here called Virtues, where GIs would volunteer to go to a middle school and "teach English". I've been to these, and it's more about a positive interaction with an American. All of the students are 14 year old girls that just want to talk about American guys.

Where's Maki? There's a job for you.

No thanks. Give me their moms and older sisters. I teach that age. I'd rather poke an angry chimp in the eye than fly around the world and listen to girls learn how to say "Oh my gawd! He's sooooo cute!" in English. Ugh.

[armywalaby]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

No thanks. Give me their moms and older sisters. I teach that age. I'd rather poke an angry chimp in the eye than fly around the world and listen to girls learn how to say "Oh my gawd! He's sooooo cute!" in English. Ugh.

I don't think they care to learn. They just want to gaze.

[shooter_mi]

Originally Posted by MaHei

If you want international recognition, I recommend the Cambridge CELTA course.

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/t...rds/celta.html

Teach for a few years, come back and do the DELTA - You'll be well educated regarding ESL and EFL.

I taught ESL in Russia for two years, one of my colleagues there followed that experience up with the Cambridge CELTA course. She's been to a lot place over the years, and is very successful.

[Cabazon]

I've got a friend who does it in Thailand, I believe it is. He's said nothing but good things about it.

[Bass_Trax]

Does anybody have a list of good forums (Like TB) for learning about TESOL?

[::::BASSIST::::]

I taught ESL for over a year at a private ESL school. They were Korean kids and for the most part I really enjoyed it. Very well behaved, but you could still have fun with them. The teens were kinda boring though as sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get an answer out of them. I mainly taught the elementary aged kids.

One warning though. I took my TESL program concurrently with my teaching program at university (UBC) and found the material quite difficult. Linguistics is no cake walk once you get into the technical stuff. I was surprised when I pulled A- and Bs. Probably one of the most interesting essays I ever wrote in university was in this program. It was about curse words and how teenagers use them as terms of affection.

[Jake-leg]

Originally Posted by Bass_Trax

Does anybody have a list of good forums (Like TB) for learning about TESOL?

Dave's ESL Cafe is a popular one. Not exactly a list, but it's the one I hear about most.