Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / June 2004

Very possible, though at that level of qualification it's often a shitty
and unstable job in the UK, which is why many newly CELTA-qualified
teachers head off for sunny climes for a year or so and come back
experienced and with a better choice of jobs.

In the UK, teaching 'English as a Second Language' is considered a
different discipline from teaching 'English as a Foreign Language'; ESL is
probably a more stable career choice, but involves teaching people from
resident communities, usually in a Community Teaching context.  It can be
very hard and demanding work, but can also be very rewarding, especially
if you have anything of a social conscience.  EFL is a lot more fun and
where you go to meet glamorous and exotic people (that's only partly
tongue in cheek; I've got an ex-Chinese Footy international who's a
personal friend of Gazza's in my class at present!!! - be still my beating
heart...).  Although there used to be separate qualifications for ESL and
EFL, these days CELTA will get you into both, and they certainly aren't
mutually exclusive.

It's quite possible to get some experience before you take up training.  
Local authorities always need ESL volunteers, and, on the EFL side, if you
check the Guardian Tuesday jobs page,
(http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/browse/education/tefl/) especially at this
time of year when UK schools are panicking about missing staff, you might
get your hand in by becoming a guide or social organiser on a teen summer
course (great fun, or Hell on Earth, much dependent on your attitude and
what students you get; if you cope, you'll cope with most things ESOL will
throw at you).  If you *do want to go abroad, The Graun also carries
adverts for the sort of teaching assistant jobs in Japan where (I have the
impression) teaching qualifications are positively discouraged, as what
they want is basically a native-speaker as a resource (a walking
dictionary-come-concordancer if you like) to work with qualified local
teachers. While you might feel part of the furniture, it's not a bad way
to get involved in the trade.

Whatever you decide to do, while facing your first classes can be
daunting, in general ESOL is a lot of fun.  I've done sensible jobs as
well, and it certainly beats sitting in darkened rooms full of computers
with a bunch of tedious Brits whose life experience of other cultures
involves a punch up with a waiter in Torremolinos ten years ago and the
occasional Chinese take away.  And haven't taken their suits to the
dry-cleaners for a long time either.  Bleagh.  But you won't get rich.  In
fact you may not even be able to get a mortgage, so give it some thought
or, as I've done really, make it part of a job portfolio.

There are some dodgy and expensive CELTA courses around and certainly
don't touch anything that isn't CELTA or the Trinity Cert, or anything
based on patent instant learning methods such as the Callan Method or any
of the sorts of in-house methodologies espoused by Berlitz or inlingua -
you'll be stuck with it forever.  Ask yourself whether it's more important
to get the qualification quickly and cheaply or if you want to be trained
to have some conception of what to do when the day comes you actually have
to face a class. Your best bet for both quality and value is your local
Uni or FE College.  Waltham Forest College is one example of a good course
if you're in London, but run anything you find back past this group
(ignoring the occasional nutter).

Good luck
DC