2768 Article on TEFL slavery

That's a very interesting, if sad, article, Karen. Thanks for posting it.

It seems to confirm what can be discovered with a little research - that teaching English can be a nice little extra spending money, but you have to have a main earner in the family to provide the cash for the basics.

I'm still thinking of getting a TEFL qualification but wouldn't rely on teaching alone to live. Think I'm a bit too old for that... :D

Cheers!

the thing is ... and i think i have said this before ...you can teach english here without the tefl bit...it makes no difference... and is a good way for young people to visit and live in different parts of the world...beyond that... there is nothing.... i have known a couple of qualified teachers in england that have moved here ...getting that extra tefl bit...and sending off hundreds of cvs... with lots of promises of work when they get here.... they are now back in the uk ...because they planned their life here on having an income...and it really doesnt work... anywhere ..... better to be a qualified bulider .... with at least a working knowledge of the local language... or else in the medical line... but again language... its very difficult

Interesting article...

Does make one think twice about the whole TEFL thing.

Karen's article was interesting but no so sad ... at least for the author ... me thinks an Oxford graduate who can speak fluent Russian and English with a Harvard MBA could name his price but this fellow obviously has ambitions along the Tim Parks line!

I have just read an article from Der Spiegel about the 2600 German trained doctors who are now working in the UK. They cite one orthopaedic surgeon whose salary is three times what it was in Germany. For those who don't know we train way too few doctors in Britain, work them very hard but pay them handsomely.

I regard this labour mobility as a positive thing it serves to improve standards in effected countries. Germany will do more to look after its homegrown doctors and British doctors will realise they don't have such a bad lot and grumble a bit less or they will get their workload reduced in turn for a little less pay.

Language teachers have always been exploited because the supply exceeds demand and seemingly anyone can get a job as a language teacher in many schools. Also the stipend is inversley related to the attractiveness of the location ... I believe a language teacher in Finland in the winter months can make a living wage.

Monash University has opened a campus in our town - mainly for Australian post-grad. studies and conferences but they also have a centre which "offers English language training to the local community, including classroom-based courses at the Centre, and off-site training".

They have highly qualified staff who are paid accordingly and offer a premium product - time will tell if it is a winning formula over Sig.ra Pazzi's.

It is interesting to compare the cost of private Italian lessons in the UK with the payment for giving private English lessons in Italy. In the UK it will cost 2 - 3 times what you could earn as a private English tutor in Italy.

I have no idea what the comparative salaries for Language School or International School staff are - assuming appropriate qualified teacher and professional certifications. I only know from colleagues that teaching English is much poorer paid than working as a teacher in a UK school - discounting such things as membership of a pension scheme.

Very interesting article but....
Having done a TEFL certificate many years ago, I was able to travel around Europe and I did get a job in Rome, then Madrid and then Antwerp. No I didn't get paid much and I had no career progression but I didn't expect it either. I needed to fund my desire to travel and meet the locals. It is probably a job for the young/those without commitments who just need income to tide them through. I have posted before on my experiences in Rome - major problem for me was that I lived a 40 minute bus ride to EUR and then need to take the tube to the Vatican and basically I was willing to hold out for something more convenient (like the maternity cover I got for 2 years working at Pirelli). This article is interesting but so incredibly negative. No pastoral side - who wants to be worrying about the attendance/familial issues of students who have chosen and are paying for the course. As a UK Comprehensive teacher, no pastoral side sometimes sounds like a dream come true. No variety - total rubbish, How can you not have variety when each class is made up of different individuals. In Spain I taught young children and adults (obviously in different classes) and as always every day was different - I never knew whether my lesson would work, who would turn up, who had issues (personality clashes, problems at work) . I knew a couple in Rome who worked for Inlingua and although they moaned a bit (particularly about the money) they had moved to Rome from Cadiz with a guaranteed job and they loved the work they did -- he went into companies, she taught in a language school. Perhaps it was because he had been a teacher in the UK and she now is.

Bottom line - no, there is no career progression,
yes the pay is low and the hours can be a pain if you have commitments

But when I retire to Rome, I will miss teaching and I will definitely try to keep my hand in by getting involved in a local language school - or getting a franchise to start my own (which is what I eventually did in Belgium)

When your life has gone wrong??? Why did a guy who had a degree from Oxford in languages (similar to me) decide to write an article completely condemning TEFL and its obvious shortcomings - I think the clue lay in his arrogant reaction to the fact that International House didn't think he was the best thing since sliced bread
I'll get off my horse now:o

sorry back on my horse again Cassini
The pay SHOULD be lower for TEFL teachers as, if they did the course I did (which was excellent by the way), it took 4 weeks. It took me a year and experience in two very difficult comprehensives to become a qualified teacher in the Uk. It's a very big mistake to think that, if you speak the language, you can teach it- the pay in both countries reflects the amount of training and experience required to do the job.

No objection to your high horse. My comments are general to this field of work.

There's a huge variety of people in TEFL and TESOL and EAL. The majority of them are qualified teachers with additional qualifications, some even with specialist MAs. A lot of talented professionals who I think deserve a better rate for their work. Of course some young graduates do go into this field in order to travel.

I only make these comments as a result of a long career in English and language education in the UK and contact with many talented english language educators in the UK context and working abroad.

Anyway, I'll read the article now.

In the UK I worked in nurseries for many years and TBH I had done that and was getting a bit bored, looking for the next thing. We moved last year and I did a stint in the local language school, it was ok but not inspiring. At Christmas I was offered mornings only in the local primary/nursery school. I do the same hours but all in the morning, which leaves me time for my family. I can do more if I want. However because its a private school the contract is Sept-May. Fine for me but not for someone looking to support a family. However on the bright side there seems to be plenty of other work available if you want it. The adding advange to my job is that as the children progress and the parents see this progression they are asking me for private lessons, I didn't expect this. I assume that picking this kind of work up will eventually tide me over the Summer.

From the language teachers I know, most of which work privately, the story is a very negative one. Perhaps the story is typical of people who remain in the lnaguage school system, which does pay extremely badly.

The article in question has been around some time and discussed a fair bit on ESL teachers' web sites. I'm interested in this subject as I'm moving to italy shortly to teach English. I've been discussing the situation with teachers already in situ who've pretty much endorsed my approach. I've no job lined up but intend to avoid language schools and go directly to the principals. I'll contact the local schools, Instituti, businesses, training agencies, adult education centres etc. directly. Often language schools farm their teachers out to these same organisations but take a disproportionate cut of the income. Not an approach to adopt unless you have some resources, and there are obviously risks. All of which reminds me that I need to update my Italian version CV with my new address....better go.

[QUOTE=sueflauto]The article in question has been around some time and discussed a fair bit on ESL teachers' web sites. I'm interested in this subject as I'm moving to italy shortly to teach English. I've been discussing the situation with teachers already in situ who've pretty much endorsed my approach. I've no job lined up but intend to avoid language schools and go directly to the principals. I'll contact the local schools, Instituti, businesses, training agencies, adult education centres etc. directly. Often language schools farm their teachers out to these same organisations but take a disproportionate cut of the income. Not an approach to adopt unless you have some resources, and there are obviously risks. All of which reminds me that I need to update my Italian version CV with my new address....better go.[/QUOTE]

Sounds you'll be very busy in the near future! Best of luck - oh, and keep us posted... :)