The TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) industry, attracks many new teachers each year. The teachers are of all age groups, with a range of experience but are all equally willing to take up the challenge to work abroad.
It is an intensive one month course for the basic RSA Teaching English Certificate, which is readily available vertually all year round at Teacher training Colleges. Often these colleges insist that the students have a degree or plenty of commercial/work experience and minimum level of eductaion to participate in the course. The price is around �1000 and there is no guarentee of a pass, assignments and teaching practice must be completed, and all classes attended. However, compared to a state teacher the training is very short.
Once qualified the teacher can take posts abroad with ease. The direct method is the prefered method of language schools, meaning, the language learnt is the only language spoken in the classroom by teachers. This gives very little restrictions at work, as to which country the teacher chooses.
For graduates it�s an ideal way to take a year or two off pay your way to travel. However, in recent years, as English increasingly becomes the world business language, a new type of learner has emerged. The business client; highly motivated busy individuals.
To cater for the new clientel, schools provide �a la carte� classes. Unlike a traditional style school, language schools enforce few limits to a timetable. It is possible to teach small groups or one to one, at the clients office or at the school building. Flexibility is the name of the game for the school and therefore the teacher.
For the teacher, it�s standard practice to start with a few hours of work at an hourly rate and then, as the school gains more contracts, the work load increases. Thus the timetable is built around the clients requests.
To become a full time member of staff, the teacher often needs to be available from 7:30am until 9pm. Why? to teach before business hours, during lunch time and then again at the end of the day. The teachers day is split and tiring, often including travelling to different locations for each class and waiting time during the day.
This has taken the language classroom into a more serious dimension. There is a need for professional teachers and a commitment by the teacher, to the client. As a consultancy was shy to admit, "Teachers need to dress correctly for a commercial environment, have their own transport and be willing to drive to companies located outside the city to teach for an hour and a half lesson, in a demanding environment. Lessions must be well planned and prepared. Such individuals are short in supply. In return for all their qualities TEFL teachers can expect to earn as little as �10 for a 45 minute class and need to teach for 30 hours a week."
Offering such working conditions is begining to give the industry a bad reputation.It�s therefore interesting to question the teachers who do this for a living. Is it purely a temporary job, to travel and live abroad?
Claire from Bolton eagerly tells of all her travels before landing in her new base of switzerland. "After qualifying, I spent a year in Solvakia to learn the ropes of teaching, before going to Japan for a 3 year stint. It can be difficult to begin with, as the preparation and work load is demanding and the pay is often low compared to your home country. It does eventually pay for itself but you have to be selective and careful who you work for. After 3 years, it�s easier to find work in an Institue of Higher Education or a Private School. The pay is better and the timetables are fixed."
It is possible to develope in this industry as a teacher but it�s necessary to belong to an external or independant organisation. In many countries The British Council provides a number of workshops, a library and encourages teachers to network.
For the even keener teacher there are a number of further training courses leading to specialised diplomas and MA�s. Internet universities enable a travelling teacher to study from any location and still gain an internationally recognised certificate.
However, when looking at the industry of English Teaching, is there a need to be so well qualified? Does the service or working conditions warrent further study?
"I would like it if a language school insisted that I did a top-up trainning course or qualification. At all the interviews I�ve been to, none of the schools have seemed interested as to whether I was qualified or not. They�re keen that I�m a native speaker and that I�ve had some experience but rarely ask about official pieces of paper." explained Susan, who is currently taking an MA course.
When asked why schools don�t insist on qualified teachers or feel the need to improve teaching standards inhouse, the reply is echoed throughout the globe. Indeed one of the pressing issues within the industry is the obtaining of work permits. There is a high demand for knowledable and experienced teachers but the red tape makes it virtually impossible for language schools to be selective.
This then puts the TEFL industry in a difficult situation. It is responsible for providing professional teachers to teach in national and international companies and it needs to provide encouraging working hours and salery in return. Teachers need to be rewarded, finacially and logistically for their commitment to the industry, the experience of living abroad isn�t sufficient to keep them on the long term. To make the job of an English Teacher more than just a career gap-fill will take some time and changes.